Hi Leonard, On Tuesday, 2008-04-29 22:54:02 +0300, Leonard Mada wrote:
> 1.) AUTOMATIC DATE RECOGNITION > I strongly support modifying this behaviour in a short timeframe and > implementing a date input-mask, where every user can accurately direct OOo > as to what input is a date (e.g. only dd.mm.yy, and not xx.xx) "short timeframe" and "implementing a date input-mask" are contradicting in itself. In a short time frame, removing the relaxed date recognition and allowing only full dates would be possible. Note that doing so would affect all applications that use the number formatter/parser. In a medium time frame I would see input masks for abbreviated date input being defined in locale data, plus API to access them, plus have that handled in the number parser. Implementing some date recognition mask would need a configuration item, a dialog, sensible defaults in locale data, dialog input checking whether the input masks match the locale's date order definition, make the number parser handle that masks list, react somehow when the locale was changed, and maybe more. > 2.) TEXT-vs-NUMERIC > 1.) convert text-to-numbers automatically I don't know why you come up with this again, I thought I lined out in issue 5658 why that is not a good idea because results would be locale dependent. > 2.) raise error / flag results where such text occurs Raising an error for single cell references containing text and literal string arguments where a number is expected IMHO is the only real solution. > 3.) offer easy recognition and conversion of text to numbers This may be implemented as well then, after we treat text-if-number as error. > Unfortunately, separating numbers from strings is a very *artificial* > separation. It is NOT the way spreadsheets and humans function. "3" is > always "3", independent of it being addressed in a numerical or textual > context. Number recognition is only safe during user input. If not done in the input locale's context, guessing numbers from text is error prone. Numbers have to be a distinct type to make the spreadsheet work if loaded in another locale or a different application that might even not know the locale the document originally was created in. Btw, cross-copying to more than one mailing list quite assures that the discussion will be scattered over the lists. Either because people replying are not subscribed to all of them and the replies have to be moderated through, or because of the unfortunate Reply-To mangling on OOo lists that directs a reply to one list only if not circumvented by the person replying or a capable mail user agent knowing how to handle mailing lists. Eike -- OOo/SO Calc core developer. Number formatter stricken i18n transpositionizer. SunSign 0x87F8D412 : 2F58 5236 DB02 F335 8304 7D6C 65C9 F9B5 87F8 D412 OpenOffice.org Engineering at Sun: http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS Please don't send personal mail to the [EMAIL PROTECTED] account, which I use for mailing lists only and don't read from outside Sun. Use [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks.
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