[Solved] No header on first page, and alternating headings

[eameece]

I want NO header on my first page, and alternating headings for my book title on the left pages and chapter name on the right pages. This should be easy, like my old publisher did before, but it seems to be a complete mystery on Open Office! I go through the formatting and style menu procedure, page style icon, dialog box, header on, and organizer procedure, with no luck. A header still appears on my first page. When I specify page styles, the header menu does not install a header, but only removes one. How do I get alternating headings for my book title on the left page and chapter name on the right page, and NO header on my first page of the chapter?????

[RoryOF]

Read this tutorial carefully
[Tutorial] Page styles and headers/footers

[eameece]

The tutorial doesn't seem to apply. I was already reading it when you posted this reply telling me to read it. It tells me to make a page break. That just inserts an empty page into my document. I need to insert headers to already-written documents.

It does seem to be that Open Office headers simply do not work.

It's amazing. I see this on one article, and a similar thing on the manual pages from help.
"Tip: You may or may not want headers or footers active on the first page of a document."

No info on how to do this is given....
uh, YEAH. Now, tell me how!

[RoryOF]

For your main body of text I suggest you use Default Page Style. In /Format /Styles and Formatting, select 4th icon from left for Page Styles, right click on Default and choose Modify. On the Page tab, select Page layout "Mirrored". Then click on the Header tab, check the Header on box and uncheck Same content left/right. Press OK. On a left page click in the header area. then /Insert /Field and choose the fields you wish to use. I suggest Page Number, then press tab, then /Insert /Fields /Title. The title will need to be entered in /File /Properties : Description tab, Title . Now click on the Header on a right page and press tab, /Insert /Fields /Other, select document tab; click on Chapter in the Type column, then select (say) Cha[ter Number and name. Press OK. Now press the tab key, /Insert /Fields /Page Number.

That should get the main body of your document reasonably correct. I'll come back to the first pages being without header later.

[eameece]

OK, I'll wait until you get to the issue then.

(I already did the stuff you mentioned above).

[RoryOF]

Has that worked? If not, what are you seeing?

I made my suggestions based on the assumption that you are marking your Chapters by using Heading 1 style, and that your Title is entered in /File /Properties : Description tab, Title field. Also, to check your fields, turn on /View /Field Names and /View /Field shading. These are toggle commands - the same command turns the displays off.

[eameece]

Has that worked? If not, what are you seeing?

I made my suggestions based on the assumption that you are marking your Chapters by using Heading 1 style, and that your Title is entered in /File /Properties : Description tab, Title field. Also, to check your fields, turn on /View /Field Names and /View /Field shading. These are toggle commands - the same command turns the displays off.

Did what work? What you posted above did not address the issue. How to I get rid of the header on my first page?

I still see my chapter heading on the first page, but I want nothing; no header; or an empty header.

The heading 1 style approach does not seem to be relevant. As I said, I did #2 above and it makes no difference. And I still have to write my chapter name into the header; it doesn't come up automatically. The title does sometimes. Now it doesn't anymore too.

You wrote "I'll come back to the first pages being without header later." That's my question.

[RoryOF]

Go to bottom of Page 1. urn on /View /non printing characters (a toggle command). /Insert /Manual break : Page break, style Default. Don't worry if you get a blank page - if so, click before the first character on the page (a pilcrow = backwards P) and press Delete key. That should remove the blank page and let the existing text take its place. Now Click on the first page and right click on Default about a quarter way across the Status Bar (bottom bar of OO Window) and select First Page from the popup menu. If that new first page has a header or footer, you will need to edit the First Page style and turn these off on the Header/Footer tabs.

This is all more complicated to describe than it is to do. Once you get the hang of it, it offers very powerful formatting. As I write any extended work, using settings I have developed over years, it comes from OO already formatted for correct book layout for printing duplex on A5 (US Brochure) sized pages.

[RoryOF]

How do you define your chapter? What Heading style do you use for chapter names?

You had two issues: No first page header and alternating header styles over the main text. I addressed that problem first, as there is more main text than one first page.

[eameece]

This gets nowhere: "Now Click on the first page and right click on Default about a quarter way across the Status Bar (bottom bar of OO Window) and select First Page from the popup menu. If that new first page has a header or footer, you will need to edit the First Page style and turn these off on the Header/Footer tabs."

The status bar does nothing when I click on it. I clicked on the page, and clicked default formatting, but there is no popup menu, let alone one that says "First Page"

[RoryOF]

You have to right click[/b[ (as I wrote) on the Default (or whatever page style is displayed one quarter way across the Status Bar).

[eameece]

Go to bottom of Page 1. urn on /View /non printing characters (a toggle command). /Insert /Manual break : Page break, style Default. Don't worry if you get a blank page - if so, click before the first character on the page (a pilcrow = backwards P) and press Delete key. That should remove the blank page and let the existing text take its place. Now Click on the first page and right click on Default about a quarter way across the Status Bar (bottom bar of OO Window) and select First Page from the popup menu. If that new first page has a header or footer, you will need to edit the First Page style and turn these off on the Header/Footer tabs.

This is all more complicated to describe than it is to do. Once you get the hang of it, it offers very powerful formatting. As I write any extended work, using settings I have developed over years, it comes from OO already formatted for correct book layout for printing duplex on A5 (US Brochure) sized pages.

It seems impossibly complicated, and completely counter-intuitive. Nothing works as you might think it should. Why can't I click on "first page" style and specify heading turned off, and have it removed on the first page?

[eameece]

I don't know what you mean; there is nothing displayed on the status bar. As I said, nothing happens when I right click on it.

[RoryOF]

Is the Status bar actually displayed? It should have "Page" at the very left, and a number with % sign at the very right. If not, /View /Status bar will turn it on.

My instructions were based on making, just before posting, a trial file and going through the steps I described to get the results you requested..

You may find these documents of help; see the file referenced in this posting for an overview
Structure Instructions

This document may also be informative (available in multiple languages):
Writer for students (several languages)

Bruce Byfield's new book, Designing with LibreOffice, also covers Apache OpenOffice. It focuses on the use of styles and templates, mainly in Writer but with some info on Calc, Impress, and Draw.

A PDF of the book, and/or a zip file of the chapter ODTs, can be downloaded free from the book's website. If you prefer, you can buy a printed copy. http://designingwithlibreoffice.com

[eameece]

OK now I see the bar you are talking about. I guess what I was seeing was the scroll bar. OK, I'll try again...

OK, that seems to work! Amazing--- no-one, even in your tutorial, or on the OO help articles, or any articles on line, mentions this step, or what the status bar/default options are.

Now I'm trying to do it again on the next chapter, and am lost again.....

Now when I press default, first page, it removes ALL headers.

[RoryOF]

When you say First Page, do you mean the first page of your document, or the first page of each chapter? I understood first page to mean of the entire document, composed of so many chapters. I suggest you read the second document of the three I gave above.

[eameece]

It's not working again.

And no I don't have time to read a whole book.

Answers to this question of headers should be accessible.

[eameece]

When you say First Page, do you mean the first page of your document, or the first page of each chapter? I understood first page to mean of the entire document, composed of so many chapters. I suggest you read the second document of the three I gave above.

One chapter per document.

It's a complete mess. It won't say the first page, left page, and right page on the status bar as I want it to. It just goes back to putting my title heading on the first page. I want it on the second page, a left page. It just seems like this should be so easy, and it is extremely difficult.

[RoryOF]

And no I don't have time to read a whole book..

There you are then.

[eameece]

Answers to this question of headers should be accessible. They should be available in any help article. People don't have time to read whole books. Most people are just trying to get some work done. They are not interested in being officianados of Open Office writer, or reading things that do not pertain to the question that needs answering. I have figured out or gotten answers for my other needed questions on OOW. Answers to this question seem unavailable. It appears to be a real bug in the program.

The writer for students article appears to have no link for headers.

The structure article had no section on headers.

[RoryOF]

Try this

[eameece]

No understand. Sorry. That's only two pages.

Someone needs to write a step by step guide to adding headers to a OOW document, No detours to other issues; step by step, exactly. Or else, someone needs to update OOW so that headers can be added without going through all these hoops and getting hopeless mired.

[Bill]

Assuming you have a document in .odt format with the Default page style applied to all pages and no headers on any page, click the first page, then right-click "Default" in the Status bar and select "First Page". You now have the First Page page style applied to the first page and the Default page style applied to the remaining pages. To insert headers on the "Default" pages, select Insert > Header > Default. Right-click in the first even-numbered "Default" page and select Page. On the Page style dialog, click the Header tab. Uncheck the "Same content left/right" option and click OK to close the dialog. Click in the header on the first even-numbered "Default" page and insert what you want in the header on even-numbered pages. Click in the header on the first odd-numbered "Default" page and insert what you want in the headers on odd-numbered pages.

[RoryOF]

No understand. Sorry. That's only two pages.

Someone needs to write a step by step guide to adding headers to a OOW document, No detours to other issues; step by step, exactly. Or else, someone needs to update OOW so that headers can be added without going through all these hoops and getting hopeless mired.

Actually, if you looked at the document, it is four pages, with no header on the first page, then alternating headers on the subsequent pages, as you required. But it may be easier to rant than to follow instructions previously given.

In the OO Extensions Repository are several book templates.

[eameece]

No understand. Sorry. That's only two pages.

Someone needs to write a step by step guide to adding headers to a OOW document, No detours to other issues; step by step, exactly. Or else, someone needs to update OOW so that headers can be added without going through all these hoops and getting hopeless mired.

Actually, if you looked at the document, it is four pages, with no header on the first page, then alternating headers on the subsequent pages, as you required. But it may be easier to rant than to follow instructions previously given.

In the OO Extensions Repository are several book templates.

I don't know what that means.

Sorry, no rant; I only see two pages in the "try this" sample document you posted, title page and page 3.

[RoryOF]

You probably need to change your Zoom level. Click on the rightmost of the three little page icons at the right of Status Bar. Then right click on % box and choose Page Width.

The Extensions Repository (actually the Templates Repository) at https://templates.openoffice.org/en/search?query=Book offers several book templates. Downloading one of these and double clicking on it (provided Internet Explorer does not change its file type) gives preset page styles and type styles to use in your document.

[eameece]

Assuming you have a document in .odt format with the Default page style applied to all pages and no headers on any page, click the first page, then right-click "Default" in the Status bar and select "First Page". You now have the First Page page style applied to the first page and the Default page style applied to the remaining pages. To insert headers on the "Default" pages, select Insert > Header > Default. Right-click in the first even-numbered "Default" page and select Page. On the Page style dialog, click the Header tab. Uncheck the "Same content left/right" option and click OK to close the dialog. Click in the header on the first even-numbered "Default" page and insert what you want in the header on even-numbered pages. Click in the header on the first odd-numbered "Default" page and insert what you want in the headers on odd-numbered pages.

Thank you, that makes sense and that works.

RoryOF, please add this to the tutorial.

[eameece]

You probably need to change your Zoom level. Click on the rightmost of the three little page icons at the right of Status Bar. Then right click on % box and choose Page Width.

OK that works.
You alternated between header and header left, using the first icon set of styles in the styles & formatting window.

The Extensions Repository (actually the Templates Repository) at https://templates.openoffice.org/en/search?query=Book offers several book templates. Downloading one of these and double clicking on it (provided Internet Explorer does not change its file type) gives preset page styles and type styles to use in your document.

OK I'll keep that in mind to check out if need be.

[RoryOF]

You should notice that the opening page is Page Style First Page; I have modified this on its Organizer tab so that subsequent pages are Default. This style has been set to use "Mirrored" on its Page tab, under "Page Layout".