How do I change section names in a header -- without a page break?

[Z300M]

Almost thirty years ago, using WordPerfect for DOS, i submitted camera-ready copy of my dissertation to a publisher. I no longer remember whether the “house style” required chapter titles in the left-page header and section names in the right-page header, but that is what I did.

Those files were then “upgraded” to WordPerfect 6 format, and I have now imported them into LibreOffice Writer 4.4 (English, on Linux Mint) and am trying to maintain the same arrangement, but so far without success. I have discovered how to change the header text part-way through a document, but only by inserting a page break, which I do not want. Further, on that new page, the new section heading is at the top of the page – let’s call it “Section Two” – but the header on that page still has the previous section heading: “Section One,” which makes no sense at all.

How do I get LibreOffice Writer to do what I want? It was so easy in WordPerfect.

[Beizerno]

To do that, you have to insert fields in your header.

First, be sure the paragraphs of your chapter titles and section names have a “Heading” style. The “fields” you will put as header will automatically recognize “Heading 1” (for main chapters), “Heading 2” (for 2nd level sections), “Heading 3” etc.

1- Format the header for your page style

• Go to Format → Page (or double-click the page style in status bar below)
• Click the Header tab
• Uncheck “Same content left-right”
• OK

2- Set Field for chapter title

• Go to a left-page and put the cursor in the header space
• Go to Insert → Fields → More Fields (CTRL+F2)
• In Type column, choose “Chapter”
• In Format, choose the option you wish: “Chapter name” or “Chapter number and name”
• Insert
• You may let the Fields window opened

3- Set Field for section name

• Put the cursor in the header space of a right-page
• Go back to Fields window
• In Type column, choose “Chapter”
• In Format, choose the option you wish: “Chapter name” or “Chapter number and name”
• Below, choose level of the section you wish to display (usually Level 2)
• Close Fields window

Hope that will do what you want.

[AlexKemp]

It was so easy in WordPerfect.

The short answer is:- then you were young & pliant, whilst now you’re old & cranky. Ah well. Welcome to the club.