Textbox : can create, but not modify

English
#1

Someone kindly can help me how to solve a problem with Textbox ?
I can create and type something in the Textbox, but it’s not possible to modify the backgroundcolor, the framewith, the framecolor. It’s also not possible to make the Textbox a “click to run a macro” Rightmouseclick doesn"t show “Add macro”.
If I select the TextBox and I rightmouseclick copy and paste, then I copy a cell and paste in a cell instead of copy and paste the TextBox. I have the newest version of LibreOffice Calc.

To me, this topic is closed now.
Thanks everybody for the help and suggestions !

20250707ma1940

#2

Try Menu / Tools / Forms, check / uncheck Design Mode.
I added (on my computer) this menu item to the Standard toolbar.

#3
  • This is a bug in 25.2.4
  • Still works in 25.2.3
#5

Thanks for quick reply soko, but it did not resolve the problem.

#6

The form control text boxes work normally.
The boxes from menu:Insert>Text box… don’t show the right context menu.
You can make one in Writer and copy over to Calc.

1 Like
#7

Thanks also PKG for quick reply. That was a good hint !
As you said it’s a bug in 25.2.4 , I installed the béta : LibreOfficeDev_25.8.0.0.beta1_Win_x86-64.msi
This resolved the problem with the TextBox. The TextFrame I don’t see anymore, but I don’t use the latter anyway.

So, the procedure to solve the problem:

  1. Download and install : LibreOfficeDev_25.8.0.0.beta1_Win_x86-64.msi
  2. Restart computer.
  3. Search and start on your Desktop : LibreOfficeDev 25.8

PS : Don’t just start an old LibreOffice Calc document, as it will start in the old version, with the same old problem. Use the desktop-shortcut.
Also after opening (and saving) via the Desktop-shortcut , I still have to use the Desktop-shortcut, that’s not easy. So 1 problem solved, but another problem appears. Or is this normal with béta-versions?

2nd problem with the béta-version is, that it’s not possible to execute a Basic- macro. While a python-macro in a TextBox still executes as normal.

Also organising Basic-micro’s in LibreOffice Calc is just terrible.
I recommend python-macro’s and save it in a map, this way macro’s don’t get lost.

#8

Thanks Villeroy, for quick reply too.
I still can add a TextBox. The problem is that I cannot manipulate the TextBox. I can’t change the color of the background and the frames, I can’t use the TextBox to start a macro. I cannot copy the TextBox with Copy. I can only copy the TextBox with Ctrl RightMouseClick and move the TextBox.

Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

#9

Open a new Writer document.
Add a text box via menu:Insert>Text box… just like you did in Calc.
Format the text box with colors and borders.
Copy the text box from Writer into your Calc document.

1 Like
#10

tdf#167386 (“copy & pasting text boxes fail”)

Take a look at the Comment 3 therein. If one uses the Select button on the Drawing bar to select the text box, copy and paste seems to work as expected. Line, Area and Assign Macro etc. appear in the context menu.

1 Like
#11

Thanks cwolan, I tried the Comment 3. The Draw toolbar appears. I tried many draws and it’s possible to connect a macro to the draws,… except… the TextBox.
The TextBox is just the one in which it’s possible to write which macro will start when clicked on. So just a Draw (without explanation) is not practical.

#12

In Calc, the text boxes can also be edited in 25.2.4 via a detour:

  1. create a text box.

  2. then insert any shape (Insert → shape).

Click on the shape and jump from there directly into the text box, which can now be edited.

2025-07-08 08 00 36
2025-07-08 08 00 36898×568 32.8 KB

1 Like
Text Box Applying Background Colour
#14

Fix pushed for 25.2.6 - unfortunately this omission was not noticed in time for 25.2.5.

2 Likes
Formatting a text box
#18

Thanks for nice image!
This is the normal Textbox. Easy to write text in. But this Textbox, I don’t really like as it’s difficult to copy the text. It always jumps to a cel somewhere around. And it’s not possible to Assign Macro to it. The other Text Box is much more complicated, but once you figger out how, it has many more possibilities. See explanation under.

#20

This could be a solution, as the 2 Textboxes and Frame in LibreOffice Calc are rather difficult or impossible to assign a macro to. I noticed that a Textbox from Excel is also much easier to assign a macro to.

#15

Some months later and a litlle wiser,… I found the solution :smile:

How to assign a macro to TextBox in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.5.2 (x86_64) :
Insert > Text Box > immediately write something in it.
View > Toolbars > Form Design > Select
Rightmousclick only 1 time in the TextBox, otherwise you don’t see : > Assign Macro (down under) > Choose your macro

How to get rid of that macro: just delete the Textbox or choose another macro which does nothing at all.

How to change the color of a TextBox in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.5.2 (x86_64) :
Insert > Text Box > immediately write something in it.
View > Toolbars > Form Design > Select > in the Toolbar on top appears all the tools you need to change the TextBox.

20251010vr1917

#16

Ask/Guide - How to use the Ask site - The Document Foundation Wiki #Mark_an_answer_as_Solution

#17

Text Box - Assign Python macro’s LibreOffice Calc 25.2.5.2
Problem : Assign Macro sometimes disappears in Form Controls, or the Right-click menu and sometimes not. And Assign Macros also doesn’t appear in where you expect it the most: in the Macro Manager (Tools>Macros)
Solution:

  1. Tools>Customize>Toolbars>Target: Form Controls : add from the left side “Assign Macro”
  2. Tools>Customize>Context Menus>Target: Form Controls : add from the left side “Assign Macro”
  3. Tools>Customize>Menus>Target | Tools macros : add from the left side “Assign Macro”
    … via Tools>Customize , you can add “Assign Macro” anywhere.
#19

There are 2 types of Text Boxes.

  1. by Insert >Textbox → not possible to a Assign Macro → changing text as on your nice picture of PKG.

2)by Form Control > Text Box → possible to Assign Macro, but to change text is difficult.
How : Form Control or LeftMouseClick>Form Design>Control Properties>General → here you can change everything on the Text Box.
As I don’t know the real name in English, I called 1)Textbox and 2) Text Box.
Text Box 2 is most interesting as to this one it’s possible to Assing a Pythonmacro.

#21

Forget all solutions above. Assigning a macro to any Textbox in Libreoffice Calc is a waist of time. Everything looks to work until you save your document and next day you want to use your document… and then those Textboxes lost their connection with the assigned macro. So hours of work are just a waist of time. To me any Textbox made with LibreOffice Calc does not work. Unless somebody has a better solution. The only solution I found is with a Textbox from Excel. How, see in next answer.

#22

So, forget the 3 possible Textboxes in LibreOffice Calc, don’t use them to assign a macro. It only works for as long you don’t close your Calc document, next day those textboxes lose their assigned macro. The solution I found now is : use a Excel Textbox in LibreOffice Calc ! How : 1) just copy a Textbox from a Excel document and paste it into your Calc document, then you can assign a macro to it. Or 2) import your Excel document with a Textbox into your Calc document with File>Open file>Choose your Excel document>save to .ods Then you made a .ods from a .xlsx with a Textbox to which you can assign a macro. You can copy that Excel Textbox, so you can use a copy of the Textbox to assign other macros to. To me this is the very best solution.

Impressum (Legal Info) | Datenschutzerklärung (Privacy Policy)   Content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 license.