Help with applying filters please.

users
#1

I am trying to hide some columns when printing.

If I use the format cells > cell protection > hide when printing the contents of the cells are hidden and the sheet width is reduced as expected but when I try and print, it seems the space they occupy is still there giving me lots of white space and many sheets!

I would like to use the filter method, assuming this will solve my problem but when I tried on one column everything disappeared.

I have tried to follow the help instructions but cannot get it right. Please could somebody give a real beginner a hand.

Budge

#2

I am trying to hide some columns when printing. If I use the format cells > cell protection > hide when printing the contents of the cells are hidden and the sheet width is reduced as expected but when I try and print, it seems the space they occupy is still there giving me lots of white space and many sheets!

I suspect that is - as they say - "by design"! It's worth noticing that, since this technique uses cell formatting, it could apply to some cells in a column and not others. If the space that would otherwise be occupied by the hidden cells were suppressed, the alignment of other output (that you did want) would be wrecked.

You can hide entire columns using Format | Column > | Hide (or right-click | Hide on the column header). The effect on the display is temporary, of course, and can easily be reversed immediately after printing: select columns surrounding the hidden ones and use Format | Column > | Show (or right-click | Show on a column header).

I would like to use the filter method, assuming this will solve my problem but when I tried on one column everything disappeared.

"Everything"? You do want entire columns to be hidden, don't you?

Here are two other ways to achieve the sort of thing you need:

o Move your columns around so that the ones you do not want printed do not occur between ones that you do. It is perfectly possible to maintain the same calculations, of course. Then construct a print range that contains the columns you want printed but not the rogue ones. Or you could put the unwanted columns on a separate sheet and print only the required sheet.

o Create a separate sheet for printing purposes, containing only the required columns. You need to create *formulae* referring to your original sheet on that sheet, not just to paste values - so that values there update automatically as you work on your main sheet. Then print just that other sheet. Again, you could alternatively do this with additional columns on the original sheet and a print range excluding them.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#3

Hi Brian

I am trying to hide some columns when printing. If I use the format
cells > cell protection > hide when printing the contents of the cells
are hidden and the sheet width is reduced as expected but when I try
and print, it seems the space they occupy is still there giving me
lots of white space and many sheets!

I suspect that is - as they say - "by design"! It's worth noticing that,
since this technique uses cell formatting, it could apply to some cells
in a column and not others. If the space that would otherwise be
occupied by the hidden cells were suppressed, the alignment of other
output (that you did want) would be wrecked.

You can hide entire columns using Format | Column > | Hide (or
right-click | Hide on the column header). The effect on the display is
temporary, of course, and can easily be reversed immediately after
printing: select columns surrounding the hidden ones and use Format |
Column > | Show (or right-click | Show on a column header).

When I did this the space occupied by the hidden columns was still in the print layout so objective not achieved.

I would like to use the filter method, assuming this will solve my
problem but when I tried on one column everything disappeared.

"Everything"? You do want entire columns to be hidden, don't you?

I meant all the columns whether in filter pattern or not. Very strange

Here are two other ways to achieve the sort of thing you need:

o Move your columns around so that the ones you do not want printed do
not occur between ones that you do. It is perfectly possible to maintain
the same calculations, of course. Then construct a print range that
contains the columns you want printed but not the rogue ones. Or you
could put the unwanted columns on a separate sheet and print only the
required sheet.

o Create a separate sheet for printing purposes, containing only the
required columns. You need to create *formulae* referring to your
original sheet on that sheet, not just to paste values - so that values
there update automatically as you work on your main sheet. Then print
just that other sheet. Again, you could alternatively do this with
additional columns on the original sheet and a print range excluding them.

I refer to this as a brute force appraoch but it is what I ended up doing. In fact I copied only the wanted columns to next sheet and printed from that.

I trust this helps.

Yes and thank you. Problem solved for now but clearly I have much to learn.
Regards,
Budge

#4

Hi :slight_smile:
There are some guides/manuals on;
http://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/english-documentation/

If you would like individual chapters from those guides (and more) then
this link might be useful;
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Publications/

Other types of documentation, such as the FAQ, are linked to from this
page;
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/

Btw i suspect that Brian was talking about links/'formulas' on the "print
sheet" rather than copy&pasting from the original. Using links would mean
that the print page would automatically show any changes made to the
original page. Of course this is all a bit academic now that you have done
the printing successfully already ;)) Nicely done btw :))

Good luck and many regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#5

I am trying to hide some columns when printing.

You can hide entire columns using Format | Column > | Hide (or right-click | Hide on the column header).

When I did this the space occupied by the hidden columns was still in the print layout so objective not achieved.

You may need to close the file and reopen it to sort things out. Very easy.

o Create a separate sheet for printing purposes, containing only the required columns. You need to create *formulae* referring to your original sheet on that sheet, not just to paste values - so that values there update automatically as you work on your main sheet.

I refer to this as a brute force approach but it is what I ended up doing.

Nothing brutish I can see.

In fact I copied only the wanted columns to next sheet and printed from that.

If you copied values, you didn't do what I suggested - which may be less brutish than what you did. If you create *formulae* instead of values, you need do this only once. The second sheet used for printing will automatically update as you work on your editing sheet and can always be what you print.

Brian Barker

#6

Another way to keep unwanted columns or rows from printing is to Group
those columns or rows (Data > Group and Outline > Group) . Before printing
use the "Minus" icon to collapse. After printing use the "Plus" sign to
expand. This method provides a fast clickable control which is also a
vise-able reminder of the Group when collapsed.

#7

Hi :slight_smile:
WOW! :slight_smile: I like the sound of that! It's kinda like an upscale of the
hide/show single columns by the sounds of it. Doing just one action rather
than searching out and remembering to do the same action multiple times
sounds likes less error-prone.

One reason i joined this mailing list was to hear of neat tricks that
people found useful, exactly like this.
Many thanks and regards from
Tom :slight_smile: