Writer: create list where level 1, 2 items are bold

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#1

I am trying to create a numbered list where the items on level 1, 2 are bold. I have read myself into list styles and have managed to format the numbering itself accordingly, but I have not yet understood if it is possible at all, and if so how, I can format the items themselves. Would this involve a different paragraph style at each level of the list? Example of the intended outcome:

1. level one item
1.1 level two item
1.1.1 level three item
1.2 level two item
2 level one item
2.1 level two item
2.1.1 level three item
2.1.2 level three item

#2

As you suspect you need several paragraph styles to do that. Unfortunately there is nothing like Tools>Chapter Numbering to associate a specific paragraph style to a level of your list style.

  • create a specific list style representative of your list
  • create adequate paragraph styles for the formatting variants of the list items (you can customise built-in Numbering n)
    In Outline & List tab, associate these paragraph styles to your list style.

When you need a list item with the formatting defined in a paragraph style, apply this paragraph style.

As already mentioned, contrary to Heading n, there is no automatic level assignment. Consequently, put the cursor at the beginning of the item and press Tab as many times as necessary to set the item at the desired level. Press Shift+Tab to decrement level.

There is no need to create a specific character style for the number/bullet if its formatting is the same as the item.

#3

ok, thanks a lot for the quick reply!

#4

Hi. I’ve the same issue.
I’m trying to create a multilevel list where level 1 items are bold (automatically) and level 2 items are regular character style. I didn’t succeed.
Can you please create and share a simple .odt file with two levels list where level 1 is bold automatically using list style?
Thanks

#5

As I explained previously, this can’t be done automatically because “ordinary” lists have not the same properties as the specialised Heading Numbering list.

I assume you are familiar with styles, at least paragraph and list categories.

You need two paragraph styles: one for the bold items, one for the regular items. Both paragraph styles are associated with the same list style (this is critical otherwise you won’t have a consistent unified list but two independent lists which you’ll be unable to synchronise).

When you enter a list item, you must choose which paragraph style to use. Then you promote the item to the required level with Tab or Shift+Tab.

Sample file as requested: AskLOMultiFormatList.odt (37.5 KB)

#7

Thanks, you can create the file very calmly, I’m not in a hurry.

#8

Thank you for your time.

I basically understood that in a list there is no possibility of removing or adding bold text for the elements at level n, I have to assign a style for every item. What I can do, if necessary, is modify the style assigned to level n by deciding whether it is bold or not, or other options.

A quick question. In your file the list is created as Numbering123. Can you also do the same thing as List1 or List2, etc?

Thank you.

#9

Numbering 123 is a list style, i.e. it deals only with the appearance of the number/bullet and its position over levels.
List 1 is a paragraph style, i.e. it describes the look of item text (essentially font properties and spacing above/below).


A list (item) is implemented by a combination of a paragraph style and a list style. Conceptually, the list style tells to which “logical” list the item belongs.

If you analysed carefully my sample file, you have noticed that the bullet list is styled List 1.

Buikt-in styles List n (and “cousins” List n Start and others) are intended for bullet lists while Numbering n (and others) for numbered lists. However Writer and its developers have no idea about which type of bullet/numbering you prefer. Consequently, no list style have been associated with theses paragraph styles. To turns them int styles for lists, you must assign a list style to them, either manually (a kind of direct formatting), or by modifying the paragraph style to associate it with a list style.

Not exactly. Your question asked for an automatic solution. What I described is the nearest approximation to “automatic”. You can proceed with a more manual procedure. In this manual procedure, you have a single paragraph style (with its companion list style). If you want to change one list item, apply a character style over all item text. This is perhaps easier for a beginner (in list formatting domain).

Either you follow my suggestion: several paragraph styles associated with a single list style. You decide which paragraph style to apply to the item. Applying another paragraph styles will not change numbering, only the look of the item, because they are all associated with the same list style.

Or you work with a single paragraph style (+ its list style) and you apply a specific character style(e.g. Strong Emphasis for bold or Emphasis for italic) or no character style for raw paragraph style look (in principle regular). IMHO, it is more complicated and could result in more fuss if you want to enhance or or words even differently. Modifying the base highlight becomes then more difficult.

#10

You gave me some excellent explanations and I thank you.
I tried your system and it works. But then I decided to do everything with simple text and styles.
In fact, in my opinion, if I have to assign styles by hand, I might as well write simple text with new lines, because I also have to assign particular indentations, which I can’t do with lists.
Am I missing something or does my reasoning make sense?

#11

Indents are defined in the Position tab of the list style configuration, level per level.

I am afraid you have a wrong idea about styles and perhaps the fear of them being complicated to configure or manage. Styles are extraordinarily powerful and versatile, also very “comfortable” (i.e. formatting with styles is really user-friendly, which is not the least). the hint about “simple text and newlines” suggests you’ll resort to direct formatting which, on first thought, looks “intuitive” and simple but in the end results in formatting nightmare when it come to tuning your document.

Applying styles can’t be but a manual operation. Can Writer guess that such a paragraph is a heading? You tell it by applying one of Heading n. Can it guess this paragraph is your main topic? You say so with Body Text.
However, some automation is possible:

  • when you create a footnote (a manual operation), Writer automatically applies Footnote
  • the style used after you hit Enter in a heading is automatically Body Text
  • most styles remain the same after an Enter because your discourse is usually made of several equally significant paragraphs
  • you can request automatic change of style after Enter through the Next parameter in Organizer tab of any style
    This how Heading n are configure to switch to Body Text.

Designing a smart set of styles is not a trivial task, but once it is done (and recorded into a template file), what for a treat!

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