Using hidden text from "Font Effects" in "Character" menu [Solved]

[ralf]

Hello to everybody,
I’m a long time user of this office suite (since Staroffice). Now, I’m using the following LO:
Version: 24.2.5.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 420(Build:2)
CPU threads: 8; OS: Linux 6.5; UI render: default; VCL: kf5 (cairo+xcb)
Locale: pt-BR (pt_BR.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Ubuntu package version: 4:24.2.5~rc2-0ubuntu0.22.04.1~lo1
Calc: threaded

I have an template for an written exam, with two different paragraphs formats, one as question and another as answer. In order to print this exam I’d modified the answer paragraph by clicking the “hidden text” box mark in the above mentioned menu. The usual result was that the space used by the hidden disappeared and the remaining text behaved as there was not a text or formatting from the hidden style in between each remaining paragraph. So the text looked as a normal continuum between remaining paragraphs.
Now if I do the same the text with the “answer” style disappears but the space between paragraphs remains as if there still is an empty paragraph there. Is this the new behavior for hidden text command? or is this a bug for this version. If this is a new behavior it’s a bummer, because I will need to modify all my templates with such a formatting. Can anyone give me a light in this behavior?

[ajlittoz]

This is not at all a “new behaviour”. The attribute Hidden Text means the text does not exist. Therefore it uses no space at all. Either you applied Hidden Text as a character style or through the implicit associated “character style” of the paragraph style. In the former case, the paragraph mark is not hidden and you get an empty paragraph using spacing above+below and one line height. In the latter case, everything in the paragraph is ignored and no space is consumed.

Now to achieve your goal, it all depends on what you do with your document. If you distribute it in printed or PDF form, there is an easy trick. If you distribute it as an .odt, nothing can be done because recipients can access your hidden text.

The trick is to set text colour the same as your background. For example, if your page background is white (usual case), go to Font Effects tab of your “answer” paragraph style and set Font color to white.

Your text is no longer ignored because it is not hidden but prints white over white.

This trick is called steganography.

PS: When I read I will need to modify all my templates, I suspect your "templates are not .ott documents but ordinary .odt ones you use as initial values. With smart template management, you only need to modify one style in the template and all dependent documents are automatically updated next time you open them.

[Grantler]

@ajlittoz

Either you applied Hidden Text as a character style or through the implicit associated “character style” of the paragraph style. In the former case, the paragraph mark is not hidden and you get an empty paragraph using spacing above+below and one line height.

I cannot confirm this statement.
I style formatted (character style - each character of a paragraph; paragraph style) differently and no space instead of the hidden characters or paragraph was displayed.

@ralf

The usual result was that the space used by the hidden disappeared and the remaining text behaved as there was not a text or formatting from the hidden style in between each remaining paragraph. So the text looked as a normal continuum between remaining [question] paragraphs.

Same result on my machine.


Version: 24.2.4.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 51a6219feb6075d9a4c46691dcfe0cd9c4fff3c2
CPU threads: 4; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 19045; UI render: Skia/Raster; VCL: win
Locale: de-DE (de_DE); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded


HiddenText.odt (43.4 KB)
HiddenText.pdf (49.9 KB)

[LeroyG]

@ajlittoz

If you distribute it in printed or PDF form

There is no problem with the printed format; but you can copy and paste a white text from a PDF file.

[ajlittoz]

@LeroyG

you can copy and paste a white text from a PDF file

You’re right. I forgot about white text embedded inside the document. Apologies to all.

[ralf]

Thank you for all your answers. Later on I was playing with another text under the same conditions and after applying the hidden text command, I had the behavior described above and by some reason I minimized the window with the text and after opening the window again the text was correct with no space left. After that I tested it in another text with the same configuration and after applying “Hidden text” the text was left, again, with spaces. Then I clicked with the mouse in the middle of the text and LO updated the screen and the formatting was OK. So it seems that there is some lag time or screen update problem on my LO version or linux flavor (KDE neon, latest). But once more thanks for all who answer my question.