Re: [libreoffice-users] Save As behavior

Thanks, Tom.  I'm rapidly moving data into and out of Salesforce, which 
ONLY handles .csv files.  Of course, I try to Save As an .ods file, but 
even that doesn't prevent me from making mistakes.  The fact that 
multiple tabs are available makes it easy to make mistakes when moving 
frequently between .ods and .csv file types.  An example would be after 
having saved to .csv, I realize there are more data transformations I 
need to make.  Some of them rely on other sheets where lookup data 
resides.  It's easy to make a mistake and continue to work in the .csv, 
then save.  If I do so and close the file, I may have saved the wrong 
sheet, or may lose changes made in other sheets, etc.  Especially when I 
have to work feverishly on this data for 5-8 hours a day (for 2 weeks now!).

At the very least, I'd be happy if LO saved the .csv to the HD in the 
background and left the .ods file open to work on.  I seem to recall 
Excel used to work that way many years ago.  For a while I worked as if 
the .csv were .ods, then throughout the day, occasionally saved as 
.ods.  So long as the file remained open, there wasn't a problem.  But 
too many times I either crashed or forgot which file was open and made a 
mistake resulting in too much lost data.

I do think this issue cold be handled better, and would be ideal if the 
user could choose how LO worked with Save As.  But again, maybe there's 
a reason I don't know about that forces it to work the way it does.

--

Carl Paulsen





On 5/22/13 2:54 PM, Tom Davies wrote:
> Hi :)
> Csv is not an ISO standard and does sometimes get implemented slightly 
> differently in some apps.  The standard approach is for a Csv to be a 
> single sheet per file.  When working on a document LO works as though 
> it is "native format" NOT whichever format you happen to keep saving 
> it in.  So when you are working on spreadsheets LO treats them as Ods 
> NOT csv.
>
> Generally even when using other formats it is best to keep saving a 
> copy in Ods and treat that as your original.  Then use "Save As .." 
> when you need a different format.  Ideally the other apps might be 
> able to read Ods too.  Many can and often use it as their default 
> format too and would be happier with that than Csv.  They might only 
> use Csv because they assume other people might not be able to read Ods.
> Regards from
> Tom :)
>
>
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     *From:* Carl Paulsen <carlpaulsen@comcast.net>
>     *To:* "users@global.libreoffice.org" <users@global.libreoffice.org>
>     *Sent:* Wednesday, 22 May 2013, 19:24
>     *Subject:* [libreoffice-users] Save As behavior
>
>     I'm working with a large, multi-sheet spreadsheet from which I
>     need to
>     generate numerous .csv files for use with another application, and
>     when
>     I save that way, the document is converted to .csv and the .ods
>     file is
>     closed (well, the .ods is no longer open...). But...while the .csv
>     file
>     is still open, it has multiple sheets in which I can work.  If I
>     work in
>     more than one sheet and then save and close (without choosing to
>     "Save
>     As"), I lose all info except the current sheet. This has happened
>     to me
>     on more than one occasion.  I know I can "Save As" again to .ods
>     format,
>     but why would it let me work in a .csv file as if it were a
>     multi-sheet
>     .ods file?  I know this is how Excel works too, but I think it's
>     wrong.
>
>     What I'd like to see happen is to have the .ods file remain open
>     and a
>     SINGLE SHEET .csv file (what I just saved) open as well.  That way I
>     would have both files in which to work, I couldn't make a mistake
>     with
>     edits to the file AND I'd save many minutes throughout the day not
>     having to re-open .ods files.  I easily waste 1/2 hour to an hour
>     a day
>     working on this file because of this behavior.
>
>     I wonder if there is a setting that controls what happens when I use
>     "Save As" - anyone know of this?
>
>     At some point I may post a feature request, but wonder if others
>     would
>     like to see such behavior or know why it wouldn't work.
>
>     Thanks.
>     -- 
>
>     Carl Paulsen
>
>
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