#2225: copy quotes only cells with a tab or line break

Copy wrapped any cell that held a double quote in quotes (and doubled
its quotes), so copying `say "hi"` into another app gave
`"say ""hi"""`. Excel quotes only text with a tab or line break; a cell
with just quotes goes on the clipboard as it is.

Pasting text read a field that starts with a quote as quoted even when
its closing quote doesn't end the field, so `"hi" there` (which Excel
copies as it is) pasted as `hi there`. A field is now quoted only when
its closing quote is followed by a tab, a line end or the end of the
text; otherwise it is the text as written, as Excel pastes it.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/engine/src/cmd/edit/clipboard.rs

@@ -228,14 +228,23 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_tsv(text: &str) -> Vec<Vec<String>> {
     let mut chars = text.chars().peekable();
     let mut quoted = false;
     let mut at_start = true;
+    // A quoted field's text as it stands in the input, for a field that turns out not to be one.
+    let mut raw = String::new();
     while let Some(c) = chars.next() {
         if quoted {
+            raw.push(c);
             if c == '"' {
                 if chars.peek() == Some(&'"') {
                     field.push('"');
+                    raw.push('"');
                     chars.next();
                 } else {
                     quoted = false;
+                    // A field is quoted only when its closing quote ends it, as Excel reads it:
+                    // `"hi" there` is that text, quotes included.
+                    if !matches!(chars.peek(), None | Some('\t' | '\n' | '\r')) {
+                        field = std::mem::take(&mut raw);
+                    }
                 }
             } else {
                 field.push(c);
@@ -246,6 +255,7 @@ pub(crate) fn parse_tsv(text: &str) -> Vec<Vec<String>> {
             '"' if at_start => {
                 quoted = true;
                 at_start = false;
+                raw = String::from('"');
             }
             '\t' => {
                 row.push(std::mem::take(&mut field));

crates/engine/src/cmd/edit/tests.rs

@@ -307,6 +307,9 @@ fn tsv() {
     assert_eq!(parse_tsv("a\tb\n1\t2\n"), vec![vec!["a", "b"], vec!["1", "2"]]);
     assert_eq!(parse_tsv("\"x\ty\"\tz"), vec![vec!["x\ty", "z"]]);
     assert_eq!(parse_tsv("\"he said \"\"hi\"\"\""), vec![vec!["he said \"hi\""]]);
+    // #2225: a quote that doesn't close the field leaves it as written, as Excel pastes it.
+    assert_eq!(parse_tsv("\"hi\" there\tx\n"), vec![vec!["\"hi\" there", "x"]]);
+    assert_eq!(parse_tsv("say \"hi\"\n"), vec![vec!["say \"hi\""]]);
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -371,3 +374,19 @@ fn replace_case_insensitive_keeps_text_when_folding_moves_boundaries() {
     let sh = s.doc().unwrap().wb.active().unwrap();
     assert_eq!(sh.value(CellRef::new(0, 0)), Value::text(text));
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn copy_quotes_only_cells_with_tabs_or_line_breaks() {
+    // #2225: a cell holding a quote was wrapped in quotes on copy; Excel quotes only text with a
+    // tab or line break, and pastes the result back as the same cells.
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    s.new_workbook();
+    for (cell, input) in [("A1", "say \"hi\""), ("A2", "plain"), ("A3", "\"hi\" there"), ("A4", "x \"q\"\ny"), ("A5", "tab\tinside")] {
+        s.execute("cell.set", json!({"cell": cell, "input": input})).unwrap();
+    }
+    let text = s.execute("edit.copy", json!({"range": "A1:A5"})).unwrap()["text"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+    assert_eq!(text, "say \"hi\"\nplain\n\"hi\" there\n\"x \"\"q\"\"\ny\"\n\"tab\tinside\"\n");
+    let rows = parse_tsv(&text);
+    let cells: Vec<&str> = rows.iter().map(|r| r[0].as_str()).collect();
+    assert_eq!(cells, ["say \"hi\"", "plain", "\"hi\" there", "x \"q\"\ny", "tab\tinside"]);
+}

crates/engine/src/display.rs

@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ pub fn range_text(wb: &Workbook, sheet: usize, r: RangeRef) -> String {
             }
             first = false;
             let t = cell_text(wb, sh, CellRef::new(row, col));
-            if t.contains(['\t', '\n', '"']) {
+            // Like Excel, only text with a tab or line break is quoted (its quotes doubled);
+            // `say "hi"` is copied as it is (#2225).
+            if t.contains(['\t', '\n', '\r']) {
                 out.push('"');
                 out.push_str(&t.replace('"', "\"\""));
                 out.push('"');

docs/ui-parity.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # UI parity
 
-> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-11-02 · **Change:** minor (RefEdit reference boxes in dialogs: Goal Seek, Solver and Data Analysis use them, the arrow keys select while a dialog is collapsed and F4 cycles a reference's anchors; earlier: Python cells: Python mode in the formula bar; earlier: Insert › Equation and the equation editor; earlier: every floating object selects, resizes from eight handles and deletes with the keyboard; earlier: Formulas › Error Checking › Trace Error; trace arrows stay through a zoom (#3097); earlier: Page Setup sets the page order, Down, then over or Over, then down, which printing, the print preview, Page Break Preview and Page Layout view follow; earlier: Formulas › Function Library as labelled buttons with category menus; Recently Used and the Insert Function categories; Esc leaves a File-page text field before closing the view; earlier: checkbox cells print as boxes; Ctrl+arrow and Ctrl+Shift+arrow while pointing a formula reference; editing a hyperlink loads its existing fields; AutoSum over a selected row puts its total to the right; ribbon catalog count 276 / 292) · **Target:** Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365), Excel for Mac 16.113.4
+> **Last reviewed:** 2026-10-10 · **Last updated:** 2026-11-03 · **Change:** minor (copy quotes only cells with a tab or line break, as Excel does; earlier: RefEdit reference boxes in dialogs: Goal Seek, Solver and Data Analysis use them, the arrow keys select while a dialog is collapsed and F4 cycles a reference's anchors; earlier: Python cells: Python mode in the formula bar; earlier: Insert › Equation and the equation editor; earlier: every floating object selects, resizes from eight handles and deletes with the keyboard; earlier: Formulas › Error Checking › Trace Error; trace arrows stay through a zoom (#3097); earlier: Page Setup sets the page order, Down, then over or Over, then down, which printing, the print preview, Page Break Preview and Page Layout view follow; earlier: Formulas › Function Library as labelled buttons with category menus; Recently Used and the Insert Function categories; Esc leaves a File-page text field before closing the view; earlier: checkbox cells print as boxes; Ctrl+arrow and Ctrl+Shift+arrow while pointing a formula reference; editing a hyperlink loads its existing fields; AutoSum over a selected row puts its total to the right; ribbon catalog count 276 / 292) · **Target:** Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365), Excel for Mac 16.113.4
 
 Interaction, controls and feel, against Excel. Part of [target-app-parity.md](target-app-parity.md).
 **UI/UX fidelity: ~55% ready, 50–80 h** (estimated). Ribbon command coverage is measured
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ scrollbar bugs 2–4 · pixel/feel pass against observed Excel 7–12.
 
 | Date | Change | Summary |
 |---|---|---|
+| 2026-11-03 | minor | Copy puts a cell that holds a quote on the clipboard as it is (`say "hi"`), quoting only text with a tab or line break, as Excel does; pasting text reads a field as quoted only when its closing quote ends it, so `"hi" there` pastes with its quotes (#2225) |
 | 2026-11-02 | minor | RefEdit reference boxes in dialogs: pick a range on the grid, collapse the dialog while selecting; Goal Seek, Solver (with the Model Range of Load/Save) and Data Analysis use them; while collapsed the arrow keys move the selection and Shift+arrow extends it, F4 cycles a reference's anchors, a click elsewhere keeps the box picking, a dialog opened over a picking one puts the selection back, OK stays on the sheet its command showed, and scripted cancel and confirm end a pick like the buttons; the dialog's sheet is followed through the recorded undo steps, so a sheet deleted and recreated under its name is not taken for it and an undo of the deletion brings it back; a box the dialog stops showing is no longer picked into |
 | 2026-11-02 | minor | Python mode edits a cell's code in the formula bar's code editor (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P, `=PY` then Tab, editing a Python cell), with the PY badge beside fx; its keys apply in input order, also several in one frame, and Ctrl+Enter commits through `python.set` (empty code clears the cell), keeping the code and showing the command's message when the code is refused |
 | 2026-11-02 | minor | Insert › Symbols: Equation split button (access keys N E), a gallery of examples, and an equation editor with quick-insert buttons, the error underlined at its position and a live preview; double-clicking an equation edits it |