Templates

A template is a preset layout that helps to create professional and/or formal documents easily. Sometimes
there is a need to copy specific content including graphics, such as logo of a company, image of a product
or text, such as tag lines of a product or a company, legal notices or even headers and footers in multiple
documents. Instead of adding and then formatting the objects in all documents, we can use templates.

Creating a Template

Step 1. Open the document in LibreOffice Writer whose template is to be created.

Step 2. From main menu bar, select File > Templates > Save. The Save As Template dialog box appears.

Step 3. Type the name of the new template.

Step 4. Select the category of the template being created.

Step 5. Click Save button to save the template. A template in Writer is saved with an extension .ott.

Using In-built/Saved Templates

Step 1. Open the new document in LibreOffice Writer.

Step 2. From main menu bar, select File > Templates > Manage Templates. You can also use the keyboard
shortcut key Ctrl+Shift+N to open the Templates dialog box. The Templates dialog box will be displayed.

Step 3. Select the desired template, and click Open button.

Step 4. Make the desired changes and save the file.

Editing a Template

Step 1. Click File > Templates > Manage Templates.

Step 2. Right click on the template file that has to be edited.

Step 3. Select the Edit option from the popup menu.

The template file will be opened. Make the desired changes and save the file.

Setting Up a Custom Default Template

Step 1. Open the Templates dialog box by pressing Ctrl+Shift+N.

Step 2. Right click on the template that you wish to set as the default template.

Step 3. From the popup menu, select option Set as Default.

Moving a Template

Step 1. Open the Templates dialog box.

Step 2. Click and select the template to be moved.

Step 3. Click Move button.

Step 4. Select the new category where the template has to be moved.

Step 5. Click OK button.

Exporting a Template
Export template feature allows to store the template file in the desired folder on your computer. It is
different from moving a template from one category folder to another. When a template is exported, it is
saved as a template file at any desired location. Exporting the template is a useful feature for sharing the
templates with multiple users.

Step 1. In the Templates dialog box, select the template to be exported.

Step 2. Click on Export button located in the bottom right of the dialog box

Step 3. Then the Select Path dialog box appears.

Step 4. Select Path dialog box to select the folder where you want to export the template.

Step 5. Select the folder and press on OK button.

The selected template will be exported in that folder and a confirmation dialog box will be displayed.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents, allows to insert an automated table of contents in a document. The entries or contents
of this table are automatically taken from the headings and sub headings of the document. Also, these
contents are hyperlinked in the table. So by clicking on any topic in the table of contents, we can navigate
directly to the selected topic.
Creating a Table of Contents (ToC)
Step 1. Open the earlier created file “documentation.odt”.
Step 2. Assign proper heading styles to the various headings in the document from the Styles dialog box.
Step 3. Place the cursor at the position where the table of contents is to be inserted. Usually, it is in the
beginning of the document.
Step 4. From main menu, select Insert > Table of Contents and Index> Table of Contents, Index or
Bibliography.
Step 5. By default, the Type tab will be selected with a preview of ToC on the right side of the dialog box. On
the left of the dialog box, is the Types and Title section. In the Title text box, the default name of the ToC,
i.e. Table of Contents is displayed.
By default, the checkbox for Protected against Manual Changes option is selected. This protects the
ToC from any accidental change. If this box is unchecked, then the contents of ToC can be changed
directly on the document page, just like any other text on the document.
In the Create Index or Table of Contents List box, the Entire Document option is selected in the For list box.
So the ToC will be automatically created from the headings and sub-headings of entire document.
The Outline check box is selected, so the complete outline of the ToC is shown in the preview. Click and
deselect it if you do not want to see it.
Step 5. Click OK button. The Table of Contents will be inserted in the document.
Customisation of ToC
To do so, right click anywhere on the ToC and select Edit Index option from the popup menu. The Table of
Contents, Index or Bibliography dialog box will be displayed. The dialog box has five tabs – Type, Entries,
Styles, Columns and Background.
Type Tab: is active by default after opening the Table of Contents, Entries or Bibliography dialog box to
insert the ToC.
Entries Tab: contains options to set styles for various entries in the ToC.
E: Entry E#: Chapter No T: Tab Stop #: Page No. LS: Link Start LE: Link End N#: Number
Styles Tab: contains options to apply the desired styles to the text of each level in the table of contents.
To apply a custom paragraph style to any level.
Columns Tab: contains options to set the number of columns that we want to have in our ToC.
Background Tab: contains options to change the background of the TOC.
Updating the ToC
Writer does not update the ToC automatically. To update a ToC manually, follow the steps given below.
Step 1. Right-click anywhere in the ToC.
Step 2. From the pop-up menu, select Update Index option. Writer updates the ToC so as to reflect any
changes made in the document.
Track Changes
Track Changes is a powerful tool that makes the process of commenting, editing and reviewing of a
document easy between multiple users. A document created by one user need to be reviewed and edited
by self or other users.
Track Changes feature of Writer offers an alternative method to keep a record of all the changes made in
the original document. All the changes that are recorded can be either accepted or rejected by the original
author. Furthermore, the Track Changes feature also gives us the option to add comments while reviewing
a document.
To view the Track Changes toolbar, from main menu bar, select View > Toolbars > Track Changes. The
Track Changes toolbar will appear in the bottom left corner of the Writer window.
The various buttons present on the Track Changes:
(a) View Track Changes – Clicking on this button displays all the changes made in the document by
different users.
(b) Record Track Changes – Clicking on this button, turns on the Track Changes feature. After this, any sort
of editing done will be marked. Any character added to the document will be displayed in a different color
and any deletion done will be seen in strike-through style.
(c) Previous Track Changes/Next Track Changes – Click on these buttons to navigate between the changes
made.
(d) Accept/Accept All Track Changes – Once the editing is done, the original author may accept the change
made to the document by clicking Accept All Track Changes button will accept all the changes made to
the document.
(e) Reject/Reject All Track Changes – The original author of the document may reject a single change or all
changes made to the document by clicking Reject Track Changes or Reject All Track Changes button,
respectively.
(f) Manage Track Changes – By clicking on this button the Manage Changes dialog box is displayed, which
contains a detailed list of all changes made to the document along with the author’s name and date and
time of modification.
(g) Insert Comment – This button is used to add a comment in a document.
Comparing Documents
Once the reviewers have made the changes and given their comments, Writer allows to compare the
original document with the reviewed document and then choose the option(s) that suits the best.
Step 1. Open the edited document.
Step 2. Select Edit > Track Changes > Compare Documents option. Alternatively, click Compare Non-
Tracked Changed Document from the toolbar.
Step 3. The Compare To dialog box will appear. Browse and select the original file to be compared.
Step 4. The Manage Changes dialog box is displayed. Accept or reject the desired changes.
Step 5. Close the dialog box when done.
Step 6. Save the edited file.