Bug 71155 - Document Compare in Writer mishandles paragraphs split in two by hitting the "Enter" key
Summary: Document Compare in Writer mishandles paragraphs split in two by hitting the ...
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version: 4.1.2.3 release
Hardware: x86 (IA32) Linux (All)
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
QA Contact: Michael Stahl
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2013-11-02 02:16 UTC by Leo H
Modified: 2014-02-14 13:38 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
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Attachments

Description Leo H 2013-11-02 02:16:11 UTC
LibreOffice Package: libreoffice 1:4.1.2~rc3-0ubuntu1
Libre Office Version: 4.1.2.3
Build ID: 410m0(Build:3)
System: Xubuntu 13.10, 32 bit, fully patched
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Issue concerns: LibreOffice Writer > Edit > Compare Document...

Routine Case: When editing a document to improve readability, the editor splits a multi-sentence paragraph in two by hitting the "Enter" key twice after one of the sentences within the original paragraph. The editor makes no further changes. The edited document is then saved as a new version.

When this new version of the document is now compared to the original version using the Edit > Compare document... function, then nothing of the split paragraph is found to be identical between the two versions. Specifically:

1/ The unsplit paragraph in the original document is simply marked as completely deleted. And
2/ The two resulting paragraphs in the revised document are marked as entirely new text which is not in the original.

This is clearly wrong. And it is clearly extremely unhelpful. It can even be misleading.

Note: This behaviour occurs whatever the settings chosen in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Comparison.

Note: This behaviour occurs whatever the length of the original paragraph. (It may, for instance, even be just two words; or even just one word broken in two parts with "Enter" and with the option "Compare documents" > "By character" set in Tools > Options).
Comment 1 Jean-Baptiste Faure 2013-11-02 09:14:23 UTC
If I compare both documents with "By word" option, it works as expected: 
- the first paragraph in the new doc (the one with two paragraphs) is not marked modified
- the second paragraph is marked modified.

Note: as specified in the help, you must open the modified file et compare it to the old.

Tested on LibreOffice 4.1.4.0.0+ under Ubuntu 13.10 x86-64.

Best regards. JBF
Comment 2 Dominique Boutry 2013-11-03 10:02:53 UTC
LibO 4.1.2.3 on Win7 :

There is no help for "Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Comparison" (the ad-hoc help page skip directly from "Changes" to "Compatibility") in the online help.

After splitting a multi-sentences paragraph with one <enter> press (one paragraph mark inserted after a ending ".") :
- Comparison "Auto" : the whole initial paragraph (with multiple sentences) is noted as deleted ; its content is split in the two new paragraphs
- Comparison "by word" : are noted as deleted only the last sentence before the insertion point of the inserted paragraph mark. After this insertion point, the whole remaining of the initial paragraph is noted as deleted
- Comparison "by character" : same than "by word".

The coherent text is then noted as inserted.

The comparison should have been able to shorten the unchanged ending part of the modified text, at least it should have kept only the sentence just after the insertion point.
Comment 3 sophie 2014-02-14 13:38:43 UTC
Can reproduce Dominique description - Just for indication, if you're working alone on multiple versions of the same document, using File > Version would be more indicated as it prevent to edit the last document first and compare it with the previous. 
Set as enhancement, lowering the importance, set on New - Sophie


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