Import chapters as SECTIONS -- as linked documents... AND keep their headers

[jepe1]

hi,

I’d like to import several chapters into a document (as sections – as linked documents)

and I’d like their headers’ contents to remain what they have when I open them (those documents) independently…
those headers would be fixed, not fields

. . .

also, I’d like to have several “first pages”, like internal title / chapter title pages…
without headers…

I’m not sure if this even works with Libreoffice…
although I guess it should…
cause a book works like that…

so, any advice, any solution, any direction I’d greatly appreciate
I’m working my way through this problem for the first time

peter

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PS Nov 29, '22:
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okay, the “problem” I’m trying to find a solution to:

you have subdocuments that you link into your master document (in my case, a normal document, which makes no difference that I know of), and they are chapters, starting with a “heading 1” style line…

NOTE:
and the text is NOT ready and fixed yet… all text is being edited in all chapters…

So, let’s say, you have chapter #1, and it has 3 different (not the same) headers…

one for first page
one for even pages
one for odd pages

and in those 12 pages, those headers look as you want them…
you have entered the text manually, for 3 pages, page 1, page 2, page 3…

but as soon as you import this document into the main document (or master document),
the headers will be blanked out…

and this makes sense, of course…
just like it does that when you import a document, all styles in it will be overwritten by the master document’s styles of the same names…

it does make sense…
BUT… it’s not what we will want in many cases!

so, first, I’d like to find a workaround…
then, later on, I’d like to work up a suggestion that can offer this functionality…

and of course, I cannot be sure that my approach is even good…
this is why I’d be happy with any suggestion

thanks very much in advance…

[EarnestAl]

You might like to read Help on master documents

Also, there is more structured explanations in the Writer Guide downloadable from the web page English documentation | LibreOffice Documentation - Your documentation for LibreOffice . Cheers, Al

[jepe1]

hi,
of course it is a good idea to consult the help files / documentation…
but I consider myself an advanced user… of Writer – no offense

but in any case, the “help on master documents” contains only some introductory info, useful probably only hen someone starts reading about it for the first time…

as to my problem with page header contents throughout several linked documents, this help-page has no relevance…

unfortunately, there are several low quality ask-libreoffice pages…
such as this one: how do i setup to write my novel
which uninspires askers, as well as answerers…

the LO documentation is amazing, really, incredible…
a 470 pages long book for Writer only!!!
totally first class!

BUT…
writing / editing a book is a complex practice…
and perhaps this deserves an entire chapter in the Writer book…
or perhaps, a book on its own
I think I’d like to take part in such a work… as a matter of fact

now, I’ll go and extend my OP / OQ …
thanks anyway!

Peter

[EarnestAl]

When I linked to the Help page, it was for the basic overview. As you did not use the phrase Master Document, I wasn’t sure if you knew of its existence. Like all help pages, the information is a bit disjointed but there are links to further information. I prefer a more structured approach so I suggested the Writer Guide. It is up to you to choose what you prefer. You might also look at the structure of the Writer guide odt version and the rules on how to contribute, it might prove helpful. The Writer Guide is collaborative so there is enforcement of styles, etc.
For a brief but relevant view of Master documents there are a few pages on it in the excellent book, Designing with LibreOffice.
The assistance from LibreOffice is intended to help you use LibreOffice; for more specific advice on book writing you should look further afield.

[jepe1]

Look, when you linked the help page, from my perspective, you played the bizarre game
that is unfortunately a daily reality – I’ve seen topics like how to write a book in LO, and the answer was type… and keep typing… and it is not the answerers’ fault by all means

I hadn’t used the phrase “master-document”, sure, but I had used “sections” and “linked documents”…

in any case, no hard feelings whatsoever…

but my question is still here
we should talk about that

[anon87010807]

If you use static text in your headers instead of fields, you will need uniquely named page styles for each inserted document. ‘First pages’ for title pages and things like that also require their own page styles, one page style for each first page if those first pages have their own headers and/or footers. If they have none, you can get along with one page style for the lot.

[jepe1]

thank you very much!

I think it can be a sane conclusion: fields work better, fields work fine, under control, whereas static page headers unleash “manual editing”…

thank you for giving a clear view on this !!

Peter

[anon87010807]

thank you very much!

I think it can be a sane conclusion: fields work better, fields work fine, under control, whereas static page headers unleash “manual editing”…

thank you for giving a clear view on this !!

Peter

Actually, I didn’t “give my clear view” on opting for fields or static text in headers. I definitely think that you will save a lot of time by using fields, unless you want to have very different kinds of things in headers than you’d normally want. If all you want is chapter titles and numbers in the header, you only need a single page style, with header enabled, and a chapter title (and number) field, then use a heading paragraph style for your chapter titles, then you can link as many documents as you like and all will be fine. Please note that when I found that trick years ago, I felt that was one thing where OpenOffice really beat MS Word (with separate sections and chapter titles as static text) into the dust.