Sidebar (present in LO since a few versions ago) doesn't work in my portable version (v4.3.0.4, Build ID: 62ad5818884a2fc2e5780dd45466868d41009ec0).
It is not enabled by default in my Writer (but probably because it keeps my previous settings and customization?),
I have been using LO for long and actually never saw the Sidebar (I just learned about it recently in another blog's review!)
I tried enabling in Menu/Tools/Options/LibreOffice/Advanced but I do not see the 'Enable experimental Sidebar' option which I'm supposed to see there. I only see 'Enable experimental features'. Then I enable it, and then restart. But Writer does not show the Sidebar option in the View menu
What am I missing? Is the option actually NOT included in the portable version? Shouldn't it be included in the 'Modifications' page?
Thanks!!
SOLVED: as suggested by fellows below (thanks!!), I installed a completely fresh copy of LO portable, and yes, the sidebar is there. Also LO actually works faster and cleaner, so I guess I was dragging old (several years!) settings which may not be a good idea...
I have it in Writer's View menu.
What you could do, is to install a completely new, test copy for comparison.
About my LO, I use:
New installation of LibreOfficePortable_4.3.0_MultilingualNormal.paf.exe with extra languages removed.
Version: 4.3.0.4
Build ID: 62ad5818884a2fc2e5780dd45466868d41009ec0
The sidebar doesn't appear to be experimental - I just tested by unchecking the "experimental" option under Advanced as you mentioned, then opened a Writer document, and the sidebar was still available & able to be checked/unchecked under the View menu.
I recommend reinstalling LibreOffice Portable overtop of your current install.
If that doesn't fix the problem, try renaming LibreOfficePortable\Data to something else, and see if running with a clean data directory if the problem still exists. If not, then the problem is something within your previous settings as you suspect.