[Solved] Footnotes

[Andy_I]

In the footnote area, I can't find where to reduce the space between the footnote number and the text of the footnote.

AndyI

[RoryOF]

Footnote paragraph style, indents and spacing tab.

[Andy_I]

Thanks.
Using advice found elsewhere in this forum, I go to "find and replace" to select all the footnotes at once.
Then I go to Format, Styles and Formatting, Paragraph Styles, Footnote, (Rt Click) Modify, Indents and spacing, then set Before text to, say, 40cm (if this means centimeters, that doesn't make sense to me) and the block of footnotes selected goes all over the place. After text and First line are left at zero.
Some numbers are inset without any space between the number and the text, some are as I want them. As I had selected the whole block of footnotes, I would have expected them to all be affected the same way by the settings.
I have long struggled with formatting footnotes and it seems that just as I have got to grips with how to do one thing, it all goes wrong again.
As a non-techie but a simple user, I find it most frustrating that if for example I want to change the colour of some text in the body of a document, I just select it, pick a new colour and it changes with no problem
Why can't formatting of footnotes be as simple? Why are there so many places to go to change this, or that, element.
Andy_I

[RoryOF]

It is simple. Forget about selecting all footnotes, for a start. If you have used the "out of the box" footnote style without local formatting, any change made to the style will manifest immediately in the footnotes.

Change the indents and spacing tab, space before to whatever dimension you require - most certainly _NOT_ 40 cm, which is about 16 inches! Enter the space you require and its dimension system - say 0.75 in., and in First Line, enter the same measurement as -0.75 in. I am using inches as cm seems to confuse you; you could use millimeter (mm.), centimeter (cm.), points (pt.), inches (in.), pica (pi., 1 Pica = 12 pt.)

If a footnote does not change, it means you have applied direct formatting. In that case, place cursor in footnote and type ctrl M; or select all footnotes and then type ctrl M. This will remove any direct formatting and allow the footnote style definition (as you have it amended) to take over.

You will find it of use to read some overview instructions. Try

Writer for students (several languages)

Edit: It is worth pointing out that in any entry in OpenOffice that requests a dimension, one can enter using any of the standard units, as listed above, provided that one appends the unit type to the dimension.

[John_Ha]

See Item 11A. Why is my page count so high? Why does my page count keep changing? Why do white gaps appear in my document? in [Tutorial] Some useful hints on using images for a discussion of how footnotes can cause problems and how to prevent it.

[Andy_I]

Thank you for that.

It certainly works but I have to wonder why there are so many different explanations on line, some of which work, some which partly work and some which don't work.

Anyway, yours did, so thanks again.

Andy_I

[RoryOF]

So many explanations because most Users will do anything, including engaging in random clickitis - usually their preference - rather than read and understand some simple instructions on how to use the program.