Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:04 am Post subject: Collapsing & expanding cell info?
Hope someone can tell me how to do this, and which of the suite of NeoOffice programs I should be using.
Currently I use the spreadsheet to record text-based info maps. (Basically, I have a timeline in column 1 and the remaining columns are topics to be covered over the time period marked by col. 1). What I would like is to be able to collapse and expand info over a range of cells for each time period marked in the first cell. This is for reasons of legibility.
For example, in Period 1 (column 1, first row) I might have a topic in the next column pertinent to Period 1 with a large amount of data taking up many rows of my spreadsheet to display. I want to collapse this data for easy display (with just a title) and expand it again when I want to drill down for more info.
I have tried this using the Data: Outline command but this causes the data in all columns over the range of rows to collapse/expand. I need to localize this to multiple rows within a specific column so that other columns (Topics) are unaffected.
I've been messing recently with the trial version of Mindjet's MindManager and this has the kind of functionality I'm looking for. I can't use MindManager for this, however because its rigid heirarchical structure won't let me cross-index two parallel data paths.
Last edited by Wickerman on Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:22 am; edited 1 time in total
I think using Calc's filtering feature may work in your case. If I understand correctly, your Calc document, column A has "Period ..." in some cells and blank cells between them.
I my understanding is correct, can you try the following steps?:
1. Select all of the columns that have some data in them
2. Select the Data :: Filter :: AutoFilter menu. This menu will put a small button with an arrow on it in the first cell in each column.
3. Click on the column A's button and select "- not empty -". All rows where column A has an empty cell will be hidden.
4. To show all rows again, click on the column A's button and select "All".
Imagine that I'm just selecting a topic item from column two, clicking on it, and the cell expanding to display a list of subtopics...
Unfortunately, I don't think you are going to be able to that in a spreadsheet. When working with spreadsheets, you will always be limited to working in a grid. As a result, you would have to emulate the behavior you want by hiding and unhiding rows.
To do what you are describing, I think you will need to move your data into a relational database and then you a database reporting tool like Crystal Reports. NeoOffice Base does provide a relational database and a reporting tool. However, I do not know if Base's report design tool support expanding/hiding lines.
I think I may have found a way to do something close to what you want to do in Calc. Can you try the following?:
1. Highlight a set of rows that you want to be able to expand and collapse. For example, if cell A1 has "Period 1" and cells B2 through B10 have details that you want to collapse so that only row 1 shows, select rows 2 through 10.
2. Select the Data :: Group and Outline :: Group menu. A small button will appear that you can click to expand or collapse the selected rows.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the rows applicable to "Period 2", "Period 3", etc.
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