KSpread having lots of problems

[Myakka1]

These are some of the things that are not functioning correctly for me in KSpread:

1) When I go back later to use the same file as I saved earlier it is gone/it wants to give me an older recovered version.

2) This document (which was originally developed by me in Excel), does not let me change the formatting of the cells that were original to the Excel version. For example, I try to tell it to change the font size from 12 to 10, and it does nothing at all. It doesn't seem like the translation into the ODS format was anything close to complete. It ought to be forgetting that these cells used to be Excel ones.

3) The now() function is only displaying the date and not the time on my document. I think I fixed that once my totally reprogramming the sheet, but unfortunately that version has now disappeared. I had to really fight to get it to give me the AM and PM at the end, too.) For some reason there is one cell that is actually displaying correctly at the moment. But none of the others are letting me change their formatting to show both the date and the time. I have also tried using the currentdateandtime() function, it also has the same issues.

Help please.

[Myakka1]

There are also some things that I guess that are functioning correctly, but which I am hating include:
1) Pasting a blank cell over a cell that already has information in it retains the previous information. I am dealing with this by putting 0 into every blank cell, but it is really a pain in the neck. I want it to do like Excel did and replace the number with the blank cell when I paste one over it.

2) KSpread has no memory for some of changes that I make in its settings. One example of this is: In my quest to make KSpread LOOK as much as possible like Excel I sometimes change the data entry cell at the top to be 1 line instead of 2 -- but next time I open the program it is back to being 2 again. Another example is: In my quest to be able to view a substantial portion of the data on the datasheet all on one screen I change the view settings to 75% -- but again next time it is back to 100% and completely unusable for what I want to be doing with it until I change it (sigh) again. I want it to be like Excel was and remember these changes for me -- sometimes they are really important to stay as I put them.


3) Using color in KSpread is alot harder than it was in Excel. I am missing the easy short-cuts on the top of the screen that let me toggle the colors without going into a subscreen all the time. I am adapting to this by abandoning colors entirely -- using bold instead to highlight certain information.

[menotu]

Have you tried using Calc / LibreOffice? as that may be more compatible with Excel spreadsheets and possibly has greater functionality than KSpread

[Myakka1]

I didn't find that in Synaptic, but I did just find gnumeric.  It is claiming to be an Excel clone -- I was a bit anxious that it would clone the latest versions (which I hate), but thankfully it is looking like my old out-of-date version.  (I hate all the drop-down menus I've seen in the versions at some friends' houses.  I've really struggled with those.)

I have only got a brief glimpse of gnumeric -- but already it is looking really good. 

Thank you.

[menotu]

Which version of PCLinuxOS are you running Myakka1? I'm guessing KDE if you are using KSpread?

In the Office section of the launch/start menu you should see an entry for  Libre Office Manager (called lomanager in Synaptic)

If you run that, it will download and install the whole office suite.

Depending on your broadband connection - give it a few minutes to do it's work - and you will see a message at the end saying it's installed etc...

Go back to the Office entry in the menu and you will see all the Office apps (Calc/Spreadsheet  - Writer/"Word"-like Document app) - and so on.

[Myakka1]

Actually, I am now VERY happy with gnumeric.  It is looking like the Excel I am used to using.  It has already let me Custom format my date and time display.  It doesn't seem to have any issues with me copy and pasting those things I have updated sense starting to use Linux, and the items in the toolbar at the top are Almost right.

I'd like to figure out how to alter them a bit -- but things are already going well.

It's looking like I won't be installing the full lomanager programs.  I don't like to have extra things on my computer I'm not using -- gotta keep the hard drive clear of files that I don't need, if I'm going to keep my computer speed up.  (I'm very happy that gnumeric doesn't seem to have an issue with saving to my old Windows compatible thumb drive.  I guess KSpread would save there, too -- but gnumeric has let me set my file saving mode to be the Excel 95 version I want to keep on thinking I am using.)

[menotu]

Yup - stay with what works for you  

I don't like to have extra things on my computer I'm not using -- gotta keep the hard drive clear of files that I don't need, if I'm going to keep my computer speed up.

Installing additional programmes in Linux doesn't impact on PC's in the same way that it does in Windows  - if they aren't used they don't hinder the speed of the system. They are "compartmentalized" (ouch  ) a lot better than Windows software and in the main just take up a bit more space.

BUT in saying that, keeping your system lean and mean is, IMO, a good thing - I always try new software in Virtualbox before deciding whether I want to use it and only then will I install on my other systems, and thus far it's worked a treat.