I have a writer document that I want to look like this:
My problem is that the 2. thing line becomes 1. thing, and if I choose the option that’s called “continue numbering”, I get a dot from the line above it (which has a different indent level, so I don’t know why it counts it).
How do I convince the numbering that it should be 2 in the above nested list?
I’m using LibreOffice 7.1.5.2
I assume you did a lot of manual formatting on your file. I guess that you format your list with the toolbar button (not with a dedicated list style).
What you show is in fact a single multi-level list, not an outer numbered list with inner independent bullet lists. This is the key point.
In Writer all lists are multi-level.
In your case level 1 is numbered. Type your list item text as usual after having pressed the numbered list button.
Press Enter to finish your level-1 item. Immediately press Tab to promote the new paragraph (item) to level-2. Don’t worry for the numbering; it will be fixed later. Type the item text. Press Enter. You are still at level 2.
When you want to revert to level-1, press Shift+Tab after Enter and before typing item text. The number will be the next one for this level, as expected.
When you’re done typing the list, put the cursor anywhere in the list and Format>Bullets & Numbering, Customize tab.
Select level 2 and set Number to Bullets. You can even choose which character to use as a bullet with Character Select. Indentation is tuned in Position tab.
Formatting customisation may also be done prior to list entry.
A more advanced procedure is to define your own list style for list appearance and optionally to associate it with a paragraph style so that everything is automated: you then only need to style the list item and the rest is automatically added.
Thank you! Now I know how to write a new list using shortcuts (although I’m unsure why the buttons wouldn’t work in this case, and also, I have zero manual formatting so far, I’ve only used the built-in styles).
However, I omitted that I already have all the text for my lists. Do you know how I should go about it then?
This is what I’m doing right now:
Doing so is pure manual formatting. Using toolbar buttons is not at all the same as using [built-in or user] styles.
Every time you press on a button, you create a new list. This means you have seven one-item lists! in addition, I am not sure that pressing the “increase indent” button is strictly equivalent to the Tab/Shift+Tab` at head of a list item.
Once you have turned your first item into a list item, type all your items in sequence without pressing again any button in the toolbar. This guarantees that all items form a single list. You can press Tab/Shift+Tab at head of items to structure your list. This does not break the list. But, never press the bullet/number toolbar button because this will create new independent lists.
Use Format>Bullets & Numbering before or after your list entry to customise your list structure. Iy you do it after list entry, make sure the cursor is inside the list so that Writer knows to which list the settings apply.
Ouch. That is very bad usability! I’m not sure if I’m allowed to upload a video how Microsoft Office works, but it automatically recognizes what I’m trying to do and the above interaction I showed not only works, but requires less clicks.
Is there a proper way to report this? It’s not reasonable that a user should have to learn shortcuts just to perform basic functionality!
Again, sorry if my additional explanation was unclear, but I already have all text. I’m not typing anything. It’s pasted from a text file and just needs formatting.
Thank you for the tip about formatting. I found the option to start the numbering with a different number, so I’m using that right now, but it’s not really flexible and won’t update automatically…
Here’s another really bad user experience with trying to fix the lists:
Writer is not Word and does not pretend to be a drop-in replacement. IMHO, Word has many shortcomings when it comes to automatic updates and flexibility. Writer is based on different principles and has pushed the notion of styles far beyond Word is capable.
Word only has paragraph styles. Everything else must be done manually (direct formatting), hence the procedure you illustrate.
Writer provides paragraph, character, page, frame and list styles. The latter is badly named because it only describes the bullet/number configuration.
With proper style(s) configuration, what you want to achieve only needs:
pasting the list text (I’d recommend pasting unformatted so that “styling” from other applications don’t mess up Writer job)
selecting this pasted text and assigning it your paragraph style (containing all the general formatting properties) – usually a double-click
This paragraph style has been previously associated with a list style to define the bullet/number and list structure.
eventually press Tab to change item level
I don’t think you can do with fewer clicks. Note that the paragraph style assignment is done only once on the full list.
And you have flexibility: to change the list appearance, you tune the list style and optionally the paragraph style. The changes will be “magically” forwarded to all lists formatted with said paragraph style.
But if you want it to work, don’t direct format. Direct formatting has been provided to ease transition from Word workflow to Writer workflow so that newbies get quick results without the need to learn styles. But this is not the right way of using Writer.
With styles (and exclusively styles), writing professional-looking documents is a treat.