3.4 update, form layout messed up.

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GJM
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3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by GJM »

A couple of things happened here before I realized this problem.
I updated to 3.4 and also updated Java (after the OO update) to Java 6 Update 32 (from 31).

When I opened My database I got these 2 messages (See the 1- error.png and 2 - error.png files attached)
1 - error.PNG
and
2 - error.PNG
So I went into the tools as described, made the selection (I've never had to do that before) and the database opened . . . HOWEVER, the weird part is that the formatting is all messed up.
When I open it in edit mode, this is what the layout is supposed to look like:
3 - edit view.jpg
3 - edit view.jpg (50.6 KiB) Viewed 14830 times
SEE THE NEXT POST FOR HOW IT IS MESSED UP WHEN I OPEN IT IN DATA ENTRY MODE...
GJM
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by GJM »

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS POST:

When you open it in Data Entry mode this is what it looks like:
4 - data entry view.jpg
For some reason the controls and fields overlap each other and it is not usable this way.

If I open it in "Edit Mode" and move the fields so that the layout is messed up (moving controls and fields to exaggerated positions trying to compensate for what is being seen in the regular Data Entry mode) then I can make the Data entry mode usable.

Something got messed up with this update.
Any Ideas anyone?

The one thing that I did notice was that in the regular "Data entry" mode that I have not seen before is that the form is sort of "Floating" in the middle of the screen.
Where did that come from?
I can't find the setting that controls that.

Thanks for the help.
nigelduffin
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by nigelduffin »

I have had this problem with my forms. In edit view they look fine, but, when in entry mode, they are garbled.

I think I may have solved the layout by changing the anchor of every control to 'To Page'.

But there is still the slightly annoying thing that the background colour does not cover the entire window.

Also, the 'binocular' search function does not seem to be able to find records that are definitely there.
OpenOffice 3.4.0 on Windows 7 Professional
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Villeroy
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

Same problem in all 3.4.x versions of Open/LibreOffice. It's the reason why I have to run 3.3 versions or LibreOffice 3.5.
https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=118977

Code: Select all

ThisComponent.CurrentController.ViewSettings.ShowOnlineLayout = True
fixes the problem for any Writer document, even when it gets loaded read-only.
Last edited by Villeroy on Tue May 15, 2012 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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GJM
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by GJM »

Hi nigelduffin,

I am not sure how to do that:
I think I may have solved the layout by changing the anchor of every control to 'To Page'.
It has been a while since i built the thing (3-4 years) and I am a little fuzzy on how I did it.


I could live with the
But there is still the slightly annoying thing that the background colour does not cover the entire window.
... as long as it all works. For me, it is more than the background colour - the whole positioning of the boxes on the background colour seem skewed . . . I expect that THAT is what anchoring to the page will fix. No?

Does anyone else (sorry for bumping the tread) know how to turn OFF this "Framed Look":
4 - data entry view.jpg
and make it look more like it does in the "design/edit mode" here:
3 - edit view.jpg
3 - edit view.jpg (50.6 KiB) Viewed 14778 times
nigelduffin, I will test this:
Also, the 'binocular' search function does not seem to be able to find records that are definitely there.


.....and let you know shortly if I am having a similar issue.
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Villeroy
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

Writer documents can be viewed in page layout (with strict paper borders) and in web layout (without such borders). Versions 3.4 always show page layout as soon there is some visible form control attached to the document.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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GJM
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by GJM »

Thanks Villeroy. Just for clarification -- does one have the choice of viewing it in "Web Layout" if there is "some visible form control attached to the document" (I am not sure I know exactly what that is.

Anyhow, I have figured out the white background colour thing. I selected "Format > Page... > and the Page Tab.
I just dropped the margins from 0.75cm to 0cm and everything is back to what I am used to seeing. Not that it affected the usability of it, but there it is.

Also, Thanks to nigelduffin. I anchored everything to the page and we are Good to Go! Problem Solved.

As Promised, nigelduffin -- I tried the 'binocular' search function. everything seems to be working properly here.
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by GJM »

Before I mark this as solved, does anyone have any Idea as to why the error messages appeared after I upgraded from 3.3 to 3.4?

I have never had that happen in the past. I showed them at the start of this thread -- here they are again:
1 - error.PNG
and
2 - error.PNG
I am just trying to understand all that happened.

Thanks.
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RoryOF
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by RoryOF »

Have you tried /Tools /Options/ OpenOffice.org : Java to select the Java installation? As far as I know Apache OpenOffice is intending to move away from Java; it is only necessary for some AOO functionality, and may not be necessary in future versions.
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nigelduffin
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by nigelduffin »

GJM wrote:Hi nigelduffin,
I am not sure how to do that:
I think I may have solved the layout by changing the anchor of every control to 'To Page'.
I selected every object on the form, using the select pointer, then right-clicked to get 'Control...'. Most of the properties are different for everything you have selected, but you can set the dropdown on 'Anchor' to 'To Page' and it affects everything you have selected. Then, largely, the layout as displayed seems to be the same as in edit mode.
nigelduffin, I will test this:
Also, the 'binocular' search function does not seem to be able to find records that are definitely there.


.....and let you know shortly if I am having a similar issue.
I think I may have a workaround for this. If you go to the end of the records, using the |>| button, this presumably loads everything into memory, and the binoculars search then works. I don't remember having to do this before, though.
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Villeroy
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

Open the form for editing.
menu:View>Web Layout
Turn off edit mode. The problem is gone.
Save and close the document.
Open in normal usage mode and the problem is there again.

Get a new stand-alone Writer doc.
Turn on web layout and save some dummy text.
Close and re-open. It's still in web layout.
Add an arbitrary form control.
Save, close, reopen. AOO will always open in page layout.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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GJM
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by GJM »

RoryOF wrote:Have you tried /Tools /Options/ OpenOffice.org : Java to select the Java installation? As far as I know Apache OpenOffice is intending to move away from Java; it is only necessary for some AOO functionality, and may not be necessary in future versions.
DOH! I am not sure what this is going to mean for this database. I know that it wouldn't run without it.
Does this mean that as they move away from Java, future databases created in OpenOffice won't need it?

What have you heard?
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RoryOF
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by RoryOF »

No more than I told you. There was some posting to this effect on one of the Apache OpenOffice lists.
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Villeroy
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Re: 3.4 update ===> form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

GJM wrote:
RoryOF wrote:Have you tried /Tools /Options/ OpenOffice.org : Java to select the Java installation? As far as I know Apache OpenOffice is intending to move away from Java; it is only necessary for some AOO functionality, and may not be necessary in future versions.
DOH! I am not sure what this is going to mean for this database. I know that it wouldn't run without it.
Does this mean that as they move away from Java, future databases created in OpenOffice won't need it?

What have you heard?
Base can be used without Java.
You can connect a "Base document" to a non-Java database.
You can write queries. Even the useless query designer works without Java.
You can design much better forms without the wizard than you can do with it.
You can use Calc as report engine or you can pull unlinked snapshots into Writer documents.
There is no significant loss of functionality.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Villeroy
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

Back on topic. How to fix Writer's form layout flaw which will be fixed in 3.4.1.

Code: Select all

Sub Main
    ThisComponent.CurrentController.ViewSettings.ShowOnlineLayout = True
End Sub
Drop the above code in a global Basic routine, say MyMacros.Standard.WebLayout.
Open the form document or stand-alone document for editing.

Tools>Customize>Events.
First select your document in the "Save in" list box.
Select the "View Created" event, hit the [Macro] button, point to MyMacros.Standard.WebLayout.Main and confirm the dialog.
Save the document. If the save command is disabled, type something into the document and delete it, then save.
Save the database.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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billyray
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by billyray »

Villeroy, I just installed OOo Base 3.4 on a Windows 7 netbook. Your fix code has a problem. I keep getting the error:

Basic runtime error.
Property or method not found: ViewSettings

Any other ideas?
using:
Linux distro: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, Lucid Lynx, OOo Base 3.3, connected to MySql database using Java jdbc (note: ONLY sun-java-6-1.6.0_22 jre works right), and converted from MS Access 2003.
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

The code is written for any Writer document stand-alone or embedded in a Base document. It applies to stand-alone Writer documents with form controls as well.
Ignore the Base document, assign the "View Created" event of the Writer document to this macro and everything will be fine.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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billyray
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by billyray »

OK, I opened up Writer, assigned the code to the "View Created" event in Writer. Saved it. Opened Base. Still not working. I still have to "edit" the form to return the form to Web layout. Am I missing something?
using:
Linux distro: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, Lucid Lynx, OOo Base 3.3, connected to MySql database using Java jdbc (note: ONLY sun-java-6-1.6.0_22 jre works right), and converted from MS Access 2003.
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Villeroy
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by Villeroy »

You save the code in some library under "My Documents".
You open all form documents for editing no matter where they are stored.
You assign each form document's "View Created" event to the globally accessible macro MyDocuments>MyLibrary>MyModuleX>Main
You save each form document and their containing databases (if any).
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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KLML
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by KLML »

skewed.jpg
aligned.jpg
I also upgraded from Version 3.3 to 3.4 and was flustered when I saw that the alignment of the fields in my database form were askew. See screen shot top.

I was able to "fix" it to what I was accustomed to seeing by only doing this:

1) Right-click the database and select 'Edit'
2) from the 'View' pull down menu, select 'Web Layout'.
3) Save the file and close it.

Now open the database form as usual and it looks like what it used to. See screen shot bottom

I guess in reality the form fields stay skewed in the Print layout but as far as I am concerned, I am happy that my form looks like I want it to in the web layout. Hope this helps someone.

Cheers,

Kenneth
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Re: 3.4 update, form layout messed up.

Post by DACM »

KLML wrote:I was able to "fix" it to what I was accustomed to seeing...
In my experience this AOO 3.4.0 bug is more persistent. Perhaps the Quickstarter running in the taskbar can mask the issue somewhat, but upon restarting Base/Quickstarter, the bug re-appears.
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