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In Writer, you can use the toolbars, the sidebar and menus (normal and contextual) to modify text. For example, modify the selected paragraph through Format → Paragraph (choose Character to format text). Alternatively, right click the selection and choose Paragraph or Character.

Formatting tools are available through the Format menu or a right click on the page. But it is important to note that these options only modify the corresponding page style. In Writer there is no direct formatting for pages, page formatting can only be done through styles. For this reason, we will leave the details on how to format pages to the corresponding section for page styles.

Numbered and bulleted lists

There are several ways to create numbered or bulleted lists:

• Auto-formatting (covered later in this chapter)
• List Styles (covered in the chapter on Styles)
• The Numbering and Bullets icons on the paragraph formatting toolbar. The use of these icons will be described in the section below.

It is important to note that it is better to avoid the use of numbered list in numbered chapters. In another section of this guide we will see how to number chapters and give an outline to a document.

To produce a numbered or bulleted list, select the paragraphs in the list and choose the appropriate icon.

Using the Bullets and Numbering Toolbar

With a numbered or bulleted list active, a contextual toolbar will open.

The buttons, numbered on the screenshot, perform the following actions:

1. Bullets ON/OFF
2. Numbering ON/OFF
3. Numbering OFF
4. Promote one level
5. Demote one level
6. Promote one level with sub-points
7. Demote one level with sub-points
8. Insert an unnumbered entry
9. Move line up
10. Move line down
11. Move line up with sub-points
12. Move line down with sub-points
13. Restart numbering
14. Bullets and Numbering dialog box

The options in the Bullets and Numbering dialog box are the same as when editing a list style, so these properties will be covered in the chapter on List Styles.

Nested Lists

As mentioned earlier, list sub-points refer to the levels of a numbered list or bullet, see example below:

1. First
   1. Sub First
2. Second
   1. Sub Second
      1. Sub Sub Second

To change the level of one line in the list, either use the Promote/Demote Level icons in the Bullets and Numbering toolbar, or place the cursor at the beginning of the line and press  Tab ⇆  or  ⇧ Shift  +  Tab ⇆ .

Autotext

Use AutoText to insert text, tables, fields and other items for reuse, by assigning a key combination to the item for retrieval.

For example, by typing dt and  F3 , a long paragraph with a sample text will insert into the document (note: "dt" stands for "dummy text" and different acronyms may apply to non-English versions: use Edit → AutoText to see the one appropriate for your language). Typing fn and  F3  will produce a table with one row and two columns, with a Math object on the left cell and a variable on the other.

Both examples show what AutoText does and its use, to introduce a document snip previously defined in any place, using only an abbreviation and a keyboard shortcut.

Inserting an AutoText

Insert an AutoText by typing the abbreviation followed by  F3 .

To view the available abbreviations, you can choose Edit → AutoText ( Ctrl  +  F3 ), but there is an easier method: Activating the Insert toolbar. By choosing the AutoText icon, you can view the AutoText categories and their respective abbreviations.

Defining an AutoText

1. Select the content you want to use for an AutoText. The content can be anything: text, tables, pictures, frames, sections, etc.
2. With the content selected, go to Edit → AutoText.
3. The AutoText dialog box will appear. Provide a name for your entry in the Name box. Writer will suggest a shortcut, which you can change.
4. In the box to the left, choose a category for the entry, where the AutoText will be classified.
5. Select the  AutoText  button to the right, and select either New (text only) (for the AutoText to take on formatting where it is inserted into the document) or New (for the AutoText to retain its formatting).
6. Select  Close  to return to the document.

If the AutoText contains a table, it is necessary to select at least one line before and one line after the table, otherwise only the content and not the table itself will go into the AutoText.

Inside the AutoText dialog box, note the following features:

• With the option Display remainder of the name as suggestion while typing enabled, Writer will suggest an AutoText if you start to type the AutoText name. The suggestion will appear in a pop-up box, and pressing  ↵ Enter  will insert the AutoText.
• The  Categories...  button allows you to create new categories to classify your AutoTexts.
•  Path...  defines where to save the AutoTexts.

Editing an AutoText

In the AutoText dialog box (Edit → AutoText), you can edit your AutoText entries.

Select an existing AutoText, and choose the AutoText... button to modify or even eliminate the AutoText.

Selecting Edit, a document will open with the AutoText. Simply make the changes and save. The entry will now be available as edited.

The changes will apply only to AutoTexts inserted after the modification, AutoText already inserted will not be changed

Print a list of AutoText entries

1. Choose Tools → Macros → Organize Macros → OpenOffice Basics.
2. In the Macro from list, choose OpenOffice Macros → Gimmicks.
3. Select AutoText and click  Run .
4. A list of the AutoText entries will be generated in a new document. You can print this document.