Better approach for formatting

users
#1

I have a request to create a table *like* entry in Writer that would look
like this:

Revision Date Author
       Description

so that if done, it would look sort of like this: (Newest on top).

V1.4 21-July-80 Fred Farkle
       Long verbose description of all the brilliant changes put back in..
V1.3 20-Jul-80 Peter Pickle
       Deleted long verbose descriptions put in by Fred "Purple Prose"
Farkle.
V1.2 19-July-80 Fred Farkle
       Added long verbose description of all the brilliant changes put back
in.
       (Multiple lines of content here.)

I did it and passed it back for the other person to go on with. BUT, I
started wondering if there's a "better" way to do such a thing.

I thought one method using "Paragraph Styles" to do the work but it seems
like the wrong tool for the job.

I considered a table but it doesn't seem to fit the task either.

The PITA is the long description below the entry line.

So I'm wondering how, without changning the required format, how would you
make such a thing in a Writer document?

A) I'm asking to learn.
B) I'm asking to stir the collective discussions.
C) See if anyone has a solution that is unique. :slight_smile:

Thanks everyone for the use of your electrons.

#2

I have a request to create a table-like entry in Writer that would look like this:

Revision Date Author
       Description

so that if done, it would look sort of like this: (Newest on top).

V1.4 21-July-80 Fred Farkle
       Long verbose description of all the brilliant changes put back in..
V1.3 20-Jul-80 Peter Pickle
       Deleted long verbose descriptions put in by Fred "Purple Prose" Farkle.
V1.2 19-July-80 Fred Farkle
       Added long verbose description of all the brilliant changes put back in.
       (Multiple lines of content here.)

I did it and passed it back for the other person to go on with.

Good: so you've already achieved what you want!

BUT, I started wondering if there's a "better" way to do such a thing.

That depends on what your "thing" is. Unfortunately, just giving a picture of what you want the document text to look like doesn't explain what you want the document to do. If all you need is that it should look right, you have already achieved this - however you did it. In your e-mail message you appear to have used multiple consecutive space characters to arrange positioning; it would be unwise to do this in a word processor document, but instead to use proper facilities. (I recognise that you may have done things properly in your text document but had to use spaces in the mail message.)

I thought one method using paragraph styles to do the work but it seems like the wrong tool for the job.

What was your "method using paragraph styles"? Every paragraph has a style, so you are always using paragraph styles. It cannot be the wrong tool.

I considered a table but it doesn't seem to fit the task either.

Er, and why not? Tables are often the answer.

... I'm wondering how, without changing the required format, how would you make such a thing in a Writer document?

o Create a table with three columns and sufficient rows. (Tables do not need to have visible borders.)
o Enter your three heading items in each odd row.
o Select all the cells of each even row and use Merge Cells to create a single cell on that row.
o Enter your long description in that single cell.

If, as it appears, you may want your long descriptions to be indented, then you would want to achieve this with a suitable paragraph style. The standard "Text body indent" may suffice.

Again, you haven't indicated what you might want to do with this document, so I'm having to guess that you may want to add entries at the top of the list. That would be easy:
o Put the cursor into the first row of the table.
o Insert two additional rows, using the Before option.
o Merge the cells of the new second row.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker