Bug in column mode

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pds1602
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Bug in column mode

Post by pds1602 »

Happens when you change something, then do a ^Z. Makes it very difficult to use for academic papers, or at least ACM ones...

http://theoldchinashop.com/ebay/mel.tiff
nicka
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Post by nicka »

That looks rather bad.
Can you be more specific about how this happened? Then maybe others will be able to reproduce it.
pds1602
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Post by pds1602 »

nicka wrote:That looks rather bad.
Can you be more specific about how this happened? Then maybe others will be able to reproduce it.
Set up a two column document and populate it with some text. Go into the second column and add / delete some text and then press ^Z. Doesn't happen all the time and I can't always reproduce it.
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Post by nicka »

I can't reproduce it, I'm afraid.
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Post by macsailor »

pds1602 wrote:
nicka wrote:That looks rather bad.
Can you be more specific about how this happened? Then maybe others will be able to reproduce it.
Set up a two column document and populate it with some text. Go into the second column and add / delete some text and then press ^Z. Doesn't happen all the time and I can't always reproduce it.
Just a question, why do you want to use ^Z? Do you mean the command stroke for UNDO or have I missed something?
Peter Edwardsson
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jannuss
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Post by jannuss »

I also can't reproduce the problem.

I had a problem some time ago with sections that turned out to be a "legacy." My document was based on an old document that was based on an older one that was based ....

Somewhere along the line a faulty parameter had crept in. The solution was to start with a totally fresh document.

Does your problem occur in new documents?

Janet
pds1602
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Post by pds1602 »

jannuss wrote:I also can't reproduce the problem.

I had a problem some time ago with sections that turned out to be a "legacy." My document was based on an old document that was based on an older one that was based ....

Somewhere along the line a faulty parameter had crept in. The solution was to start with a totally fresh document.

Does your problem occur in new documents?

Janet
It is a new document. However, I created it by setting up the document, styles etc. like I need and pasting text in from another application. Maybe this did something. Nevertheless, it shouldn't happen.

The document is in ACM sigplan format, or at least I'm trying to get it there.

http://www.acm.org/sigs/sigplan/authorInformation.htm

So it's rather complex with multiple sections, the first of which is a single column for the header followed by a section with two columns and switching between the two when I want a page width figure.

At the above site, there is a word and latex template. Not that the word one is very good. However, the latex output is superb. I wish I could do it with mellel.
pds1602
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Post by pds1602 »

macsailor wrote:
pds1602 wrote:
nicka wrote:That looks rather bad.
Can you be more specific about how this happened? Then maybe others will be able to reproduce it.
Set up a two column document and populate it with some text. Go into the second column and add / delete some text and then press ^Z. Doesn't happen all the time and I can't always reproduce it.
Just a question, why do you want to use ^Z? Do you mean the command stroke for UNDO or have I missed something?
Yes, the undo key.
rpcameron
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Post by rpcameron »

pds1602 wrote:
macsailor wrote:
pds1602 wrote: Set up a two column document and populate it with some text. Go into the second column and add / delete some text and then press ^Z. Doesn't happen all the time and I can't always reproduce it.
Just a question, why do you want to use ^Z? Do you mean the command stroke for UNDO or have I missed something?
Yes, the undo key.
Ah, then for those looking to replicate the issue, the keystroke is Cmd+Z, not Ctrl+Z.
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jannuss
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Post by jannuss »

rpcameron wrote: then for those looking to replicate the issue, the keystroke is Cmd+Z, not Ctrl+Z.
I've tried Cmd+Z and simple Edit/Undo; I've tried with both balanced and unbalanced columns, but no joy.

This is going to turn out to be some complex combination of factors.

I suggest that 'pds1602' send a copy of the offending file to the Redlers.

Janet
pds1602
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Post by pds1602 »

jannuss wrote:
rpcameron wrote: then for those looking to replicate the issue, the keystroke is Cmd+Z, not Ctrl+Z.
I've tried Cmd+Z and simple Edit/Undo; I've tried with both balanced and unbalanced columns, but no joy.

This is going to turn out to be some complex combination of factors.

I suggest that 'pds1602' send a copy of the offending file to the Redlers.

Janet
I'm sorry to be so cagy about this, but my paper hasn't been submitted for publication and I'm not sending any of my PhD research to anyone until it has been acccepted.

As Janet has indicated, it is a complex set of circumstance, with a custom stlye set, multiple columns mixed with a single colums, text pasted from another application etc.

Still, I've seen this a number of times and hopefully other people will be able to replicate it consistently (although I can't but the screen dump is enough evidence that there is an issue, I think).

I'm just trying to help here.

Paul
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Post by nicka »

Nobody has suggested that you haven't found a bug. But equally, no one has been able to reproduce it. If the Redlers can't reproduce it either, they almost certainly won't be able to fix it.
You said that setting up a new file in a certain way and pasting in text from another application triggered the bug. How about trying to paste some non-confidential text from that mysterious other application into a fresh Mellel document set up the same way. If that manifests the weird behaviour you can send the resulting file to the Redlers and then they'll have something to work with.
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Post by jannuss »

pds1602 wrote:I'm sorry to be so cagy about this, but my paper hasn't been submitted for publication and I'm not sending any of my PhD research to anyone until it has been acccepted.
Paul, I understand your reluctance.

Try this: cut just the chapter in which the problem occurs out of the entire thesis. Is the problem still there?

OK, then cut the chapter in half, and so on.

Get down to the least number of pages in which the problem still occurs.

Now, send just that to the Redlers.

If this is a bug, the only way they'll be able to correct it is to have an example to work on.

Janet
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