Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 119599
Trying to open an already open document is silently ignored
Last modified: 2015-11-12 20:00:25 UTC
Suppose a certain document "test_open.odt" is minimized or hidden behind other documents on the screen and you don't remember the fact that it is already open. 1) If you try to open "test_open.odt" by double clicking the file name e.g. in Windows Explorer or in MacOS Finder, the action is always silently ignored. 2) If you try to open "test_open.odt" via the 'File-Open' dialog or the 'File-Last used documents' list in a different open document window of writer, calc, or draw, the behavior is not consistent. Mostly I had no reaction at all, sometimes a minimized "test_open.odt" was maximized, sometimes it was even brought to the foreground (top most window). I couldn't find a pattern. From a user experience perspective, this is confusing. In general, silently ignoring a user action has to be seen as a bug. The issue applies to all main document types (writer, calc, draw) on all systems I tested (various versions of Windows, MacOS, Linux (Ubuntu)) with AOO 3.4 and/or OOo 3.3. Under the circumstances described above, a user should at least be notified that "test_open.odt" is already open. This is an absolutely minimal requirement, but not very useful. A user friendly response to action 1) or 2) would be a) if "test_open.odt" is minimized then restore previous size of its window, b) in any case make it the top most window on the screen and let it have the focus.
I have a simple investigate about 6 scenerios on OO3.4 and MS Office2010: OO3.4: 1)double click a)opened in maximize in forward(top most windows)—-just focus and highlight on minimize group b)opened in maximize in backward(not in top)---just focus and highlight on minimize group c)opened in minimize—no reaction 2)File->Open: a)opened in maximize in forward(top most windows)—no reaction b)opened in maximize in backward(not in top)—maximize to top c)opened in minimize—no reaction MS: 1)double click a)opened in maximize in forward(top most windows)—open only this one file in maximize b)opened in maximize in backward(not in top)—maximize to top c)opened in minimize—maximize to top 2)File->Open a)opened in maximize in forward(top most windows)—no reaction b)opened in maximize in backward(not in top)—maximize to top c)opened in minimize—maximize to top I think scenerio 1)a), 1)b, 1)c), 2)c) need better for user experience.
This issue has also been raised on the Apache OpenOffice Community Forum, with discussion at https://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=80123&p=369552 The suggestion is that when the user attempts to open an already-open document that is minimized, the minimized document should be be restored. That is a good idea. It should also be brought to the front, in case the user has buried it in non-minimized form on their display. With this message I am confirming the behavior and also changing it from Defect (since the behavior is by design) to Enhancement. With good fortune, this falls into the easy-fix category that can be handled by neophyte developers and QA volunteers.
Is this a Win and Mac only issue? AOO 4.1.2 under Ubuntu 64 works as is should. And if so it must be a regression, please look at issue 114489.
(In reply to mroe from comment #3) > Is this a Win and Mac only issue? AOO 4.1.2 under Ubuntu 64 works as is > should. > And if so it must be a regression, please look at issue 114489. It clearly does not work as requested for AOO 4.1.2 and AOO 4.1.1 on Windows 10. The use of "All" in the issue may have been over-reaching. I didn't change it because I have no knowledge of the Mac and Linux cases. Note that this is more recent that Issue #114489#. Hans made his report on all platforms. So whatever happened with OO.o 3.3.0, it apparently doesn't all work (now). (For some reason, I can't change the version from current to 4.1.2 though I can show the confirmation.)
(In reply to orcmid from comment #4) > (For some reason, I can't change the version from current to 4.1.2 though I > can show the confirmation.) I've enabled some more versions which were not existing for unknown reason.
(In reply to orcmid from comment #4) > (In reply to mroe from comment #3) > > Is this a Win and Mac only issue? AOO 4.1.2 under Ubuntu 64 works as is > > should. > > And if so it must be a regression, please look at issue 114489. > > It clearly does not work as requested for AOO 4.1.2 and AOO 4.1.1 on Windows > 10. The use of "All" in the issue may have been over-reaching. I didn't > change it because I have no knowledge of the Mac and Linux cases. Note that > this is more recent that Issue #114489#. Yes, it is. I only want to show an indication that it was working in earlier versions, at least under Linux and Mac. Use my example files from https://bz.apache.org/ooo/attachment.cgi?id=71675 to test. If theses not work with actual versions, this issue is not an ENHANCEMENT rather a DEFECT. I don't understand, why a defective behaviour should accepted "by design".
(In reply to mroe from comment #6) > (In reply to orcmid from comment #4) > > (In reply to mroe from comment #3) > > > Is this a Win and Mac only issue? AOO 4.1.2 under Ubuntu 64 works as is > > > should. > > > And if so it must be a regression, please look at issue 114489. > > > > It clearly does not work as requested for AOO 4.1.2 and AOO 4.1.1 on Windows > > 10. The use of "All" in the issue may have been over-reaching. I didn't > > change it because I have no knowledge of the Mac and Linux cases. Note that > > this is more recent that Issue #114489#. > > Yes, it is. I only want to show an indication that it was working in earlier > versions, at least under Linux and Mac. Use my example files from > https://bz.apache.org/ooo/attachment.cgi?id=71675 to test. If theses not > work with actual versions, this issue is not an ENHANCEMENT rather a DEFECT. > I don't understand, why a defective behaviour should accepted "by design". Sorry, the design is to not open another instance of a document that is already open. It seems that is all that the software was designed to do. There are two aspects to doing something beyond that. One is to bring the document to the front as at least restored (not minimized). The other is to put the focus in that document. If it is working in Apache OpenOffice 3.4 and not now, we can look for a regression. Otherwise, we have to do it from scratch. Knowing that it worked in some OpenOffice.org version is not of much help. This is recognized as an usability issue and a more-helpful behavior is desired. It looks like that takes something new. It's different than looking for a bug in the code. I am clear it looks like a defect to those who are startled by the current behavior. I am changing it back to satisfy you. Thanks for the sample document. Any available existing documents can be used to confirm this and have. Is there something thought to be special about the sample?
> Thanks for the sample document. Any available existing documents can be > used to confirm this and have. Is there something thought to be special > about the sample? In earlier OpenOffice and StarOffice versions a base document doesn't exist. Simply a document (mostly Writer) was used to design input forms for databases. I used the way given in the example documents to switch between different form documents. This way (and also the "bring the always loaded document to the front if the document is activated again via filemanager" what now is reported again) was broken with OOo 3.2 (maybe 3.1) and was fixed with OOo 3.3. An URL button, like I used in the sample files, was also used to switch between the StarOffice sample files Kino1.ods, Kino2.ods and Kino3.ods. (Maybe the english sample files were named cinema1/2/3.ods.) So I can state, that the behaviour (see comment 0) > a) if "test_open.odt" is minimized then restore previous size of its window, > b) in any case make it the top most window on the screen and let it have the focus. worked since and before OOo 1.0 for all supported platforms (there was no Mac version) with exception of OOo 3.2(/3.1?). At the moment I only can state that with AOO 4.1.2 under Ubuntu 64 it works how it is expected. (I have no other systems running at the this time.)