Page Numbering in OpenOffice.org Writer (a tutorial)

[Paul]

I still haven't been able to get the page numbering style I want, namely, odd pages bottom right, even pages bottom left, with no numbers on title or blank pages.

Hi Ed,

I've attached a document that does as you describe. It just took a couple of mins to throw together using OOo's built in Dummy Text.

It was just a case of defining new pages "Even" and "Odd" (you could use the existing "Left" and "Right") and formatting the footer for each Page Style. When modifying each Page Style's options, just specify the Next Style option to be the page style you want for the following page.

E.g. in this document
"First Page" is followed by "Even Page"
"Even Page" is followed by "Odd Page"
"Odd Page" is followed by "Even Page".

I've given the Page Styles a background colour to hopefully help indicate to you what's going on.

HTH,

[Ed Stephenson]

That's great, Paul, thank you so much. Now I have left- and right-hand pages numbered in the appropriate corners.

The only problem I have left is getting rid of the page numbers on certain pages (title and blank pages). I've twigged to removing the number on page 1, but not the others. It seems to me it would be easiest to manually remove numbers from those pages, but the program doesn't allow me to (without removing all the other numbers) -- or, more accurately, I don't know how to.

Thanks for any help.

Ed

[Paul]

Ed,

You need to grasp the concept of Page Styles. If you remove the page number from a page assigned to a specific page style, it will disappear from all other pages using the same style.

If you want a blank page without page numbers, just create a new page style without header or footer (perhaps name it "Blank Page", then insert a Manual Page Break (described earlier in the topic thread) where you want your blank page to go.

Choose "Blank Page" as the page style, then either set the next page style to be "Left Page" or "Right Page", or (probably easier for using the same "Blank Page" style a number of times in the doc), just insert another Manual Page Break and set the next page style to be "Left Page" or "Right Page".

HTH,

[Ed Stephenson]

Thanks again, Paul. You are very patient, and I'm afraid I'm going to wear out that patience. If so, just don't reply and I'll understand.

I have tried insert>manual break>page break after my first four (unnumbered) pages and I can't get it to work. First of all, it often inserts an additional blank page. Well that's no biggie, I can just delete it.

But the problem remains: I set the first page to be followed by "blank page" without footer, and "blank page" also to be followed by "blank page". The footer then disappears from the first four pages. Fine. But it also disappears from all following pages. I thought they would be insulated by the page break, but they aren't.

Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Ed

[Paul]

I'm afraid I'm going to wear out that patience.

I'm guessing that you aren't using the Style box in the Insert Break dialogue.

In the following instructions I'm assuming use of the example file I uploaded before.

• Where you want your page without header or footer, go to the preceding page and select Insert > Manual Break
• in the dialogue that appears, the Page Break radio button is already selected. Underneath in the Style box select the style you created without header or footer e.g. "Blank Page".
• Where you want to reshow numbering go to the end of the page, Insert > Manual Break and in the Style box choose "Even Page" or "Odd Page" (whichever it will be) numbering should then follow in those pages.

HTH,

[addice]

Hi all,

I have a certain document that I want to place my page numbering differently.

Say I have a document that has 20 pages, then I want to place a new numbering style, say A-1, how do I do that?

[Paul]

Hi addice,

It's all there in the tutorial. You just need to use a new Page Style where you change your numbering style.

Happy reading

[Manica]

When I need diferent numbering for first page, TOC, content and appendix and automatic page break in heading styles, I follow this steps:

1. apply page style First Page on first page of document
2. Insert/ Manual Break-Page Break-Style: TOC, Page Number: 1

3.
var. 1
if TOC is longer than one page: change page style TOC, use Next Style: TOC; then select the first paragraph on the first page of content section(with paragraph style Heading 1) and format it with Format/ Paragraph - Text Flow tab >> Breaks section - With Page Style: Default & Page number field: 1

or

var.2
if there is only 1 page, change page style TOC and use Next Style: Default

you can change number format on: Format/ Page-Page tab-Format

4. for additional section (apendix) create new page style, insert new page break check Style: NewStyle, Page Number: 1


For left / right positioning of page number: Format/ Page
1. Page tab: Page Layout: select Mirrored
2. Header/Footer tab: uncheck the option Same content left/right
3. Insert > Fields > Page Number, then set different alignment on odd and even page

lp.

Manica

[Hagar de l'Est]

var.2
if there is only 1 page, change page style TOC and use Next Style: Default

I were you, I wouldn't use this Next Style field to change from TOC style to another one. I would keep the TOC style as next style and insert a manual page break (even if there is only one page).

The reason is that there are some bugs with exported documents (in .doc) when you use the Next Style field of the page style properties : the breaks are not exported (in section breaks used by MS Word to change page settings), so change of style for the pages is lost, one of the page style won't appear in the exported document. After a quick test, it's the second part setting that is not kept, rather logical, since .doc hasn't kept the section break equivalent.

Moreover, you can have strange results when you change a page style through the Stylist or the status bar (applying a new page style somewhere) : you loose some (or all) of the page styles next to the changed one. You can imagine that page style propagation is stopped by "slots". Defining the Next Style for a page style doesn't insert any visual page break. It may be the reason why there are issues linked to that. The "slot" may need a geographical location (i.e. a paragraph to be anchored to), explaining why the Next Style feature cannot insert a manual page break (with a slot) : if you change the layout (margins + font size + ...), the Next Stylewill be applied to the new next page easily whereas with a localized break, you loose the connection with the page start/end.

[Edit] added precisions.

[Manica]

var.2
if there is only 1 page, change page style TOC and use Next Style: Default

I were you, I wouldn't use this Next Style field to change from TOC style to another one. I would keep the TOC style as next style and insert a manual page break (even if there is only one page).

The reason is that there are some bugs with exported documents (in .doc) when you use the Next Style field of the page style properties : the breaks are not exported, so change of style for the pages is lost, one of the page style won't appear in the exported document.

TYVM
I've never try to export my documents So is there the same problem with standard First Page style ? Should I always use the manual break?

Manica

[Hagar de l'Est]

So is there the same problem with standard First Page style ?

Of course.

Should I always use the manual break?

Yes. Note that you have to use the menu Insert>Manual Break>Page break and specify the next page style to get a section break (allowing header/footer and page settings change) in the .doc exported file. NB: the CTRL+Return page break isn't exported as a section break in .doc format.

[samuel]

Hello. 1st of all I will like to thanks all those taking the effort providing such a wonderful tutorials especially to Paul.

My questions is:

How can one actually export/import the page styles that has been created in OOO in machine A to OOO in machine B?

Help is very much appreciated.

[Hagar de l'Est]

Pages styles are part of the document. Just copy the document and then create a template based on it.

[nk]

Hi,

I've been reading most posts in this topic and I think my problem hasn't been treated yet.

I'm working on a Master Document with chapters as sections. So far so good. Also the page numbering works fine. The front matter has roman style numbering (restart at 1), the main content normal (arabic) numbering, and the back matter again roman numbering. This works fine.

Now I have three problems:
- when I include a Table of Contents in the Master Document, the numbering in the TOC is displayed, starting with first page of the document as page 1 (arabic). I would like it to show the roman format, as I have indicated at the bottom of the page (which would be "i") and then continue in chapter one with page 1 (arabic). How can I do this?
- when I use "Right Page" format to start new chapters on a right hand page, this automatically introduces a blank page in front of it (when the previous chapter ends at a RH-page). This is what I want. However, I also would like these "empty" pages to show header and footer (with page numbering). How is this done?

My last question is not directly related to this topic, but perhaps you can give me some idea where to look. My document contains many references to formulas and figures. These references are kept in the right way in the first of my chapters, but go wrong in later chapters. In the original documents they are ok, but in the Master Document, it doesn't work. Any ideas how to solve this? Or a link where I might find info?

Kind regards and thanks in advance!

NK

[Paul]

Hi NK,

It's difficult to help without seeing the document. Is there any chance you could upload a zip file with the document(s) in, or at least one that doesn't have the content (if you don't want to share that) but that behaves the same way?

As far as referencing displayed in the master document is concerned, unfortunately I'm not a regular user of master documents. I can see the benefit but have never had the need to do more than test them for other people. I would only be searching the same as you, sorry I can't help more with that.

BFN,