Is there a way to prevent Calc from showing hidden rows and columns when copying sheets?

[Jeff_S]

MS Office convert here and overall very impressed with how far the LibreOffice suite has come. However one issue has us very frustrated at the moment.

We have a spreadsheet that contains a dozen hidden rows and a few hidden columns, with some behind-the-scenes formulas and values that we rarely need to see. We routinely create copies of the previous period’s sheet within the same workbook and make changes to the copy. When we did this in Excel the hidden rows and columns stayed hidden. However, Calc shows all the hidden rows and columns in the newly pasted sheet, requiring us to go in and tediously re-hide each of them whenever we make a copy.

We have tried messing with the Paste Special options, but to no avail. Hoping there is a workaround we haven’t noticed or thought of.

If not, modifying Calc’s copy-paste code to maintain hidden rows and columns would be a nice thing for the developers to work on.

Thanks!

[Lupp]

As I understand you wanted to copy complete sheets.
I cannot confirm your claim. My LibO V 6.2.2.2 retains the hiding of rows and columns when copying a sheet using the respective item from the context menu of a sheet’s tab. And a LibO V 5.2.3.3 I had preserved did it the same way when I just tried.
Are your documents always in ODF format .ods (as it should be)? Were they originally created by an alien (and probably hostile) software?

[mariosv]

Use Copy only visible cells extension, it adds a toolbar button.

edited 2019-03-26

Seems hidden property for rows or columns it’s not pasted.
But assining a minimal size like 0,01 works copying columns or rows. Another way it’s copying the sheet right-click move/copy or dragging the sheet with holding [Ctrl] key

[Jeff_S]

We want to copy the hidden cells, too. They are essential for several under-the-hood functions of the spreadsheet and have to be there. We just want them to remain hidden.

[Lupp]

Use the respective item Move/Copy from the context menu of a sheet’s tab, and select the Copy mode.