Table in Table

OpenOffice.org 2.0 / StarOffice 8

Document - ID	Specification Owner	Last Change	Status
	Hans-Peter Burow	03/23/04	Draft
Conforms to	
Applies to	Writer
Task ID(s)	I20193
Category	Feature

Abstract

The Writer doesn't allow to insert a table into a table cell. We want to enable this functionality.

i-Team Members (The specification owner is part of the i-Team)

	Name	E-mail Address
User Experience	Frank Loehmann (FL)	fl@openoffice.org
Development	Frank Meies (FME)	fme@openoffice.org
Quality Assurance	Michael Rüss (MRU)	mru@openoffice.org
Documentation	Uwe Fischer (UFI)	ufi@openoffice.org

Approved for Implementation

	Approved by	Date
User Experience	<Name>	<Date>
Development		
Quality Assurance	Michael Rüss (MRU)	03/23/04
Documentation	Uwe Fischer (UFI)	03/24/04
String Review		

Document Change History

Rev. Level	Change	Initials	Date
1.0	First draft	PB	2/4/04
1.1	Added comments of UFI	PB	03/17/04
1.2	Some points added	PB	03/22/04
1.3	Some minor changes	FME	03/23/04
1.4	Approval of UFI and MRU	PB	03/26/04

Contents

Glossary	1

1	Motivation	1

2	User Scenarios	1

3	Goals	1

4	Requirements and Dependencies	1

4.1	Requirements	1

4.2	Technical Dependencies	1

5	Competitive Analyses	2

6	Detailed Specification	3

6.1	G11n	4

6.2	Error Conditions	4

6.3	Migration	4

7	Future Tasks	4

8	Notes	5

9	References	5

Glossary

Term	Description
<Term 1>	

Motivation

We want to allow that an user can insert a table into a table cell. Now, when the user try this, the Format-Table dialog pops up. Furthermore, this feature improve the document import/export of MS Word documents, which can contain nested tables.

User Scenarios

The user inserted a table in his document. Now he wants to insert a table into one table cell. He selects the menu entry “Insert – Table...”. But instead of the Insert-Table dialog the Format-Table dialog pops up. So the user has not the possibility to insert a table into a table cell.

Goals

Allow to insert a table into a table cell.

Requirements and Dependencies

Requirements

None.

Technical Dependencies

We have two alternatives to implement this feature.

Easy way

We insert a frame in the table cell. In this frame we can insert the new table. This is already implemented to import Word documents with tables in tables. This is a easy way but it can raise trouble when this table is split because of a page break.

With more effort

We implement it native like Word. This needs more effort but can prevent trouble.

We decided to implement it native.

Competitive Analyses

Microsoft Office Word 2003 allows to insert a table into a table cell.

Detailed Specification

The only thing that should be changed is that the call “Insert Table” via menu, toolbox or accelerator opens the Insert-Table dialog instead of the Format-Table dialog.

Format – Table will edit the inner-most table where the cursor is positioned.

We insert additional space in the cell under the inner table, so the user can set the cursor here and can insert text or other objects.

Illustration 1Our Office with the new feature

The table functions (like “Insert Row”, “Delete Column” or “Merge Cells”), which are located in the menu or toolbar, works on the table which has the cursor.

Illustration 2Table functions on the Object Bar

The name of an inner table will be generated like the other tables (term “Table” + a serially number). You can not find out if the table is an inner table on the basis of its name.

We will add the table name to the cell position on the status bar like “Table2:B3” for a better visualization where the cursor is.

Illustration 3Table cell position with table name on the Status Bar

Tab Order

None

Key Board Shortcuts

None

G11n

None.

Error Conditions

Perhaps there is a technical limitations how many nested tables are allowed. Then we need an error message or we can disable the functionality.

UFI thinks the table in a table in a table will be already too small for the user to click inside so he/she cannot insert another table. But there may be API calls to insert tables, and for sure they need an error code as return value.

Migration

What happens when the user saves a document with a table with inserted table to sdw? No Idea at the moment.

What happens when the user loads a document with a table where a frame is inserted to hold another table? Nothing special. The user gets a table which contains a frame, which in turn contains another table.

Future Tasks

Perhaps we have to implement some extra features (see Notes).

Notes

Some Questions from UFI:

Can a table cell hold another table plus some other objects, like a caption for the table, additional text, or even several tables in the same cell? FME: Yes.

Will the inner table inherit some properties from the cell it is in? Or will it start as a default table (unfortunately we don't have Table Styles)? FME: It starts as a default table.

References

Is there any PCD?

Table in Table

Page 5

http://specs.openoffice.org/writer/tables/table_in_table.sxw

Table in Table

2004-02-04T09:00:32