How do I add an empty table into a cell

There are many similar questions asked and never an answer. I googled the question also and no real answer.
So,

In Libreoffice Calc:
How do I add an empty table into a cell with predefined number of rows and columns

Excel can do this but Libreoffice seemingly not.

Thanks.

Sorry. I didn’t use Excel for a long time now, but when I still did occasioanlyy, it actually was a spreadsheet application, and spreadsheets need a well defined structure. I cannot imagine how a spreadsheet software would access the cells of such a fancy table for referencing their contents in formulas, e.g.
Can you explain this to me?

I doubt the statement that “Excel can do this”. But of course I could be wrong, and simply unable to find it in my Excel 2016, or it could be a new feature in newer Excel. Any references to the procedure in Excel, e.g. a link to the relevant Excel help page? That would help to avoid things like “Maybe you misunderstand me ?”.

IMO, it would make no sense even in Excel - but I’m eager to learn.
Anyway, I just felt a bit bored, and made a proposal concerning a respective enhancement to Calc from the example attached by @Zizi64 to his answer. See attachment.
funnyCalculationWithWartSheets.ods

The OQer and myself had posted additional comments on this question. They (in specific mine) contained criticism, but were not offensive - as far as I understand the term not being a native speaker of English.
Somebody removed these comments without notifying me of the action.
Should this kind of “moderation” continue, I may be forced to retire from contributing to this site.

@Lupp: I suppose that you are over-suspicious :wink:

OP had stated initially that “Excel can do this”; further, claimed something like “I came here to find an answer to the simple question, not to teach you…” etc. Then suddenly a comment by OP appears today under @Zizi64’s answer: “Cannot be done in Excel”. QED. So all those assertions and playing “you all don’t deserve me explaining obvious things to you” were unwarranted, which is what likely OP suddenly realized, and removed own answer with those comments. So I suspect no “moderation”.

@mikekaganski: I may have missed that the mentioned comments were added to a kind of non-answer. Thought thy were on the question.
Stressing this as a fact, it may just be another point of my (hopeless) arguing against the software used here, and/or (probably) the way it is configured.
For me many of my related experiences lead to a permanent annoyance. …And when I linked to a (admittedly somehow distorted) thread in an actual forum, I got the remark “… now I know again for what I hate forums…” by a relevant representative.
I’m not good in hating. However, I’m on the way to learn hating Q&A sites of this kind.

by a relevant representative

:slight_smile: @erAck is just another user of this Ask site (although of course a lead LO developer), so any his opinions are just personal opinions.

Why you need this nonsense feature?

  • You can insert a spreadsheet file into a spreadsheet file in Calc.
  • You can merge the adjacent cells around a specific cell range. This method results a virtually similar lookout.

Here is attached a sample for the “Spreadsheet in a spreadsheet” solution.

Spreadsheet in a spreadsheet document.ods

You said; “adjacent cells around a specific cell range. This method results a virtually similar lookup.”

This is not ideal but will work as second prize.

But usually merge merges several cells into 1. I want to to do nthe OPPOSITE, and create several cells in a single initial cell. Maybe you misunderstand me ?

So how would I do what you suggest in your second option above.
“adjacent cells around a specific cell range. This method results a virtually similar lookup.”
I can merge cells but I cannot do the opposite exploding a cell into several cells.
This would be nice, but I dont think this is possible. Cannot be done in Excel. I know that for sure as a specific cell coordinate say F7, bow will contain several cells as columns. I dont think this is allowed as the created cells cannot be indexed by the spreadsheet…The table that is inserted needs to be an object.like is done in excel.

“So how would I do what you suggest in your second option above.”

  • Here are two different approaches on two landscape pages. (See the print preview too):

Merged_adjacent_cells.ods

Zizi64 thanks for your reponse and examples.
The table needs to be inserted in a section in an existing document.
Your suggestions requires I create lets say, four new columns in the existing document and then merge all the cells I dont want tables in. Whats left is the faux table.
This creates too much editing and copying of all the other cell data into the new merged cells. It is counter productive and unproductive and will only work if you know in advance you will need a table.I dont have that liberty.
What I am looking for is to insert an object (a table). Your first solution which is the standard one, unfortunately requires extra spreadsheets for the table data which makes things clunky and unwieldy.
What is needed is a table object that can be inserted. - period.

Anyway thanks for your help, it is appreciated, but there doesnt seem to be a rational solution to this problem and Libreoffice cannot do it without changing the existing document radically.

Thanks it is appreciated.

"The table needs to be inserted in a section in an existing document. "

  • “Section”?? Do you meant a Writer document? Of course you can insert a Table into a Cell of an another Table in the Writer application.