Part B — Electronic Spreadsheet (Advanced)

LibreOffice Calc allows a spreadsheet to be shared with more than one user at the same time.

A shared spreadsheet is the same spreadsheet that can be accessed by multiple users and allows them to make changes simultaneously.

Benefits of Sharing

• Multiple users can work on the same spreadsheet.
• Users can make changes collaboratively.
• Users can view the changes made by others.
• It avoids maintaining multiple copies.

Steps to Share a Spreadsheet

1. Open a new spreadsheet and save it with a suitable name.
2. Select Tools → Share Spreadsheet from the main menu bar.
3. The Share Document dialog window opens.
4. Select the checkbox “Share this spreadsheet with other users”.
5. Click OK.
6. A confirmation dialog appears asking to save the spreadsheet to activate shared mode.
7. Click Yes to continue.
8. After saving, the title bar displays (shared) along with the spreadsheet name.

Once sharing is activated and the spreadsheet is saved, the word (shared) appears in the title bar along with the file name.

Important Point

The shared mode allows multiple users to access and edit the spreadsheet at the same time.

When a shared spreadsheet is opened, LibreOffice Calc displays a message informing the user that the spreadsheet is in shared mode.

Some features are not available when the spreadsheet is opened in shared mode.

Features Mentioned as Unavailable

• Undo
• Redo
• Repeat
• Paste
• Links to External Files
• ImageMap
• Object

After making changes in a shared spreadsheet, the spreadsheet should be saved before closing.

When Changes Do Not Conflict

If two or more users are working at the same time and their changes do not conflict, the spreadsheet can be updated with the changes saved by other users.

When Changes Conflict

If there is a conflict between changes, a Resolve Conflict dialog window appears.

• No other user can save the shared spreadsheet while the conflict is being resolved.
• If another user is trying to save and resolve conflicts, the file is locked.

The Recording Changes feature of LibreOffice Calc records changes made by one or other users in the spreadsheet.

First Step

Before enabling Record Changes, the spreadsheet must first be taken out of shared mode.

Disabling Shared Mode

1. Open the shared spreadsheet.
2. Select Tools → Share Spreadsheet.
3. Remove the check mark from “Share this spreadsheet with other users”.
4. Click OK.
5. A confirmation dialog appears.
6. Click Yes to continue.
7. The word (shared) disappears from the title bar.

Once shared mode has been disabled, the Track Changes → Record option becomes available.

What Happens After Recording is ON?

When a change is made in the spreadsheet, Calc records the change.

The chapter's example changes the name Sia to Sita in cell B5.

When the cursor is moved to the changed cell, information about the recorded change is displayed.

To stop recording changes, select the Record option again.

Alternatively, the Record button can be used from the appropriate toolbar.

In Calc, comments can be added automatically as well as manually by the author or reviewer.

Adding a Comment using Track Changes

1. Select Edit → Track Changes → Comment.
2. The Add Comment window opens.
3. Enter the required comment.
4. The comment can then be viewed from the relevant cell.

Adding a Comment to a Cell

1. Select the cell where the comment is required.
2. Select Insert → Comment.
3. A comment box appears.
4. Enter the required note or suggestion.

After a comment is inserted, it can be displayed, edited or deleted.

Edit Comment

Right-click the cell containing the comment and select Edit Comment.

Delete Comment

Right-click the cell and select Delete Comment.

Show Comment

Right-click the cell and select Show Comment.

Hide Comment

When the comment is already being displayed, the option changes to Hide Comment.

The comment box can be formatted similar to cell contents.

Formatting Options

• Background colour
• Border style
• Transparency
• Font
• Font effects
• Alignment
• Borders
• Background
• Cell Protection

Basic Procedure

1. Right-click the cell containing the comment.
2. Select Format Cell.
3. The Format Cells dialog box opens.
4. Apply the required formatting.
5. Click OK.

After all team members have edited the spreadsheet, the changes can be reviewed before preparing the final spreadsheet.

Showing Changes

This opens the Show Changes dialog window.

The Show Changes dialog is used to decide which changes should be displayed while reviewing the spreadsheet.

Managing Changes

The Manage Changes dialog window is used to accept or reject changes.

The changes made by team members can be reviewed and then accepted or rejected.

If the same spreadsheet has been reviewed by different team members and different versions are available, the spreadsheets can be merged.

Merge Document

Steps to Merge

1. Open the original spreadsheet.
2. Select Edit → Track Changes → Merge Document.
3. The Merge With dialog window opens.
4. Select the second spreadsheet file.
5. Click Open.
6. The Manage Changes dialog window opens.
7. Review and accept/reject the changes as required.

Instead of merging two spreadsheets, Calc also allows two spreadsheets to be compared.

Compare Document

Steps to Compare

1. Open the first spreadsheet.
2. Select Edit → Track Changes → Compare Document.
3. The Compare to dialog window opens.
4. Select the spreadsheet that needs to be compared.
5. Click Open.
6. The Manage Changes dialog window opens.
7. Accept or reject the required changes.
8. Click Close when finished.

• Sharing allows different users simultaneously to edit a spreadsheet.
• Sharing saves changes in the same spreadsheet.
• The title bar shows (shared) when the spreadsheet is in shared mode.
• Some features become unavailable in shared mode.
• Recording Changes automatically turns off shared mode.
• Record Changes is found under Edit → Track Changes → Record.
• The border of a changed cell becomes red when changes are recorded.
• Comments can be added using Edit → Track Changes → Comment.
• Notes/suggestions can be added using Insert → Comment.
• Comments can be edited, deleted, shown and hidden.
• Comment formatting can change background colour, border style and transparency.
• Show Changes is used to decide what changes are displayed during review.
• Manage Changes is used to accept or reject changes.
• Merge Document combines changes from different versions.
• Compare Document is used to compare two spreadsheets.

Sharing vs Recording Changes

Comment vs Track Changes