Correcting a Small Annoyance: OpenOffice Calc Spreadsheet Cells Don't Wrap By Default, Plus Making a Spreadsheet Template

Me, I like cell contents to wrap.

This is wrapping.

This is not wrapping.

This is more not wrapping.

So, wrapping is nice.

You can make cell contents wrap by selecting one, two, five, or all the cells, then choosing Format > Cells, clicking the Alignment tab, and selecting the Wrap Text Automatically option.

But then, when you cut the contents out of a wrapped cell, those wrapping attributes aren't applied any longer. This is a small point but one I find annoying. Look at this first example, where I applied the Wrap formatting to alllll cells in the spreadsheet.

Now here I cut out the middle item, paste it to the right, and type in the empty cell. The Wrap formatting left along with the contents.

Correcting the Problem
There are a few ways to get around this. Here's one way. Just redefine the cell Default Cell Style to be wrapped.

- Choose Format > Styles and Formatting.
- Right-click on Default and choose Modify.

- In the Alignment tab, select Wrap Text Automatically.

- Click OK.

Now forever and ever, for that spreadsheet, all cells will wrap period. (You can overwrite them on a cell by cell basis if you like.)

If you want to set up allllll  new spreadsheets to be like this so you don't need to redefine the default style for every new spreadsheet, do this.

- Create a new spreadsheet.
- Define the default style as wrapping as shown in the last set of instructions. Before you click OK, set up any other formatting that you want to always be there by default. For instance, you might want the font to be different.

Or you might want the number format to be always a specific, different format.

- Click OK.

- Choose File > Templates > Save.

- Select the My Templates category (or another if you want) and name the template something obvious.

- Click OK.

- Choose File > Templates > Organize.

- In the left-hand pane, open the category you choose previously when saving the template. Find the template. Right-click on it and choose Set as Default Template.

- Click Close.

Now, when you create a new spreadsheet, it'll be based on that template you created: cells will all wrap, they'll all have the font you wanted, etc.

To go back to the regular way of creating new spreadsheets, just choose File > Templates > Organize again, right-click on the template, choose Reset Default Template > Spreadsheet.

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Comments

[Diego]

Really useful! Thks.

[MJ]

thank you... very useful tip...

[Michael]

Thanks for the tip, I never thought about editing the default style...

[rhinokitty]

Gahhhhhhhh.... Catharsis. That was driving me crazy. Thanks for scratching the itch (you didn't even know you were doing it!).

[Laura-Jane]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!! Just what I was trying to figure out.

[Ankou]

Well written and easy to follow. Also just what I was looking for. Thank you!

[xenos54]

this is such a great help.. i screamed when i finally did it.. my seatmate almost fell from her chair.. ehehe gee thanks!

[Marathongman]

You are such a great help - Thanks