Heading (outline) numbering is not saved

[AndreJRenard]

I am using OpenOffice Build 2.3.0.1.3 in OpenSuse 10.3.
The outline numbering of a Writer document is not saved although it is working fine during a session.I look around with Google and found it is an old problem supposed to be solved for now. And in fact I found no similar entries in the Community Forum.
What should I do?
Thanks for help

[foxcole]

I am using OpenOffice Build 2.3.0.1.3 in OpenSuse 10.3.
The outline numbering of a Writer document is not saved although it is working fine during a session.I look around with Google and found it is an old problem supposed to be solved for now.

Where did you obtain your software download?

Exactly how are you creating your outline numbering and your heading paragraphs? If the paragraphs have any direct formatting at all (could be left over formatting if you're using existing Word documents, for example), they might not retain the outline numbering setting from one session to the next.

Whenever you find existing issues or references that seem related to your problem, you should post the link so others can examine the information and see whether it might be relevant.

Could you perhaps post a sample document? It doesn't have to be one that contains meaningful text but should have the headings set up the way you use them, and should behave on your system the same way you describe. Being able to see an actual example often helps solve the problem (or identify the bug).

[AndreJRenard]

I attached two documents:
(1) A very simplified odt file causing the problem.
(2) The pdf file generated from the odt file after having attached Level 1 to Heading 1 in the Options/Outline Numbering menu. Please do note that the Table of Content was also generated at that moment.
I tried with OpenOffice in OpenSuse 10.3 and in Windows XP.
What I am doing wrong?

[AndreJRenard]

The odt file.

[foxcole]

Just to be sure I understand what you're asking, are you looking for numbers on the headings in the document body? And are you applying the numbers in the Outline Numbering utility? When I opened the .odt there was no heading style defined in Level 1. When I selected Heading 1, the numbers appeared in the headings. Saved the file, closed, re-opened and the Outline Numbering level 1 reverted to (none) for the heading style.

I noticed in the Organizer tab of the paragraph style editor, Heading 1 is linked to the Heading style definition, but in my documents with numbered headings that work correctly, Heading 1 is linked to Default or to nothing. Changing that setting in your document allows the numbering to stay put after the file is saved and re-opened. Something about the Heading definition is preventing the numbering from staying put in Heading 1. I don't know if you've edited the Heading style, but it might have direct formatting of some kind. That's just a quick test; maybe someone can look into it in more detail.

[AndreJRenard]

Hi Fox,

By the way my name is fox in French.

I did what you did: "I noticed in the Organizer tab of the paragraph style editor, Heading 1 is linked to the Heading style definition, but in my documents with numbered headings that work correctly, Heading 1 is linked to Default or to nothing. Changing that setting in your document allows the numbering to stay put after the file is saved and re-opened. " and it also worked. Thanks.

I might have changed something in the heading style. I just don't remember. But it is quite an ennoying side effect anyway.

Andre

[acknak]

I noticed in the Organizer tab of the paragraph style editor, Heading 1 is linked to the Heading style definition, but in my documents with numbered headings that work correctly, Heading 1 is linked to Default or to nothing.

The default configuration for Writer has been Default > Heading > Heading 1..10 for me, far as long as I've known enough to notice.

[JohnV]

I also looked at your document and can't figure out what you did except at Tools > Outline Numbering all levels are assigned to the style "[none]". Assuming you have not made a change to any of the Heading styles and saved theses to your Default Template then you should be able to do outline numbering so it works.

Open a new Writer document and do Tools > Outline Numbering where Level 1 should be selected and be associated with the Heading 1 paragraph style by default. Set its numbering type to 1,2,3 in the Numbering box and OK out.

On the left side of the Formatting toolbar you should see a box that says, "Default", use its drop down menu to select Heading 1, type "TEST" and tap Enter. Type any other text you want under this heading, save and reopen.

FWIW, if you don't like the look of the Heading 1-10 paragraph styles they can be modified in the Stylist just like any other paragraph style. Just don't give them a numbering style on the Numbering tab there.

[Bill]

I might have changed something in the heading style. I just don't remember. But it is quite an ennoying side effect anyway.

The heading style has been modified to contain "no numbering" on the Organizer tab of the Paragraph style dialog. There should be some way to remove "no numbering", but I haven't found it. I had to copy the heading style from another document to replace the heading style in your document. After that, the numbering doesn't disappear when saving.

Edit: Found the fix for removing "no numbering": 1) In Tools > Outline Numbering, set the Level 1 paragraph style to Heading then click OK. 2) Check the Heading paragraph style. "No numbering" should no longer appear on the Organizer tab. 3) Reopen Tools > Outline Numbering and reassign the correct paragraph style to each heading level. Outline Numbering getting reset upon loading a document

[foxcole]

The heading style has been modified to contain "no numbering" on the Organizer tab of the Paragraph style dialog. There should be some way to remove "no numbering", but I haven't found it. I had to copy the heading style from another document to replace the heading style in your document. After that, the numbering doesn't disappear when saving.

That should have no bearing on the behavior of the Heading 1 outline numbering. My documents that work correctly link to Default but Default has no numbering specified in the Organizer tab either. If I take one of those documents and link Heading 1 to Heading---which, please note, also has no numbering in the Numbering tab---the outline numbering still works correctly in my document. I've found that the only time outline numbering or heading numbering doesn't work is when the paragraph contains unusual style items, such as might be carried over from Word. I went through a long round of debugging similar problems in a particular master document a couple of years ago.

I have a strong feeling that's also what is happening in this particular case... something was left over in the Heading style definition that isn't being removed by applying default formatting to the paragraph. Because it doesn't work to apply default formatting etc. to the Heading 1 style, and because the problem goes away when the link-to setting is changed in the Heading 1 style to something other than Heading, this does point to the Heading style itself as the culprit.

If you follow Bill's steps to set Heading as level 1 in Outline Numbering and so forth, then close the file and re-open it, the numbering problem has been fixed.... even though the Heading style definition again contains [none] in the Numbering tab. As it should.
Something else in the Heading style has been "repaired" by that method, it seems.

[Bill]

The heading style has been modified to contain "no numbering" on the Organizer tab of the Paragraph style dialog. There should be some way to remove "no numbering", but I haven't found it. I had to copy the heading style from another document to replace the heading style in your document. After that, the numbering doesn't disappear when saving.

That should have no bearing on the behavior of the Heading 1 outline numbering. My documents that work correctly link to Default but Default has no numbering specified in the Organizer tab either. If I take one of those documents and link Heading 1 to Heading---which, please note, also has no numbering in the Numbering tab---the outline numbering still works correctly in my document. I've found that the only time outline numbering or heading numbering doesn't work is when the paragraph contains unusual style items, such as might be carried over from Word. I went through a long round of debugging similar problems in a particular master document a couple of years ago.

I think you mean that numbering isn't specified for your Default paragraph style. That means that styles linked to the Default style can have numbering even if the Default style has no numbering. I mean that "no numbering" is specified for the heading style. This means that the heading style and styles linked to the heading style can't have numbering.

I can break the outline numbering simply by modifying the heading style (assuming that the Header 1-10 styles are based on the heading style--this is the default for a new installation). Open a new document. Right-click the heading style in the Stylist and select Modify. On the Organizer tab, there should be no mention of any numbering (linked styles can have numbering). Modify the heading style by clicking the Numbering tab and selecting "List 1" as the Numbering Style. Click OK. Reopen the Paragraph Style dialog for the heading style. "Numbering(List 1)" should now appear on the Organizer tab. Click the Numbering tab and change the Numbering Style to "None". Click OK. Reopen the Paragraph Style dialog again. "no numbering" should now appear on the Organizer tab (linked styles can't have numbering). Click OK then select Tools > Outline Numbering. Make sure that Heading 1 is associated with Level 1. Specify "1, 2, 3, ..." as the Number format for the numbering. Click OK to close the Outline Numbering dialog. Save, close and reopen the document. The numbering has disappeared and Heading 1 is no longer associated with level 1 in Outline Numbering.