Page number offset value problem?

[yaakwilson]

Using 5.2.6.2 on win10 - 32GB RAM - several writer files to be published as a book - page number field in the footer. 3rd file 53MB - page offset 313 worked. 4th file offset page # value of 106 footer displays 107 - at 107 displays is a blank space Need to offset at 411 so first page displays 412. The file is 23MB. Both documents use “default” page style - but they differ:
File 3:
11.0 inch + From top 0.07 inch, From bottom 0.5 inch + Header + Footer + No grid +Text
direction left-to-right (horizontal) + Page Description: Arabic, Portrait, Mirrored + Default Style +
Not register-true
File 4:
11.0 inch + From top 0.07 inch, From bottom 0.5 inch + Header + Footer + No grid +Text
direction left-to-right (horizontal) + None + Transparency: 0% + Page Description: Arabic, Portrait
Mirrored + Default Style + Not register-true

After so far finding no differences in Footer, Page Number, Field values I’m stumped. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Well except to use MS Word.

[ajlittoz]

Discrepancies in page numbering usually come from unexpected (read: disregarded or inadvertantly set) page breaks on paragraphs, either manually forced or defined in paragraph styles. You should check the parameters for the paragraphs on the first pages of your files. Eventually, Format → Clear direct formatting or Cntl M after selecting the first page to see if it makes a difference (note: you will lose all manually added formatting, just do not save the file if you don’t want to make it permanent).

When I am in such a use case (book composed of chapters written as independent files), I prefer to use a master document referencing the files. It has several advantages, amongst others:.

• you can easily reorder your chapters without trouble (see below about page numbering)
• since all your files are “glued” together by the master document, page numbering is automatically sequential and you do not need to offset it at the beginning of the file, or rather, you must not do it, except for TOC or index
• styles are guaranteed to be uniform because those of the master document override the corresponding ones in individual files

Read the chapter in the Writer Manual to evaluate how you can benefit from it and eventually how you can adapt your work to this feature.

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