Perhaps I’ve missed this in my reading of the documentation: I’d like to create a style containing a specification for columns (number of cols, width, etc), to be applied to a section. I would use sections with this style applied, to create consistent column layout in more than one place in my document. Can this be done, or is there a better way?
Unfortunately, sections can’t be controlled by styles. This is a shortcoming I personally regret.
It depends on your use of sections.
If your sections extend over several pages and start at top of page (acting as a “large” subdivision of your document), you can use a dedicated page style.
On the contrary, if your sections cover only a small part of a page (e.g. you have a full-width heading followed by n-column argumentation, then again heading + n-column), there is no solution.
@PeterPayzant
As a workaround you can set the sections into AutoText.
Restriction: If the page margins remain constantly with the same values the columns will spread as in the original.
To create a section AutoText you have to include an empty paragraph before the section, then select this paragraph and the desired section and create the AutoText.
After saving the AutoText can be used in other or new documents as well.
@Grantler: I always forget AutoText usefulness, though I use the feature a lot. Thanks for drawing back my attention on it.