What is best option for a box with text that will be converted to Word?

[catbill]

I need to make some boxes with text in them. The document will need to be shared as a Word file.

I want to be able to use styles, include a background color, and have the boxes flow with the text without wrapping.

Using frames seemed to work but the next time I opened the document, the text was no longer in the frames. Then I noticed that the document was saved as a .docx document. Could that have caused any problems?

Before wasting more time, I would deeply appreciate some advice about the best way to accomplish what I want.
I am hoping that replies can help me understand under what conditions it would be appropriate to make a box with text using:

a frame
a text box
or even one cell of a
table

Thank you.

[Kruno]

Hardly anyone can answer this question as it depends on how you plan to format content in frames and in which file format you plan to save document. I would suggest you go with doc instead docx and you try to keep formating at minimum. Text missing from frames probably is due to docx file format opened in Writer but you need to figure that on your own by trial-and-error. Frames are supported but one can report to you that it works fine, but then you format your frame slightly differently and it all breaks down.

Your best bet is to share your documents in odt as newer version of Word can read that. But keep it simple anyway.

[mikekaganski]

Also, don’t work with your data saved to DOC(X). Use ODT for your work, and only export to DOC(X) when required to share. This helps to avoid problems on DOC(X) import, that may add to problems with export.

[catbill]

Kruno, You may not have meant it but you seem to be criticizing my question. I am trying to learn about this and don’t know how to be more specific about formatting. I don’t know what aspects of formatting would be relevant. Are there certain types of formatting that should not be used? If so, what are they? I did not have a plan for how to save the file other than that it needs to be shared with Word users. That is what I was asking about.

[catbill]

In my experience, people still have problems with ODT files in Word. They must be working with older versions. I think I will just send files in both formats and they can use what works.

[Kruno]

Criticizing wasn’t my intention. Sorry for that. What I tried to say is that your problem is not documented in way you expected to be so nobody can really know. Results depends on LO’s export and import filters and the same applies to Word. That’s file format side of things, then you have problems with formating as not all are supported the same way. Add that to filters problem and you got yourself unpredictable situation where you (and nobody else) could be hundred percent certain about results