Re: [libreoffice-users] Masterdoc/stylesheet struggles...

I create a stylesheet outside of Writer.  I keep all my text in a markdown
like formatting (that has more tagging)  I merge subdocs together, convert
the tags to opendocument XML, then prepend the stylesheet. This is saved as
an .fodt file, which imports mostly flawlessly into Writer.  Issues with it
are that the .fodt import ignores some valid opendocument tags, and
evaluates others to 'MS Word normal defaults' , and turns all images into
text encoded .png files that are embedded into the file (text encoding a
.png explodes the size by about 8, so a 25kb file is suddenly  300kb of
text in the file.)

But even with the limitations, it's the most reliable way I've found to
make long works (I do Bibles) in any program that I retain all the source
code.... (and I mean back to the OS...  when I want to make corrections 30
years from now, I will be able to open the work in the exact same program
that I designed in.)

Note that it takes my 'convert to xml' script about 4 minutes to turn my
tagged text into opendocument, and then it takes LibreOffice about 10
minutes to flow in all 1200 pages.  And then dealing with each page is a
pain, because changes reflow to the end each time, and I frequently get
ahead of the reflow.

But it works and I do produce press ready (as press ready as LO is able)
works.

But I never properly documented it, and there are steps I do that would
give most book designers headaches. (In addition to open source programs I
only use open licensed fonts, so almost all text has a scaling factor,
because no two fonts are the same size at the same setting.)

So, the way to make Master styles work is to have no master style (unless
you consider a tab in a Calc spreadsheet that reads like an empty Writer
file at the xml level)  Combine all text and apply a single stylesheet.  LO
still functions at speed for huge files, so there's no need to divide the
work.

On Mon, Mar 30, 2026 at 6:43 AM Rogier F. van Vlissingen <vliscony@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks for this response.
>
> Yes, this feature (style sheets) seemed to work better 25 years ago than it
> does today.
>
> And the funny part is, I switched definitively to what was then Open Office
> ca. 2002, because I was trying to produce a book working with a master doc,
> and it  made ms word crash repeatedly, but it all worked flawlessly in Open
> Office.
>
> Unfortunately, it seems that we are having some issues, and I'd love to get
> some intelligent guidance, and this seems to be a legit development
> issue...
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 6:15 AM Michael Tiernan <michael.tiernan@gmail.com
> >
> wrote:
>
> > Oh my god! I thought I missed something in mine! Thank you!
> >
> > I have an attempt at a manual that I'm working on and the work to
> > synchronize they styles is KILLING me.
> >
> > The logical side of my understanding says that a random page to be
> > incorporated into the master needs to use styles that have the same name
> as
> > the ones in the master originally. So that when the master renders the
> > page, it uses the master's settings for each style not the document
> > incorporated ones.
> >
> > Sadly in practice it does not seem to operate that way.
> >
> > If anybody wanted a wish list item for this part of the system it would
> be
> > to be able to save style settings only that were created as let's say a
> > JSON file and then incorporate it into the master or the sub page.
> >
> > I've tried some clever things like using a blank page with no custom
> > styles as a template that I then read in the Styles changed from whatever
> > document I'm working on as the custom ones and then save that as my page
> > template to be used at each point. But that quickly gets out of sync.
> >
> > My objective had been, right or wrong, to have a page template the word
> > processor that I could then send to somebody and say "here type up your
> > instructions" and I would take that and incorporate it into my manual.
> The
> > problem is if they touch the Styles it all goes out the window.
> >
> > It has gotten to the point that I suggest/use a template file in simple
> > markdown as the source document with some embedded instructions and then
> > try to flow that into a page with my version of styles in it.
> >
> > I keep thinking that I'm not doing anything new and that someone has
> > already documented the correct flow of this process but I've found
> nothing
> > with all my searching.
> >
> > The problem Rogier speaks of with the page size changes is, to me, in
> > addition to all the other quirks I'm experiencing.
> >
> > I have gotten to the point of simply printing USLetter sized but using
> the
> > printer's "2 pages per sheet" setting that gives me each page in a
> > USStatement sized 5.5x8.5 inch page which I then cut in half for my
> actual
> > pages.
> >
> > I'd love to hear/see how others address these problems.
> >
> >
> > On March 24, 2026 11:37:56 AM EDT, "Rogier F. van Vlissingen" <
> > vliscony@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > It's been about 25 years since I first produced a book in LibreOffice...
> > > and I find myself struggling with some issues...
> > >
> > > all my (sub)document files us the same style sheet, and the page format
> is
> > > set to 5.5x8.5, but the masterdoc insists on 8.5x11???
> > >
> > > Also, I found that in the subdocs, I had to import the style sheet, but
> > > then I had to manually set the page format and also manually to repeat
> the
> > > space before and after for the Headings?
> > >
> > > Suggestions welcome
> > >
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