Text "overflow" in spreadsheet cell?

[kharrisma]

Hi Forum Folke,

I’m putting together a ‘checklist’ sort of spreadsheet with four columns; columns 1 and 3 (a composite column including 5 or 6 sub-columns) can have brief entries that will fit into a single cell. It’s columns 2 and 4 that I’m asking about here.

In columns 2 and 4, I’d like to be able to enter possibly a LOT of text input, but have only the one, standard-sized, single cell display on the sheet, unless you click on that cell, which would then expand (or open up a popup window or something) so the full text input could be read. I’m trying to keep the overall sheet formatted as single “standard sized” cells, but with the cells in columns 2 & 4 like "place-holders’ for a (probably) much larger body of text than can be displayed in a single cell, which would display only the amount of text that would fit into the single cell without expanding it or stretching it or altering the rest of the sheet’s spacing in any way.

I hope that makes some kind of sense… Is it possible to set up something like that, or should I set it up as containing a link to open up “Writer” so all the text can be put in a document external to the sheet? Not quite sure how to approach this, or even exactly what to search for! No idea if this is even possible to begin with, hence this question.

Thanks for any ideas!!

[Lupp]

What’s a composite column? What are sub-columns?
To get a functionality like showing overflowing text in a “popup window or something” you need custom code.

[kharrisma]

My own terms, nothing official. By “composite column,” or “sub-column” I simply mean a group of several narrow columns, in which a “Y” or “N” or something like that can be put. They are “lumped together” and treated as a single column (via header labeling) in the four columns I’m making. I kinda figured it would be complicated to create something like that.

[Lupp]

Inventing own terms seems to be your obsession.
I would prefer posts I can understand without much guessing.
After all I would have to spend some time to find a useful answer, anyway.
“lumped together”? “treaded as a single column”? “header labeling”? Funny.
A bit more terminological creativity, and you will be the only one who might answer your questions.

[kharrisma]

Well, if I already knew the correct terminology, Lupp, I’d A:) USE it, and B:) probably wouldn’t need to ask the question in the first place. If it’s too much trouble to figure out what a casual user is asking, then don’t answer. I appreciate the correction re: "Add a comment, " though.

[Lupp]

Anyway you know a possible approach now (from my answer), and should be able to tell wtaht’s wrong with it.

(I’m not eager to criticisze. However, the questioner always is expected to try his best - and to invest the needed time - to find a clear wording. Few answers can be found without expending time, and guessing adds to it. In this case no generally applicable answer of the cheap kind should be expected. )

[EarnestAl]

The Formula bar at the top can be dragged down to make more lines visible.

Cell height can be fixed by selecting the column and clicking Format > Rows > Height and in the dialog box clicking Default value and OK. With column still selected, click Format > Cells, select the tab Alignment and tick the box Wrap text automatically, click OK

Having done this, any text entered into a cell in the column that is longer than the cell width will be hidden but a red arrow will appear to show there is more text than is visible. The full text can be read in the formula bar

Cheers, Al

[kharrisma]

Thanks, Al, not exactly what I was looking for, but it does what’s needed without a whole lot of complication. Much appreciated!

[Lupp]

This is not an answer, but a comment on the answer by @EarnestAl.
Please use the tool add a comment in such a case. Add Answer should be reserved for an actual answer to the question under the subject (which is mostly one per user, including the questioner)…

[kharrisma]

Sorry… didn’t catch the little “Add a comment” tool under the answer posting. Noted, and will comply going forward.

[Lupp]

A very raw implementation of a solution is demonstrated in the attached example.
This way to do it, is surely not applicable in every case. Disadvantages are the need to use sheet events or respective listeners, missing capability of displaying arbitrary formats, conflicts with different needs concerning cell annotations ("Comments"), … probably many more.
autoShowCellStringAsAnnotation.ods

BTW: “Annotation” isn’t a term invented by myself for the purpose, but the term used by the API. Only the UI uses the misleading term “Comment”. Yes, that’s bad. To creat a terminological mess seems to be a funny game developers also like. I would assume, however, the UI-term was introduced for compatibility reasons.