Tabulation

[antares]

hello,

I am not sure im in the right place of the forum.

I am an intense user of Numbers as a PKM (almost no formula)
I would like to migrate to onlyOffice for years now but i cannot because of a little tabulation problem :
i use tabulation (option+tab) in Numbers, massively
to write and align my words as a table, within a cell
as the exemple attached

I want to know if how i could make that happen without having to edit every cells 1 by 1

thank you

[Yassine]

Hey there,

I totally get your Numbers vibe, using Option+Tab to indent inside cells is a slick move for your PKM setup. Sounds like it’s been a game-changer for keeping things tidy in one cell.

Here’s the scoop: OnlyOffice (and most spreadsheet suites like Excel or Google Sheets) doesn’t support tabbing within a cell like Numbers does. In Numbers, that Option+Tab trick is a rare gem… it pops a real tab character right in there. But in OnlyOffice, hitting Tab just jumps you to the next cell… it’s how they’re wired. No other mainstream office suite I’ve seen does it Numbers-style natively, so it’s not just an OnlyOffice quirk; it’s a Numbers superpower!

For migrating without editing every cell, there’s no perfect fix yet. You could try spacing things out manually, tweaking indent settings under formatting, or typing in a text editor with tabs then pasting (though it might collapse to spaces).

Here’s a quick workaround, though: use the next cell as your “tab” buddy! Instead of “Task: [tab] Conquer Universe” in one cell, put “Task:” in A1 and “Conquer Universe” in B1. Adjust column widths to line it up nice—it’s not the same, but it keeps your structure without tons of manual tweaks.

It’s not as smooth as Numbers, I know! Maybe the OnlyOffice crew could add it someday, but for now, it’s a dream worth chasing. Keep rocking your PKM.

hope you find a workflow that clicks!

[antares]

thanks for reading and replying.

perhaps is it possible to developpe a plugin to implement that in onlyOffice?

[Yassine]

Hey @antares ,

Your request to developpe a plugin made me think about it the whole night… And yeah! I think it is possible to “fake” the Numbers behavior…

Here’s the dream:

• Rip Numbers’ tab logic (tasty hein! ).
• Bolt it onto OnlyOffice’s spreadsheet via a custom plugin or core tweak.
• Make tabs align in-cell and accross cells, defying spreadsheet norms.

We will need to hijack OnlyOffice’s cell rendering, inject a tab-stop system (like text editors use), and sync it across the grid. Not a plugin anymore.

Why fake it and not actually make it:

• Starts as “gimme tabs,” ends with “make it a rainbow Document clone,” leading to coding a full rich-text editor, not a quick fix.
• Cell Hell: Spreadsheets aren’t text editors. Cells don’t play nice with dynamic tab stops or fancy formatting beyond basics. Starting a war against OnlyOffice’s core to make it fit.
• Plugin’s supposed to be lightweight… Java, HTML, boom. This? It is like birthing a beast that needs debugging, testing, and therapy.

The Real Chaos:

To match Nano/Kate (Linux text editors), we will need OnlyOffice to track every line inside a cell (like a mini text editor), calculate tab stops based on the line above, and render it perfectly. That’s not a plugin, that’s rewriting the damn software! Numbers pulls it off because Apple said, “Screw norms,” but OnlyOffice or any other office suit’s engine aren’t that wild.

A cheap solution for this is:

• Spaces Hack: Plugin adds 4 spaces per “tab” key (say, Ctrl+Tab). Problem? It’s dumb, won’t align with the line above unless you count chars like a nerd. Chaos below? You’re screwed.
• Unicode Trick: Use a fixed symbol (like → or a tab char if it renders). Still won’t auto-align with the line above; spreadsheets don’t care about your dreams!
• Multi-Cell Thing: Split text accross cells, but tabs won’t “carry over” alignment from prior lines. New cell, new rules.

Why It’s Huge:

This goes against spreadsheet hardcoding DNA. Cells are independant little jails. Text in A1 doesn’t talk to B1 unless you merge them or force it with formulas. Numbers must be fudging this with a hybrid text-layer voodoo, letting tabs span cells while keeping alignment. OnlyOffice? Excel? They don’t play that game, tabs get squashed or ignored, and cell borders don’t care about poetic alignment dreams.

Apple has done It, So It’s Possible:

Apple’s Numbers doesn’t have alien magic within it code source… Someone may be able to reverse engineering the “close source” program (let forget about the illegal side of this approach) to resulte into the same damn wall which is rewriting the whole software and throwing the compatibility with any file has been created before… We may even risk to see a new episode of Trump drama…

Here’s an Idea: Stick an Inserted Form Field to a Cell

The Plan: Forget faking it, stick an actual form field, but glue it to a specific cell via a plugin. Pick a cell… bam! A form field locks onto it like a clingy ex. A form field has all the advanced formatting, including tab stops.

I know, this iis a slightly “cursed” approach.

How It Could Work:

• OnlyOffice already lets you insert form fields.
• Plugin allows the user to select a target cell. A form field is inserted right on top of that cell.
• Plugin ties a form field’s position to a cell (e.g., A1), syncing it visually so it looks like the cell’s content. Make it “snap” to the cell position (so it moves with row/column changes).
• We type in the form field, tabs away, and it saves as a fancy layer… cell below becomes a ghost.
• Disabling the real cell’s interaction so users must edit inside the form field. Maybe also sync values between the form and the cell metadata (just in case).

Pros:

• Easier than reinventing the wheel… uses OnlyOffice’s built-in form tools.
• Cleaner code… just positioning, not rendering voodoo.
• Fully functional form field (bold, italics, tab stops—everything!).
• Always stays in place.
• No external hacks needed.

Cons:

• Sacrifices the cell evnetualy, no formula love, no grid interaction. But who cares, right?
• Might need a way to disable normal cell editing (to avoid confusion).

The Catch:

• Processing Kick: Every tabbed cell needs extra rendering juice, could lag if you go tab-crazy across a big sheet.
• File Size Bloat: Storing tab metadata (positions, formatting) might puff up the file. Not a dealbreaker, but yeah.

What Do I Think?:

It’s less of a coding nightmare… stick a form field to a cell and call it a day. We get our tabbed aesthetic wet dream without breaking OnlyOffice’s spine. Sure, the cell is a dead zone for math, but you are a PKM nut, not a formula freak… esthetics over function, right?

Things to consider:

• Cursor Capture: Sticking a form field to a cell means we’ve gotta trap that cursor inside it. Plugin’s gotta hijack focus—click cell A1, boom, cursor’s in the form field, not the cell. OnlyOffice’s API should let us hook into cell selection events (via on Cell Select or similar), then force-focus the pinned form.
• Delete Key Drama: Folks hitting Delete shouldn’t nuke the form itself, just the text inside. We would lock the form field’s existence and make it a stubborn little diva. Plugin could override delete actions (onKeyDown event) to clear content only, not the structure.
• Stick Like Hell: Glue that form to the cell like it’s superglued to your ex’s ego! Position it with absolute coords tied to the cell’s grid spot. Scroll, resize, whatever… it sticks.
• Maybe an on-off switch? Add a toggle in the plugin UI—“Tab Mode: ON/OFF” to spawn or kill the form field. Total control, baby!
• Copy-Paste Conundrum: Default OnlyOffice behavior: copying a cell with a pinned form field probably just grabs the text (what’s visible in the cell), not the form itself.

Infectious Sticky Form as workaround this:

• Capture on Copy: Plugin hooks into the copy event (onCopy or clipboard API). A flag saying “this has a form” (store it in metadata or a hidden cell property).
• Paste with Infection: On paste (onPaste), plugin checks: Drops the text into the new cell. Spawns a new form field, pins it to that cell, and fills it with the copied text… tabs intact.

How This Plugin Would Work in Action

1. User selects a spreadsheet cell and activates the plugin.
2. Plugin inserts a form field and locks it to the cell position.
3. Clicking the cell auto-focuses the form field (so users never type in the real cell).
4. Tab navigation locked into the form (no move between form fields).
5. Delete clears text but not the form itself.

Why I Think I’m Onto Something?

• Tab Stops Built-In: Forms already handle tabs… no reinventing the wheel.
• Sticky Control: Pinning + toggle = user-friendly chaos.
• Faux Alignment: Stacked forms mimic the Numbers kink without a core rewrite.
• Plugin Scope: Feasible… hooks for cell focus, positioning, and events are there.

Now?? Why I don’t move my… and get into the work?:
I forgot programming years ago. I can read code but can’t write it anymore. This is me throwing the idea out, hoping someone finds it interesting enough to make real.

That’s it. I got too excited, and now it’s a book. Thanks for reading my madness!

[antares]

thank you Yassine.

so a table within a cell.

thanks for taking the time to think and write the reply

[Alexandre]

What an impressive thread!
@Yassine I want to thank you for your ideas for the plugin! I just want to clarify the scenario with you and @antares
Are we talking about the tabulation in the cell of the table in the .docx file or about the cell in the .xlsx file? If it’s the first scenario, recently we checked it here: Brochure suggestions 8/22: no tabs in tables - #10 by Alexandre
Unfortunately, the only possible way for the first scenario is copying and pasting. But we are working already on implementing custom hotkeys feature. It should resolve the situation.
If we are talking about the second scenario (tabulation in the cell of the .xlsx file), please clarify it.

[Yassine]

@antares

Numbers

Hey @Alexandre

To clarify, Numbers is basically Apple’s version of Excel I’m talking about tabulation inside cells of an .xlsx spreadsheet in OnlyOffice, not tables in a .docx file. The goal is to mimic Numbers’ behavior in a spreadsheet, not in a text document.
If you read the part where I mentioned A1, B1, and cell rendering, that should be clear.

@Yassine

Text in A1 doesn’t talk to B1 unless you merge them or force it with formulas

[antares]

yes exactly :
Apple softwares allow to tab within the cells for Numbers
and other software too

in the end its similar to what TABULATION function was long time ago : allowing text to align like a table over several lines

it is so convenient
but i understand no one use it anymore bcos its confusing

[Alexandre]

Thank you for your clarification! We need some time to discuss it internally, I will update this thread shortly.

[Alexandre]

Dear @Yassine and @antares
We have added your request (Tabulation in a cell of the xlsx file) to internal tracksystem. We have started working on it. I will update this thread once we have something to share.

[Yassine]

This is awesome! Thanks for picking this up! Having tabulation inside a cell as a core feature is a massive upgrade. This is the kinda thing that puts OnlyOffice right in the front seat… like… move over, competition! Can’t wait to see it in action!

[antares]

thank you!
i think it will be very usefull for everyone