Content Controls in Writer

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Foreword

This video shows how to create and apply the new "Content Controls in Writer - LibreOffice" and links to this page here for more information and details.

Word users expect to be able to import their document into Writer and find a corresponding feature set.

Form filling is a common application that now promises improved compatibility.

See Blogpost by Miklos Vajna: https://vmiklos.hu/blog/sw-content-controls.html

Link to the Video

Link to the Video (in German [DE]):

Inhalts-Steuerelemente in Writer - LibreOffice This video is in work!

Content Controls

Writer now has Content Controls - a new way to create and fill out forms in a compatible way.

These features improve compatibility with the DOCX format.

The following content control types are available:

Rich Text
Plain Text
Picture
Check Box
Combo Box
Dropdown list
Date

Reorganize Form menu

LibreOffice's factory default shows the Form menu in the old view with additional Content Control(s) to choose from.

You can reorganize the menu for easier use.

Choose Tools ▸ Options ▸ LibreOfficeWriter ▸ Compatibility from the menu.

The "Options - LibreOffice Writer - Compatibility" dialog will appear.

There put a check mark at "Reorganize Form menu for Microsoft compatibility" and click OK.

After that, the Form menu is organized differently.

"Options LibreOfficeWriter Compatibility" dialog

Rich Text

Position the cursor where you want to insert the Rich Text element.

Choose Form ▸ Content Controls ▸ Insert Rich Text Content Control from the menu.

This is an inserted Rich Text element:

Highlight the field and enter the desired text.

Formatted:

Pictures

Position the cursor where you want to insert the "Images" element.

Choose Form ▸ Content Controls ▸ Insert Picture Content Control from the menu.

This is an inserted image element:

When you click the element for the first time, the file search window opens and you can select an image file.

If you cancel this process, the next time you click on the element, it will be highlighted and you can select "Insert Image".

The original inserted image has a rectangle shape.

Due to the default square shape of the Picture element, the image was compressed.

You can now change this.

Double-click on the image in the Picture element.

The Picture Properties dialog appears, which contains several tabs.

"Position and Size" tab
"Options" tab
"Wrap" tab
"Hyperlink" tab
"Rotation" tab
"Crop" tab
"Borders" tab
"Area" tab
"Transparency" tab
"Macro" tab

There you have in the tab "Position and Size" a button Original Size.

If you click there, the square image element including the image will be resized and proportioned.

 Note .
 Be aware, when choosing the Original Size button,
 that very large images may not fit into the proportion of the page size.

Check Box

Content controls for checkboxes contain a single character.

They are used to make a binary selection.

It consists of a small square each with the states:

Dropdown-List

The element Dropdown-List is used to provide selection options.

Insert a Dropdown-List.

To do this, choose Form ▸ Content Controls ▸ Insert Dropdown List Content Control from the menu.

Initially, only one item is selectable.

Place the cursor in the text.

Choose Form ▸ Content Controls ▸ Content Control Properties from the menu.

The "Properties Content Control" dialog appears.

There you can create your selection texts for the Dropdown-List.

"Content Control Properties"-Dropdown dialog

Date field

This field is used to display a date that can be selected via a mini calendar.

Insert a date field.

To do this, choose Form ▸ Content Controls ▸ Insert Date Content Control from the menu.

The element will appear with a text "Choose a date".

When you place the cursor in this text, a downward pointing arrow appears on the right of the element.

Click on this arrow and you will get the calendar by which you can make the desired Date selection.

Press the ↵ Enter - key when you have highlighted the desired date.

The date will now be displayed.

To change the format of the Date, place the cursor in the Date.

Choose Form ▸ Content Controls ▸ Content Control Properties from the menu.

The "Content Control Properties" dialog appears with the formats for Date.

Select the date format you want and click OK.

"Content Control Properties"-Date dialog

For the format to take effect, you must select the Date again and press the ↵ Enter - key.

Addition in version 7.5

Use the Menu Form ▸ Content Controls again.

Formatting Content Controls

You can format the "Rich Text", "Plain Text", "Check Box", "Combo Box", "Dropdown-List" and "Date" Content Controls as you wish.

For this you can use Paragraph- and Character styles, as usual.

Further Informations

Create a fillable form in Writer

Documentation / Manuals

Here you will find the Documentation / Manuals:

Documentation / Manuals

Any questions?

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