Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 21869
Extending row/column selection in calc, easier with shift - arrow keys
Last modified: 2013-08-07 15:13:10 UTC
Hi, when I select a row/column by clicking on it, and then shift+cursor want to add more rows I jump back on the spreadsheet and only move the cell-cursor. I guess this could be improved such, that when a whole row is selected, then shift+up/down will add the adjacent rows to the selection. Similar with columns. Whis would then be similar to the way columns/rows are selected with the mouse alone. I have at the moment no way of finding out, but I think "the other" spreadsheet program does it like this also. b.
Hi Niklas, the IZ Task for internal #108042#. Frank
*** Issue 22006 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
To repeat the comments from 108042: Excel's behavior is completely different, not moving the cursor but just extending the selection. We sure won't do the same for 2.0. The suggestion to do so only for column or row selection would make selection totally inconsistent within Calc and isn't a good idea. A possible solution might be to move the cursor the same way it's done now, but have the new selection span whole columns or rows if the anchor was created using a column/row header or shift/ctrl-space. But all of this doesn't really fit into the plans for 2.0, so it should be targeted for "later".
Issue will be evaluated soon.
.
cc:ing peter
The problem is, that the former behaviour has gone broken -> defect. In version 6.0 it has been possible to enhance a complete selected row / column via shift-key plus cursor key up or down / left or right. That does no longer work in current versions. firmail describes below the current buggy behaviour.
Sigh, again repeating myself from 108042: The keyboard selection handling was changed from what it was in SO6 on purpose. Shift-space is the way to select rows using the keyboard (ctrl-space for columns).
reset target milestone.
*** Issue 59450 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Dear nn, please consider providing keyboard shortcut to _extend_ row/column selection. I would suggest modifying Shift-Arrow behavior, when either row(s) or column(s) are _already_ selected. Current behavior seems illogical, where by pressing Shift-Arrows column or row selection changes to selection of several cells.
*** Issue 70780 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
*** Issue 70767 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Dear fst, you have closed issue 70780 because it is a duplicate to 21869. Issue type of 21869 is "ENHANCEMENT". Please consider, that from the user´s point of view, issue 70780 is not just an enhancement, but a pure defect. The reason for that is, that Calc does not behave as described in the documentation! When the user has activated a mode called "additional selection mode" Calc must not loose the current selection but extend it.
Dear developers, please consider fixing this problem in 2.3. Very often users would like to _extend_ row/column selection by using Shift-arow keys. Thank you very much for your attention!
*** Issue 74201 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
Changed summary to better describe RFE.
correcting typo
*** Issue 94259 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
This still doesn't work even in 3.0 rc2. This is standard functionality in other spreadsheet applications. I should be able to Select row & Shift + Page Down or Shift + End. These are standard functions within the sheet and should also work for Row and Column Select. Unfortunately when I do these on a row, for example, only the first column is selected. When I do it for a column only the first row is selected. Why does my original focus of "Row" change to cell (s) A, and focus of "Column" change to cell(s) 1? This is clearly erroneous behaviour because the application is changing the focus set by the user. To be frank, my wife is an accountant and I had to uninstall OO from her machine and reinstall MS Office for this function alone.
Little alternative, for those not wanting to switch to another office ;-) - Cursor in (example) B2, - n-times Shift-Arrow-Right - Shft-Ctrl-Space selects the colums. - Cursor in (example) B2, - n-times Shift-Arrow-Down - Shft-Space selects the rows. Faily easy, no mouse involvement at all.
Set target and cc myself.
*** Issue 99193 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
This is a BUG not an ENHANCEMENT because if the full line /row was selected by CTRL+SHIFT+ARROWKEY it works as expected. Please correct "Issue type"!!!
Again reading this issue, I don't understand the logic of it. a. Select row or column by keyboard > extend that selection by keyboard b. Select row or column by mouse ... then don't use the mouse to extend it, but put the hand on the keyboard? Pls, enlighten me.
@cornouws: I don't understand the logic of your comment. Like you have pointed out, there are two approved input devices used to command software: keyboard and mouse.
@norbert: from ux perspective: when I select a column by mouse, it is only logic and convenient to extend that with the same device.. why should you want to switch over to the keyboard?
@norbert2 removed me from CC type is enhancement as the change was intentional and the request is to change the behaviour. You may see this as defect but this is, excuse me, irrelevant.
cornouws, selecting with the mouse is preferable because it is visual, logical and, in many cases the only known to user, way of doing it. Extending via keyboard is preferable because you have greater control of the process.
@cornouws: Yes, for example if holding down CTRL, the selection stops at filed/blank cells. cornouws, if no user would do so, nobody would have found this bug. ;-)
@fst: lol, what a great joke! What real users think is absolutely irrelevant... :-))
@norbert > Yes, for example if holding down CTRL, the selection stops at > filed/blank cells. That is a good example. Thanks. Are there more cases? > cornouws, if no user would do so, nobody would have found this bug. ;-) Sorry, but I've seen to much to think like that. About my questions: I'm not judging whether this request is useful or not: just want to understand. (Probably judgment comes later.)
@cornouws: Just think from the opposite direction: Why should a user first select a full row/column by mouse and then starting a non-full row selection from the actual cell-focus position using the SHIFT-key. A very strange scenario...
@norbert2 Indeed, a very strange scenario. When needing to select D4-Dx, I usually do not start with selecting the whole comlun D.
... that's why this bug should be fixed asap.
No, that is why I start in D4.
@cornouws: Can you give any reasons why a SHIFT+ARROW_KEY selection should remove a full row/column selection? If I apply a full row/column selection and than hold down SHIFT I want to keep that full selection. Calc's behavior is not what a the user expects. And thats why the leading spreadsheet application with a much broader user base behaves like requested in this issue.
@ norbert2 > Can you give any reasons why a SHIFT+ARROW_KEY selection should remove a > full row/column selection? No, of course not. And indeed I learned that there is one scenario in which that use case is something to expect. I think it is good to make that work different, as requested. Apart from that: "sould"s, "asap"s and "!!!"s in general do not work faster here ;-)
BTW I implemented this behavior as part of Issue 102151.
>Issue 102151 which is closed as a duplicate of Issue 97093.
To grep the issues easier via "requirements" I put the issues currently lying on my owner to the owner "requirements".