Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 58620
vertical split cells cannot be resized in a table under certain circumstances
Last modified: 2013-02-07 22:39:06 UTC
Writer does not allow the user to break up any vertical line that is formed across multiple cells. In MS Word, you can select a few cells and then drag the line. In Writer,you cannot break the vertical line. For example, try this experiment: 1. Split B2 into 2 vertical cells. 2. Split B3 into 3 vertical cells. Each of these partitions can be resized by dragging the sides. The other cells are not affected. But now try this in a fresh table (not in the table used for the first experiment): 1. Split B2 into 2 vertical cells. 2. Split B3 into 4 vertical cells. Now select the split cells in the second row. Try to drag and move the middle edge. The problem is, you can NOT drag it in 2nd row alone: The 3rd row is also affected, eventhough it is NOT selected. But the other two partitions in the 3rd row CAN be dragged independently. MS Word allows the user to drag the borders of any selection in the table.
Correction in the description: In the original description, I used the phrase "vertical cells", which would imply splitting them horizontally. Correct that as following: In BOTH the experiments, slice the cells VERTICALLY (that creates 2/3/4 cells in the same ROW). Sorry for the inconvenience caused!
confirmed on Windows XP Pro SP2 with OOo 2.0.1 RC2
That is a limitation of the current table model. Writer's table interprets this as new sub-columns of the upper two new columns.
Raindrops -> MRU > Writer's table interprets this as new sub-columns of the upper two new columns. This reason seeems to be specific only to vertically split cells. However, this problem is more general, which can be stated like this: "In Writer, the user is unable to drag a vertical border of a selection INDEPENDENTLY: The entire border gets dragged, even for cells that are not selected." There must be some other reason for this behavior. In fact, in a multi-column table, make a selection involving cells from multiple rows and columns (but NOT entire rows/columns). If you hover the mouse on any of the borders within this selection, the mouse pointer does not even turn into a double-arrow. Similarly, select entire columns (hold the mouse just above the table. It turns into a thick downward arrow. Drag it across columns to select them). Observe that you are not allowed to drag a border. Now unselect all cells and then hover the mouse on a border. Now the pointer turns into a double-arrow and allows dragging of the border.