Missing Scroll Lock keyboard key feature in LibreOffice Calc

[erbe]

Since I can remember in Microsoft Excel (and other spreadsheet applications) one can use “Screen lock” keyboard key to change the behaviour of the arrow keys. If you turn it on you can scroll the entire window (you don’t have to use the mouse and scroll bar) instead of just changing the current cell.

You can see the behaviour explained here with a short movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-QwdDSrbRk

Also in Wikipedia you can find this entry.

I was searching the Internet how to enable it in LibreOffice, but could only found the Bug 46200 - “[RFE] Use the Scroll Lock key as a toggling lock key like Excel” on the Libreoffice’s Bugzilla page from 2012. Also on Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla we have the similar Issue 7179 from 2002(!). Both “bugs” are actually not been processed since beginning.

I think that most probably this basic functionality was actually never working in Open/LibreOffice Calc and should be considered as an Feature Request. Is there any way that it will be targeted as a new feature for future releases?

[geekobi]

I think the issue is fixed now :

• I think that scroll lock key work in the same way in LibreOffice and MS-Office (I use LibreOffice 5.3.0.3)
• The bug you are talking about is fixed now : https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=46200

[erAck]

And for those that have problems with it because their window manager abuses Scroll-Lock as an LED indicator see How to disable "Scroll Lock" feature in Calc

[Kruno]

Well this is not actually an answer you were hoping for, but why to implement a feature that’s already there: keys Page Up and Page Down do exactly what you are asking for.

You might want to push those features request by leaving a comment or such but don’t hope to much.

[UPDATE]

• Page Down - moves screen down
• Page Up - moves screen up
• alt + Page Down - moves screen left
• alt + Page Up - moves screen right

There is no smooth transition and it’s not exactly cell by cell but it kinda does the job.

[erbe]

No, Page Up and Page Down don’t do exactly what I am asking for - please refer to the video on YouTube or just try it up in Excel.

When Scroll Lock is turned on in Excel you can use all four arrows to move the screen by one cell in every direction.

When you use Page Up and Page Down you can go one page down or up.

These two are totally different behaviours.

[Kruno]

I’ve updated my answer. Hope it helps.

[erbe]

Thanks Kruno - I didn’t know about the combination with Alt+Page Up/Down - it is helpful and nice workaround!

Nevertheless it is not as smooth as with Scroll Lock solution in Excel. With (Alt+) Page Up/Down you have to change the whole screen instead of only one cell per click. So I still think enabling Scroll Lock functionality would be an elegant and useful enhancement especially if you work with bigger spreadsheets.

[Kruno]

Oh, I agree on that. This is just a workaround and not so pleasant one. It’s confusing to scroll by whole screen at once. You could leave a comment on that feature/bug report, but don’t hold your breath.