How do I format just the text I want?

[benthicbread]

I have a conceptual problem with how LibreOffice (and other writing programs) has evolved. There are really two ways that I want to apply formatting to text: 1) I’d like to select the text I want to change the formatting for and then apply formatting to that. and 2) When text is not selected, I would like the formatting change to apply to any text I type from the cursor forward. I don’t want to click on formatting and have it change anything else (the word, sentence, paragraph, etc. before or after the cursor). Maybe this is old-school, but I am frustrated trying to format my documents the way I want them to be formatted. I am currently finding it really maddening that when I click on the text color button, I get a paint bucket and the text on my screen starts jumping all over the place as a move the mouse, waiting for me to hightlight something I want painted that color…I just want the formatting to apply to the next thing I type.

Is there a way to set LibreOffice up to work this way? Or, do I just have to resign myself to a world of canned, imprecise formatting? Thank you.

[asiersar]

I am afraid there is no solution to your 2) option.

I advise you to just build some styles (or change the existing ones) and use them, instead of formatting by hand. It will save you a lot of time.

In LibreOffice 5.1 you can:

• Use the new Styles menu.
• Use the Styles and Formatting sidebar.

Keep in mind that you can build Paragraph Styles, applicable to entire paragraphs (you don’t have to select the paragraph, just put the cursor on it); and Character Styles, applicable to text fragments. In the latter case, you will always have to select the text by hand.

[anon87010807]

+1 to asiersar

You can highlight text by pressing Shift and using the arrow keys to select text as accurately as you want. If you want to apply color to some text, you will have to get used to entering it first, then select it and apply the color as the last step.