Writer numbered list styles do not apply

[ArrayElement]

I am creating list styles to handle sections in a legal document. I created a list style called “Legal Section Numbering”, which uses custom numbering and character styles for each level. The top level, should be “1. SOME SECTION” where the characters are all upper case and bold. Levels 2-10 should have a regular character style.

When I apply this list style to the document, the character styles seem to be ignored. Either the top list style is inherited all the way down the levels, or if I correct that, the top list style is no longer bold and upper case.

So, here is an example:

I create two sections and two sub sections for each with no formatting:

Next, I apply my list style: “Legal Section Numbering”:

This list style, uses the “Legal Section - Top” Character style:

So, the EXPECTED result should look like this:

and so, after I demote the two subsections for each of the two sections, it SHOULD look like this:

But, what it actually looks like is this:

Now, if I go and manually apply the character styles, it looks correct (below):

What am I doing wrong here? Or, did I find a bug?

This issue is keeping me from moving away from MS Office to Libre Office… Really would like to dump M$.

[ajlittoz]

The character style advertised in the dialog applies to the numbering not to paragraph text. Paragraph text appearance is handled by the style to which you have applied your Legal Section Numbering list style.

I wonder if you entered a complicated path for a simple task.

What you want is to write a document following a conventional structure defined by some “standard”. The paragraphs are part of a list (more on that below) but are headings. Usually headings delimit chapters, sub-chapters, … Here your headings will delimit “sections”, “line”, …

If you have no other “chapters” (in the usual sense), use the Heading n paragraph style family for your purpose:

• Your “legal section numbering” can be forced upon the style family with Tools>Chapter Numbering.
• Formatting heading content is done by customising Heading n for level n.

If you need a double numbering in your document: chapters + “legal list”, you must follow your track and design a specific list as you have done but also as many paragraph styles as you have levels in your list.

Be aware that lists are not headings. What I mean here is that the special list controlled by Tools>Chapter Numbering has a unique feature: every level is associated with a specific paragraph style.

When you associate a list style to a paragraph style in order to create a list, the same paragraph style is used for all levels. Trying to mimic Heading n behaviour requires a manual procedure.

• The same Legal Section Numbering list style must be associated to Legal Level n paragraph styles (n=1 to your maximum level). Name “Legal Level n” was chosen as an example, use one to your liking.

  If level 2-10 are the same, you get through with only 2 paragraph styles: Legal Level 1 and Legal Level Others.

• When you promote or demote a list item with Tab or Shift+Tab at start of item, you must also change the paragraph style so that it matches the level.

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[ArrayElement]

This is a classic case of “This is how you did it in M$ Word” not working in another application. Thank you for pointing out that “Chapter numbering” is what I needed.

[ajlittoz]

You’re welcome.

And this is yet another classic case of “This is how you did it in traditional forum sites” Here you are in a Question & Answers site. Answers are reserved for solutions. You can repost your feedback (always appreciated) by clicking on the more link under your non-answer. You can then repost as a comment. Thanks.