spreadsheet: inserting a chart won't allow setting non-contigous datarange

[TerryHeidelberg]

Binary package hint: openoffice.org

In Calc, select 'Insert" => 'Chart', then in the wizard box that appears, select chart type 'Line' then 'Points and Lines". then 'Next'.

The Data Rage selection step is then presented in the wizard box.

Attempts to set a non-contiguous data range, as shown in the help package, Calc will not accept a seemingly valid range.
After the first column selection is show correctly in the text box, and then a semicolon is manually typed, the wizard turns the color of the text box for the datarange red, and refuses to accept the following input text:

$Sheet1.$A$4:$A$63;$Sheet1.$O$4:$O$63

On windows (Vista in my case) a similar selection procedure works as expected.

When in this mode (text box is red), Calc also won't allow the selecting or de-selecting of the choices that are presented below the text box.

A simple test spreadsheet with 3 columns, each having a few rows of numbers, should show this problem. Try selecting the first, then the third columns for charting. In this simple case, the text box would contain e.g.:

$Sheet2.$A$1:$A$4;$Sheet2.$C$1:$C$4

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Apr 28 19:53:05 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: openoffice.org-core 1:3.1.1-5ubuntu1.1
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-20.58-generic
SourcePackage: openoffice.org
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-20-generic x86_64
XsessionErrors:
 (firefox:5349): GLib-WARNING **: g_set_prgname() called multiple times
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:5363): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed

[Chris Cheney (ccheney)]

[This is an automatic notification.]

This bug was reported against an earlier version of Ubuntu, can you test if it still occurs on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx)?

Please note we also provide technical support for older versions of Ubuntu, but not in the bug tracker. Instead, to raise the issue through normal support channels, please see:

    http://www.ubuntu.com/support

If you are the original reporter and can still reproduce the issue on Lucid, please run the following command to refresh the report:

  apport-collect 571529

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If you are not the original reporter, please file a new bug report, so we can work with you as the original reporter instead (you can reference bug 571529 in your report if you think it may be related):

  ubuntu-bug openoffice.org

If by chance you can no longer reproduce the issue on Lucid or if you feel it is no longer relevant, please mark the bug report 'Fix Released' or 'Invalid' as appropriate, at the following URL:

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/571529

[TerryHeidelberg (terryheidelberg)]

More testing, first on (Ubuntu 10.04/OpenOffice 3.2), then again on (Ubuntu 9.10/OpenOffice 3.1.1), shows more about the problem.

(a) things work better on 10.04/OO 3.2; in particular, if you pre-select the non-contiguous areas _before_ doing the Insert -> Chart function, then OO remembers the selection, and charts it properly without having to select it again in the Data Range selection step in the wizard;

(b) in the more-automatic mode as in (a), I noticed that OO3.2 uses a "," not a ";" to separate the non-contiguous ranges of data;

(c) going back to 9.10/OO 3.1.1, but now using a comma rather than the semicolon, OO now allows the Data Range non-contiguous selection to proceed, and the chart is displayed properly;

(d) in 9.10/OO 3.1.1, if you pre-select the non-contiguous range, then do the Insert -> Chart wizard, OO will forget the selection, and ask for the data range from scratch, in the Data Range selection step of the wizard; this is a possible new bug in 3.1.1, if the pre-selection method is supposed to work like this in 3.1.1;

(e) the help package in both OO3.1.1 and OO3.2 incorrectly states that one should use the semicolon to separate the parts of the non-contiguous data selection; see the built-in help package under charts:inserting in the Data Range selection portion, where the semicolon is specified explicitly and in the example; this is the cause of the originally-reported bug (Data Range spec text box will turn red as soon as a ";" is typed, but will be OK if a "," is typed to separate the non-contiguous range spec)

I hope the above notes clarify what is happening. I think the resolution should be to:

1. fix the help package, and any other docs, that specify the use of the semicolon as the data range separator, instead of the correct comma;

2. open another bug against OO3.1.1, if the pre-selected data range is supposed to be noticed and used by OO in the Insert -> Chart wizard Data Range step

[Chris Cheney (ccheney)]

The remaining part of this bug that is still an issue with lucid is the documentation issue which is bug 306602 so marking this as a dupe.