[Solved] Chapter # & Name disappear for 1 chapter only

[EdIsenberg]

I have successfully created a footer for my novel that has page numbers on the outside of each page, on the inside of each left page the chapter number, and on the inside of each right page footer is the chapter name. This works on every single chapter except one. On that chapter, the name and number are missing.

If I click into the missing footer and insert the chapter name or number field, in all the other chapters the chapter name repeats, but for the one that I clicked, it remains blank. I don't want to manually put in the chapter number or name, since that means it would be added to all of the chapter footings at the end.

I suspect the problem is the formatting for that one chapter. However, I've checked and the formatting is exactly the same as for all the other chapters.

Unfortunately, I have a memory deficit, so I can't remember how I set it up in the first place.

As a separate issue, when the left page is the end of the chapter and the right page starts a new chapter, the left page footer gives the chapter number for the old chapter, while the right page footer gives the chapter name for the new chapter. Technically, Writer is doing the correct thing, in that each page is correct in and of itself. However, when you hold open the book, it looks weird. You have a chapter number and chapter name that aren't in alignment with each other.

Is this an accepted variance that's okay in novels? I don't see many books that actually have the chapter number and chapter name in the footer, so offhand I can't see how others do it. Do you have any opinions?

I would appreciate any help people can give me.

[keme]

You probably have an empty paragraph using the "Heading 1" style.
It may also be a different paragraph style which is defined on the top outline level.

To identify the culprit (assuming that this is the reason), either search for the style (menu Edit - Find and replace, button More options) or browse the Headings branch of the document navigator (menu View - Navigator).

If you can't find it, upload a sample here. I suspect that you don't want to post your entire novel. Try this:

• Copy the entire chapter where you have the problem, plus last page from the preceding and first page from next chapter. Paste that into a new document.
• If you still feel that you reveal too much, replace every character in that new document with an x using find/replace.
  
  • Search for: . That is a single period character
    Replace with: X
    More options: tick Regular expressions
    Replace all
• Save as odt file.

[floris v]

There are small gray rectangles in the footers, suggesting a preceding blank paragraph with Heading 1 style. If I remember correctly, a chapter number or name field in the footer always reflects the last paragraph with that paragraph style on that page or a previous page, so you should look for the source of the problem there.

[RoryOF]

As far as I remember, if the Chapter name is to appear in the Header on the first page of a chapter, the heading that designates the Chapter MUST be the first item in the text area on the page; so, if the heading is spaced down the page by blank lines, it will not show.

[EdIsenberg]

In the very first chapter, I deleted the gray rectangle in the footer area where the chapter should be. Then I inserted the chapter name as is normally done through the Insert | Fields menu. It instantly put in the chapter name in the footer of every chapter except the problem chapter. All I have there is the gray rectangle. On the Navigator Headings area, each chapter takes up one line except the problem chapter, which has 2 blank lines below it.

I am including a pdf image file with the Navigator Headings list from the original novel. The file name is "FoP Navigator Headings list (Ed Isenberg).pdf"

I have tried to upload the problem chapter with the pages immediately before and after. No matter what I do, I can't get the file below 175k, and the limit is 128k. I've gotten rid of all surplus text, to the point that if I delete more I'll lose page formatting. I don't know what to do.

[robleyd]

Upload your original document, not an exported PDF. We can't tell from a pdf file what is in your document. If it is too big to upload here, use a file sharing service such as dropbox.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=file+sharing+ ... fsb&ia=web

[EdIsenberg]

That's what I was trying to do, and for that very reason. I don't know why it won't get smaller in size. There are only 2,000 words, but it's 175k. Opening a new document starts out small, and as long as I don't include any formatting whatsoever, it remains small, at only 99k. When I add the styles etc., for the same text, it zooms up to 175k.

If I get rid of the formatting, then the document is no longer useful for troubleshooting.

[EdIsenberg]

I didn't think of dropbox. NO PROBLEM. Great Solution.

Try https://www.dropbox.com/s/37zcjq20uqmvr ... s.odt?dl=0

[EdIsenberg]

STOP !!!

I don't know what I did, but somewhere along the line I must have gotten rid of something, because suddenly it works!

I will let you all know if things go badly, which might happen since I have no idea what I did to fix things.

Other than that, thanks for all the help from all of you!

Ed Isenberg,
Author,
The Guardians
A Federation of Peoples Novel
http://www.TheeGuardians.website is being completely redesigned.