Re: off-list Re: [libreoffice-users] Merge cell problem LO3.3.2.2

When I did a previous list, just for my class, I used the merge cells function without any problems 
whatsoever. That was over a year ago, so that spreadsheet was probably developed using OO, not LO. 
So, that makes me wonder if there is something lacking, or a bug in LO that is causing this. I 
still have that older spreadsheet, and can open it in LO, and everything is still just like it 
should be, with the cells merged. Is there a default setting in the options somewhere that is 
different between the 2 - OO & LO? Or, is this a bug? It seems to me that once you have told cells 
to merge, they should stay merged until you "un-merge" them. What's going on here??????? I thought 
this list was for answers????
Roxy


Hi :
I'm not sure why the merge-cells wasn't working.  When i was running a similar
list i found combining cells made the list very unwieldy.  Invariably i would
then need to sort the spreadsheet some unexpected way and that would be
impossible.  By keeping each element separate in the table it keeps your list
flexible.


I agree about 11pt being the smallest and many people recommend 12pt for
accessibility issues.


With the database program it should be possible to create a special query that
fills a row with a single result.  That would help get 1955 into a field/column
in all rows/records.  Later you could add another class and set the query to
look-up whether the field already has an entry and if empty would put in the new
value.


Most people have real trouble grasping database programs.  The 4 different
components; tables, queries, forms and reports with only the tables containing
the real data is difficult to understand.  It's quite different from Word/Writer
where the data that you see is where it appears to be.  In queries, forms and
records the data is not really there, it's only in the table. It's a bit like
html where pictures are not embedded into the document and have to be kept in a
good place that the html page can see.


Regards from
Tom :)





----- Original Message ----
> From: Roxy Robinson <rocmar62@ranchwireless.com>
> To: Tom Davies <tomdavies04@yahoo.co.uk>
> Sent: Sun, 12 June, 2011 2:58:23
> Subject: Re: off-list  Re: [libreoffice-users] Merge cell problem LO3.3.2.2
>
> Mine is set up on legal sized paper, landscape mode, so that I can keep the
> font  size up close to 11. When you're between 65 and 75 years old, it helps to
> have a  printout as large as possible. If you can't read it you might as well
> not have  it. The CD handout is a good idea, but I would say about 30% of this
> group don't  use computers - don't even want to look at one. Seems odd to me,
> but then I've  been playing with them since the Coleco Adam. And then there are
> quite a few  that have computers, a nice internet connection, an email address
> and they don't  know what to do with it. Its mostly for when their grandkids
> come. You still  have to "snail mail" them or call them on the phone.
> So, to keep it from  printing just one or 2 columns on another page, and where
> everyone can read it,  I have to stick with legal sized (8.5 X 14) paper.
> I did start playing with  Base. Figured out how to give it access to my
> spreadsheet, but couldn't do  anything with the "table" function, but did a
> "query" and I think I would have  to change my spreadsheet some to get the info
> in properly. My spreadsheet is  done by "class year", with the year in the first
> cell of the row above where  each class starts. I think from what I saw I would
> have to add a column,  probably column 1 with the year in each row of that
> column, designating each  person's class year. Then I also have deceased class
> members listed at the end  of each class. That listing has the person's name,
> and if available, their death  date. I believe, to get this info properly
> transferred I would have to put each  deceased person back in their "proper"
> alphabetical order, but not sure about  the death date - where to put it.
> So, I will continue to play with this  transfer to Base and see what I can
> learn. But I still don't understand why the  "merge cells" won't hold in my
> spreadsheet???
> Roxy
>
>
> Hi :)
> I have  attached the spreadsheet.  I did a lot of formatting and formulas on
> the
> 2nd sheet.  Hopefully it should be possible to open both  spreadsheets at the
> same time and then right-click on the tab you want to  move into the other
> spreadsheet/workbook.
>
> I used "Tools - Options -  Calc" to set formulas to be more compatible with
> Excel
> which makes them look  like this
> =IF(TableData!E9&", "&TableData!F9&",  "&TableData!G9&", "&TableData!H9&". "=",
> ,
> , .  ","",TableData!E9&", "&TableData!F9&", "&TableData!G9&",
> "&TableData!H9&".
> ")
>
> If the ! have changed to . then it's gone  back to Calc format in which case
> the
> compatibility setting probably doesn't  matter as each program should convert
> it
> correctly.
>
>
> After moving  the sheet into the right spreadsheet/workbook you might need to
> do
> search&replace to change "TableData" to "Sheet1".  Hopefully that  should have
> an
> interesting result.  Check the last few though because i  might not have
copied
> all the formulas far enough down.
>
> I changed the  page set-up to A4 rather than letter but it should still fit on
> letter sized  paper and switched to landscape and the font-size to quite
small,
> 10pt i  think.  It was the only way to get email addresses on the same page
as
> the persons name.
>
>
> It occurred to me that it might be an  excellent opportunity to hand the
> address-list out on Cd/Dvd/usb-stick this  year so that people get the
> electronic
> versions of the list and also get the  LibreOffice installers.  It might work
> out
> cheaper & easier!   WebMaster at Kracked Press might have good ideas about it
> if
> you want to  explore that route.  I am not sure which would work out best &
> it's
> up to you.
>
> Sorry i didn't explore the Base methods.  I just  got a bit carried away
> playing
> with Calc :)
> Thanks and regards from
> Tom  :)
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Roxy  Robinson <rocmar62@ranchwireless.com>
> > To: Tom Davies <tomdavies04@yahoo.co.uk>
> > Sent: Sat, 11 June, 2011 21:48:49
> > Subject: Re: off-list  Re:  [libreoffice-users] Merge cell problem LO3.3.2.2
> >
> > Tom,
> > I've attached a file that has 5 rows of data. All of them are MIA's  with
> > address, etc, info that no longer has anything to do with any of  them. The
> way
> > my current spreadsheet is set up is like line 3. The LAST  name is the last
> name
> > as people would have known them by in high school.  For females, that would
be
> > maiden names (why its in parentheses). The  reason I was doing the merge on
> names
> > is because it would take out almost  the width of one column by merging those
> 3.
> > This would allow all the  information to be printed on one legal sized page -
> > width, and still  retain the 11 point font size (allows for easier reading by
> > this aging  crowd). Its saved in xls format - I'm probably the only one in
> this
> > group  that uses LO. And probably only one of a handful that uses a
> spreadsheet
> > of any kind. My smaller "class" directories generally fit on  one letter size
> > page and I convert those to pdf to send out.
> > This  big one I have until  10/2012 to get right so it can be printed out
> and
> > distributed at the  reunion.
> > Roxy
> >
> > Hi  :)
> > Can you create a copy of the spreadsheet,  perhaps adding
> "rocmar-2011-06-11"
> > to
> > the end of the filename and  afterwards  just change the data in that to
give
> me
> > about 4 or 5  lines of faked  data.  I might have time to create a mock-up
> and
> > you
> > might even be able  to get that to read the right  data, or just use it for
> > ideas.
> >
> > Regards   from
> > Tom :)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----  Original Message ----
> > > From:  Roxy Robinson <rocmar62@ranchwireless.com>
> > > To: users@global.libreoffice.org
> > > Sent: Sat, 11 June, 2011 18:59:53
> > > Subject: Re:  [libreoffice-users]  Merge cell problem LO3.3.2.2
> > >
> > > Tom,
> > > Thanks for your  suggestions - I guess I will have to try  that since I'm
> not
> > > getting  what I want with what I'm  doing.
> > > This is "off" the subject issue,   but I come from a  very small town. My
> high
> > > school class - 1961 -   was  the  first to got over 50. We had 60 in the
> class,
> > 55
> > > who  "walked" on graduation  night. The other 5 finished in summer
school.
> > The
> > > classes continued to grow  after that,  though I don't think they  ever
went
> > over
> > > 100; and are  probably  running around 70-75 now, if  not less.
> > > I just  finished organizing my class's  50th reunion and  am now  putting
> > together
> > > a reunion for the classes of  1955-1964.  The  total number of students
> during
> > > that  period is, according to my  spreadsheet,  500. I dare say, I knew,
> and
> > > remember about 490 of  those, along with quite a few   others from the
> classes
> > > before and  after. We were all like one  big family - you  usually knew
> whole
> > > families because you  knew someone in your class, or within 2   or 3 years
> of
> > your
> > > class. Your classmates were, essentially, your group  of   friends.
> > > Anyway, every class in this group has, in some  format,  a database of
> their
> > > classmates and their  information. Each class  has a few that have gone
> > "missing
> > > in action", but we are all  working together to find everyone. This  will
> be
> > the
> > > 4th, I think,  combined reunion like  this over the past 50 years, and this
> > > combined  database is  something that got started after the first one. But,
> it
> > has
> > > not been updated since the last reunion in 1997. Every classmate -   there
> are
> > a
> > > few exceptions - has given there info to freely  share with  everyone. And
> > > everyone at this reunion will receive  a copy of this  spreadsheet I'm
> working
> > > on.
> > > Roxy
> > >
> > > Hi  :)
> > >
> > > I did  something similar once.  It's easier  to keep  the data intact,  in
> the
> > 3
> > > separate columns for data entry and for    sorting the lists into
> alphabetical
> > > order and stuff but then use  a  2nd  worksheet (2nd tab at the bottom) to
> use
> > > formulas to add the 3  names  together. eg
> > > A2 = Sheet1.A2 & " " & Sheet1.B2 & " " & Sheet1.C2
> > > You might have  renamed the worksheet tabs so just  swap the new name  for
> > > "Sheet1"
> > > but still make sure there is  a dot . after it  and before the  cell
> address.
> > > There are   issues with "Data Protection" and respecting  people's right
> to
> > > privacy
> > > but if they have given you their addresses  and  know  that it's for
> sharing
> > with
> > > the whole  class then that  sort-of implies that  they have given you
> > permission.
> > > I'm not  sure wheter it's legally enough but   it probably gives you a
good
> > > position.
> > > Good luck and  regards from
> > > Tom   :)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > From: Roxy Robinson <rocmar62@ranchwireless.com>
> > > > To: users@global.libreoffice.org
> > > > Sent: Sat, 11 June, 2011 15:51:55
> > > > Subject:   [libreoffice-users] Merge  cell problem LO3.3.2.2
> > > >
> > > > I have a 15 page spreadsheet of classmate  addresses, phone  numbers,
> > email,
> > > etc.
> > > > I "manipulate" this  information in  several  different ways to give my
> > > classmates
> > > > different kinds of   "directories". Anyway,  their names are in the first
> 3
> > > > columns.  This   particular spreadsheet is going to include ALL the
> > information
> > > on
> > > > each  person, will be printed on legal  sized  paper in landscape format,
> so
> > I
> > > need
> > > > a  little more room  to contain everything on the width of the   page.
> > > > So   (SEVERAL TIMES) I have merged the cells in the  first 3  columns.
> This
> > > > contains  the parts of  their names, and allows me to   conserve enough
> room
> > to
> > > get
> > > > everything on the width of the  page. But   every time I close LO, and
> then
> > come
> > > > back to work   on this spreadsheet,  the cells are no longer "merged".
> They
> > will
> > > > not stay merged. I haven't  gotten all the way   through the spreadsheet
-
> at
> > > one
> > > > time - to merge  the   cells. Would the "un-merged" cells that are left
> in
> > the
> > 3
> > > > columns  keep  the ones above  them from staying merged, or am I  doing
> > something
> > > > wrong? I  just don't understand - time after  time - I merge them,  come
> back
> > > and
> > > > they are no long   merged??????????
> > > > Roxy
> > > >
> > > > --
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