How do I collapse the common fractions in Writer?

users
#1

I have been searching for this and I can't seem to find the right setting.

I have three or four installations of LO on various computers. On
some of them, LO Writer automatically converts 1/2, 1/4 and 3/4 into
the symbols for such (½ ¼ ¾). On others, the letters remain
unchanged.

I'm reasonably certain there is a setting for this in one of the
options, but I can't find it in Help and I can't figure out which one
it's supposed to be in the Options lists.

???

Thanks.

MR

#2

MR ZenWiz wrote:

I have been searching for this and I can't seem to find the right setting.

I have three or four installations of LO on various computers. On
some of them, LO Writer automatically converts 1/2, 1/4 and 3/4 into
the symbols for such (½ ¼ ¾). On others, the letters remain
unchanged.

I'm reasonably certain there is a setting for this in one of the
options, but I can't find it in Help and I can't figure out which one
it's supposed to be in the Options lists.

It's under Tools > AutoCorrect Options
- In the "Replace" tab, you need the following entries, which I think should be there by default:
     Replace 1/2 with ½
     Replace 1/4 with ¼
     Replace 3/4 with ¾
In the "Options" tab, you need to enable "Use replacement table"

Personally, I disable using the replacement table because it gets in the way when I don't want the replacement to happen, e.g. when entering dates:
- 1/1 gives 1st January of the current year, as expected
- 2/1 gives 2nd January of the current year (I'm in the UK)
- 3/1 gives 3rd January of the current year
...
- 31/1 gives 31st January of the current year
But:
- 1/2 gives ½, not 1st February
- 1/4 gives ¼, not 1st April
- 3/4 gives ¾, not 3rd April

Mark.

#3

Den 30.06.2015 22:33, libreoffice-ml.mbourne@spamgourmet.com skreiv:

MR ZenWiz wrote:

I have been searching for this and I can't seem to find the right setting.

I have three or four installations of LO on various computers. On
some of them, LO Writer automatically converts 1/2, 1/4 and 3/4 into
the symbols for such (½ ¼ ¾). On others, the letters remain
unchanged.

I'm reasonably certain there is a setting for this in one of the
options, but I can't find it in Help and I can't figure out which one
it's supposed to be in the Options lists.

It's under Tools > AutoCorrect Options
- In the "Replace" tab, you need the following entries, which I think should be there by default:
    Replace 1/2 with ½
    Replace 1/4 with ¼
    Replace 3/4 with ¾
In the "Options" tab, you need to enable "Use replacement table"

Personally, I disable using the replacement table because it gets in the way when I don't want the replacement to happen, e.g. when entering dates:
- 1/1 gives 1st January of the current year, as expected
- 2/1 gives 2nd January of the current year (I'm in the UK)
- 3/1 gives 3rd January of the current year
...
- 31/1 gives 31st January of the current year
But:
- 1/2 gives ½, not 1st February
- 1/4 gives ¼, not 1st April
- 3/4 gives ¾, not 3rd April

Mark.

If you are using Windows, press and hold the left Alt-key while writing 0189 on the numeric keyboard to write the character ½. Code 0188 gives ¼ and 0190 ¾.
There are more codes. Take a look at the menu Insert -> Special Character.
Or have a look at the menu Tools -> AutoCorrect Options on that computer where it works.

Mark, I think you know it but perhaps others don't: If you write 1/2 and it is changed to ½ press Ctrl + Z immediately and the ½ changes back to 1/2.

Kolbjørn

#4

Kolbjørn Stuestøl wrote:

Den 30.06.2015 22:33, libreoffice-ml.mbourne@spamgourmet.com skreiv:

Personally, I disable using the replacement table because it gets in
the way when I don't want the replacement to happen, e.g. when
entering dates:
- 1/1 gives 1st January of the current year, as expected
- 2/1 gives 2nd January of the current year (I'm in the UK)
- 3/1 gives 3rd January of the current year
...
- 31/1 gives 31st January of the current year
But:
- 1/2 gives ½, not 1st February
- 1/4 gives ¼, not 1st April
- 3/4 gives ¾, not 3rd April

Mark, I think you know it but perhaps others don't: If you write 1/2 and
it is changed to ½ press Ctrl + Z immediately and the ½ changes back to
1/2.

Unfortunately, that doesn't work quite so well in Calc as it does in Writer. If I type 1/2 and move to another cell (enter, tab or click), it changes to ½. Undo clears the cell, rather than reverting to 1/2.

Even if I type 1/2<space> (it changes to ½<space>), undo (changes to 1/2<space>), delete the space, then move to a another cell, it still changes to ½. Undo at that point completely clears the cell again.

The easiest workaround I've found is to type 1/2, then Ctrl+A (select all), then move to another cell. For some reason, that seems to prevent the replacement from happening.

With the replacements enabled it always used to catch me out first time and then I'd have to go back and change it (and try to remember that selecting the cell content before moving cell is what I need to do to stop it replacing). Far easier to just disable the replacements. If I want a "½" character I can easily insert one, but I more often want the "1/2" (=1st February in date or general cells) that I typed in the first place.

Actually, I have replacements (and most of the other AutoCorrect options) disabled in Writer as well, so what I type is what I get. I can see how it's helpful for some people, but for me AutoCorrect too often "corrects" something I wanted as I typed it, and I don't always notice immediately. I just prefer to do my own thinking rather than have the software do the thinking for me; the spell checker is welcome to advise, but at least it doesn't change things without asking. Guess I'm just a control freak ;o)

Mark.

#5

You must activate the replacement table in the AutoCorrect options. Sometimes it seems that some of the options in "Options" tab need to be enabled or disabled after your standard install - or clean install. At least I have seen that happen on my Linux [.deb] and Windows [XP,Vista,Win7] systems, over the past few years.

Do you have DejaVU Sans installed?

The Tools / AutoCorrect / Replace [tab] Replacement Table option
seems to have DejaVU as the font and grayed out.

There does not seem to be a way to ungray that font option anywhere - or at least on 4.3.4 64-bit .deb installs.
[I just have not updated this system to 4.4.3, and not 4.4.4, yet]

I do know that your fraction does change format with the font.
Most fonts seem to use the ¼ - i.e. side by side - format, but not all of them.

Comic Sans MS has the format where the number "/" number is lined up on top of each other, as a single character.

1

#6

Awesome response, Tim - many, many thanks.

I couldn't check my home desktop (I'm at work right now), but whenever
I get back there I will.

Cheers!