{Dropped] Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

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chrijeff
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{Dropped] Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

Once more they REFUSE to do as I want them to. All I get is the straight quotes.

I went to Tools: AutoCorrect Options: Localized Options. I checked "Replace" on both single and double quotes. I clicked on the character (to make it blue) and "OK" when the program showed me the curly quote. I clicked the "OK" on the bottom of the pop-up. And when I went back to the page I was working on, I STILL had only the STUPID straight quotes!

I keep going back and trying again, and it DOES NOT WORK.

So what now?
Last edited by MrProgrammer on Sat Aug 27, 2022 12:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Dropped: chrijeff gave up after being asked to attach a screen capture -- MrProgrammer, forum moderator
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RoryOF
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by RoryOF »

That sets the option for the quote type to replace when you are typing. It does not replace them automatically.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by chrijeff »

The only thing I see that seems relevant is this:

To access this command...
Choose Tools - AutoCorrect Options - Localized Options tab

Single quotes / Double quotes
Specify the replacement characters to use for single or double quotation marks.

But this is what I *already tried*! (As described above.) And, yes, there is a check mark in the box beside "Replace," for both single and double quotes. As for "Format: AutoCorrect: Apply," I see nothing that looks like that. All I see is the OK button at the bottom of the pop-up.

And it is STILL NOT WORKING!
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gpgrego
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by gpgrego »

Yes. The problem is in OpenOffice 3.1
Download and install one of the latest versions of OpenOffice.
http://www.openoffice.org/download/index.html
Do not change any settings, except make Power Off the button Autocorrect on the toolbar.
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Bill
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by Bill »

chrijeff wrote:The only thing I see that seems relevant is this:

To access this command...
Choose Tools - AutoCorrect Options - Localized Options tab

Single quotes / Double quotes
Specify the replacement characters to use for single or double quotation marks.

But this is what I *already tried*! (As described above.) And, yes, there is a check mark in the box beside "Replace," for both single and double quotes.
Read your other topic. I told you there that this works "while typing". It won't change existing quotes from straight to curly unless you retype them.
chrijeff wrote:As for "Format: AutoCorrect: Apply," I see nothing that looks like that. All I see is the OK button at the bottom of the pop-up.
Format: AutoCorrect: Apply is not on a pop-up it's on the Menu bar.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by chrijeff »

Yes, I saw that. But I thought of that already--and it is NOT changing them when I retype!

And when I click on that Menu command, I do get something that I call a pop-up; I don't know what the right name for it is.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by chrijeff »

gpgrego wrote:Yes. The problem is in OpenOffice 3.1
Download and install one of the latest versions of OpenOffice.
http://www.openoffice.org/download/index.html
Do not change any settings, except make Power Off the button Autocorrect on the toolbar.

I have Version 4.-whichever-it-is--the latest one. I only just downloaded it a week ago Thursday. So I must have the latest version, right?
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Mountaineer
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by Mountaineer »

chrijeff wrote: I have Version 4.-whichever-it-is--the latest one. I only just downloaded it a week ago Thursday. So I must have the latest version, right?
Have you checked your signature below every post you made? You may have the same reason as me, but it is misleading people, when you ask for help...

And as nobody knows where you download something, it is not assured you downloaded the last version unzil xou check it... A lot of older versions are still available.

J.
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RoryOF
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by RoryOF »

/Format /Autocorrect /Apply will only change the quotes in text set to Default Paragraph Style. If you have /Format /Autocorrect /While typing selected (showing a tick mark beside it), using a straight quote while typing in any paragraph style, it should be automatically changed to the appropriate handed curly quote.
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Bill
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by Bill »

AFAIK, there are three settings that are required to get the curly quotes while typing.

1) Format > AutoCorrect > While Typing must be checked.

2) The Replace boxes in Format > AutoCorrect > AutoCorrect Options > Localized Options must be checked.

3) The text containing the quotes must have an English language attribute since curly quotes are localized for English.

Have you verified these settings?
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

I keep doing exactly what you're all telling me to do. And I've tried it at least eight times, and it DOES NOT TAKE. I can see (barely) the changed quote in the little window where the straight one was, but when I go to try to change the straight quotes on my document, it WON'T. (As for "an English language attribute," I have no idea what that is. How do I insure it?)
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RoryOF
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by RoryOF »

Select /Tools /Language /For all text and choose English(UK) from the menu (or appropriate English version). This is a one off, working for the current document. There is a better method to ensure all new documents have the correct language, but leave that for the present.

How exactly are you trying to replace the straight quotes in your document?
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by Villeroy »

Lookup "languages;selecting for text" in the help index for OO Writer.
In the screenshot the language is set on the font tab of the character format dialog.
The language at the cursor position is indicated in the status bar.
The text snippet i the bakground is written in English language but with a German language attribute. Near the bottom you see German quotes starting at the bottom line, ending on the top line: „Could this be the haven he'd prayed for?“
If I hit F7 to start a spell check, every word would be underlined because the langauge attribute does not match the actual language of the text.
There is no artificial intelligence analysing your content. This is a typical desktop application of the late 90ies. The langauge is just an attribute like font, size or color.
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Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

RoryOF wrote:Select /Tools /Language /For all text and choose English(UK) from the menu (or appropriate English version). This is a one off, working for the current document. There is a better method to ensure all new documents have the correct language, but leave that for the present.

How exactly are you trying to replace the straight quotes in your document?
I just did exactly what you told me to. And once again, it DOES NOT WORK! I tried a test sentence with quotes in it, and they were STRAIGHT!

I am doing just exactly what everyone on this thread has been telling me to do:
(1) Go to Tools: AutoCorrect Options.
(2) Go to Localized Options.
(3) Click the "start quote" and "end quote" for both single and double quotes, which are defaulted for straight. (Obviously, I do this one quote at a time, but what comes next is the same each time.)
(4) When the thing-that-looks-like-a-popup pops up, scroll till I find the little cell in which is the kind of quote I want.
(5) Click on that cell so it turns blue.
(6) Click on OK.
(7) Go back to a Text Document and try to fix the straight quotes by overtyping with what is supposed to be a curly quote. And they DON'T FIX. They remain straight.
(8) Go back and do the whole thing over again.
(9) ABOUT TEN TIMES!

I'm wondering, is it possible that my program has somehow become corrupted?
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by RoryOF »

Please download the attached file; open it in Writer, and /Format /Autocorrect /Apply. That should convert all quotes to curly quotes.

Enter a new line at the bottom, using quotes. They should curly.
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Sample for quotes.odt
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by Villeroy »

RoryOF wrote:Please download the attached file; open it in Writer, and /Format /Autocorrect /Apply. That should convert all quotes to curly quotes.
No. This feature seems to be intransparent if not broken.
Enter a new line at the bottom, using quotes. They should curly.
Yes.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by RoryOF »

I was distracted - needing to stir my homemade ice-cream (strawberry) - and overlooked that the body of the text had been changed to Text Body Style. I have altered the file and uploaded the replacement, having changed the body of the text to Default paragraph style. It should be correct now.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

Villeroy wrote:
RoryOF wrote:Please download the attached file; open it in Writer, and /Format /Autocorrect /Apply. That should convert all quotes to curly quotes.
No. This feature seems to be intransparent if not broken.
Enter a new line at the bottom, using quotes. They should curly.
Yes.
Now you've got me confused. Which, if either, should I do?
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by RoryOF »

Do both; they should now both work.
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Bill
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by Bill »

chrijeff wrote:I can see (barely) the changed quote in the little window where the straight one was...
Please upload a screen shot of the "little window" or the window containing the "little window" so we can see what that "little window" is. With that description, I can only guess. I don't know how to change the quote as described and have never found it necessary..
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

RoryOF wrote:Do both; they should now both work.
That's this, right?
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Sample for quotes.odt

Just need to be sure, you understand.
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by RoryOF »

Yes, that file.
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by Bill »

chrijeff wrote: (3) Click the "start quote" and "end quote" for both single and double quotes, which are defaulted for straight.
Straight quotes are the default ONLY if the Replace boxes are not checked. The "start quote" and "end quote" settings are for the default replacement quotes that are used if the Replace boxes are checked. In English, the default replacement quotes are the curly quotes. If you have changed the default replacement quotes manually, then you can reset them back to curly quotes by clicking the Default buttons at the bottom.
chrijeff wrote:(Obviously, I do this one quote at a time, but what comes next is the same each time.)
(4) When the thing-that-looks-like-a-popup pops up, scroll till I find the little cell in which is the kind of quote I want.
(5) Click on that cell so it turns blue.
(6) Click on OK.
This is unnecessary. Just click the Default buttons if you want curly quotes.
chrijeff wrote:(7) Go back to a Text Document and try to fix the straight quotes by overtyping with what is supposed to be a curly quote. And they DON'T FIX. They remain straight.
I can't explain this since I did not witness how you changed the "start quote", "end quote" or other AutoCorrect settings. When I do it, overtyping my straight quotes changes them to curly quotes.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

Well, I hate to tell you this, but it DOES NOT WORK. The "Replace" boxes ARE checked, and I am STILL getting straight quotes!
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by RoryOF »

Have you tried the sample file I uploaded?
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes, AGAIN!

Post by chrijeff »

RoryOF wrote:That sets the option for the quote type to replace when you are typing. It does not replace them automatically.
Yes, I know that. But what I keep telling you is that *it does not work even when I overtype*!!!!
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

RoryOF wrote:Have you tried the sample file I uploaded?
Yes, I did. And IT has nice curly quotes, and my test at the bottom DOES. NOT!

I think I'm just going to have to change them all manually, by copying from a file in which they actually behaved themselves. Slow, picky work, but at least it might get done.
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chrijeff
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by chrijeff »

Bill wrote:
chrijeff wrote:I can see (barely) the changed quote in the little window where the straight one was...
Please upload a screen shot of the "little window" or the window containing the "little window" so we can see what that "little window" is. With that description, I can only guess. I don't know how to change the quote as described and have never found it necessary..
I don't know how to do screenshots. And if I did, the window is so *very* little that you probably wouldn't be able to see it anyway. I call it a window. I don't know what you call it. It's a little bitty square with the thing that I want (the curly quote) in the middle of it.

But since nothing anyone tells me seems to work, I don't see the point of the screenshot, because it wouldn't help.
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by Bill »

chrijeff wrote:I don't know how to do screenshots.
https://www.google.com/search?q=screenshot
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Re: Curly quotes refuse to do as I want

Post by Bill »

Do your Localized Options settings match those I've circled in my screenshot of my settings? If not, what is different?
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Localized Options
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