[Solved+Issue] Cannot adjust table column widths as wished

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Paddy Landau
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[Solved+Issue] Cannot adjust table column widths as wished

Post by Paddy Landau »

I have a couple of tables, both centered. Their columns are approximately, but not exactly, the widths that I want them.

I need to fine-tune the widths, allowing the total table width to change in consequence.

However, Writer keeps second-guessing me. When I go into Table -> Table Properties -> Columns -> Column width and adjust the widths, Writer keeps changing them.

I instead tried changing the total table width first (Table -> Table Properties -> Table -> Width), but Writer keeps changing that, too.

How can I fine-tune the widths without OO trying to second-guess me?

More information:

I use OpenOffice 3.0.1 on Linux Ubuntu 8.04
  • Table -> Table Properties -> Table -> Alignment -> Center (but Writer keeps changing this to Manual)
  • Table -> Table Properties -> Columns -> Adapt table width -> unticked (I tried ticked, but then Writer gets silly)
  • Table -> Table Properties -> Columns -> Adapt Columns proportionally -> unticked
Last edited by Paddy Landau on Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Hagar Delest »

Can you upload a sample file (see: How to attach a document here) and writing what dimensions you are trying to set?
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
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Paddy Landau
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Re: Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Paddy Landau »

Thanks for your answer, Hagar. Here you are:
columns.odt
Document with a single table, requiring column widths 0.44" 0.28" 3.94" 1.95" 1.25" in order.
(19.69 KiB) Downloaded 834 times
I'm attempting to put the column widths, in order:
0.44" 0.28" 3.94" 1.95" 1.25"

I guess the total table width would be 7.86" plus some extra for padding, etc.
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acknak
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Re: Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by acknak »

Writer is pathologically dull when it comes to table geometry. The options in the dialog lead you to hope that it has some capability for dynamic or helpful behavior, when in fact, it does not.

Any manual adjustment to the geometry will cause the alignment to revert to "Manual".

The options on the "Columns" tab have no effect once you leave the table properties dialog.

If you go to the "Columns" tab and set "Adapt table width: YES", then you can set the numeric column widths below and the table width will adjust accordingly. Once you confirm the changes, the position setting will revert to "Manual". If you want to go back and adjust the columns again, you'll have to re-set the "Center" option.

I generally just use the mouse and drag the column widths. It requires extra work because changing one width affects the column to the right as well, but I find it more helpful to be able to see what I'm doing. If you really need to adjust one column without changing the others, you have to use the dialog, and you have to remember to tick the "Adapt table width" setting every time.
 Edit: PS: Oh, and all bets are off if the table is wider than the margins. Writer simply can't handle it. 
 Edit: PPS: 
Here's your table. I had to change the page to landscape to get the margins wider than the table; then I had to first shrink a column to get the table width narrower than the margins (i.e. "remaining space" > 0), then set the widths, and finally, change the page back to portrait.
Attachments
columns_edit.odt
(19.17 KiB) Downloaded 825 times
AOO4/LO5 • Linux • Fedora 23
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Paddy Landau
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Re: Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Paddy Landau »

Thank you, thank you! :D

Your explanation had a key point: "PS: Oh, and all bets are off if the table is wider than the margins. Writer simply can't handle it."

That explains why Adapt table width gave such silly results!

I had three tables to change. I set the page to landscape; changed the widths; set the "Center" option again; and reverted the page back to portrait. Voilà!

Do you think that I should raise a bug report?
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Hagar Delest »

acknak wrote:I generally just use the mouse and drag the column widths. It requires extra work because changing one width affects the column to the right as well
Have you tried to press the CTRL key when resizing a column?
Paddy Landau wrote:Do you think that I should raise a bug report?
Yes, you can try. It may have been requested already.
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acknak
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Re: [Solved] Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by acknak »

Have you tried to press the CTRL key when resizing a column?
Interesting. But what is that doing? It still seems to change the width of the other columns.

What I think would help a great deal is if the default configuration used the "Adjust table width" mode, and the table alignment and table width mode would were "sticky". That way, I could drag a column wider, or insert a column, and the other column widths wouldn't change, only the width of the table would change.

Thinking about it now, I think the core principle is this: Writer should never change the the width of a column on it's own. I simply can't imagine how that would ever be useful.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: [Solved] Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Hagar Delest »

acknak wrote:
Have you tried to press the CTRL key when resizing a column?
Interesting. But what is that doing? It still seems to change the width of the other columns.
It keeps the width of next columns except the last one that is resized to keep the same table width.
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Paddy Landau
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Re: [Solved] Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Paddy Landau »

acknak wrote:Thinking about it now, I think the core principle is this: Writer should never change the the width of a column on it's own. I simply can't imagine how that would ever be useful.
Agreed. That would make it more in line with Calc, which I consider intuitive. I find Writer non-intuitive.
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acknak
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Re: [Solved] Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by acknak »

It keeps the width of next columns except the last one that is resized to keep the same table width.
Hmm, for me It changes all the column widths to the right of the column I drag.

It may be changing them in proportion to their widths, so for narrow columns, the change is small, but they all change.

Also, there are options governing table re-sizing under Tools > Options > OOo Writer > Table that don't seem to do anything.
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Paddy Landau
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Re: [Solved] Cannot adjust table column widths as I need them

Post by Paddy Landau »

I did not find a bug report, so I raised a new one.

http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=100311
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