Modified template, gives "Update styles" dialog, header disappears

[dajare]

I have an odd problem: when I have a document:

• based on a template with no header on “First Page” via style,
• but with a running header on the rest of the document,
• and the template is modified, so that on a subsequent re-open I get the “modified template - do you want to update style” dialog,
• and I click “Update styles”,
• THEN my original running header goes missing (deactivated, no more header text).

I have logged this as a bug at fdo#66091 but the initial commenter cannot reproduce.

Are any AskLibO types able to confirm (or not) this small glitch? (If you do have a moment to check this, perhaps try the steps in comment #2 first.) Thanks for any checking!

[oweng]

David, there are a lot of different ways in which you could be experiencing this problem. Nearly all relate to workflow and how the template / document are defined, in particular the page styles. I will have a go at reproducing the problem. These are the explicit steps, expanded out for clarity, that I took. When reporting a bug it is very important to use this level of detail so that others can reproduce your problem (I had a bit of difficulty following your bug descriptions):

Create template

1. Open Writer (new document).
2. Insert 15 paragraphs of filler text. The generated HTML uses a blank line to indicate a paragraph break (thus there are more actual paragraphs), but the general point is made.
3. Assign First Page page style to the first page.
4. Create a new Body page style, based of the Default Style page style. Ensure this page style has both header and footer turned on (default values are used).
5. Modify the First Page page style > Organizer tab > set Next Style to “Body”.
6. Click on second page to confirm it is using the Body page style (it is).
7. Insert header / footer text, date / page number fields on the second page (Body).
8. File > Save As Temaplte… > Save > “mydoc” > Accept.
9. Close Writer (without saving).

Create document based on template

1. Open LibreOffice (Start Centre).
2. Templates… > double-click “mydoc” template.
3. File > Save As… > “adoc.odt”.
4. Close Writer.

Edit template

1. Open LibreOffice (Start Centre).
2. Templates… > select “mydoc” template > click Edit.
3. File > Properties… > Description tab > cut “mydoc” from Title field and paste into Comment field. (This is taken from your comment #2 in the bug report.)
4. File > Save.
5. Close Writer.

Test for document problems

1. Open “adoc.odt”.
2. Click Update Styles button.
3. Document displays as before.
4. Close Writer (confirm save).
5. Re-open “adoc.odt” to re-confirm.
6. No warning (as expected) and again header / footer detail is as expected.

Here are the related files (rename from ODT to ZIP). I suspect that any problem you are experiencing stems from the way in which you have defined, applied, or associated the various page styles. If you are using the Default Style page style or you have not explicitly set the relationship between the first and subsequent pages (either as shown or via a hard break), you may experience problems. I think your bug may be able to be RESOLVED as NOTABUG but will leave you to confirm / do this. It could be a PPA-specific issue.

[dajare]

Many thanks, @oweng - helpful on several levels! Composed a reply, but far too long for Askbot comment box (and not an “answer”), so will fill out at fdo#66091. Summary: (1) yes, NOTABUG; (2) but user input text should not disappear from header/footer when template is modified (which it does). Thanks again!

[dajare]

What I would have put as a “comment” here, if I could, is now here: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=66091#c8

[oweng]

I can understand your frustration David. It does sound like you may have found an edge case that could be considered a bug. Essentially it is NOTABUG if others cannot reproduce the problem. This however does not mean it is not a bug. If you provide explicit steps that can clearly demonstrate the problem, then it will be considered as a bug and looked at. As I indicated, this issue likely relates to how page styles are treated / applied.

[dajare]

Thanks for that, oweng. I’m going to have to leave this for the moment, as other things are pressing (and travel away from computers and internet among them). Grateful, as ever, for the illumination you provide. If others can’t duplicate this, it must be something peculiar to my workflow or my computing environment. I’ll check again on other comps/platforms as I’m able.