Add Repeat or Redo Functionality in Calc After a Sort

[noibs]

I don't know if this is a bug or deliberate omission in the OpenOffice code or not. If so, then it likely cannot be added in NeoOffice. I have submitted a formal request for this in OpenOffice.

I do a large number of repetitive sorts in Calc. Each one requires a two or three mouse actions. The reason is that the Repeat and/or Redo command OO/NeoO does not function after a sort. It does after most other things, but not after a sort. I have even assigned a quick, custom key-code to the Repeat command in Calc, but it's useless after a sort.

Lately, I've been exporting certain spreadsheets to xls so that I can use the Excel Redo function. I was hoping that Office 2008 was going to be the last Mac version of Office that I had to buy.

I can't understand why Redo/Repeat doesn't work after ALL actions in Calc.

[pluby]

To be honest, I do not think that this new feature request is feasible to implement within OpenOffice.org's Redo management code.

The current Redo management code repeats only redoes the last action which is the sorting of the selected range. Changing data in the selected range or selecting a new range are separate actions so you are essentially requesting to redo an action several actions before the latest actions. AFAICT, only the latest action is stored by the Redo manager.

It may be possible that Oracle's OpenOffice.org engineers can overhaul their Redo manager is such a way to implement this new feature, but it is realistically infeasible for me to implement.

Unfortunately, because of my limitations I think you have two choices:

1. Write a macro using OpenOffice.org Basic that does the various actions (like change data, change selected range, and then sort) that need to be done

2. Use Microsoft Excel

Regarding the second option, while you may not like buying Microsoft Office, Office is able to charge such a price because they have very specialized features that donation-based software like NeoOffice and OpenOffice do not have.

So whether to use Microsoft Excel or not is really a business decision: is the value of the time you save every day more than the price of Microsoft Office. If not, then the next business decision is the value of the time you save every day more than the time or cost of writing, debugging, and maintaining an OpenOffice.org Basic macro.

Patrick

[ovvldc]

Also, keep in mind that Excel is not entirely flawless in term of undo/redo either. YMMV.

Best wishes,
Oscar