LibreOffice Writer lists overview

There is a paragraph style in Writer that just about every word processor has. These are lists, and they can be either bullets or numbers. Every word processor, from ones that work on desktop operating systems like Windows to those that run on Android and iOS, have this feature.

Writer’s list features are some of the most robust. There are many settings available through the Bullets and Numbering dialog.

Basic lists, however, can be inserted in a document through two icons in the Formatting and Standard (Single Mode) toolbars. They also can be found in the experimental user interfaces that can be accessed through the Notebookbar.

These toolbars have two icons for lists:

• Bullets List
• Numbering List.

Both have associated drop-down menus with them.

Bullets List

This style is to be used when the order of the items in the list does not matter.

• If you want to start a new paragraph as a list, press the Return or Enter key on your keyboard and click this item in the toolbar.
• If you want to make the paragraph of text where your cursor is located a bullet point, simply click the icon. This will insert an indented bullet point in a new paragraph or make the current paragraph a bullet point.

However, if you want a style other than the default one, click the arrow to the right of the icon. This will give you eight choices and a More Bullets link.

• Clicking one of these choices will add that style of bullet point in a new paragraph or to the current one.
• If the paragraph is already a bullet point, the style will be changed to the one you selected.

Numbers List

This is like the bullets list, except it is to be used when the order of the items in a list is important.

1. If you want to start a new paragraph as a list, press the Return or Enter key on your keyboard and click this icon in the toolbar.
2. If you want to make the paragraph of text where your cursor is located, a numbered item simply click the icon. This will insert an indented number 1 in a new paragraph or make the current paragraph point number 1.
3. If you have two paragraphs that you want to make part of a numbered list, place your cursor in the first paragraph, then click the numbers icon.
   • This will indent the paragraph and put a 1 in front of it. Then put the cursor in the paragraph below it and click the icon again.
   • This paragraph becomes indented like the first one and a “2” is in front of it.

The drop-down menu has eight choices.

• Clicking one of these choices will add that style of numbering in a new paragraph or to the current one.
• If the paragraph is already a number, the style will be changed to the one you selected.

Advanced bullets and numbering settings

Clicking More Bullets or More Numbering in the drop-down lists, launches the Bullets and Numbering dialog. The six-tab has specific settings for lists.

Click here to learn more about the dialog. It requires a subscription.