Calc Paste Special Defaults

users
#1

My usual practice to update the numerical data on my spreadsheets is to
copy a "template" row (properly formatted) and use Paste Special (with
Shift Cells set to "Down") to insert it into a formula-ranged matrix
(such as SUM, or AVG, etc.). Doing so this way causes the
formula-derived data to be updated automatically. It is a matter of
convenience. It is more convenient to have these Paste Special options
automatically default to my preferred practice. It also ensures that
embedded formulas get copied, as well (and my "template" rows have them).

Therefore, I humbly request, yet again, "How can I customize these Paste
Special defaults without having to edit and recompile the Calc source
code, or can I?"

#2

In Calc, the Paste Special Selection options default to Text, Numbers, Date & Time. Each time I edit a spreadsheet afresh, I have to remember to change this to Paste All.

Why would you use Paste Special... if you wanted to paste all? Well, I suppose you might want to select something under Options, Operations, or Shift cells - but not that often, surely? Otherwise, why not use ordinary Paste (Edit | Paste, right-click | Paste, or Ctrl+V) instead?

My usual practice to update the numerical data on my spreadsheets is to copy a "template" row (properly formatted) and use Paste Special (with Shift Cells set to "Down") to insert it into a formula-ranged matrix (such as SUM, or AVG, etc.).

That's exactly the sort of exceptional case I described, of course.

Doing so this way causes the formula-derived data to be updated automatically. It is a matter of convenience. It is more convenient to have these Paste Special options automatically default to my preferred practice. It also ensures that embedded formulas get copied, as well (and my "template" rows have them).

But that's not the only way to do this.

Therefore, I humbly request, yet again, "How can I customize these Paste Special defaults without having to edit and recompile the Calc source code, or can I?"

If I'd known one, I would have offered it, of course! So my answer (er, yet again?) is that sorry: I don't know of any. Now that I know your real problem, here's the solution:
o Select the relevant row - or even just a range of cells.
o Drag the selection to its required new location. (You need to drag the cells, not the row headers.)
o Hold down the Alt key as you release the mouse to drop the copied material. Note that this will cut your original material instead of copying it and may (depending on exactly where the target cells are in relation to the source cells) shift other material around. If, as I imagine, you will want to retain your template row in its original position, hold down Ctrl+Alt instead as you release the mouse.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#3

My usual practice to update the numerical data on my spreadsheets is to
copy a "template" row (properly formatted) and use Paste Special (with
Shift Cells set to "Down") to insert it into a formula-ranged matrix
(such as SUM, or AVG, etc.). Doing so this way causes the
formula-derived data to be updated automatically. It is a matter of
convenience. It is more convenient to have these Paste Special options
automatically default to my preferred practice. It also ensures that
embedded formulas get copied, as well (and my "template" rows have them).

You might be interested in my macro solution which takes care of a
general setting, the current region of your list range, merged cells and
formulas from the row above.

[Calc, Python] Expand/shrink list ranges

https://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2350

As a matter of course, all this fiddling with spreadsheet is not by far
as convenient as a database with input forms.