Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 15789
writer doesn't take into account spacing above paragraph, word does
Last modified: 2003-09-08 16:56:16 UTC
when you define the spacing above a paragraph, it does not do this from the top of the page (only from the preceding paragraph if there is one). So if i write one line in Writer, and go Format->Paragraph->Spacing Above Pgraph and change this to say 4.0cm. My line will stay stuck against the top of the page. This is not a severe problem in and of itself, but when loaded into Word it'll display 4.0cm down from the top of the page. Either the way Writer handles this should change, (in which case it should handle old writer documents as it does now), or the import/exportation from Word should take this into account. (For instance setting the first paragraph to 0.0 cm above spacing on an export). thanks a lot
I can confirm that it works this was. Paragraph spacing only works from the bottom of the preceding paragraph and not from the top of the page. Microsoft Word works from the top of the page too. When saved in Microsoft Word format and then reopened in either Microsoft Word OR OpenOffice.org, the new file will look different then when first written in OpenOffice.org or when saved in OpenOffice.org sxw format and reopened. I've attached two files to illustrate it below.
Created attachment 6985 [details] Paragraph spacing in .doc format
Created attachment 6986 [details] Paragraph spacing in .sxw format
To achieve Words (IMHO stupid) spacing you have to set the related compatibility option in tools/options/text document/general/compatibility. This option is automatically set for imported Word documents.
"To achieve Words (IMHO stupid) spacing you have to set the related compatibility option in tools/options/text document/general/compatibility. This option is automatically set for imported Word documents." Its not Word that is being stupid here. Saving the document and reopening it IN Writer can generate two completely different results for the same data. This is error.
yes, writer will import a word document correctly, but if i export a .sxw to Word, the first line will be too low. it's not really a writer problem, i admit, it's a Word export filter problem. Is there a more appropriate place to post this?
Reassigned to MRU
*** Issue 15827 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue. ***
That is of course not a bug. Writer has a different concept of displaying paragraph spacings than Word. Writer does not show spacings at thop of a page and does not add spacings between paragraphs (the bigger one is shown). for having Word's concept of showing spacings go to "Tools.Options.Text Document.General" and switch on the options "Add spacings between..." and "Add paragraph and table spacings...". This should of course be done before exporting an .sxw to Word format. BTW: this option is switched on automatically when importing a Word document.
Closed, because not a bug.
it's an export bug. the fact that a document made in openoffice, doesn't look the same when opened in MS Word is a bug. nothing's wrong with either way of handling paragraph spacing, but OOo needs to account for the difference. anyone exporting a document (made in OOo) to Word will have to reformat the first line and others when they open it in Word.
Under Tools > Options > Text Document in the section marked "Compatibility" are options which, when set, make OOo work in the same manner as Word (see the Help files for details) and should make the export to MS Word a lot less of a surprise.