Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I changed the formatting and Saved the Template. Then I changed the default to my new template.

When I bring another document in, it reverts back to the documents formatting. The only work around I've found is to copy and paste the document into the Saved Template Formatting.

For Instance:

I have Formatted, Heading 1, 2, 3 and text body and changed it to be my default. When I copy and paste, I can then highlight the text and apply the formatting for Heading 1, etc. and it works.

If I simply open the document, I have to modify Heading 1, 2, 3 and text body again.

I guess what I'm asking other than copy and pasting, is there an EZ-ier way than the work around I came up with?

Using, XP and 2.3

Thanks

Judith

I changed the formatting and Saved the Template. Then I changed the default to my new template.
When I bring another document in, it reverts back to the documents formatting.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't quite follow your description. It would be helpful (for me at least), if you described exactly what you did, rather than paraphrasing.

When working with templates, it can make a huge difference exactly how you "saved the template," or how you "bring another document in".

E.g.
1) I opened the template using File > Templates > Edit
2) Using the Format > Styles and Formatting, I modified the "Heading 1" style to use 18-point Arial
3) I saved the template using File > Templates > Save
4) I made it the default template using File > Templates > Organize > ...
5) I created a new document using File > New > Text Document
6) When I apply the "Heading 1" style to a text paragraph, the font is 14-point Albany instead of 18-point Arial

Sorry, I know that's a lot of work, but at least we'll clear about the situation.

I did all you said.

Now I want to know if my workaround is the only solution for applying the new formatting to a document already written.

I do not want to open a document and then have to redo the formatting again.

So I copy and paste (instead of opening) the document into what I have changed to be my default formatting.

I then highlight the text, I want to change and click Format, Set Default. This makes the highlighted text Change to Heading 1 formatting.

From there I highlight what I want for Heading 2, Click the Style Box drop down arrow and click on Heading 2. Again this changes the formatting.

Now all I want to know is if there is an EZ-ier way.

So far I haven't found one. Because if I open a document in Writer, the inherent formatting from the old formatting is there and won't let me change to my default formatting unless I modify all the formatting again.

Judith

Another approach is to load styles from your template into your old doc.
F11 and click the last icon on the right, Load Styles and check all the boxes.

I don't know if you will find this any easier and if you had Tools > Outline Numbering set up in you template I don't believe it will be transfered.

John,

Thank you that is much EZ-ier. Does the same thing with out having to copy and paste.

Judith

Try creating a new document based on your new default template then inserting the original document into the new document using Insert > File. I haven't done this before, but it seems to work in the small test I did. After inserting the original file, the new document contains the content of the original document but has formatting based on the new template.

Bill wrote:Try creating a new document based on your new default template then inserting the original document into the new document using Insert > File. I haven't done this before, but it seems to work in the small test I did. After inserting the original file, the new document contains the content of the original document but has formatting based on the new template.

This works just like a master document as far as style definitions go. The content brought into the document retains style information. If the style exists in the new document, that's the definition that is applied (makes sense; otherwise, how would it support two styles of the same name and how would it know when to use which one?) --- and if the style doesn't exist in the new document, it's copied in.