Why is Calc opening RTF files as spreadsheets?

[HH33]

I just updated from LO 6.0.3.2 to LO 6.1.5.2 on our three Windows 7 Pro x64 SP1 computers. Since the update, when I try to open an RTF file from within a Calc window, the RTF file opens as a Calc spreadsheet, NOT as an RTF document within Writer. Here are my findings:

• I’ve checked and yes, the default program to open all RTF files is correctly shown as LO Writer.
• If I select and open an RTF file from my desktop, it opens correctly in Writer.
• If I’m in a Writer window and select an RTF file by clicking File > Open, it opens correctly in Writer.
• If I’m in a Writer window and select an RTF file by clicking File > Recent Documents, it opens correctly in Writer.
• If I’m in the initial “generic” window when I first open LO and select an RTF file by clicking on one of the Recent Documents, it opens correctly in Writer.

However:

• If I’m in a Calc window and select an RTF file by clicking File > Open, it opens incorrectly in Calc as a spreadsheet.
• If I’m in a Calc window and select an RTF file by clicking File > Recent Documents, it opens incorrectly in Calc as a spreadsheet.

This did not happen in LO 6.0.3.2. An RTF file would always open correctly in Writer, regardless of whether the Window I was opening it from was for Writer, Calc, Impress, or the initial “generic” LO startup window.

UPDATE: I downloaded LO 6.2.2 and installed it on one of our machines to test if the RTF in Calc fault is in that newer version too. It is.

Is this a bug that needs to be reported, or is there a solution that somebody can offer?

Thanks.

[mikekaganski]

This did not happen in LO 6.0.3.2. An RTF file would always open correctly in Writer, regardless of whether the Window I was opening it from was for Writer, Calc, Impress, or the initial “generic” LO startup window.

This is incorrect. The “new” behavior of opening RTF using Rich Text Format (Calc) filter when opening from Calc was introduced in 3.6 back in 2012, and has been like that since then (to make sure, I just tested with 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 4.0, 5.0, 5.4, and 6.0).

I don’t know what was the reason for the change (or if it was some unexpected result of some unrelated change). You are welcome to file a bug report; if it turns out to be intentional, you’d get an explanation, and possibly a workaround.

[HH33]

Thanks for your reply. Out of curiosity, I tested LO on two Linux machines. When loading RTF files in LO from an active Calc window, LO 4.2.8.2 always loaded RTF files in Writer, but LO 5.1.6.2 loaded RTF files in Calc.

I’m puzzled as to why a spreadsheet application like Calc would be empowered to usurp the role of a word processing application like Writer and start opening RTF documents. That seems to render meaningless a Windows user’s choice of LO Writer as the default Windows application to open RTF files. I deliberately avoided choosing the broader “LibreOffice” option in Windows as the default RTF application and instead chose specifically “LibreOffice Writer,” but apparently my choice is now ignored within LO 6.1.5.2 when a Calc window is open and is the active window.

I’m unfamiliar with the “Rich Text Format (Calc) filter” you mentioned. Can that filter be turned off or disabled within Calc so that RTF files no longer open in Calc, but always in Writer? Thanks

[mikekaganski]

Can that filter be turned off or disabled within Calc so that RTF files no longer open in Calc, but always in Writer?

Yes it can. Go to Tools▸Options▸LibreOffice▸Advanced; click Open Expert Configuration button; in the Expert Configuration dialog, search for Rich Text Format (StarCalc); in the result list, double-click the string where Property column reads DocumentService; and then edit the string e.g. adding “1” to the end, so that it would be unknown document service like “com.sun.star.sheet.SpreadsheetDocument1”.

[HH33]

Thank you! That did the trick perfectly and RTF documents now open in Writer but not in Calc.

Thanks again for your expertise; much appreciated.

[Pisomojado]

This bug is still a problem. Mikekaganski’s jury-rigged workaround still works.
I’m on macOS 12.5, Libreoffice 7.3.5.2

[EarnestAl]

From this question Bug 146953 - RTF document being opened in Calc

And earlier bug of which above is marked as a duplicate, Bug 59016 - FILEOPEN: RTF file open in Calc