Alternate Header styles and numbering

[Robin.Murison]

Hi,

I can use header styles to set my outline numbering to number paragraphs.

However, I want different numbering styles in different sections of my Document

For Chapters, I am using the simple numbering style fully numbered out to the 10th level of headers

1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

However, for my appendices which are lettered rather than numbered I want to use a different numbering system

A.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
Level 1 I want to be prefixed by "Appendix " but I do not want to include that in the sub-headings
So that is
Appendix A.
A.1.
A.1.1.
A.1.1.1.
A.1.1.1.1.
A.1.1.1.1.1.
A.1.1.1.1.1.1.
A.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.
A.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.
A.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

To be honest I rarely get beyond level 5.

I do not seem to be able to mix numbering systems in the same document.

The only method I have got around this issue of wanting to different numbering systems in different sections of my document is by writing the documents as two separate documents and making sure neither uses the same template.

I experimented with using a list style but then I need to use the tab key to count out the outline level which open to mistyping and it is not designed for this purpose and mixing up different paragraphs in between does not really work.

None of these solutions avoid me from writing my document in a way that specifically hides what I consider to be a bug in LibreOffice, that you cannot have different header formats in the same document.

I may be wrong but none of the documentation seems to indicate that this is possible.

I realise this may be an enhancement, but if I was writing this up as a bug.

I would say
Expected behaviour
Header styles should be specific to a section of a document and that you should be able to have multiple styles within a single document.
Similarly these styles should be available in a template, possibly with multiple named customisable number styles or named section types so that an author can use the same formats in multiple documents with the same sections.

Actual behaviour
There is only one place you can specify the numbering system for headers and changing it changes the whole document. This can be saved to a template.

[ajlittoz]

Preliminary vocabulary remark: in Writer, a header is some text repeated unchanged at top of every page. A heading is a “subtitle” prefixing various parts and subparts of the document. I assume you’re interested by heading numbering.

You must first understand what a list is and how it is characterised in Writer.

A list is a collection of paragraphs associated by a numbering scheme (bullets or numbers). All paragraphs affiliated to the scheme are members of the same list, though the list may have several “occurrences” thanks to the capability of restarting numbering (this is how you create ordinary lists).

As a courtesy towards its users, Writer provides a built-in protected list dedicated to chapters (consider it is named Chapter Numbering). It is protected to avoid conflicts and can be managed only through Tools>Chapter Numbering.

According to the Writer definition of lists, this internal “chapter numbering” can have only a single numbering scheme. Therefore, to number differently chapters and annexes, you must create a separate list style. Let’s name it Appendix.

Apparently, you already know how to do it. The trick is simply to add a Before Separator in level 1 as "Appendix " (without quotes which are there to show there is a space at end).

Once you have your Appendix list style, you must create an appendix-heading paragraph style hierarchy (because Heading n can be associated with only on list style). You’ll associate you Appendix n paragraph style with you Appendix list style in Outline & List tab.

You’re nearly ready. The built-in Heading n paragraph styles have an extra feature: when you apply a style, the paragraph is automatically set to list (outline) level n. This does not occur with user-created list. Consequently, after applying an Appendix n, put the cursor at the very beginning of the appendix heading and press n-1 time Tab to force the paragraph at level n.

This mau look complicated but you’ll get used to it quickly.