Re: [libreoffice-users] Tabs in selection of text

At 20:37 03/04/2019 -0400, Carl Paulsen wrote:
> I have a number of "paragraphs" of text (job listing section of a 
> resume) for which I'd like to add tab stops.

Are these true paragraphs? I'm not sure why you have given the word 
scare quotes. If they are not true paragraphs, what you with tab 
stops may not behave as you expect.

> I select the lines and click the tab stop I want, then click in the 
> ruler, but nothing happens.

"Lines" are not really a word processing concept, as text reflows 
automatically as you edit it. Tab stops are applied to paragraphs. 
Are you clicking in the *horizontal* ruler, above the text window? 
Incidentally, are you simply missing how tab stops work? They do 
nothing by themselves: you need also to insert tab *characters* (or 
other formatting) into your text to control how the tab stops take effect.

> I see no menu item to format tabs, though I did stumble into one 
> dialog box with Tabs that required manual setting and it was unclear 
> just where those tabs would be applied.

Tabs are a paragraph property as well as a paragraph style property:
o For paragraph formatting, go to Format | Paragraph... | Tabs (or 
right-click | Paragraph... | Tabs).
o For paragraph style formatting, go to Format | Styles and 
Formatting... | right-click style | Modify... | Tabs (or right-click 
| Edit Paragraph Style... | Tabs).

Paragraph tabs are set in the paragraph currently containing the 
insertion point or in all selected paragraphs, whichever is the case. 
Paragraph style tabs are set in all paragraphs with that style.

> In the help document 
> (https://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Inserting_and_Editing_Tab_Stops) 
>  it says for changing one or more paragraphs: "Select the 
> paragraphs, then click inside the ruler."

It's not necessary to select a single paragraph, in fact, but just to 
position the insertion point there. But there is no way to put the 
insertion point into multiple paragraphs, so selecting them is the 
only way to apply similar tab stops to them (unless you set them in a 
paragraph style, which is the better way to go).

> That is most definitely not working.

So what exactly happens when you try? Do you not see a tab stop in the ruler?

> Finally, if I clear all formatting, I get the default tab stops and 
> could re-format the entire section that way.

Using default tab stops is a recipe for a word processor document 
failing to appear as you see it when it is opened on a remote system 
- definitely not what you want to happen to a CV!

> I find the Styles aspect of LibreOffice to be entirely unintuitive 
> and I've never been able to work with them. I realize that should be 
> a goal but it's not possible in my current timeline.

It never is, of course. But you should find time in future to 
understand how they work and save you time.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker


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