Old documents have 'Hidden text'

[WilliamL]

Some documents I made in NeoOffice before version 3 have text that is hidden unless I check view 'Nonprinting characters'. The hidden text has a fine dotted line under it. In fact, I'm finding the backups have hidden text but the later documents, with hidden text, that were re-saved (sometimes) have the text omitted all together.

I need to know how make the text 'not' hidden and suggest what needs to be done to (in the way of formatting) eliminate this from happening again.

...I can provide a document.

[narf]

I am not sure what is causing the problem.

[WilliamL]

Here is a file with the hidden text. Note the first 4 lines. I hope there will be a way to change the hidden text to normal text. Note that underlining is close to the effected text. I'm wondering if I have inadvertently cause some strange formatting that is affecting the document.

[pluby]

I can reproduce this bug and since I can also reproduce it in NeoOffice's underlying OpenOffice.org code, this is definitely an OpenOffice.org bug. I have seen this OpenOffice.org bug before but I cannot remember where at the moment but I do remember how to fix the problem.

Here are the steps to unhide the hidden text:

1. Select the Edit :: Select All menu to select all of the text in the document

2. Select the Format :: Character menu and in the dialog that appears, click on the Font Effects tab

3. In the Font Effects tab, click on the Hidden checkbox until it is checked. Then click it twice more and press the OK button.

Does that unhide the hidden text for you?

Note that you have click that checkbox twice to properly uncheck it. This is because the first click makes it return to the current "some hidden, some not" setting. The second click is what makes all of the selected text visible.

BTW, I found a separate NeoOffice bug while looking at your document. The fact that the first click shows the checkbox as unchecked is a NeoOffice bug that I need to fix. You should see a "dash" style checkbox after the first click.

I will investigate the checkbox display bug and post a NeoOffice 3.0.2 Early Access test patch when I have a fix. Fixing the checkbox will not fix the OpenOffice.org bug that causes the hidden text, but it will hopefully make the steps for unhiding the text more obvious.

Patrick

[WilliamL]

Yes, that does work! Whew!

I see what you mean about the middle state of the button not working. You just have to keep track of how many times you click.

[narf]

[pluby]

I have fixed the checkbox bug so that now you will see a "-" checkbox as one option for the Hidden checkbox and I have included the fix in the following test patch. If you have our NeoOffice 3.0.2 Early Access installed on your machine, can you install the following test patch and tell us if the checkbox bug is fixed for you?:

Intel:
http://joe.neooffice.org/test/NeoOffice-3.0.2_Early_Access-Patch-0-Test-8-Intel.dmg
http://joe.neooffice.org/test/NeoOffice-2.2.6-Patch-3-Test-4-Intel.dmg

PowerPC:
http://joe.neooffice.org/test/NeoOffice-3.0.2_Early_Access-Patch-0-Test-8-PowerPC.dmg
http://joe.neooffice.org/test/NeoOffice-2.2.6-Patch-3-Test-4-PowerPC.dmg

Patrick

[WilliamL]

I downloaded and installed NeoOffice 3.0.2 Early Access version and downloaded and installed Patch 0.

The fix worked perfectly! The check box operates correctly.

Thank you for the great support! I use NeoOffice daily and it is worth the donations.. especially with this great support.

[pluby]

FYI. I have included the fix in NeoOffice 3.0.2 which we released today. Members and subscribers of the current NeoOffice Early Access Program can download NeoOffice 3.0.2 from the NeoOffice Early Access Program download page.

Patrick