Simpler to use alternative?

[rafal2]

I’ve seen few topics like this (Can I get a simple word processor instead of this?) and it got 0 answers, that are actually answers to question.

Now I have same problem, so I’m asking same question. Is there simpler alternative of word processor, that I could use? It have to support imports from .odt/.docx formats, but on other hand it shouldn’t have nearly as many features.

I’ve read post on quora, in which someone claimed that using word processor sporadically to edit some simple files - is like driving big truck to buy few vegetables in nearby shop, and I very much agree with this, however I do not know any alternative to these complicated word processors (MS word,LO writer) - so what am I supposed to do if I just don’t want use them anymore.

*small rant*
I probably used word processor first time when I was like 7, or so. Much later in my life I learned several programing languages and how to use gimp, inkscape, more and more other complex programs, but I still don’t even know where to look if (in word-processor) I see something that is not quite working.

I mean - sure - It’s … easy to start with, or to do simple things, like write few leters, if you don’t mind default formatting, but changing *something that boggles me* to *something, that work exactly as I want it to* is nearly impossible most of the times that I try.
And now I even remember exporting to .pdf → using vector graphic editor to fix things that were just un-fixable (by unskilled “me”) in any word processor.

*small idea for one of many problems*
Let me modify table of indentations, instead of making 100 differently called conditional indentations, that are in 50 different places in settings - like: paragraph, first line indention, headers, footers, spacing between lines, spacing between leters… These are just conditional white rectangles that are exactly same and don’t need to be described in 50 different places. Put all possible indentations in table with “friendly_name_of_THIS_SPECIFIC_indentation/offset” columns and bam, that’s simple and predictable way to format text.
My problems aren’t actually only about spacing, but today I got turned on by that specifically.

[EarnestAl]

You sound as though you have used Word and found it very difficult to do what you want. You have then applied that same method (possibly too rational a word for using Word) to LibreOffice.
LibreOffice, once set up, means you don’t need to go changing things. The best bit is that the defaults already do what you want.
Don’t go changing indentations randomly as Word encourages, there is sub-style of Text Body that already has indentation set. If at the end of the document you decide the indentation should be bigger, just change it once in the style. Don’t like the font? Just change it in once in Default Paragraph style and all the children of that style, from Text Body down, will change to reflect your new choice.
Most writing I do in LibreOffice starts from one of a few templates that I set up; I don’t need to change any of the layout, it happens automatically.
The Writer Guide in documentation has a chapter on styles that might help.
If you want to delve a little deeper then Designing with LibreOffice (free to download) explains how styles can really allow you to concentrate on writing.

[Wanderer]

At first: Would you go to GeneralMotors, Chrysler etc. and ask then to recommend a car different from the ones they sell.
So this may be the wrong place to ask.

Then you give an impossible condition:

Is there simpler alternative of word processor, that I could use? It have to support imports from .odt/.docx formats, but on other hand it shouldn’t have nearly as many features.

The problem is your program then has to understand two complex word-processing systems, without using it… It is quite easy to export-to, but import is a real difficult task. And for docx it is said you have to re-program MS-Office, as it is in some parts just documented Evolution (and some parts are not even documented).

[Hrbrgr]

…so what am I supposed to do if I just don’t want use them anymore.

In any case, do not ask here on this website.
There are only answers about LibreOffice, at least that’s the title of the AskLibreOffice page.

It’s not our job to convince you, you should definitely use LibreOffice.
But if you decide that you want to use LibreOffice and have questions about it, then you are completely right here.

Once you get through a tolerable learning level with LibreOffice, I think you won’t want to do without it.

Be brave.

[rafal2]

Thanks for comments. The main problem with complex program is - it is very hard task to edit document that I received from someone else, using complex things that I have no idea about. Problem is even worse if it is in .docx. Importing from other format is hard, I know, but after import I have to do one or two “arbitrary” indentations, because I don’t know what conversion error caused my text to shift so that it’s already on 2 pages instead on one. I don’t want to rant compatibility, bless libre office for actually giving option to import documents of competitor, but … reading is really most that I can do with file imported as such, trying to repair what is not working with converted document - is just a mess.

Thing is - I mostly need to edit formated-by-someone documents. People tend to use MS Word… kinda often, whether I like it or not. If I was to create document I would much rather prefer using calc, or even plain text editors, because of how much I don’t like “word processors”, but unfortunately others force me to use it from time to time, because… again - people tend to use these over-complicated programs and even worse - some web-sites expect me to send file in one of these formats.

There really should exist just some simpler data format to store data from such documents. And simpler to use program following it.

I think for now whenever I need to edit it, I can just try converting document->.pdf->vector graphics… This workaround is really decent, as vector graphics formats support actual text, similarly to pdf so it’s not like I have to copy-paste single character glyphs.

[Villeroy]

A simpler program such as would remove all the complex things from your shoulders but from the document as well…

[rafal2]

As long as it would be displayed properly I would be fine with *such hypothetical program* achieveing it in much more primitive way. I could even add text field on top of image of this document (damn, that’s what I’m actually going to do!)

Libre office can’t even import word document so that it is looking exactly same way. (to be fair Word can’t import office’s document too. I’m not agitating for it).

[EarnestAl]

Microsoft’s goal is to hide anything potentially complex; you should use that.
You definitely will not be able to do the job properly, but that is just an accepted drawback of Word.

[rafal2]

I hate MS and their policy of making “default software, that everyone else will HAVE to use, because of compatibility issues”… But there’s nothing really we can do about it then not use it. Still other people will send me .docx files, so I just wish libre office will get better at interpreting them over time.

[EarnestAl]

LibreOffice will never be 100% compatible due to fundamental differences in philosophy. See Tutorial: Differences between Microsoft and AOO/LO files