Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 78301
Headings and Outline Numbering Appendix Type Syles
Last modified: 2014-06-08 12:39:35 UTC
Outline numbering only allows for one style of numbering to be associated with each numbering level. For example, if I am writing a thesis, the main chapters are to be numbered 1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, 2.1 and so forth (using heading level 1 and outline level 1) and the the appendix section should be numbered A, A.1, A.2, B, B.1 and so forth. This is a limitation in writer that prevents it from being useful for writing books or theses. Searching extensively for a solution with google there are a number of workarounds. One was attempting custom numbering styles and heading styles, the other customizing a higher outline level to cater for appendix numbers and headings. Unfortunately they all disrupt the auto generation of contents and caption numbering breaks.For example, auto-caption that depends on sub-levels of numbering will not work as hoped for. I've made a sample document to illustrate the difficulties with the various workarounds I attempted. (I will attempt to attach it.) I realize adding different numbering styles for each numbering level may well be highly complex. One of two suggestions I have is to be able to specify the outline numbering per section, such that one can create a chapter section, then an appendix section, and set the outline number for each type of section. The second suggestion: just like one can specify numbering should restart, how about having an option that a different numbering style should be applied from that point forward. Of course, there may be better solutions than these. *Note* after spending a whole morning looking for a similar issue to this, I was surprised to find none (but maybe I just missed it - hope this is not a duplicate).
Created attachment 45806 [details] Attempted hacks at forcing and Appendix type style for chapter headings
Tested with 2.0.4, but presume same issue in 2.1 and 2.2 (checked release notes)
Reassigned to FL.
I think perhaps http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=78355 should be made a duplicate of this bug, or vice versa?
It appears this is a similar concern to <a href="http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=78355">issue 78355</a>, which has been marked a duplicate of <a href="http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=70748">issue 70748</a>. I believe that if 70748 is solved *correctly*, this should resolve this issue too. After reviewing <a href="http://specs.openoffice.org/writer/numbering/OutlineLevel.odt">http://specs.openoffice.org/writer/numbering/OutlineLevel.odt</a> , if my interpretation is correct, then the user can specify the outline level independently of the numbering style. For example, it would be possible to specify that two paragraph styles "Heading 1 Chapter" and "Heading 1 Appendix" could both be assigned to outline number level 1, but "Heading 1 Chapter" could use numeric numbering (1, 2, 3) and "Heading 1 Appendix" could use alphabetic numbering (A, B, C). The specification document OutlineLevel.odt makes mention of how this affects generation of the table of contents. It does not explicitly mention how the autocaption feature will be effected. Caption styles may prove to be an issue. Working from the previous example, if I place a figure in the appendix, it should be labeled "Figure A.1", whereas a figure in the Chapter should be labeled "Figure 1.1". This requires that the caption style heed all headings associated with each outline level. While this issue appears to be a duplicate of 70748, it adds some further considerations.
Can you move all related votes here? Since, eg, 70748 will only be solved when this issue is addressed, can all votes for 70748 be moved here? Ditto any other duplicate issues?
I'm really missing this feature. Having to do some ugly and tedious workarounds in order to be able to have *working* automatic numbering of chapters, tables, equations, pictures in appendices is a major problem when working with openoffice (or libreoffice FWIW). I believe the solution shouldn't be that hard programmatically, all the code is mostly in place -- you can number outlines in 1.1.1 style as well as A.1.1, you can use different paragraph styles per one outline level (and have them correctly appear in TOC), you just cannot change the 1, 2, 3... to A, B, C along with change from Heading 1 to Appendix Heading 1 without having to change everything else in order to get it work properly. I think that if the outline level (as set in paragraph style) and numbering style and level could connect, most of the work would be done. My idea is: * Heading 1 paragraph style: outline level 1, numbering style Chapter numbers (1, *.1, *.*.1, etc.) * Appendix Heading 1 paragraph style: outline level 1, numbering style Appendix numbers (A, *.1, *.*.1, etc.) * Heading 2 paragraph style: outline level 2, numbering style Chapter numbers, previous number (if displayed as per the numbering style) taken from the latest number used in outline level 1. * etc. * i.e. keep the latest used "number" in each level per level, not per outline numbering style. Document: 1 Heading 1 1.1 Heading 2 1.1: Figure 1.2: Figure 2 Heading 1 2.1: Table A Appendix Heading 1 A.1 Heading 2 equation (A.1) A.1 Table I get very uncomfortable whenever I see that something rather trivial and massively used is much easier done in Plain TeX than in OO Writer.