How do I make a Running Header with two different Chapter Fields

Hey there,

I’m using LO version 5.2.5.1 on Windows 10. I am currently writing a manual, and I would like to have the header display the Chapter name, followed by the “Sub”-Chapter name (so one level lower). For example:

Introduction > How to make a running header

  1. Introduction

1.1 How to make a running header

Now, I know how to use styles for text, and how to use fields. But as far as I found out, the field in the header will always use the first chapter level on the page, no matter what (so the header would be Introduction > Introduction, which is quite useless).

I also read that a workaround for this is to use a frame that you place into the header, where your second chapter field would be, and fill it with this field (sorry, the page is German: [KopfZeile/LebendeKolumnentitel - Archiv des LibreOffice- und OpenOffice.org-Wiki] ). For this, apparently you have to anchor the frame to the paragraph with the respective chapter title. Now when I do so, I cannot move the frame into the header, because then the anchor will move into the header as well and the field will display the first chapter title again. When I tell the frame to be positioned beforehand, I cannot access the frame anymore. Sometimes, somehow, I will get access to the content, but I can never change the position once the frame is in the header (no matter if positioned there initially or dragged there). I read that it can be due to how the text flows around the frame, but it did not change no matter which option I chose.

Does anyone have an idea how to solve that problem? I searched this page, several wikis, the help, and google, and I could not find a solution. It particularly confuses me that even the workaround does not work. So thanks in advance for your help!

I think your problem is an old one: the header takes information from the previous pages or, at maximum, from the very first line of the current page, not from its “body”. In fact, if you have a heading (any level) below that first line the header will not “see” it until the next page. On the other hand the footer will see that heading in the middle of the page without a problem so here there is the only workaround I know for this issue: anchor a frame to the footer, move the frame up to simulate a header and insert on that frame the corresponding fields.

Advice: do not position the frame by hand, use the frame properties. If you don’t mind the Spanish screenshot:

Also, give the frame a name so you can easily pick it from the Navigator: trying to select a frame anchored to a header or footer can be frustrating sometimes…

Insert the frame, then drag it to its destination position. When you want to change the properties of the frame once it’s over the header area, press F5 to open the Navigator, right click the frame, then select Text frame - Edit.