Identical footnote settings work in one file but not another

users
#1

I am using LO 4.3.3.2 with Debian wheezy. In two odt documents I have
added a footnote. In one case the number of the footnote at the
bottom of the page has a period after the number, but in the other
case there is no period there even though the settings for the
‘footnote‘ and ‘numbering 1’ styles in both cases are identical.

The settings which seem to me to matter for the ‘footnote’ style are:

Indents and spacing: Before text: 0.50 cm; After text: 0.00;
         First line -0.50 cm.

Outline and numbering:
  Outline level: ‘Outline level 1’ or ‘Body text’, it does
      not seem to matter in either case. If
      ‘body text' is used the bottom line shows
       ‘Numbering 1 : Level 1’. If Outline
      level 1’ is used, ‘Outline 1’ is added
      to the bottom line.

  Numbering style: ‘numbering 1’

The settings which seem to me to matter for the ‘numbering 1’ style are:

  ‘Position’ for all levels, the following settings on the right:
    Tab stop
    0.00 cm
    Left
    0.00 cm
    0.50 cm

  ‘Options’ for all levels although only the first lever is used:
    Number: 1, 2, 3, ...
    Character Style: None
    Show sublevels: 1
    Separator before: none
    Separator after: . (period)
    Start at: 1

Something is obviously wrong. Should I file a bug report?

Regards, Ken

#2

How about Tools -> Footnotes/Endnotes... ? Are settings there the same
in both documents?

#3

No they were not. In Tools -> Footnotes/Endnotes for one of the
documents there was no period in the ‘After’ space. Putting the period
there gave me the results I wanted..

It then occurred to me that I may not need to use an Outline/Numbering
style in footnotes; so I removed it from the Footnotes paragraph style
in both documents. Sure enough, there was no change; I did not need
it. To format the footnote the way I want it all I have to do is set
the ‘Indents and spacing’ option in the footnote paragraph style to
Before text: 0.50 cm; After text: 0.00; First line -0.50 cm.

I then did what I should have done before posting to the list -- open
the Footnotes entries in the LibreOffice help. Mostly what I needed
to know was there.

I also discovered that there is a page style called Footnote. I
really wonder whether I need to use it because there is a Footnotes
tab in the page style used for the whole page including the settings
for the line between the body text and the footnote text.

One setting I could not find was to change the footnote anchor. Is it
possible to use a symbol such as an asterisk instead of a number as
the anchor?

Finally in Tools -> Footnotes I could not understand the purpose of
the character styles for the text and footnote areas. Since however
the defaults for these are ‘Footnote Anchor’ and ‘Footnote Characters’
respectively, perhaps I don’t need to.

Thanks very much for the help.

Ken

#4

One setting I could not find was to change the footnote anchor. Is it possible to use a symbol such as an asterisk instead of a number as the anchor?

Yes: select Character (and insert the required character) instead of Automatic in the Insert Footnote/Endnote dialogue.

Finally in Tools -> Footnotes I could not understand the purpose of the character styles for the text and footnote areas.

These set the style of the footnote anchor and the footnote number in the footnote itself.

Since however the defaults for these are "Footnote Anchor" and "Footnote Characters" respectively, perhaps I don't need to.

You can use these styles, or change these styles, or substitute others.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#5

Thanks Brian, it does indeed help.

Ken