Writer - How to have text skip a column when writing.

[ajkelsey]

My document is setup to have two columns on each page. One column contains heading information and the other contains the main text. When I get to the bottom of the column of main text, I would like it to continue on the next page instead of going to the next column. Is there a way to do that?

This is the visual effect I am going for. Alternating between left and right pages.

Also, I would like my heading to be in line with the first line of the paragraph. Can that be achieved using the paragraph styles?

[RGB-es]

The short answer is “no,” but depending on your needs it could be more or less easy to obtain the same “visual effect.” Please, edit your question to add more information on the exact layout you want.

[dajare]

@ajkelsey - please don’t put new information in an “answer”, rather edit your question (see the link above this comment area). Thanks!

[ajlittoz]

From your description, you aren’t really composing a 2-column text because text doesn’t flow evenly from column to the other and back on the next page.

You have single-column text and from time to time you’d like some paragraphs to “protrude” inside the margin.

You the have two solutions to achieve your specification.

• Frames

Change the left margin of the page style to widen it and reset to single-column. If your document is not “complex”, do it in page style Default Style. In a “complex” document, do it in every used page style.

When you need a heading, insert a frame and type your heading inside it (using the usual Heading n paragraph styles). The frame should be anchored to the first paragraph of the new chapter, sub-chapter, … This is so that the heading will “follow” the first chapter heading should you edit text preceding it. Adjust the frame properties (wrap, spacing around, etc.) to suit your needs.

Beware, however, that tuning frames is quite difficult.

• Paragraph styles (the recommended method)

Set the left indent of all paragraphs so that you leave ample space at left for your protruding heading. You can do it easily by changing the left indent property of paragraph style Body Text.

I don’t recommend modifying Default Style because the change will propagate to all other styles, notably the ones used for headings.

Check that the left indent property of paragraph style Heading is set to zero (or any value you fancy). This style is the ancestor of all other Heading n styles. Consequently you don’t need to individually them them.

This solution assumes familiarity with styles. If you don’t use yet this feature, it is an excellent opportunity to discover the richness of the feature and the comfort it brings to document formatting.

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[ajkelsey]

I would like my heading to be in line with the first line of the paragraph. Can that be achieved using the paragraph styles?

[ajlittoz]

No because there is a single flow. For inline, use frames but be prepared to initial settings fuss.

[RGB-es]

Instead of a two column page, you can use a to column table and in the attached document

Two-Column test|attachment

You’ll need to add a new row for each new “first level” and play a bit with the space above-bellow paragraph styles, but it can be done.

[ajlittoz]

If the document is quite long, I’m not sure a table won’t cause problems. Moreover, you’ll have to play a lot with the table structure when adding/removing chapter or sub-sections. The table solution is a very good one for short “inserts”, like the ones in the LO Guide (tip, warning, caution, etc.), but I fear it brings too much problems if used routinely as the main structure in the document. Anyway YMMV.