[Upstream] Deleting a column in Writer deletes whole table

[Leandro]

Binary package hint: openoffice.org

1) lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 11.04
Release: 11.04

2) apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.3.3-1ubuntu2
  Candidate: 1:3.3.3-1ubuntu2
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.3.3-1ubuntu2 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:3.3.2-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main i386 Packages

3) What is expected to happen in LibreOffice Writer via the Terminal:

cd ~/Desktop && wget https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564/+attachment/894856/+files/test.odt && lowriter -nologo test.odt

is when one highlights the second column of the table -> secondary clicks -> Column -> Delete is only that column is deleted. Please see movie for more details: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564/+attachment/894864/+files/out.ogv

4) What happens instead is the whole table is deleted.

Reproducible in:
lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu precise (development branch)
Release: 12.04

apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

WORKAROUND: Split the table then delete the column.

WORKAROUND: Use Word via WINE.

Microsoft Office Word 2003 (11.5604.6505)

apt-cache policy wine1.3
wine1.3:
  Installed: 1.3.28-0ubuntu1~ppa1~natty1
  Candidate: 1.3.28-0ubuntu1~ppa1~natty1
  Version table:
 *** 1.3.28-0ubuntu1~ppa1~natty1 0
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-wine/ppa/ubuntu/ natty/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1.3.15-0ubuntu5 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe i386 Packages

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Oct 28 09:43:20 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Package: openoffice.org-core 1:3.1.1-5ubuntu1
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: openoffice.org
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64

[Chris Cheney (ccheney)]

You have to split the two merged cell before deleting the column.

[Leandro (leandromartinez98)]

Ok....

But the behaviour is not simmetrical relative to the deletion of a line, as the example I post now shows. What happens when a line is deleted in a similar way is what one actually expects... not the deletion of the whole table...

[Leandro (leandromartinez98)]

This is solved in OpenOffice.org 3.2

[Björn Michaelsen (bjoern-michaelsen)]

[This is an automated message.]
There are no new official OpenOffice.org releases in Ubuntu packaging anymore => Won't Fix

If the problem persists, please mark this bug as "also affects project Libreoffice" or "also affects distribution Libreoffice (Ubuntu)" if that has not happened already.

Please leave references to upstream OpenOffice.org bugs in place to allow cross pollination.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

No upstream URL.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Leandro, thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. The issue you are reporting is an upstream one and it would be nice if somebody having it could send the bug to the developers of the software by following the instructions at http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugReport . If you have done so, please tell us the number of the upstream bug (or the link), so we can add a bugwatch that will inform us about its status. Thanks in advance.

[Uls6502 (uls6502)]

Created attachment 57775
A demonstration of the intended, and actual, behavior.

Steps to reproduce:

1) Create a table.

2) Merge some of the cells together so that the merged area is more than one column wide.

3) Select a different row in one of such columns.

4) Try to delete this column.

Intended behavior:

The only column deleted is the one actually chosen, like in LibreOffice Calc. The merged cell is intact, only combining one column less.
The only way to delete the merged cell is to have the merged cell itself selected(alternately: or the column the merged cell is originally from).

Actual behavior:

All the columns the merged cell combines are deleted, even if the selected cell is in a different row.

Tested on two different installations of LibreOffice 3.5.0 on Debian Squeeze amd64 and Ubuntu 10.04 LTS amd64.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Downstream report may be found at:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564

1) lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu precise (development branch)
Release: 12.04

2) apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) What is expected to happen in LibreOffice Writer via the Terminal:

cd ~/Desktop && wget https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564/+attachment/894856/+files/test.odt && lowriter -nologo test.odt

is when one highlights the second column of the table -> secondary clicks -> Column -> Delete is only that column is deleted. Please see movie for more details: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564/+attachment/894864/+files/out.ogv

4) What happens instead is the whole table is deleted.

WORKAROUND: Split the table then delete the column.

[Libreoffice-z (libreoffice-z)]

[Reproducible] with "LibreOffice 3.5.2.2" German UI/Locale [Build-ID: 281b639-6baa1d3-ef66a77-d866f25-f36d45f] on German WIN7 Home Premium (64bit)

Splitting first cell heals the problem

This one might be more an enhancement request than a bug

@Cédric:
Please set Status to ASSIGNED and add yourself to "Assigned To" if you accept this Bug

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Downstream report may be found at:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564

1) lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu precise (development branch)
Release: 12.04

2) apt-cache policy libreoffice-writer
libreoffice-writer:
  Installed: 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1:3.5.2-2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) What is expected to happen in LibreOffice Writer via the Terminal:

cd ~/Desktop && wget https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564/+attachment/894856/+files/test.odt && lowriter -nologo test.odt

is when one highlights the second column of the table -> secondary clicks -> Column -> Delete is only that column is deleted. Please see movie for more details: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564/+attachment/894864/+files/out.ogv

4) What happens instead is the whole table is deleted.

WORKAROUND: Split the table then delete the column.

[Libreoffice-z (libreoffice-z)]

[Reproducible] with "LibreOffice 3.5.2.2" German UI/Locale [Build-ID: 281b639-6baa1d3-ef66a77-d866f25-f36d45f] on German WIN7 Home Premium (64bit)

Splitting first cell heals the problem

This one might be more an enhancement request than a bug

@Cédric:
Please set Status to ASSIGNED and add yourself to "Assigned To" if you accept this Bug

[Jmrecarey (jmrecarey)]

[Reproducible] with "LibreOffice 3.3.4 - Ubuntu 11.04 (32bit) Spanish UI"

[Sasha-libreoffice (sasha-libreoffice)]

reproduced also in 3.5.2 on Windows 7 32 bit
Changing version to 3.3.4 as most early reproducible, due to comment 2

[sphericalhorse (sphericalhorse)]

Created attachment 67608
Table example

Now I've reproduced this bug in LibreOffice 3.5.4.2 on Ubuntu 12.04 x64 and LibreOffice 3.6.1.2 on Archlinux x64.

[sphericalhorse (sphericalhorse)]

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 46733 ***

[sphericalhorse (sphericalhorse)]

*** Bug 48704 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Changing Version: 3.3.3 due to downstream report https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libreoffice/+bug/462564 .

[Qa-admin-q (qa-admin-q)]

** Please read this message in its entirety before responding **

To make sure we're focusing on the bugs that affect our users today, LibreOffice QA is asking bug reporters and confirmers to retest open, confirmed bugs which have not been touched for over a year.

There have been thousands of bug fixes and commits since anyone checked on this bug report. During that time, it's possible that the bug has been fixed, or the details of the problem have changed. We'd really appreciate your help in getting confirmation that the bug is still present.

If you have time, please do the following:

   *Test to see if the bug is still present on a currently supported version of LibreOffice (4.4.1 or later)
   https://www.libreoffice.org/download/

   *If the bug is present, please leave a comment that includes the version of LibreOffice and your operating system, and any changes you see in the bug behavior

   *If the bug is NOT present, please set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED-WORKSFORME and leave a short comment that includes your version of LibreOffice and Operating System

Please DO NOT

   *Update the version field
   *Reply via email (please reply directly on the bug tracker)
   *Set the bug's Status field to RESOLVED - FIXED (this status has a particular meaning that is not appropriate in this case)

If you want to do more to help you can test to see if your issue is a REGRESSION. To do so:

1. Download and install oldest version of LibreOffice (usually 3.3 unless your bug pertains to a feature added after 3.3)

http://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/

2. Test your bug
3. Leave a comment with your results.
4a. If the bug was present with 3.3 - set version to "inherited from OOo";
4b. If the bug was not present in 3.3 - add "regression" to keyword

Feel free to come ask questions or to say hello in our QA chat: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=libreoffice-qa

Thank you for your help!

-- The LibreOffice QA Team This NEW Message was generated on: 2015-04-01

[Mikekaganski (mikekaganski)]

Still REPRODUCIBLE with Version: 4.4.2.2
Build ID: c4c7d32d0d49397cad38d62472b0bc8acff48dd6
Locale: ru_RU

[Emersson Augusto Suárez Ortiz (qfsuarezo)]

Hello to everybody. After read all the comments in this line, I have to inform than the bug still exist and It is not the only one problem, if in the design of the table, you merge all the cells of two column and finally two columns become in one column and you have to delete other column, this disapper too and only remind the columns than never has been merged at all.
The table need to handle the cells individually too, if you want to enlarge or short any single cell, you can't do it.
I've tested in LibreOffice 5.0.0.5 in Win 8.1 and Ubuntu 14.04 64 bits both.

[Björn Michaelsen (bjoern-michaelsen)]

@<email address hidden>: Please dont change version field if you dont know what it means (see also comment 6).

Setting version to 3.3.3 as it is the earliest affected (see comment 5).

[Beluga (beluga)]

*** Bug 96171 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Toddandmargo-n (toddandmargo-n)]

5.0.3.2

I noticed that if you try to delete a column that runs through a row that has been merged, that the whole table gets deleted.

Any sign of our intrepid heroes working on this?

[Toddandmargo-n (toddandmargo-n)]

This bug has really become a pain-in-the-neck. Any chance of getting it fixed in the next sub release?

[Y9a7s7tj-steve-si9yrl01 (y9a7s7tj-steve-si9yrl01)]

Also present in 5.2.2.2.0.
Test case added where deleting middle column deletes table.

Work around, split spanning row to match columns, delete column, merge cells in row to span.

[Y9a7s7tj-steve-si9yrl01 (y9a7s7tj-steve-si9yrl01)]

Created attachment 128063
Test file

Deleting middle column deletes table.

[Jon Gerdes (gerdesj)]

Bug present in 5.2.3.3

[Toddandmargo-n (toddandmargo-n)]

Guys!!!!!

This was reported on 2012-02-28. This bug is an ABSOLUTE PAIN IN THE ASS !!! If you let it go any longer, you guys might as well change your names to Open Office. They NEVER fixed their bugs either.

Fix this NOW. Stop dragging your feet! FOUR YEARS IS LONG ENOUGH!

Many thanks,
-T

[Toddandmargo-n (toddandmargo-n)]

still an issue in 6.0

[Xiscofauli (xiscofauli)]

*** Bug 118111 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Telesto (telesto)]

*** Bug 118997 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Zineta99 (zineta99)]

Reproducible with 6.2.0.0.alpha0+

it seems issue inhereted from OOo

[Beluga (beluga)]

*** Bug 124304 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Beluga (beluga)]

*** Bug 101091 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Reproducible in:
Version: 6.3.2.2 (x64)
Build ID: 98b30e735bda24bc04ab42594c85f7fd8be07b9c

Upstream reporters have made multiple duplicate upstream reports over last couple years.

[Justin Luth (jluth)]

There is some good discussion in the linked OOo bug report on this.
Paraphrasing fyva...
> For tables with merged cells, there are no columns or rows, there are only
> cells. When you select a few cells and click "delete row" or "delete column",
> you can't delete neither a row nor a column (there are no rows, no columns),
> you can either delete the whole table or merge the cells with right, left,
> upper or lower cells, by your choice, because each cell have a lot of adjacent
> cells. This gets really complicated.

[Aron Budea (baron-z)]

(In reply to Justin L from comment #23)
> > cells. This gets really complicated.
What if we didn't bother with the complicated cases, only with the simple, well-structured ones? That's what users seem to care about, anyway. If someone's designing their floor tiles with Writer tables, deleting rows/columns is likely not part of their workflow ;).

[Justin Luth (jluth)]

(In reply to Aron Budea from comment #24)
> What if we didn't bother with the complicated cases

We already don't bother with the complicated case, that is why we have this bug report. This bug is complicated because it contains merged cells.

[Mikekaganski (mikekaganski)]

*** Bug 138602 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[Christianw-lehmann (christianw-lehmann)]

The case is even more serious, since the attempt to only delete a column can delete the entire table:

The table has 3 columns and three rows.
I merge the cells of row #3.
In column 3, I select the cells in row #1 and row #2.
From the icons menus, I select Delete selected columns.
Result: My table is deleted.
Expected: The selected columns should be deleted, i.e. merged into a neighboring column.

Thus, after nine years, the original report by uls6502 can be confirmed 100%, although this is a rather serious bug.

[Buzea-bogdan (buzea-bogdan)]

Also in
Version: 7.3.0.0.alpha0+ / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 5b025285b3528910a4360899abb2bbbaadc72c97
CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 5.11; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: ro-RO (ro_RO.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded

[Zhoussneu (zhoussneu)]

Replicated the Report
I installed Writer in my computer which is Windows 10.0.18363, x64-based PC.
Follow the steps, I could reproduce the issue.
Just step 3 and 4, I modify a bit with :
3) Select a cell of a different row in one of these columns
4) right click, and select "delete" --"columns"

[Justin Luth (jluth)]

Created attachment 182624
46733_columnDeleteScenarios.odt: extensive testing example

The problem is that we do a "select column" twice.
The first time is sw/source/core/frmedt/fetab.cxx's SwFEShell::DeleteCol
    GetTableSel( *this, aBoxes, SwTableSearchType::Col );

and the second is SwTable::ExpandColumnSelection

[Justin Luth (jluth)]

Proposed basic fix at http://gerrit.libreoffice.org/c/core/+/140455

[Libreoffice-commits (libreoffice-commits)]

Justin Luth committed a patch related to this issue.
It has been pushed to "master":

https://git.libreoffice.org/core/commit/bb47ffbc9d36e83695aa0d01767d3f83533c04e0

tdf#46733 sw: don't double-select column during deleteCol

It will be available in 7.5.0.

The patch should be included in the daily builds available at
https://dev-builds.libreoffice.org/daily/ in the next 24-48 hours. More
information about daily builds can be found at:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Testing_Daily_Builds

Affected users are encouraged to test the fix and report feedback.

[Justin Luth (jluth)]

Proposed enhancement at https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=46733
sw column: delete matching non-title single-cell row

[timur (ba.timur)]

Thanks Justin for this one, OO reported in 2003!

attachment 182624 is a nice sample, covering more than what was reported. Not sure that all really should be implemented.

Here are the results of checking duplicates, they are good except attachment 142655 from bug 118111 doesn't have a desired behavior, removing a column from 4 column table gives 2 columns instead of 3, like before the fix. Please comment if under enhancement, or bug should be reopened.

(attachment 126378 from bug 101091 has an unrelated weird behavior, I'll comment there)

This is significant, it should go to https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/7.5.

[timur (ba.timur)]

(In reply to Timur from comment #34)
> Here are the results of checking duplicates, they are good except attachment
> 142655 [details] from bug 118111 doesn't have a desired behavior, removing a
> column from 4 column table gives 2 columns instead of 3, like before the
> fix. Please comment if under enhancement, or bug should be reopened.

Nah, it is good, I don't know how I tested.

[Justin Luth (jluth)]

(In reply to Justin L from comment #33)
Proposed enhancement (that I am abandoning) at
https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/c/core/+/140812
    sw column: delete matching non-title single-cell row

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Confirmed resolved in 7.5.x.