Issue 120503 - Adjacent column Groups are merged when saved as XLS
Summary: Adjacent column Groups are merged when saved as XLS
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: Calc
Classification: Application
Component: ui (show other issues)
Version: 4.1.0-dev
Hardware: PC Windows 7
: P3 Minor (vote)
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: AOO issues mailing list
QA Contact:
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2012-08-08 20:49 UTC by GregUzelac
Modified: 2013-12-04 17:54 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Issue Type: ENHANCEMENT
Latest Confirmation in: ---
Developer Difficulty: ---


Attachments
Screen shots before and after group merging (97.05 KB, application/x-zip-compressed)
2012-08-08 20:49 UTC, GregUzelac
no flags Details

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Description GregUzelac 2012-08-08 20:49:23 UTC
Created attachment 78885 [details]
Screen shots before and after group merging

I added a Group to column C (via F12) and another Group to column D. I save the spreadsheet as XLS. I close and reopen the sheet, but then there is a single column Group encompassing C and D.

If gratuitous Group merging is somehow is beneficial, then a confirmation prompt or something would be helpful.
Comment 1 Shan Zhu 2012-08-29 07:31:52 UTC
Hi, Greg
I've tried it in Excel2003.
I find that when you create group on adjacent columns, the group would be merged them into one.
It seems that Excel do not accpet such 2 adjacent groups.
So the behavior is acceptable in a sense.

I want to confirm with you whether you means there should be a message popup to notify user this content change?
If yes, could I change it from "Defect" to "Enhancement"?

Thanks.
Comment 2 GregUzelac 2012-08-29 13:58:41 UTC
I am using Excel 2010, and this version of Excel doesn't merge adjacent column groups. I feel this is a bug in spreadsheet and the behavior incorrect.

Regarding your confirmation request, I am referring to OpenOffice's spreadsheet, not Bugzilla. I'm really not asking for a popup, I asking to fix the bug.
Comment 3 Rob Weir 2013-03-21 20:02:06 UTC
When we write an XLS file we really need to target lowest common denominator support, and not use features that only work in Excel 2010+.

But maybe we can preserve two groups if we write XLSX files, since we know that will be only Excel 2007+

Changing this issue type to ENHANCEMENT.
Comment 4 orcmid 2013-03-21 22:55:21 UTC
(In reply to comment #3)
> But maybe we can preserve two groups if we write XLSX files, since we know
> that will be only Excel 2007+

Don't forget the compatibility pack that allowed XLSX to be read and produced in Office 2003 and Office XP.  (These are transitional, along with Office 2007 and Office 2010 producers.)

There's also some sort of compatibility-preservation use of the format so that down-level compatibility is enhanced.  I have no idea how that works and how it is accounted for in OOXML.
Comment 5 Edwin Sharp 2013-12-04 14:48:43 UTC
Confirmed with

AOO410m1(Build:9750)  -  Rev. 1543812
Rev.1543812
Win 7