Trouble with Navigation on LibreOffice Writer

[DenisArthur]

Hello, I am trying to add headings into a large document to help me navigate my way around it. I have added numerous headings. I did this by adding text at the start of each section I wanted to Navigate to and changing the default style to “Heading”.

but when I open the Navigate panel, it doesn’t show me the different headings that I have added, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to get it to do this, no matter what I try. If anybody can tell me an obvious thing I may be doing wrong, or suggest another way to help me nagivate around this document, I would be very grateful.

I am using LibreOffice version 4.3.5.2 on Mac OS High Sierra version 10.13.6

[ajlittoz]

Please edit your question (don’t start a conversation at this stage; this will help keep the topic tidy) to describe how you added “headings”. Headings are recognised as such by Writer when the heading paragraphs have been assigned one of the Heading n paragraph styles, with n=1 for chapter, 2 for sub-chapter, etc.

As usual, mention your LO version and OS name; this helps giving more relevant answers.

[GNK]

CREATE HEADING:
select the text to be defined as a Heading > right click > select ‘paragraph’ > select style from list, or edit style

NAVIGATOR:
open the side panel > select the navigator button > any defined HEADINGS and other items now shown in list > double click item to jump-to it …

[DenisArthur]

Thank you GNK but the Navigator panel isn’t showing me any defined HEADINGS when I open it. That’s exactly the problem! Thank you

[GNK]

(on LO6/LO7) open empty writter doc > menu:view > navigator … headings section (even with non created) should be visible? … will need others to confirm these steps for old versions of LO
Good Luck

[DenisArthur]

Thank you, by doing this I’ve managed to insert headers into a new document. I don’t seem to be able to use it to add headers into an existing document though, and I’m not sure why. Possibly because the old document is saved as .docx (but should that make any difference?)

The only solution I can see is to cut & paste everything from my old document into a completely new document, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid having to do! but thank you for your help anyway

[ajlittoz]

.docx is an excellent reason for many features not to work. Unless you have an extremely good reason, save native (.odt). If in need to send to a recipient, convert .docx only when you’re done with writing and formatting your document. And even so, you can send .odt as M$ Word claims to be able to read it.