Master document and heading numbering

Hecatte · February 2, 2024, 4:54pm

Hi everyone,

I’ve been really struggling with headings numbering inside a master document lately and I can’t find an easy way to manage all this.
I’m providing a simple case of my problem attached: a Master document named master_test.odm, and 2 odt files I’m including inside the Master. I would like the second_part heading numbering to continue smoothly the first part one, but instead they’re going crazy like this:

1 First part
  1.1 First sub part
  a. foo
  b. bar
    1.2.1 baz1
    1.2.2 baz2

Q1: Why is it switching to letters all of a sudden ?
Q2 (bonus): Where does the page break come from when I update the master ?

I thought that, as I’ve read somewhere on this forum, the Master styles would overwrite the ones having the same name in the sub parts. But maybe I’m confusing styles with heading numbering ?
More info about my documents:

The heading numbering settings are consistent in all parts, looking like 1.1.1.1 Heading x (there, x would be 4)
I didn’t use any direct formatting
I’m using LO basic styles

Finally, I’m using LO 7.6 on an Ubuntu20 system.

Thanks a lot !
first_part.odt (20.5 KB)
master_test.odm (17.2 KB)
second_part.odt (15.6 KB)

ajlittoz · February 2, 2024, 5:31pm

You may not have voluntarily direct formatted your document but its is cr0wded with it. You document was originally created with Word, as can be told from the numerous ListLabel99 character styles and WWNum99 list styles.

List numbering is the domain where Word and Writer differ most. Tampering with numbering in Word has catastrophic effects on the translation to ODF, adding direct formatting to a feature not well defined in Word which has no notion of list styles.

In your second part, “foo” and “bar” have their auto-number overridden by WWNum3; similarly “baz1” and “baz 2” with WWNum11.

Your master has a different definition for WWNum3 (and it is bizarre). This version is used as you correctly assumed, displaying letters. Here, for “baz1” and “baz 2”, I have 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 which is to be expected, considering the effective formatting.

Once the direct formatting is remove in the second part (and this is tricky because it is applied over a list style and, worse, the Heading Numbering “system” internal style), everything reverts to “normal”.

IMHO, if you want to succeed in tuning your document layout and formatting, you should start by scrubbing your originals from all (invisible) Word fossils, then style your document methodically without any direct formatting. You can do this by pasting the contents of your master and sub-documents as unformatted text in blank documents. For your peace of mind, use only styles. Dirct formatting always plays nasty tricks on your back, even such inconspicuous and innocent-looking “decoration” as Ctrl+I for italics. Prefer character style Emphasis.