[Solved] Multiple bullets / numbers on a single line

[panthera]

I want to make multiple bullets (or numbers) on a single line of text. Normally, each new item in a list would be in a new line. Please see the screenshot to understand what I mean.



There are ways to do this, obviously. Like what I did - Create a list item (say Item 1), insert a few tabs, insert the bullet symbol and type the next item (Item 2). But it doesn't make a true list, as can be seen from the following screenshot.



Here, Writer recognises only the items on a new line (Item 1 and Item 4) as list items, not the others. Microsoft Office offers something here, but it's convoluted and doesn't make a true list, either. Surely, there must be an elegant way to do this.

Thanks in advance.

[Hagar Delest]

I would try a table without borders.

Thanks to add '[Solved]' at beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[panthera]

Thanks Hagar! That was fast!

I think it's a nice way to do it, and it does solve the problem of making a true list - all items are identified as part of the list now. Borders are shown to identify the table.



I'm new in here, can you please advise me on whether I should keep the thread open just in case someone has a different solution? Thanks again!

[Hagar Delest]

As the bullets are a property of a paragraph, the only other way I see is to use a section with columns or different frames to simulate columns. But I think the table is the easiest way (that's why I haven't talked about the 2 latter solutions first).

You can leave the thread open for a while and tag it solved in a couple of days if you haven't had further replies.

[acknak]

Writer will lay out lists in columns very well, but the lists run down the column first, then spill over to the next column. Your example runs across the columns first, then down.

[panthera]

Thanks for the replies, Hagar and acknak.

How does one make a list in columns, that runs down a column first, as acknak said? Is it done with tables as well?

[acknak]

Try this sample document:

[panthera]

Many thanks for the sample document, achnak. Lists in columns is fairly simple. I'm in need of further clarification, when there's more than one such list. Please see the attached document.

[acknak]

Shouldn't all bullets in all lists be selected when I select any of them? Where have I gone wrong?

I'm not really an expert on this--Writer's lists can be difficult to understand and to work with.

The answer to your question is: "it depends". It depends on exactly how you created the lists and entered or distributed the items.

Try this:

1. Open my sample document
2. Click in the left margin next to item #1 at the top
   You should see both items highlighted because they belong to the same list & level
3. Press Home, then Shift+End, to select the line
4. Copy to clipboard
5. Move the cursor to the end of any item in the long list; press Enter
   You should see a new, empty item for that list.
6. Paste the numbered list item

You should now have a new list item, but it belongs to the numbered list, not to the bulleted list: it has #3. Click to the left of it: the number will highlight along with items #1, 2 above.

Weird, huh?

I think of the list items being "tagged" with a list ID. When you create a list, each item is tagged as belonging to this list. The item will always belong to the list it was originally tagged with, no matter where the item appears in the document--even in the middle of some other list!

Whenever you manipulate an existing list, you run the risk of splitting list items off and yet they will still remain part of the original list.

The only way that I know of to change the tag on a list item is to convert it to plain text (i.e. not part of any list), and then either re-configure it as a new list, or add the text item to an existing list.

E.g. take the "orphaned" item #3 from the example above. Move the cursor to the end of the line before the numbered item. Press Delete (delete-forward) to merge the orphan onto the end of the previous bulleted item. Press Enter, and now the orphaned item is part of the bulleted list.

[panthera]

Thanks again, acknak. I tried out what you said. Lists are weird things. I think we can mark this thread closed now, ain't it?