Bug 48571

Summary:	: Allow A:A format to include an entire column and 1:1 format to include an entire row
Product:	LibreOffice	Reporter:	7qia0tp02
Component:	Spreadsheet	Assignee:	Not Assigned <libreoffice-bugs>
Status:	NEW ---	QA Contact:
Severity:	major
Priority:	high	CC:	gitsythomas, jag, ovari, v-k-mus
Version:	4.3.5.2 release
Hardware:	All
OS:	All
Whiteboard:	BSA
i915 platform:		i915 features:

Description 7qia0tp02 2012-04-11 15:01:00 UTC

Problem description: 

As described [here](http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=9527), other spreadsheets allow the syntax "A:A", which means "all elements in column A".  

LibreOffice doesn't support this, and I would like it to be added.  The closest workaround is "A1:A65536".  The problem with A1:A65536 is that the number will change if you delete rows, if you try to enter it for a graph, the range will be shrunk to fit your data to something like "A1:A35", and not expand as you add more data, etc.

Platform (if different from the browser): 
Windows 7 64-bit
              
Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:11.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/11.0

Comment 1 Sören 2012-08-14 15:09:09 UTC

Still doesn't work in neither

LibreOffice 3.5.5.3 
Build ID: 7122e39-92ed229-498d286-15e43b4-d70da21
on Windows 7 Home (64 bit)

nor
LibreOffice 3.5.4.2 
Build ID: 350m1(Build:2)
on Ubuntu 12.04 (64 bit)

Comment 2 V.K. 2012-11-11 09:42:28 UTC

It is very convenient feature in Excel. So, I think it must be implemented in Calc. As well as possibility to insert such reference in formula by clicking the column or row header. 

----
LO 3.6.3.2
Win 7 SP1

Comment 3 m.a.riosv 2013-11-13 09:15:48 UTC

*** Bug 71560 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 4 bugquestcontri 2014-12-30 11:50:37 UTC

This feature would reduce a lot of questions in AskLibO. Today was another one:
http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/44174/how-to-select-entire-column-while-using-vlookup-function-in-calc/

Also when using not the entire column, and using the formula generator (click the fx icon), Calc should automatically make the references for the corner cell to absolute references. 
There is also something more in the above link to AskLibO

Comment 5 Gitsy 2014-12-30 12:51:48 UTC

As Calc doesn't support the "entire column addressing" (or "entire row") which results very inconvenience while opening spreadsheets created by other programs

for example:  In a sheet created in google doc the formula =VLOOKUP(B8,Sheet1!B:D,3,0) perfectly works. But in Calc the formula returns error.

Comment 6 Wolfgang 2015-01-11 13:21:27 UTC

(In reply to bugquestcontri from comment #4)
> This feature would reduce a lot of questions in AskLibO. Today was another
> one:
> http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/44174/how-to-select-entire-column-
> while-using-vlookup-function-in-calc/
> 
ACK
> 
> Also when using not the entire column, and using the formula generator
> (click the fx icon), Calc should automatically make the references for the
> corner cell to absolute references. 
> 
Objection!
> ...

A "clicked reference" should either be ALWAYS relative or ALWAYS absolute. Software shouldn't pretend to know in every cas what "The User" is actually needing/wanting. One who designes a formula should feel reliable for the reference cases used. 

Ceterum censeo: In other cases, in specific with regard to formulae, the same principle should be observed.

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