https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=168171
Bug ID: 168171
Summary: Formatting enhancement: suppress extra space at top of
page per style
Product: LibreOffice
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: All
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: enhancement
Priority: medium
Component: Writer
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Description:
ER: Writer has the option 'Add paragraph and table spacing at top of pages'.
This is inflexible. I would like to be able to override this option on a
style-by-style basis. I envisage a checkbox adjacent to 'Spacing - Above
paragraph' in the Indents and Spacing page of the style editor called something
like 'Do not add at top of page.'
USE CASE
I am writing a novel using sub-documents (chapters) and a master document. Body
text style indents the first line, though I use a left-ranged style for
paragraphs following headings and scene breaks. Chapters are divided into
scenes: I use a blank paragraph to indicate the end of a scene -- sort of
drawing breath at the end of a conversation of action sequence. (I also use a
line of stars to show a more emphatic break e.g. change of location). These are
followed by a left-aligned paragraph without the leading indent other
paragraphs have. I want to suppress this empty paragraph if it appears at the
top of a page because it makes it look as if there's a wide top margin. The
lack of indent is sufficient to mark the scene in this case.
I cannot uncheck "Add paragraph and table spacing at top of pages” because the
Chapter Title style uses 'Above paragraph' to position the title a third way
down the page.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
- The option 'Add paragraph and table spacing at top of pages', which, if
checked, suppresses both 'space above' and empty paragraphs could be split into
two options, controlling space above and empty paragraphs separately.
- Instead of an empty paragraph, I could use space above paragraph to make a
visual break, but would have to be able to suppress this space if it falls at
the top of a page. Recall that the Chapter Title style relies on space above to
position the title on the page. I also cannot put some characters in the break
(such as asterisks), so that there isn't a gap that looks like a margin,
because I use asterisks for a major scene break and it would just look as if I
were being inconsistent.
My preference is for the second solution, as it is more flexible (and avoids
empty paragraphs, which feels like poor practice).
Actual Results:
When a scene break falls at the end of a page, the following page has a large
gap at the top caused by the blank paragraph marking the break.
Expected Results:
The awkward gap, which looks like an inconsistent top margin, should be
suppressed EVEN WHEN The OPTION 'Add paragraph and table spacing at top of
pages' IS NOT CHECKED, as lack of first line indent is sufficient in this case.
Suppression cannot be global as Chapter Title needs 'space above paragraph' to
be respected.
Reproducible: Always
User Profile Reset: No
Additional Info:
Manually adjusting scene breaks, e.g. removing the blank paragraph when it
falls at the top of a page or using a style without 'space above paragraph'
following the break, is impractical for a document of this length (possibly 60
chapters). Pagination changes with every edit, and Chapter titles are part of
the master document and occupy over a third of a page, so individual chapter
files have very different pagination. Getting it right would be a nighmare,
needing me to check every page manually after any alteration.
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