Draw Guide 24.2

Documentation LibreOffice Guides
#21

Hello Antonio

Using tables for legends is not a good idea. Columns are better because columns items are added horizontally until the column line is full then automatically create the next line. Using tables you are restricted by the way tables work.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#22

Hello Antonio

Where is the template LO_UG_Chapters_2Xx_EN located so I can download it.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#23

The template is installed with SanityCheck in the extension templates directory and there is a macro to associate the active document with the template

Important: The extension is intended for individual chapters. In a complete guide it can take a long time and if it does not work as expected, the undo option is limited.

The documentation is here:

#24

Tables can be used as sections with columns using a single row and distributing the content between the columns of the table

image
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#25

Hello Antonio

I am experienced with legends after creating them for exploded figures used to illustrate some very complicated equipment. Columns were used because they are easy to format and expand. Also you could easily increase or decrease the number columns required and the legend would automatically reflow correctly. The columns in LibreOffice are what is called newspaper columns. That means they automatically reflow the legend as items are added and the column height automatically increases.

Yes, you can use a single row table with the required number of cells to contain the legend. However, tables are not very flexible. If it is necessary to reformat the table, for example increasing column number, you would have to manually reflow the legend items. Manually reflowing a legend could cause errors, as well as taking more time. Also, columns in a table are parallel columns, which means there is no automatic reflowing of the legend items.

The LibreOffice table style uses borders. You would have to create a new style for legends making sure there are no borders. Legends are easier to read when there are no borders.

I used Heading 4 paragraph style for a legend because you can add a cross reference to the figure number. If the figure number changes, the legend cross reference also changes.

Using the table caption for a legend could create confusion with tables already in the chapter.

A legend would be placed below the figure it is cross referred to.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#26

I will download the template and use it to update the Draw and Impress chapters for the Getting Started Guide 24.8.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#27

I think you are mixing things up and complicating things:
I don’t see the need to use a new cross-reference with a Heading 4 for the numbered captions and further complicate the work and structure of the document.

  • The previous image was just an example of how a section with columns can be replaced by a table.
  • The table caption was to highlight that a table is used.
  • The table borders were also an example to distinguish the table from a section.

The following image illustrates the technique better.

  • In the image you can see that the formatting marks are activated, so the text limits, tables, frames, etc. are visible in Writer but not in a exported or printed document.
  • The image is in a frame with its short caption and the numbered caption just below, in a single-row table with the content distributed in the columns of the table.

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image771×362 64.1 KB

#28

You don’t need table styles to insert a borderless table into your document.

There are several different techniques for inserting a table, but it seems you don’t know which one offers the most control:

The Insert Table dialog, in the Table > Insert Table menu

In this dialog, you specify the columns and rows and in style you specify “NO STYLE” which gives you a borderless and unstyled table.

In the new image I explain that there is no need to include any caption for the tables with legend numbered

#29

On rare occasions (very few) you will need to change the content of a numbered legend and laying out the contents of a table is not a so hard work.

#30

Hello Antonio

I know how to insert blank and borderless tables. I did think of using tables, but found that columns were better.

The problem with using tables is that you have to manually format the contents in each table cell to balance the contents if there is change in number of legend items or the number of cells in the table. Manual formatting increases the risk of errors being created.

Columns automatically reflow the contents if there is a change in column format. That is if the number of legend items is increased or decreased; or increasing or decreasing the number of columns.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#31

Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages, working with sections you have to add a paragraph break before each section to separate them from the content of the document, otherwise the content of the section is left without separation from the rest of the text and the images overlap with the content of the section.

  • Once the content is distributed in the tables, the numbering of legend items changes the same as in the sections: automatically.

  • In both tables and sections, adjustments must be made for the width of the table or section or the width of the columns, although the methods are different.

You may think that using sections is better than using tables, but that’s your opinion. Mine is the opposite and I also rely on the export to HTML

I would also like to know the opinions of the rest of the documentation team (they seem to be very quiet)

Several opinions can clarify the standard that should be followed in the guides for this format of numbered legends and in this way unify the format of the guides.

If that is what is intended.

#32

Hello Antonio

I think we have to agree to disagree (a confusing English phrase).

I do prefer to use columns for this type of format. However, I will try your solution of using tables and I am even going to try a text box, but I think a text box will be too restrictive.

I shall be using the template from the Sanity Check extension to create a new Chapter Template Instruction and a User Guide Template Instruction as separate files. Legends will be included.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#33

I think that a text box is not a good idea because it does not support styles and is a new element on the guides.

Consider that a template has to be prepared with the strictly necessary elements (Logo, sections, index) for the author to start writing, without the author having to delete anything.

A template with other elements is not productive.

  • Instructions on the use of writing styles or techniques should be in a separate, accessible document or included in the contributor guide
#34

One reason why I was not sure about text boxes abd will not be using.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#35

It’s very easy to create a master guide document with SanityCheck’s built-in templates.

Procedure:

  1. Create a new Master Document with LO_UG_Master_2Xx_EN Template
    File >New>Templates
  2. Replace the cover image
    Right Clic in the cover image and choose Replace on the popup menu and Chose your cover image.
    (The template uses a First page Stylle wich is diferent of the First page of the Chapters).
  3. Open your File manager, on the Filemanager go to the directory where the chapters are saved, select all chapters and drop them into the Writer Window.
    • Order the chapters if necessary
  4. Create a new cover document with LO_UG_Backcover_2Xx_EN Template
    File > New > Templates
    • Replace the Backcover image and the text into the Textbox
    • Save the Backcover document and add it to the new Master Document.
      (BackCover template use a left page style so always it will be a left page in the printed edition)

NO extra pages styles are necessary

#36

maybe a dedicated topic, or wiki, or bugzilla … ? :expressionless:

#37

Hello Antonio

A few comments on the template.

LO Writer compatibility options
Two options in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Writer > Compatibility (macOs LibreOffice > Preferences > LibreOffice Writer > Compatibility) must not be selected because these options create page formatting errors and leave blank spaces on the pages. The options are as follows:
Add spacing between paragraphs and tables
Add paragraph and table spacing at top first page and page breaks.
All previous LO chapters and user guides have been created without the above options being selected.

LibreOffice logo
The LibreOffice logo at the top of the page is incorrectly positioned. In the Image Properties dialog on the Wrap page, the Spacing Top measurement has been set 1.92cm. In all previous versions of LO Chapters and User Guides, the Spacing Top measurement has been set to 0.00cm. The logo the appears at the top of the title page.

Chapter title
In all previous versions of LO Chapters and User Guides, the chapter title has been text using the paragraph style Title. There is no requirement for the chapter title to be created using a field. The chapter title only appears once in a chapter.

There may be more comments on the template as work through the template when updating the chapters.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#38

Thank you Antonio for the info of how to create a master document.
I will be honest, I have never created master documents. The Draw guide will be my first attempt.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

#39

As you say, this “compatibility” is configured in Options but it is a user configuration of LibreOffice

  • This is NOT configured by any template or document

In older versions of the guides the logo was separated from the top edge of the text area of ​​the page.

  • This leaves all the content on the first page centered, which I think is more visually accurate.

You can use fields for Chapter number and Chapter Title or not .

In SanityCheck extension, these custom document properties are used to automatically fill the document title (in the document properties) and also for the footers. So I have taken advantage of them for use on the first page

- This is indicated in the SanityCheck documentation.

#40

Hello Antonio

LO Writer compatibility options and LibreOffice logo
I will use the template you have created and leave the compatibility options and chapter front page as per template for all new documents. That is when I upgrade to the new version of LO.

Chapter title
I will use fields as per the template to help with your sanity check for new documents.

Regards
Peter Schofield

psauthor@gmail.com
Technical Writer, LO Documentation Team

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