Writer auto indenting?

users
#1

Is there a way to get Writer to preserve the tab indenting from the previous line on which I was typing?

For instance, lets suppose that the left hand edge of this message is the left margin of a Writer document.

This is my first line of typing. <Press Enter>
<tab> Type another line. <Press Enter>
Now I want this line to begin at the same place as the previous line, at the "T" in the word "Type".

I don't want to have to use auto formatting, I get all mixed up with that stuff. I just want subsequent lines to preserve the tabs in the previous line, unless I press Backspace.

Is there a setting somewhere to do this?

#2

Is there a way to get Writer to preserve the tab indenting from the previous line on which I was typing?

I hope not. If you indent the first line of a paragraph using a tab character and you want this behaviour repeated, you would have tab characters at the beginning of every line. So far so (apparently) good. But then what happens when you edit the text and material flows naturally between lines? The tabs flow into positions other than at the beginning of the lines and you get a mess!

For instance, let's suppose that the left hand edge of this message is the left margin of a Writer document.

This is my first line of typing. <Press Enter>
<tab> Type another line. <Press Enter>
Now I want this line to begin at the same place as the previous line, at the "T" in the word "Type".

It's interesting here that, although you said you wanted this behaviour for consecutive lines, you now explain that you want it for separate *paragraphs*. Paragraphs, not lines, are what you get if you separate the items by pressing Enter, of course.

I don't want to have to use auto formatting, I get all mixed up with that stuff.

The solution to "getting all mixed up" is to learn how to use the facilities properly, so you are not "mixed up" - not to dismiss the facilities that the product provides.

I just want subsequent lines to preserve the tabs in the previous line, unless I press Backspace.

No: you don't want any tabs (unless you are using a typewriter); you want persistent indentations.

Is there a setting somewhere to do this?

Yes. You can set an indentation in the paragraph properties or the paragraph style properties. More simply, you can use the Increase Indent button in the Formatting toolbar. You can do any of these before or after you type the material, or at any point whilst you are doing so. In any case, pressing Enter to start a new paragraph will preserve the current indentation. You can remove the indentation using the paragraph or paragraph style dialogues or the Decrease Indent button in the Formatting toolbar. If you put the cursor at the start of any paragraph, you can also cancel its indentation using Backspace, as you desire.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#3

Brian, Brilliant, thank you for this. That's one more tool on my bag.

#4

Thank you, Brian. I stand duly chastised. I'll try to not ask any more stupid questions when I'm frustrated.

#5

Brian Barker:

The solution to "getting all mixed up" is to learn how to use the facilities properly, so you are not "mixed up" - not to dismiss the facilities that the product provides.

No: you don't want any tabs (unless you are using a typewriter); you want persistent indentations.

I stand duly chastised.

That was intended to be help, not chastisement.

I'll try to not ask any more stupid questions when I'm frustrated.

Oh, the question certainly wasn't stupid. Don't stop asking. Frustration could be an appropriate stimulus. But it is sometimes helpful to answer questions in a broader way than might have been expected.

Brian Barker

#6

I too say it's not a stupid question. The behaviour you describe is exactly the way my text editor performs when I am writing scripts, it is quite normal in some situations. LO makes the process a little more sophisticated and gives you many more options.
Steve

#7

Hi :slight_smile:
I think the easy answer is, put a tab (and the extra space?) in front of
the 1st line;
"
<tab> This is my first line of typing. <Press Enter>
<tab> Type another line. <Press Enter>
Now I want this line to begin at the same place as the previous line, at
the "T" in the word "Type".
"

This is not going against what Brian was saying, just cutting it down to
the specific use-case asked about.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#8

>Is there a way to get Writer to preserve the tab indenting from
>the previous line on which I was typing?

I hope not. If you indent the first line of a paragraph using a tab
character and you want this behaviour repeated, you would have tab
characters at the beginning of every line. So far so (apparently)
good.

What he wants is known in the Unix text editor as "auto-indent." It
is *exceedingly* convenient. With AI on: Once you indent:
All subsequent lines are automatically equally indented. You "undent"
by either (repeatedly) keying the undent key or returning to command
mode (vi is a modal editor) on a fresh line.

It may sound confusing to the uninitiated, but, to somebody
experienced with the editor, it is very fast. As with nearly
everything in vi: Ones fingers need never leave the keyboard. (Even
with GUI re-implementations of the editor.) Some of us, and some
time-and-motion experts, think the mouse was the worst thing ever
invented :wink:

But then what happens when you edit the text and material
flows naturally between lines? The tabs flow into positions other
than at the beginning of the lines and you get a mess!

[snip]

The vi editor, being a text editor primarily designed for writing
code, doesn't re-flow. (Tho it does have crude word wrap.) But
the simple editor in my email client does. It (usually) re-flows the
text, maintaining the indent w/in the paragraph.

TBH: LOW not being a programming editor, I don't know as auto-indent
would be all that handy, even if there was a dedicated toolbar button
or hotkey to enable/disable it, but there have been times *I* wished
it had it, and certainly the behaviour is doable. Then again: I
"grew up" with vi, so its behaviour is second nature to me :).

Regards,
Jim

#9

Is there a way to get Writer to preserve the tab indenting from the previous line on which I was typing?

I hope not. If you indent the first line of a paragraph using a tab character and you want this behaviour repeated, you would have tab characters at the beginning of every line. So far so (apparently) good.

What he wants is known in the Unix text editor as "auto-indent." It is *exceedingly* convenient. With AI on: Once you indent: All subsequent lines are automatically equally indented. You "undent" by either (repeatedly) keying the undent key or returning to command mode (vi is a modal editor) on a fresh line.

Of course! He needed auto-indenting, not the tab indenting he asked for. And I explained how that works in my original reply.

It may sound confusing to the uninitiated, but, to somebody experienced with the editor, it is very fast. As with nearly everything in vi: Ones fingers need never leave the keyboard. (Even with GUI re-implementations of the editor.) Some of us, and some time-and-motion experts, think the mouse was the worst thing ever invented :wink:

[snip]

Aha! You've (quite reasonably) snipped my answer to the original query. But did you not get that far?

I don't know as auto-indent would be all that handy, even if there was a dedicated toolbar button or hotkey to enable/disable it, ...

Er, there is.

... but there have been times *I* wished it had it, and certainly the behaviour is doable.

Not only doable - but done!

Instead of pressing the tab key, click the Increase Indent button in the Formatting toolbar. When you stop wanting the indent, click the Decrease Indent button. You can even create an outdent. This is even better than using the tab key, since you can use these buttons before you type the material, during typing, or even after you have completed typing. The tab technique presumably requires you to type the tab key before you start typing the paragraph.

Brian Barker

#10

>>>Is there a way to get Writer to preserve the tab indenting from
>>>the previous line on which I was typing?
>>
>>I hope not.

[snip]

>
>What he wants is known in the Unix text editor as "auto-indent."

[snip]

Of course! He needed auto-indenting, not the tab indenting he asked
for. And I explained how that works in my original reply.

[snip]

Never mind. I got as far as "I hope not" and the reasons why, and
responded to that.

Disregard.

Jim