Numbering pages without use of a header/footer

[ArminasAnarchy]

Hi all,

I’m having some problems numbering pages in Writer in Version: 5.1.1.3. I’m currently running Xubuntu 16.04 (pre-release), and it’s the build available from the repositories (Build ID: 1:5.1.1-0ubuntu3). The stylistic guidelines I have to follow require me to have a front page, a title page, a contents page, and then for the document to begin.

How would I be able to number my pages? Manual solutions would also be considered (the document is < 30 pages, so it wouldn’t be too much of a pain).

The page numbers need to be shown somewhere on the page (I’ll accept just about anywhere!), and since the work is going to be bound, I quite like the idea of alternating it between the upper left/right corners. I also need my contents numbering, but if the worse comes to the worst, I can do this manually also.

So far I’ve tried:

• removing the front page from the count by setting it as the first page. However, I can’t do this on multiple pages.
• trying to find a way to exempt some pages from the header/footer - apparently this can’t be done.
• Footnotes - with the idea it would create a dedicated section at the bottom of the page, but obviously then I need to have superscript numbers in the text also, which I don’t want.
• adding an offset of -3, but then numbering starts at 0 instead of 1.

Note 1: I also need to insert other fields, eg my name and a shortened title into the headers, so this problem extends past numbering too.
Note 2: It’s an academic piece of work, so there are already many fields etc to keep track of, as I’m using Zotero to manage the bibliography.

[oweng]

I have written a basic page style / numbering guide in this question. Perhaps I am not understanding correctly but I do not see why a header / footer area is prohibited? I would:

1. Turn on the header / footer in the contents page style;
2. Insert a frame (Insert > Frame);
3. Position this frame where required on the page;
4. Insert a page number field into this frame.

[ArminasAnarchy]

The document is for an undergraduate dissertation. The current layout (which I can’t change, because we have to follow a particular style guide) is: (1) front page with title, then (2) another title page (stupid, I know) inc. some info stating my degree, name, student number etc. (3) contents, then (4) start of document proper. Obviously, it makes no sense for any pages up to and including the contents page to be numbered - so I only want numbered pages from the contents onwards.

[ArminasAnarchy]

I tried the offsetting by -3 (the first 3 sections are only a page each) in the ‘page number’ field but then that causes my first page (i.e. the one after the contents page) I want to be numbered as 0, and I want it to start at 1.I can’t use headers and footers since I can only add one ‘first page’ header/footer (right?), and I want the first three pages to be unnumbered with no header/footer.

[ArminasAnarchy]

Final comment: just tried entering the frames, they work (though the black lines surrounding them don’t look right), but it’s too fiddly. Positioning each one so it’s only the size of the number, and then having to do that for every page (there are 25 which need numbering, and that might increase) is too time consuming.

[oweng]

I still do not follow. While head/foot areas are an aspect of layout, unless they contain something, they are invisible.They are also configurable and so can be made very small (effectively not take space away from the text block). The frame border can be removed by editing the frame properties, thus result in a floating page number. A frame anchored in the head/foot area will repeat.

[ArminasAnarchy]

Yes, I know - but content in any single one means it’s duplicated for all pages, right? And although I can exempt the first page I can’t exempt the others from being headed/footed. I think ajlittoz’s suggestion might be a good one though - I don’t fully grasp how the page styles work but if I can set each page to a specific custom style (where I could exempt the header/footer) that would be helpful. I’ll start by having a look at the manual.

[ArminasAnarchy]

Layout: Front page (unnumbered, without any header/footer info);
Title page (unnumbered, but with header info stating name and an abbreviated title);
Contents page (unnumbered, but with header info stating name and an abbreviated title);
Body of text with various headings (Acknowledgements, Intro, Method (subsections: design, apparatus, participants, procedure), Results, Discussion, References, Appendices (probably about 6)), all of which need numbered and with the other header/footer info.

[oweng]

but content in any single one means it’s duplicated for all pages, right? And although I can exempt the first page I can’t exempt the others from being headed/footed.

You need to use different page styles. The leading pages use a style with no head/foot then (at the required page) change the page style to the one with a head/foot. Different page style head/foot areas are not linked unless explicitly defined as such. I will see if I can mock up something and attach it to my answer.

[ajlittoz]

Clearly, your document contains several parts: front, title, Toc, body. Each part is laid out by a specific “page style” you can configure as you like. Each “page style” has its own independent [from each other] header/footer allowing you to set or omit header/footer containing or not page number. There is a check box in “page style” format definition for restarting page number at any custom value (1 in your case).

Read the manual about style and formatting for details. Try to see if your institution does not provide a template with the required pages (and more, like paragraph styles).

[ArminasAnarchy]

Hi, thanks for this. I’ve got other work due in during the next week so it’ll be a while before I can have a look - but will get back to you ASAP. I was hoping for something a little bit like in Impress, where you have a slide viewer and each slide can be set to its own design/format. It sounds like this might enable me to do that. I’ve clarified my layout in a comment under owengs answer - do you still think this is feasible? Will I be able to copy/paste already typed text into each page style?

[ajlittoz]

When you start thinking in design terms, you already get your page style (PS) definitions. From your description: 1 PS for Front Pg, 1 for Title Pg (these 2 may eventually be merged), 1 for Contents, 1 for Body. Body text (content) will consist of several chapters (starting with a Heading 1 paragraph). If you use fields in the header/footer, the header title can be automatically synchronised with the latest Header 1 content.

Copy/Paste is a matter of text, not layout, therefore always possible.