Search key working intermittently for values

users
#1

Hi there

I recently downloaded Libre Office to replace Open Office on my Mac.

All previously created documents now open with Libre Office - obviously.

I am having problem with the Search Key Function in my spreadsheets. I am using it to find amounts. It seems to work
2 or 3 times then suddenly changes to "Search key not found”. I have closed and re-opened, opened another spreadsheet
and it works and then back to "Search key not found". I have restarted computer, checked old spreadsheets where it works again and then used again with another spreadsheet (where it worked before) but still no luck.

Is this a bug?

Help please but not too technical! - thank you.

Evie.

#2

WEDLOCO wrote:

Hi there

I recently downloaded Libre Office to replace Open Office on my Mac.

All previously created documents now open with Libre Office - obviously.

I am having problem with the Search Key Function in my spreadsheets. I am using it to find amounts. It seems to work
2 or 3 times then suddenly changes to "Search key not found”. I have closed and re-opened, opened another spreadsheet
and it works and then back to "Search key not found". I have restarted computer, checked old spreadsheets where it works again and then used again with another spreadsheet (where it worked before) but still no luck.

Is this a bug?

Help please but not too technical! - thank you.

Evie.

If there is only one occurrence of the search key, and the cell containing it is already the active cell, Calc seems to display "Search key not found". I guess that behaviour could be considered a bug, and appears to be behind:
   https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=36800
although the description there isn't particularly clear.

Alternatively, do you have formulae in the spreadsheet? Calc's search can look for the search term either in the formulae themselves or in the values (results of the formulae). I think the default is to search within formulae, not values. This can be selected by going to Edit > Find and Replace; enter your search term, then click "More Options" at the bottom of the dialog and select the required option for "Search in".

For example, if you have a formula "=1+2" in a cell, the value of that cell is 3 and:
- Searching for "2" in formulae would find that cell (the formula contains "2")
- Searching for "2" in values would not find that cell
- Searching for "3" in formulae would not find that cell (the formula does not contain "3")
- Searching for "3" in values would find that cell

Mark.

#3

Hi :slight_smile:
You might find it better to install the "Still" branch rather than either
of the "Fresh" branches. 4.x.8 ideally.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#4

Thanks Tom for your quick response and suggestion - and also all others who have contributed.

Downloaded the Still version 4.2.8 but same thing is happening. Worked 1st time I entered a value in find
and then when I changed the amount "Search key not found". I entered different amounts from different cells to test and it can find some values but not others???

They are all formatted as numbers e.g.: 1234.12. No formulas in cells.

These are bank statements downloaded as .cvs files then changed to .ods files in Libra to check against receipts.

Cheers.

Evie.

#5

WEDLOCO wrote:

Thanks Tom for your quick response and suggestion - and also all others who have contributed.

Downloaded the Still version 4.2.8 but same thing is happening. Worked 1st time I entered a value in find
and then when I changed the amount "Search key not found". I entered different amounts from different cells to test and it can find some values but not others???

They are all formatted as numbers e.g.: 1234.12. No formulas in cells.

These are bank statements downloaded as .cvs files then changed to .ods files in Libra to check against receipts.

Cheers.

Evie.

Briefly experimenting with this, it seems that if there is a value of 1234.1 in a cell, it is found when searching for 1234.1 but not when searching for 1234.10 - even if it is formatted to display two decimal places. Could that be what you're seeing?

Additionally, a cell containing 1234.12 is found by a search for either 1234.12 or 1234.1, which makes it more difficult to find 1234.10 but not 1234.12. It is possible though, by using Edit > Find and Replace, entering "1234.1" as the search term, and selecting the "Entire cells" option; that will then find a cell containing 1234.1 but not 1234.12.

This does seem potentially confusing. If this is the problem you're seeing, it may be worth filing an enhancement request at https://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/bug/. After filling in the details but before submitting, check the list of "Related bug reports". If any of those describe the same problem, it's better to add information there instead of submitting a new report.

Mark.

#6

Hi Mark

What I’m entering in Find is the full amount/value. The amount of 1234.12 is just to show the format I am using

Kind regards,

Evie.
evie@wedloco.co.uk

www.wedloco.co.uk
DIY Invitations & Stationery
0131 478 9175

#7

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "the full amount/value"? Are you able to give an example of what you're entering in Find, and the values in some cells in your sheet which you'd expect that to find?

A more concrete example showing what I was trying to describe... If you have a sheet displaying the following values:
   9876.00
   9876.50
   9876.54
The actual values of the cells are:
   9876
   9876.5
   9876.54
(they're just displayed with two decimal places because of the formatting applied to the cells)

If you search for "9876.54", it finds the cell containing 9876.54; so far so good.

If you search for "9876.5", it finds the cell containing 9876.5, and also the cell containing 9876.54; also fine, but probably not very helpful in your case.

If you search for "9876.50", it DOES NOT find anything - which is probably not what you'd expect (I'd have expected it to find that cell containing 9876.5).

To find cells displaying "9876.50" but not other values (such as 9876.54), it seems you need to use the Find & Replace dialog, search for "9876.5", and select the "Entire cells" option. This may present other problems, for example it wouldn't find a value 9876.501, even though that would be displayed as "9876.50".

Mark.

WEDLOCO wrote:

#8

Ah Mark - you have solved it!

I was looking for an amount of 13.50 and entered 13.50 (which I thought was logical) - search not found.
Now I have tried entering 13.5 and it finds it! Must remember not to add the 0.

"If you search for "9876.50", it DOES NOT find anything - which is probably not what you'd expect
(I'd have expected it to find that cell containing 9876.5)”

Absolutely - so I am not a complete Numpty! (a Scottish word).

Thank you so much, to Tom and all others who have tried to help.

Kind regards,

Evie.

#9

Hi :slight_smile:
Top marks to Mark Bourne. Good work there :slight_smile:

Glad the problem got solved!
Congrats, thanks and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#10

I sent this response yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have made it through to the list... apologies if it ends up duplicated.

Thanks for confirming that this is the problem, and that the workaround works. I'll see about checking if this still happens in the latest version and filing an enhancement request some time.

Expected behaviour may need a bit more thinking through though. e.g. whether a search for "9876.50" should find a cell with a value of 9876.499 if it's displayed to 2 decimal places as 9876.50. I'm starting to think perhaps the cell's display precision shouldn't matter, but perhaps the search term precision should, e.g. a search for "9876.5" would find cells with a value between 9876.45 and 9876.55, whereas a search for "9876.50" would find cells with a value between 9876.495 and 9876.505...

Mark.

WEDLOCO wrote: