External Links not working in version 7

English
#1

I have been trying use external links to and existing ods file and was unable to do so. It always comes back with “No named ranges available in the selected document”.

I know for a fact that this document does have named ranges defined; but just in case, I’ve created a new document just to define the range to make sure it wasn’t because of some kind of data corruption in the file. The same result. I simply cannot link any ods files. It just cannot seem to be able to find any named ranges in any of those documents.

Any existing ods documents that already have external links created in the past do not seem to have any problem to continue with the external links within the document. This is the reason why I have not noticed this issue before as I have created many of these documents back in version 6; but now when I tried to insert new external links, it just cannot do it as it cannot seem to find the named ranges. Referencing csv files still works find; just not ods files.

I try to reinstall the latest version 6 which is 6.4.7.2 and did exactly the same external data link to the same files without any problems. It immediately recognize the named ranges and allow me to select them without an issue.

I don’t know if it is some sort of new security issues/options that I need to set in the preferences in order for this to work or not. Just in case, I did go to the “Tools->Options->LibreOffice->Security->Macro Settings” under the “Trusted Sources” to make sure the “Trusted File Location” has the directory that I am trying to use. Makes no difference. Frankly, if it is some sort of obscure security settings, it should have say so when using the External Links instead of just saying “No named ranges available in the selected document” which is incorrect and confusing. If this is a bug, then I am a little surprised that no one until now that has discover this issue. Maybe everyone has been like me and just used existing files that already has all the external links already established in the documents from version 6 and did not noticed the issue. I just don’t know.

#2

Please upload two sample files here…

#3

If necessary: You can use both versions side by side…
But at first:

  • You can use files/links created with 6.x also with 7.x?
  • Have you tried to copy an older link to 7.x? Did this work?
  • When you know the name of the reference, can you type it? ( I know this is very old school )

Please provide example files or at least copy one of your working references here.
.

Is this a problem of named ranges or also a problem to reference a cell as A3 for example.

#4

There’s no “version 7” or “version 6”. The minimal meaningful version number must mention at least two major parts - because in LibreOffice, version 6.4 differs from 7.0 no more than 7.0 from 7.1. It’s just a historical curiosity, that LibreOffice made such a versioning scheme; and luckily, 7.6 it the last version that will have such a nonsensical confusing numbering, cheating users into thinking that the single major number has any meaning by itself, alone. The next version after 7.6 will be named 24.2, standing for “year 2024, month 2”. So the year-month scheme would hopefully make it less confusing for users.

The bottom line is: you never mentioned, which version fails for you.

#5

I have tried multiple version 7 and multiple version 6 of LibreOffice. I have installed 7.3.x, 7.4.x and the latest 7.5.x. None of these works on at least three different computer systems ranging from the old Windows 7 to Windows 10. Nothing works.

On the other hand, it works every time when I used LibreOffice 6.x also with multiple versions of it. Including on Ubuntu Linux. Regardless of which version of 6, it just works. I could load in the files that already has created the external links established onto 7.x and have it work without any problems. I just cannot create any external link from the menu since it cannot find the named ranges on any of the ods files at all. Without any named ranges, the OK button is greyed out and cannot be selected.

#6

If necessary: You can use both versions side by side…
But at first:

You can use files/links created with 6.x also with 7.x?
Have you tried to copy an older link to 7.x? Did this work?
When you know the name of the reference, can you type it? ( I know this is very old school )

Please provide example files or at least copy one of your working references here.

I have used both versions side by side with two different computers. In fact, that is currently how I get around the problem by install a version 6 on one with similar drives that have similar network references as the computer that has version 7 installed.

By the way, I have installed multiple version 7 from 7.3.x to the latest 7.5.x. None of these works. I’ve also tried multiple version 6.x and all of them works without problems. So this is clearly a problem on version 7.x.

As for example files, I tried just simply create a new ods file that has a table and make sure a named range is defined Then I saved it has a test.ods file. Now create a brand new ods document and try to link it using the external link in the pull down menu. Once I select the test.ods as the linked file, it will show that “No named ranges available in the selected document” message in the “Available Tables/Ranges” box. Nothing complicated. I see no reason in uploading these files.

Is this a problem of named ranges or also a problem to reference a cell as A3 for example.

I don’t think this is a reference cell problem. I can directly copy the reference cell for the linked external files into the cells and it does seem to work. The problem is I cannot provide automatic periodic updates for those cells under “Edit->Links to External Files…” menu. That was how I initially tried to get around the problem only to realize that is not sufficient. I think for some reason, when I used the “Sheet->External Links…” menu, it is unable to find the named ranges in the document even when I know for a fact that document does indeed has named ranges already defined.

#7

You likely forget to press Enter after the file name is put into the URL of External Data Source box.

image

By the way (to reinforce the “no version 6 / version 7” point): version 7.0, and even 7.1, didn’t require the Enter.

#8

You likely forget to press Enter after the file name is put into the URL of External Data Source box.

I did realize that I have to press Enter if I am to use the drop down menu for selecting the file; but if I use the “Browse…” button to select the file, I do not have to. Anyway, I did press the button and I also tried to use the “Browse…” button in loading the file. Nothing works. I cannot see the named range that I have clearly defined. This is the same external file that I can easily and successfully load in under any of the version 6.x that I have. I can’t imagine that I am the only experiencing this problem as I have installed multiple version of 7.x on both Windows 7 and Windows 10 computers. None of those works.

#9

I have just posted the screenshot to you - it was 7.6. Additionally, I tested multiple other versions locally - 6.4, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3. All work here. I use Windows 10, so it’s not different OS problem.

#10

I am completely baffled by this. Although I only tried up to 7.5.5, I didn’t know that 7.6 is already available as a stable release. By the way, I have also tried to load in the external files from both a network drive and a local drive to make sure it is not some kind of weird network issues or something. It still cannot identify the named ranges in the document. I will go see if I can download 7.6.x and try to install it and see if the problem is resolved.

#11

7.6 isn’t released yet. But as I said, it’s unlikely to be related to release. Maybe there’s some specifics in your ranges? some names, or some sizes, or positions that could cause that. I used a simple 1-cell named range A1, with 6-character ascii-only name.

Or maybe the file name itself…

A sample file with a range, that doesn’t work for you, could help.

#12

I have just installed 7.6.0.1 and did exactly as you described using a 1-cell named range at A1 using “foobar” as the name and saved the ods file onto the Desktop. Then I tried to create a new blank document and tried using the “Sheet->External Links…” pull down menu in loading the newly created test file. It still does not work for me.

I am simply baffled by this. How can I be the only one experiencing this problem on multiple computers using both Windows 7 and Windows 10 while installing version 6.x, I don’t experience this problem at all.

#13

By the way, I just tried it on my Mac. It works under version 7. So, this is clearly not a problem with the file since it does work under all versions of 6 that I’ve tried and also works in version 7 of the Mac. It is just the version 7.x on my Windows 7 and Windows 10 that fails to recognize the named ranges in the External Links. This is oddly specific. Now that you say there really is no real major releases vs minor releases in LibreOffice, I will have to try version 7.0.x up to 7.2.x to see exactly when it starts to break for me. Truly a strange problem.

#14

Here is an example file that I just created with the 1-cell named rage of “foobar” as you have described that failed for me under version 7 in Windows; but successfully loaded under the Mac. As you can, there is nothing special about this test file at all.
Untitled 1.ods (8.3 KB)

#15

That test file has no named ranges :wink:

#16

I am not sure what you are talking about. I just downloaded the file from this forum to make sure it is not an upload issue and opened it in my Mac. When I select “Data->Select Range…”, it clearly showed “foobar” in the “Ranges” box. Am I in some kind of a bizarro simulated universe right now or something?

#17

WOW!
You are not talking about named ranges all this time, you were talking about database ranges?

#18

Just to provide the latest updates; it turns out that my Mac was still using 7.2.6.2. When I tried installing the Windows version 7.0.0.1 and 7.1.0.1, it works. Then I tried with the same version number of 7.2.6.2, it also works. So right now, it seems to start breaking somewhere between 7.2.6.2 and 7.3.x. I am still trying to narrow that down to a specific version upgrade that causes it to break.

#19

Regardless of what type of named ranges I am taking about, it works up to version 7.2.6.2 without any problem so far. I just need to narrow down to the specific version upgrade that causes this to break.

BTW: I’ve reached my maximum reply limit for the day as a new user to this forum. So I am using edits to my previous comment to see if I can temporary circumvent this limitation. I have tried 7.3.5 and it does not work. So it breaks somewhere between 7.2.6.2 and 7.3.5. I will not be able to provide the specific version that this stops working until tomorrow.

#20

It is not “regardless” - it is the whole issue!
And it is not “types of named ranges” - it is exactly named ranges (defined using Sheet → Named Ranges and Expressions) vs. database ranges (which are not “named ranges”).

It is a question if database ranges should work (or was it a conscious change, then why does it work on macOS?) - maybe @erAck can tell…

(Indeed, I see now what you described, just replacing the incorrect term with what you actually meant all this time…)

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