[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 84144] Sections hiding opposite to condition

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.documentfoundation.org]

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=84144

Mike Kaganski <mikekaganski at hotmail.com> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|NEW                         |RESOLVED
         Resolution|---                         |NOTABUG

--- Comment #6 from Mike Kaganski <mikekaganski at hotmail.com> ---
This works as intended, and is not a bug; but please see at the end of the
comment.

Inserting a "Set variable" field *for the first time*, you *define* a variable
in the document; and also *define its type*, which can be *numeric* or
*textual*. After the definition, you can't change the type (until you remove
the variable from document using "cross" button in "Set variable" insertion
dialog).

By default, all variables are created of numeric type.
Setting a variable's type is done by assigning it "Text" *format* when creating
it.

When a variable is created numeric, i.e. not assigned "Text" format when
created, its value is treated as a formula, and its result is converted to
number. E.g., putting "is" with quotes would make the variable equal to result
of conversion of text "is" to a number, which is 0. Putting "123a456" in quotes
would result in number 123, because conversion to number stops at non-numeric
character "a". `1+2` (without quotes) gives 3. Putting `pi` (without quotes)
into the value of the numeric variable produces result of 3.14..., using one of
predefined values [1] (note that value names are case-insensitive). When you
have created a numeric variable varA with value 3, creating numeric varB with
formula `varA + 1` will give 4.

For a numeric variable, there is a specific situation when you put an undefined
name into its value box. E.g., creating numeric varA with value `is` without
quotes, when no variable `is` was defined, produces varA variable with *empty*
value, which e.g. also produces empty results of formulas like `varA + 1`.

When a variable is defined textual (by setting its format to Text upon its
creation), anything you write into the value box is treated as plain string
(except when you put an existing variable name); e.g., putting `is` without
quotes into the value box (assuming there's no variable `is` predefined) will
produce string "is", which might be tested using condition `var EQ "is"` [2];
putting "is" *with* quotes into the value box will produce 4-character string
*containing the quotes*, so the condition `var EQ "is"` would fail this time;
`1+2` would produce string "1+2". But when you have a variable txtA containing
"AAA", and you create another textual txtB with value `txtA`, txtB will contain
AAA.

Note again that trying to change existing variable type after creation will not
work, neither in "Set variable field", nor in "Show variable", "Input field",
or others.

So your steps in comment 0 lack a step between 1.b and 1.c, which would be

1.b.1. Format: Text

With that, your document will work => NOTABUG.

Now I agree that there a problem with the Set Variable fields, worth a separate
issue:

The aspects of *creation* of a variable; *variables having a type*; and other
variable manipulations (e.g., that variables don't get deleted when the last
field setting/using it is removed; or inability to change type; or empty result
when using undefined names in numeric variables; or using predefined variable
names in textual variables) are unclear, not intuitive, and not well documented
and represented in UI. There's tdf#111888 regarding one of aspects of variable
manipulation, but unrelated to this issue (which is about variable types).

Please create a separate issue(s) regarding documentation and usability about
these problems.

[1] https://help.libreoffice.org/6.3/en-US/text/swriter/02/14020000.html
[2] https://help.libreoffice.org/6.3/en-US/text/swriter/01/04090200.html

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