FInd and Replace with Page Breaks fails

[Leam]

Libreoffice writer 7.4.7.2, not sure why my old instructions no longer work. Following them will remove the __section_break__ characters but only put one pagebreak in, at the first page. Here’s what I have been doing:

1.     To convert the string '__section_break__' to an actual page break
1.1. The __section_break__ string should already start a new paragraph.
1.2. Edit -> Find and Replace 
      Find:       __section_break__
      Find All
      Click "Replace" entry to move focus.
1.3. Upper menu: Format -> Paragraph -> Text Flow
      "Breaks"    -> Insert
      "Type"      -> Page
      "Position"  -> After
      "Ok"
1.4.  Edit -> Find and Replace
      Find:       __section_break__
      Replace:    <leave empty>
      Replace All
      Close

Sample text:

Then, sadly, his eyes returned to Rachela. "You're right to distrust me, but I'm doing my best to help you. I understand people's intentions through their body language, vocal tone, and diction. Just like I know about the two of you, I guarentee you the man claiming to be captain of that ship and fleeing aliens is lying. I'm not sure about what, but no matter what you think of me, that truth is critical."
__section_break__
Chapter 17

[EarnestAl]

The below works although I would never do it this way, using direct formatting. I would always use Tools > Heading Numbering and Heading n (Heading 1 normally) paragraph styles to insert the page breaks
PageBreaksForHeading1Style.odt (16.0 KB)

1. To convert the string __section_break__ to an actual page break
   1. The __section_break__ string should already start a new paragraph.
   2. Edit → Find and Replace
      Find: __section_break__
      Find All
      Click “Replace” entry to move focus. this focuses on only the first found string
   3. Upper menu: Format → Paragraph → Text Flow
      • “Breaks” → Insert
      • “Type” → Page
      • “Position” → After
      • “Ok”
   4. Edit → Find and Replace
      Find: section_break
      Replace:
      Replace All
      Close
      Press the Delete button (every __section_break__ is still selected)

[Leam]

Want to take a crack at a similar issue? And, if possible, help me understand why things changed, since the install is almost two years old? I am literally going step by step on things that have been done this way before. Now the “Bold” effect isn’t working.

  3.      To make the Chapter headers bold (chapters and sections are the same)
    3.1.  Edit -> Find and Replace
    3.2.  Find:     Chapter [:digit:]{1,3}
    3.3.  Replace:  &
      3.3.1.  Ensure the selection focus is here before proceeding.
    3.4.  Format -> Font -> Style -> Bold
            OK
    3.5.  Ensure "Regular Expressions" box is checked.
    3.6.  Replace All

[EarnestAl]

In the Find I would have ^Chapter [:digit:]{1,}$ which will find only Chapter at the beginning of a paragraph and any number of digits at the end of the paragraph.
.
At 3.3.1 I would double click Heading 1 paragraph style which would have the page breaks already set in the style.
.
Once you have set the chapters to a paragraph heading style, you no longer need to search for them to change them. Just altering an attribute in the style or the parent style will update all the headings or child headings.
.
I recommend that you read the introduction of Designing with LibreOffice linked from this page, English documentation II | LibreOffice Documentation - LibreOffice User Guides .
.
Chapter 20, I think, in the Writer Guide is on styles and how to use them, English documentation | LibreOffice Documentation - LibreOffice User Guides .

Mechanical method
At 3.3.1 click the Bold icon on the toolbar
At 3.3 in the Replace field enter & and click the Format button and choose Bold

BTW I don’t think that anything has changed, I suspect the recording of the steps is in error

[Leam]

Thank you, again! The Mechanical method worked.

You suggested “BTW I don’t think that anything has changed, I suspect the recording of the steps is in error”, and that’s an easy thought. However, I wrote the instructions over the course of writing books, and follow them strictly, because I keep forgetting the process.

I like your ^Chapter and {1,}$ changes, and will add them. Thanks!