In LO, is it possible to have different Headers for odd and even pages? For example if in a book, if I want to have Book name on the header of the left page and chapter name at the header of the right page, is it possible? I know that it is possible in MS word, and this feature was not working when that same document was opened in Libre Writer. Is there any solution for this?
Of course LO can do that.
In a Writer document check:
menu Format | Page Style | Header | Header | [x] Header on | [ ] Same content on left and right pages
Untick [ ] Same content on left and right pages
For editing books or scientific texts highly recommended: http://openoffice-uni.org/
3 Likes
This process does not work, because when you go to Page Style: Right Page, the box for “Same content on left and right pages” is already clicked, and it is grayed out so you can’t change it. So it is impossible to put different headers on alternating pages. The one only other box that can be checked is “Same content on first page,” and you don’t want a header on the title page.
And when you go to Insert - Header, all the options are checked. If you uncheck Left Page because you want Right Page, you get the warning that you are deleting the content for the Left Page header. Getting alternate headings on different pages becomes impossible.
Please share an anonymized sample file (around 3-5 pages) for better checking your problem.
If you really use built-in Right Page, this style is configured to be constrained on right side pages (odd-numbered) and an automatic switch occurs at bottom of page to built-in style Left Page. Right Page can never be used on the left-hand side (because of the configuration). Consequently, the Same contents … box is meaningless and is disabled.
Built-in Left Page and Right Page styles work as an alternating pairs. One of them has the left-hand header; the other one the right-hand header.
You may also have messed up the factory configuration. Attach a sample file as requested bt @Grantler.
Thanks for your efforts to help. But I’m tired of constantly having to spend hours dealing with glitches, a HELP site that never addresses the problem, going to Google for incomplete or inapplicable instructions, fixes I have to find by accident, pointless complications, formats that get undone by updates, and solutions that require altering program codes. All I want is a simple word processing program—no graphics, no gaming, no tables. Life is too short. I’ve had enough of Libre Office Writer. I’m going to a Chrome Book.
That’s because Writer is not Word and is based on a different document format where features are different. Writer is based on ubiquitous styles where Word has only paragraph styles. This even/odd property is in page styles as explained by @Grantler. Since Word has no page styles, it is difficult to convert to ODF, all the more since pages are “imported” individually, creating as many page styles as pages in the majority of cases. Writer can’t then translate a request spanning several page styles.
4 Likes
Addendum
Recently I had to convert a document with about 90 different page styles. One can do that, but I had to erase/change the page styles one by one (in the Navigator, F5). Additionally the page numbers (in single frames for each page) had to be erased; only then a new footer (for the unified page style) could be inserted…
Thanks to @ajlittoz for explaining the reasons!
1 Like
@Grantler you’re welcome.
Avoid putting page numbers in frames unless you have very specific needs, such as page number mid-height in lateral margin. Usually, a field in footer (or header) with a dedicated paragraph style (or customised built-in) covers nearly all cases and is much simpler to manage.