Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 107423
Show sort range dialog not only when one single row or column is selected
Last modified: 2013-01-29 21:44:36 UTC
This is a follow-up to issue #60401. The new sort range dialog introduced with #60401 is meant to to prevent user errors where a smaller range is sorted than the user thinks. This could happen when the user selects a smaller range inside a contiguous list. Implementation of #60401 shows the new dialog only if the user´s selection inside a bigger contiguous range spans only one single column or one single row. See screenshot example #1 and screenshot example #2 for this behaviour, introduced with OOo 3.2. To really prevent from accidentally sorting another range, than meant by the user, the sort range dialog should also come up, when a range of more than one single row or one single column inside a contiguous list of data is selected. See screenshot example #3 for this behaviour, which is not implemented yet.
Created attachment 66480 [details] Screenshot #1 mentioned above. Selected range spans only one single column. Dialog shows up. Already implemented in OOo 3.2
Created attachment 66481 [details] Screenshot #2 mentioned above. Selected range spans only one single row. Dialog shows up. Already implemented in OOo 3.2
Created attachment 66482 [details] Screenshot #3 mentioned above. Selected range spans over more than one single row/column. Dialog should show up as well. Not implemented in OOo 3.2
Requesting support by UX. http://ux.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=request&msgNo=55
@FL: Could you please have a look at that? From my point of view, Stefan is absolutely right and the current functionality is less helpful. It seems that the examples or the term "integral data range" may have been mis-interpreted. Or am I wrong? Is the behavior intended? To me, the characteristic of an "integral data range" is, that it isn't surrounded by contiguous cells (with values). @Stefan: Thanks for the issue!
I think the Sort Range dialog is intended to cover cases when a user selects just the columns or row headers. I am not sure if I would expect a modal dialog to appear, if I have made a proper selection inside a table. If no selection has been made, the range detection is made automatically. So from my point of view the current implementation is OK. Maybe this is an issue where we can use a kind of non modal snipped (action button) that makes an offer to extend the range for sorting afterwards.
@fl: Given the Sort Range dialog was intended to cover only cases when a user selects just the columns or row headers, as you think, the current implementation is *NOT* OK. Because then, the dialog shouldn´t show up in case of Screenshot #1 and not in case of Screenshot #2 (see attached files). Consequently, there should be filed an issue for this bug, that was introduced with #60401. But definitely, what you think, is not what the spec is saying! (Which disturbs me a little, since you are listed as the Specification Author.) We find ourselves in a weird situation now: There is issue #60401. A spec was created for it. The solution of #60401 does not fulfill the spec, because it does not cover all the cases that are applicable to the spec. In order to complete the implementation and in order to accord with the spec we have issue #107423. But now, it is stated that the spec as well as the current implementation cover even more cases than were initially intended. So, the spec does not express, what was actually meant? And, the solution of #60401 does neither comply with the spec nor with the actual intentions? How crazy is that? ;-)
Guessing if the current selection is a columns/row (header) might not be that easy. But as said, presenting a modal dialog on a direct toolbar command is IMHO no good idea. The original issue was about a better auto-selection of data for sorting. I think the auto-selection for sorting works quite fine now. Who said that we need this modal dialog at all? Because the competition does it that way? My favorite additional way to sort data is an active column/row header and a context menu for rows/columns to sort the table by this column/row combine with an auto-selection of data to be sorted. BTW I have not edited a single row of this spec. Christoph just asked me to comment on this.