headers - how to add different page number styles to multiple page ranges?

emmodad · July 8, 2018, 10:08am

I have a civil rights legal filing deadline in about 32 hours, please pardon my stressed-out urgency.

I am using LibreOffice which has been positive for my limited experience: to be emphasized is that I am not a skilled LO or MS Word user. “Casual” would be a stretch. What is available to me is LibreOffice 5.3.6.1 running on Mac OSX 10.8.5

Due to circumstances far beyond my control, I had to create an emergency document purely using LO Default Style.

Asking for guidance how to apply different page-numbering schemes to different page ranges of an existing document?

For the life of me, I can’t seem to make anything work with Page Styles (don’t even seem to be able to create and then apply new page Styles without issues, user error I’m sure). As I am struggling with neuro issues that impact my reading/writing, I would greatly appreciate something approaching step-by-step instructions.

Thank you!

— Existing document

I have an existing document, ~50 pages, all created using Default Style.

It does contain some page breaks that I inserted (Insert > Page Break) when ie a page had small amount of text and the next topic/section needed to be started on a new page.

I already have a Header set on all pages, it contains only a centered page number in Arabic numerals. At moment it is set to start displaying page number on page 2.

— Needs

I need to modify the page numbering scheme ASAP to split the document into four sequential sections, each using different page numbering scheme. For safety sake I need to do this somehow which doesn’t impact the existing text and its simplistic formatting (use of bold, italic, and some centered headers). Sections 2, 3, and 4 are works in progress that will expand with more content. Those sections’ page numbers also should appear in a Table of Contents with page numbers in the appropriate numbering style (although I seem to recall seeing some info that ToC doesn’t necessarily maintain different numbering styles of page numbering?).

section 1 (cover sheet only): display no page number

section 2: page number style = Roman small (i, ii, iii, iv, …); start displaying page number on page ii

section 3: page number style - Arabic (1, 2, 3, …); start displaying page number on page 1

section 4: page number style App-n, where n is Arabic (1, 2, 3, …); start displaying page number on page App-1

Thank you to the community for any guidance.

mikekaganski · July 8, 2018, 11:07am

We will step-by-step create required page styles; then we will apply them to the appropriate sections.
We will need 4 page styles. (Disclaimer: the first page style - for cover - is not strictly required, but I chose to use page styles for all four different schemes). Two of these page styles already exist (the one for cover page, and the one for section 3 - you use it now).

F11
On the Styles sidebar, click on Page Styles button (having an icon of sheet of paper). Note which page style is selected there at the moment; I suppose it’s Default Style, which is how I will refer to it later.
Note that there is also First Page style in the list - we will use it for section 1. Right-click it, and make sure that the First Page style has all the required settings for your cover, including size, margins, and no headers/footers (if I understand you correctly, you don’t need them for your cover). If required, uncheck the relevant settings, and confirm: OK.
Now we create the style for section 2.
Right-click to the white space of the page styles list (somewhere below the last item in that list; I have the last item Right Page - so right-click below it). In the context menu, select New....
In the Page Style: Untitled1 dialog, go to the Organizer (first) tab, and put section 2 into Name: box.
Go to Page (second) tab, check that you have correct page size and margins, and set the Page numbers: in the Layout Settings to i, ii, iii, ....
Make sure that you have Header on checkbox checked on Header tab.
Confirm all: OK.
Likewise, we create a page style for section 4.
Right-click to the white space of the page styles list, in the context menu, select New....
In the Page Style: Untitled1 dialog, go to the Organizer (first) tab, and put section 4 into Name: box.
Go to Page (second) tab, check that you have correct page size and margins, and set the Page numbers: in the Layout Settings to 1, 2, 3, ....
Make sure that you have Header on checkbox checked on Header tab.
Confirm all: OK.
Now that we have every style we need, we can start applying them to sections.
Go to the very first paragraph of your document (the one which starts the cover page); menu Format→Paragraph...; go to the Text Flow tab; in Breaks group, select Insert→Type: Page→Position: Before→With page style:→select First Page, and make sure that Page Number is not checked (or alternatively, set to 1, if checked). Confirm: OK.
Go to the very first paragraph of section 2 (presumably, it is in the beginning of your page 2); menu Format→Paragraph...; go to the Text Flow tab; in Breaks group, select Insert→Type: Page→Position: Before→With page style:→select section 2, and make sure that Page Number is not checked (or alternatively, set to 2, if checked). Confirm: OK.
Go to the very first paragraph of section 3; menu Format→Paragraph...; go to the Text Flow tab; in Breaks group, select Insert→Type: Page→Position: Before→With page style:→select Default Style, and make sure that Page Number is set to 1. Confirm: OK.
Go to the very first paragraph of section 4; menu Format→Paragraph...; go to the Text Flow tab; in Breaks group, select Insert→Type: Page→Position: Before→With page style:→select section 4, and make sure that Page Number is set to 1. Confirm: OK.
Now we need to make sure that headers of sections 2 and 4 have proper page numbers fields and formatting. Double-click into the header in your section 2, and menu Insert→Field→Page Number. It should appear as you need it, starting from ii. Go to section 4, double-click to header area, and type “App-”, then menu Insert→Field→Page Number.

Unfortunately, this leaves question how to make ToC to show the App--part of the page number for section 4. I hope someone could come up with an easy step-by-step guide here. I only can propose using a dedicated level of headings for Appendices, and adjust the corresponding ToC level to also have the text “App-” before page numbers. Or allow manual editing of ToC, and type those "App-"s manually - which is not the best idea.

Hope that helps.

ajlittoz · July 8, 2018, 12:16pm

Having several numbering styles for headings (showing up as such in the ToC) is an advanced topic. If your document text is ready (meaning you only have to solve the numbering issue) and your deadline leaves you enough time, see this question. The solution involves manipulating paragraph styles, numbering styles and chapter numbering! This is advanced use!

mikekaganski · July 8, 2018, 11:35pm

@ajlittoz: afaict OP wants different numbering scheme for page number, not for headings…

emmodad · July 8, 2018, 11:57pm

I’m not sure of best way to provide follow-on question (don’t know if Answering parties are informed of my comment if I comment my own question, or if their Answer receives a comment), so thank you! RGB-es, Mike, ajlittoz; trying to absorb your info. Q1: is there impact that I already have a few locations of Insert > Page Break? Q2: Is there a way Style Editor to create a new Page Style by duplicating (cloning?) Default Style, then giving the clone a new name, and edit its properties? thanks.

emmodad · July 8, 2018, 11:58pm

Yes, confirming, need is for different numbering scheme for page numbers

mikekaganski · July 9, 2018, 2:38am

@emmpdad: FYI: users get notified of some event (comment) - by having a red notification icon in the top of Ask site - when:

Their question being commented/answered;
Their answer/comment being commented;
A question where they answered/commented is answered;
They had been mentioned in any answer/comment by @ followed by their full nickname (like @mikekaganski ) syntax.

If your page breaks don’t themselves have “With page style” settings, this doesn’t interfere with solutions.

mikekaganski · July 9, 2018, 2:43am

To your Q2 - there’s no way to copy an existing page style in LO AFAIK unfortunately. You are welcome to file an enhancement request.

emmodad · July 9, 2018, 8:54am

OK, almost there… one small glitch…

Created the new styles; have headers at top of all three sections 2, 3, and 4. Sections 3 and 4 are correctly showing Arabic numbers and correctly start the numbering at 1.

Section 2 correctly uses small Roman numbers but starts the numbering at ii

If I try to edit the manual page break before section 2 (ability to choose starting number), page break vanishes; If i try to edit the section 2 Style, no ability to choose start number?

Can you advise?

mikekaganski · July 9, 2018, 9:30am

From your question:

section 2: page number style = Roman small (i, ii, iii, iv, …); start displaying page number on page ii

So I don’t understand now what is the correct way to show the section 2’s numbers, if that shouldn’t be the ii?

mikekaganski · July 9, 2018, 9:32am

Anyway - if you edit the very first paragraph of the section 2 (the one you edited in step 6.2), then you would be able to change the page number on the Text Flow tab; unless you uncheck the insert page break (which you shouldn’t), the break should stay.

emmodad · July 9, 2018, 9:55am

Sorry for lack of clarity, I was groggy and I’m becoming moreso. What I intended to communicate was that I need section 2 to use small Roman numbers, with the page numbering first becoming visible on page ii of Section 2.

Did what you just commented, and now the first page of Section 2 starts numbering with “i”, and all pages of Section 2 have “correct” small Roman numbers. What must I do to suppress the display of that “i” on that initial section page? Thank you!

mikekaganski · July 9, 2018, 10:09am

Uncheck Same content on first page on Header tab on section 2 page style

RGB-es · July 8, 2018, 11:17am

Page formatting is controlled by page styles. Yo need to create as many page styles as different numbering schemes you need. In your case, four page styles will be enough.

On the style editor (F11) go to page styles and with a right click create new page styles that have the desired formatting. Note that on the “Page” tab you can also define what kind of numbering is used. You’ll need to create headers and footers for all those page styles.

On the “General” tab for each page style be sure that the “following” style is the same style you created.

There are two ways to apply different page styles. The first one is just editing the page break and selecting the page style. There you can also choose to restart numbering. The second method is to associate a page break with change of page style to the paragraph style you use for your headings (for example, “Heading 1”): you can do that on the “text flow” tab.

More info here:

[Tutorial] Page styles and headers/footers

[Tutorial] Page numbering

emmodad · July 8, 2018, 11:57pm

I’m not sure of best way to provide follow-on question (don’t know if Answering parties are informed of my comment if I comment my own question, or if their Answer receives a comment), so thank you! RGB-es, Mike, ajlittoz; trying to absorb your info. Q1: is there impact that I already have a few locations of Insert > Page Break? Q2: Is there a way Style Editor to create a new Page Style by duplicating (cloning?) Default Style, then giving the clone a new name, and edit its properties? thanks.