[Solved] Unable To Save Format changes

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professionalservice
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[Solved] Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

I select the document that I want to change the format. I "SELECT ALL" and go to FORMAT and select PARAGRAPH. On the Indents and Spacing Tab, I enter into the Indent boxes of Before and After Text, the numerical values of 0.50" and I check of the Automatic Box. And I click OK.

The changes take effect and I click the save icon. and close the saved page. When I return to the page, none of the changes are reflected and the Automatic box is unchecked. What am I doing wrong?
Last edited by Hagar Delest on Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: tagged [Solved].
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Hagar Delest »

Do you save in native ODF (.odt)?
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

The document was saved in Word but I just clicked on the saved icon so I think it was saved in Microsoft. Do I have to save it in ODF first?
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Zizi64
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Zizi64 »

Do I have to save it in ODF first?
ALWAYS save your important documents into the native, international standard ODF fileformats. Because there is not (never was and never will be 100% compatibility between the different fileformat. Because every software can work best with its native fileformats. The native file formats of the AOO/LO are the ODF fileformats. Use them, if you want work with the AOO/LO efficiently.
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Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Bill »

professionalservice wrote:The document was saved in Word but I just clicked on the saved icon so I think it was saved in Microsoft. Do I have to save it in ODF first?
Do you mean that the document was saved using MS Word or that the document was saved in "Word format"? When files are saved with AOO or LO in the .doc format, the "Automatic" setting isn't retained, so that setting may not be supported by the .doc format.

I don't know why you are losing the other indent settings. Instead of changing the indents of every paragraph using direct formatting, try changing the indent settings in the Default paragraph style.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by John_Ha »

See [Tutorial] Differences between Writer and MS Word files for why you should always work in and save files as .odt.
MS files.png
As a relatively new poster you will find much useful information in the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials, the up to date Writer guide and the Writer Manual. May I suggest you bookmark the pages.

Press F1 to access the Help screen and search for your problem

The chapter headings in the manual are:

1 - Introducing Writer
2 - Setting up Writer
3 - Working with Text
4 - Formatting Pages
5 - Printing, Exporting, Faxing and E-Mailing
6 - Introduction to Styles
7 - Working with Styles
8 - Working with Graphics
9 - Working with Tables
10 - Working with Templates
11 - Using Mail Merge
12 - Tables of Contents, Indexes and Bibliographies
13 - Working with Master Documents
14 - Working with Fields
15 - Using Forms in Writer
16 - Customizing Writer – Keyboard shortcuts.

When a pop-up window opens, click the Help button for extensive help on that function - it is often more comprehensive than the manual.
Last edited by John_Ha on Mon May 21, 2018 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by John_Ha »

Upload a small file before making the change, and the file after making the change, so they can both be analysed.

Don't tick Automatic. Click the Help button to see what Automatic does.
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See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
professionalservice
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

Zizi64 wrote:
Do I have to save it in ODF first?
ALWAYS save your important documents into the native, international standard ODF fileformats. Because there is not (never was and never will be 100% compatibility between the different fileformat. Because every software can work best with its native fileformats. The native file formats of the AOO/LO are the ODF fileformats. Use them, if you want work with the AOO/LO efficiently.
I have tried saving the document in ODF TEXT DOCUMENT (ODT) The changes are not retained when reopened after being saved in Microsoft Word 97/XP. They are retained if I stay with the ODT format but most end users cannot open the file unless it is in .doc format.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

Bill wrote:
professionalservice wrote:The document was saved in Word but I just clicked on the saved icon so I think it was saved in Microsoft. Do I have to save it in ODF first?
Do you mean that the document was saved using MS Word or that the document was saved in "Word format"? When files are saved with AOO or LO in the .doc format, the "Automatic" setting isn't retained, so that setting may not be supported by the .doc format.

I don't know why you are losing the other indent settings. Instead of changing the indents of every paragraph using direct formatting, try changing the indent settings in the Default paragraph style.
The document was original saved in ODF Text (.odt). It was sen saved again in Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP(.doc) I have tried saving the document in ODF TEXT DOCUMENT (ODT) The changes are not retained when reopened after being saved in Microsoft Word 97/XP. They are retained if I stay with the ODT format but most end users cannot open the file unless it is in .doc format.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by John_Ha »

You did not read my earlier post.
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Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Hagar Delest »

Executive summary: if you need to work in .doc/.docx, use its native application, that is MS Office.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

Hagar Delest wrote:Do you save in native ODF (.odt)?

Yes and it saves the changes okay. They are retained if I stay with the ODT format but most end users cannot open the file unless it is in .doc format.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Hagar Delest »

Yes, I've seen your other posts. So there is no fix except using MS Office.
Or perhaps LibreOffice will do a better job.
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professionalservice
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

Hagar Delest wrote:Yes, I've seen your other posts. So there is no fix except using MS Office.
Or perhaps LibreOffice will do a better job.

There has to be a way to 'Fix" this major shortcoming. It is indeed unfortunate that the owners of this product prefer to take a "We're not perfect approach" and allow themselves to acquiesce to mediocrity............
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Bill »

professionalservice wrote:... but most end users cannot open the file unless it is in .doc format.
That may have been true ten years ago. Current versions of MS Word can open ODF files.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Zizi64 »

They are retained if I stay with the ODT format but most end users cannot open the file unless it is in .doc format.
The AOO and the LO are COST FREE softwares, like the PDF readers (for example).
(But most of the the PDF readers are not Opensource softwares.)

How your end users can view a PDF file?
Your end users can not download and install a PDF reader software?
Your end users can not download and install the AOO or the LO?

The AOO, LO are installable near the MSO (not needed uninstall it), and they can work in same time.
Otherwise the newer MSO suites can open the ODF files (because the ODF is an International Standard file format instead of the old, obsolete binary MS file types).
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Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

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professionalservice wrote:There has to be a way to 'Fix" this major shortcoming. It is indeed unfortunate that the owners of this product prefer to take a "We're not perfect approach" and allow themselves to acquiesce to mediocrity............
I'm not an owner at all. This forum is managed by users like you. If you want to contact the devs, then submit a enhancement request: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions.

There are standards (ODF) to allow interoperability. The mediocrity is rather on the ones who don't want to play by the rules. So ask MS why they don't want to implement an ISO standard correctly.
To be clear: it is so by design to keep their market share and prevent users from going to a free product. Reverse engineering all the .doc features is certainly too time consuming and I'd rather the devs focus on improving AOO in other ways than trying to keep up with proprietary formats that deceive the point of having international standards.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by robleyd »

most end users cannot open the file unless it is in .doc format
Most end users will double click on it, and because their file associations don't have a defined application for ODF files, it will not open. However, from within Word, a simple File | Open will work.
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Re: Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

I have found a way to use the existing office Writer program and convert it to Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP without losing saved changes. The steps are: 1- bring up the document in ODF Text Document or Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP. 2- Edit and then Select All 3- The click on Format 4- Then click on Paragraph 5- Set your Indents (eg) to Before text 0.50; After Text 0.50; and First Line 0.50 (MOST important) 6- Click the Automatic box and finally. 7- click the Save box.

Exit the document and then reopen it. All of the changes have been saved!
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Bill
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Re: [Solved] Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Bill »

professionalservice wrote:I have found a way to use the existing office Writer program and convert it to Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP without losing saved changes. The steps are: 1- bring up the document in ODF Text Document or Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP. 2- Edit and then Select All 3- The click on Format 4- Then click on Paragraph 5- Set your Indents (eg) to Before text 0.50; After Text 0.50; and First Line 0.50 (MOST important) 6- Click the Automatic box and finally. 7- click the Save box.

Exit the document and then reopen it. All of the changes have been saved!
Step 6 is unnecessary. The First line setting and the Automatic option both apply to the first line and are mutually exclusive. Clicking the Automatic box grays out the .5" First line setting and the Automatic setting is used while editing the document. After saving in .doc format and reloading, the Automatic setting becomes unchecked and the .5" First line setting is used.
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professionalservice
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Re: [Solved] Unable To Save Format changes

Post by professionalservice »

Thanks. It took a lot of experimentation to arrive at this conclusion.
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Re: [Solved] Unable To Save Format changes

Post by Bill »

You might also find the discussion in [Solved] Help with automatic indents helpful. It has more information about what the "Automatic" setting does. That setting is a way to get a first line indent that changes based on the font size. It isn't a setting that enables automatic application of the fixed settings specified by the user.
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