odt export with 'header'

odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Hi all,

I'd like to have a 'header' on the first page of a odt exported document
-- something like this:

,----
| Some fixed text here                                 +---------------+
|                                                      |   some logo   |
|                                                      +---------------+
| 
|                                                        Some fixed text
|                                                 Whatever is in #+AUTOR
|                                                   Some more fixed text
| 
|                                                  Whatever is in #+DATE
| 
|                          The #+TITLE
|                         Some Subtitle
| 
| The first headline
| ...
|
`----

How can I achieve this in the ODT exporter?  I can do this in a LaTeX
export but I have no clue how to do this with ODT.

What I tried was to use a formatted file as template, but that of
course did not work, as all the fixed text did not appear in a new
export.

Sorry for my ignorance, but my strategy to avoid any Office-like program
hits back now...

Any help is highly appreciated.

Regards,
Andreas

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Christian Moe]

Hi,

Andreas Leha writes:

> I'd like to have a 'header' on the first page of a odt exported document

Here is a fiddly way to do it. There may be easier and/or more correct
ways. And perhaps the ODT exporter could use a preamble option like
the HTML exporter has. But this should work, more or less.

The trick is to put your header in an actual header in the style
template, a page header that will only be shown on the first page. This
works because header contents are included with the page style. So try
making a style template again:

1. Export your document and open in Open-/LibreOffice.

2. Modify the styles to your heart's content.  Hint: You may want to
   make the Title and Subtitle styles hidden (Modify Paragraph Style >
   Font Effects tab > check Hidden). Or you may skip this step for now
   and come back later.

3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 

4. Do Insert > Header > OrgFirstPage.

5. Put the content you want in the header,
   inserting the appropriate fields:

#+begin_example
> ,----
> | Some fixed text here                           +------------------+
> |                                                | [Insert>Picture] |
> |                                                +------------------+
> | 
> |                                                     Some fixed text
> |                                               [Insert>Field>Author]
> |                                                Some more fixed text
> | 
> |                                                 [Insert>Field>Date]
> | 
> |                       [Insert>Field>Title]
> |                         Some Subtitle
> |
> `----
#+end_example

6. Save the template.

7. Try exporting with the path to the template in ODT_STYLES_FILE.
   (Actually, if you're going to include a logo or other picture, it
   gets a little more involved. You will need to include both the path
   to the template and the relative paths to "styles.xml" and the image
   file inside it, as described in the manual.)

8. If you don't see your custom header in the exported document, you may
   have to put the first page in OrgFirstPage style manually. (Not sure
   how to make this happen automatically.)

9. Following the header, you will still have the usual preamble with
   title, date, and if you haven't turned it off, the authorname. If you
   have made the Title and Subtitle styles hidden (step 2 above), they
   will be invisible in print. If not, you will need to delete them
   manually.

Hope this helps?

Yours,
Christian

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Christian Moe]

Hi, Andreas,

Did this work for you? I'll write it up on Worg if it seems useful.

Yours,
Christian

Christian Moe writes:

> Hi,
>
> Andreas Leha writes:
>
>> I'd like to have a 'header' on the first page of a odt exported document
>
> Here is a fiddly way to do it. (...) The trick is to put your header in an actual header in the style
> template (...)

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Hi Christian,

thanks a lot for this.  It was definitely helpful.  Sorry, I did not get
back to this earlier.

I do have some issues with this, still -- see my inline comments below.

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:

> Hi,
>
> Andreas Leha writes:
>
>> I'd like to have a 'header' on the first page of a odt exported document
>
> Here is a fiddly way to do it. There may be easier and/or more correct
> ways. And perhaps the ODT exporter could use a preamble option like
> the HTML exporter has. But this should work, more or less.

I do not find this fiddly.  This really works as I would expect.  At
least, if I get past the issues below.

>
> The trick is to put your header in an actual header in the style
> template, a page header that will only be shown on the first page. This
> works because header contents are included with the page style. So try
> making a style template again:
>
> 1. Export your document and open in Open-/LibreOffice.
>
> 2. Modify the styles to your heart's content.  Hint: You may want to
>    make the Title and Subtitle styles hidden (Modify Paragraph Style >
>    Font Effects tab > check Hidden). Or you may skip this step for now
>    and come back later.

I'll come back later ....

>
> 3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 

Which I had to create new.  Is that intended?

>
> 4. Do Insert > Header > OrgFirstPage.
>
> 5. Put the content you want in the header,
>    inserting the appropriate fields:
>
> #+begin_example
>> ,----
>> | Some fixed text here                           +------------------+
>> |                                                | [Insert>Picture] |
>> |                                                +------------------+
>> | 
>> |                                                     Some fixed text
>> |                                               [Insert>Field>Author]
>> |                                                Some more fixed text
>> | 
>> |                                                 [Insert>Field>Date]
>> | 
>> |                       [Insert>Field>Title]
>> |                         Some Subtitle
>> |
>> `----
> #+end_example
>

Field values do not behave, as I would like:
1. I do not get anything in the author field (and would like
   the #+AUTHOR value)
2. (The same happens for email)
3. The date always shows the current date, but I'd like to see
   the #+DATE: value.

> 6. Save the template.
>
> 7. Try exporting with the path to the template in ODT_STYLES_FILE.
>    (Actually, if you're going to include a logo or other picture, it
>    gets a little more involved. You will need to include both the path
>    to the template and the relative paths to "styles.xml" and the image
>    file inside it, as described in the manual.)

I haven't tried that yet.  But I will.

>
> 8. If you don't see your custom header in the exported document, you may
>    have to put the first page in OrgFirstPage style manually. (Not sure
>    how to make this happen automatically.)

It would be nice to have this happen somehow.

>
> 9. Following the header, you will still have the usual preamble with
>    title, date, and if you haven't turned it off, the authorname. If you
>    have made the Title and Subtitle styles hidden (step 2 above), they
>    will be invisible in print. If not, you will need to delete them
>    manually.
>
> Hope this helps?

It helps a lot already thanks so much!

If there is a possibility to get the fields automatically filled with
the orgmode values, then the only manual intervention (in therory)
should be to switch the first page into OrgFirstPage style.

Regards,
Andreas

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Hi Christian,

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:

> Hi, Andreas,
>
> Did this work for you? I'll write it up on Worg if it seems useful.

It is definitely useful and I think it should be documented somewhere.
Very nicely written as well.

Worg seems appropriate.  I guess other people will need this as well.
And maybe there are more people around with little enough office
experience to figure this out themselves.

I do, however, still have some issues with it (see my answer to your
first response [fn:1]).
But even so, I'd love to see this in Worg.

Best,
Andreas


Footnotes:

[fn:1] http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/77916

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Christian Moe]

Andreas Leha writes:

>> 3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 
>
> Which I had to create new.  Is that intended?

No, I get that out of the box on a clean system, so I think you should
see it too. (Along with OrgTitlePage, which is the style I actually used
for testing, and OrgFrontMatter.)

When modifying a style template for ODT export, the manual strongly
recommends starting from an ODT document that you have already exported
from Org, so it includes the styles provided by the exporter. Are you
sure that's what you did?

> Field values do not behave, as I would like:
> 1. I do not get anything in the author field (and would like
>    the #+AUTHOR value)

That's what I get, so I don't know why your case differs. I don't
suppose you have turned off inclusion of author information? Please
check your export options, and what you find when you look at
File > Properties in LibreOffice.

> 2. (The same happens for email)

Haven't tested.

> 3. The date always shows the current date, but I'd like to see
>    the #+DATE: value.

Yes, this is a little more tricky than I thought.

Try this: 

Insert > Fields > Other > Tab:DocInformation > Type:Created, Select:Date

If you can't get the Author field to work the way I suggested, perhaps
the same recipe with Select:Author will help.

>> 8. If you don't see your custom header in the exported document, you may
>>    have to put the first page in OrgFirstPage style manually. (Not sure
>>    how to make this happen automatically.)
>
> It would be nice to have this happen somehow.

I'll need to get back to you on that.

Yours,
Christian

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:

> Andreas Leha writes:
>
>>> 3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 
>>
>> Which I had to create new.  Is that intended?
>
> No, I get that out of the box on a clean system, so I think you should
> see it too. (Along with OrgTitlePage, which is the style I actually used
> for testing, and OrgFrontMatter.)
>
> When modifying a style template for ODT export, the manual strongly
> recommends starting from an ODT document that you have already exported
> from Org, so it includes the styles provided by the exporter. Are you
> sure that's what you did?
>

Yes.  I just tried with emacs -Q and loading only orgmode (8.2.1
(release_8.2.1-120-g5975d7).  Basically, I only required ox-otd prior to
exporting my test document.

I do get many Orgxxx templates for lists, paragraphs, ... but none for
pages.

Any idea, what could be wrong here?

>> Field values do not behave, as I would like:
>> 1. I do not get anything in the author field (and would like
>>    the #+AUTHOR value)
>
> That's what I get, so I don't know why your case differs. I don't
> suppose you have turned off inclusion of author information? Please
> check your export options, and what you find when you look at
> File > Properties in LibreOffice.

Sorry, my bad.  I had indeed disabled the author in the export
properties of the subtree and did not check there.

>
>> 2. (The same happens for email)
>
> Haven't tested.
>
>> 3. The date always shows the current date, but I'd like to see
>>    the #+DATE: value.
>
> Yes, this is a little more tricky than I thought.
>
> Try this: 
>
> Insert > Fields > Other > Tab:DocInformation > Type:Created, Select:Date
>

Well, I changed the date in the org file (#+DATE: 2013-10-10) and I do not know
where that value would be set in the odt.  In the standard export it is
included as text formatted as OrgSubtitle, so I guess it is not a field
value, I could display someplace else?

The field you suggest seems to give me what it says:  the creation date.

[...]

>>> 8. If you don't see your custom header in the exported document, you may
>>>    have to put the first page in OrgFirstPage style manually. (Not sure
>>>    how to make this happen automatically.)
>>
>> It would be nice to have this happen somehow.
>
> I'll need to get back to you on that.
>

No(t too many) worries here.  I can live with that manual interaction
(for now). ;-)


Thanks a lot for all your help!

Regards,
Andreas

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Hi Christian,

[bringing this back on the list]


>Andreas Leha <andreas.leha@med.uni-goettingen.de> writes:
>
>> Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:
>>
>>> Andreas Leha writes:
>>>
>>>>> 3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 
>>>>
>>>> Which I had to create new.  Is that intended?
>>>
>>> No, I get that out of the box on a clean system, so I think you should
>>> see it too. (Along with OrgTitlePage, which is the style I actually used
>>> for testing, and OrgFrontMatter.)
>>>
>>> When modifying a style template for ODT export, the manual strongly
>>> recommends starting from an ODT document that you have already exported
>>> from Org, so it includes the styles provided by the exporter. Are you
>>> sure that's what you did?
>>>
>>
>> Yes.  I just tried with emacs -Q and loading only orgmode (8.2.1
>> (release_8.2.1-120-g5975d7).  Basically, I only required ox-otd prior to
>> exporting my test document.
>>
>> I do get many Orgxxx templates for lists, paragraphs, ... but none for
>> pages.
>>
> It doesn't strictly have to be that style, or an Org-prefixed style at
> all, but it's strange that you don't have them.
> 

Yes, which style is used seems not essential (as it works with my
self-created OrgFirstPage style).  But I guess, that getting (at
one point) orgmode to automatically assign the desired style to
the first page will be only possible, if the intended style is
used.


> Let's see. The Styles-and-formatting window has five tabs, for
> Paragraph, Character, Frame, Page and List Styles. But you have clicked
> the Page Styles icon, then, and not found any Org-prefixed styles there?
> 

Correct, but see below.


> What is the value of the variable `org-odt-styles-file'? If nil, what is
> your `org-odt-styles-dir'? You should find an `OrgOdtStyles.xml' in one
> of those.


That was the correct pointer.  org-odt-styles-file is indeed nil,
and org-odt-styles-dir is pointing to the wrong directory!  I
gather that it is derived from org-odt-styles-dir-list.  That
list contains the correct directory, but only at the third
position.

<------- short excurs on org odt styles ------------

I install orgmode from git using
$ make up1; make install.

I have in my local.mk
,----
| # Where local software is found
| prefix	= /home/andreas/local/emacs/org-mode-install
| 
| # Where local lisp files go.
| lispdir= $(prefix)/lisp
| 
| # Where local data files go.
| datadir = $(prefix)/etc/
`----

But still the correct folder
/home/andreas/local/emacs/org-mode-install/etc/styles/ is only at
the fourth position in org-odt-styles-dir-list:

,----
| org-odt-styles-dir-list is a variable defined in `ox-odt.el'.
| Its value is
| ("/usr/share/emacs/etc/org/styles/" "/usr/share/emacs/etc/org/styles/" "/home/andreas/local/emacs/etc/styles/" "/home/andreas/local/emacs/org-mode-install/lisp/etc/styles/" "/usr/share/emacs/24.3/etc/org/")
`----

(The third entry is even a non-existent directory.)

Isn't that supposed to be set automagically during the install process?

I have now a
(setq org-odt-styles-dir "/home/andreas/local/emacs/org-mode-install/etc/styles")
in my .emacs
Is that the correct fix here?

-------- short excurs on org odt styles ------------->


> If you open it and search for `OrgFirstPage' or
> `OrgTitlePage', what do you find?
> 

In the correct style file I see OrgFirstPage now.  Everything fine.

>> Any idea, what could be wrong here?
>>
>>>> Field values do not behave, as I would like:
>>>> 1. I do not get anything in the author field (and would like
>>>>    the #+AUTHOR value)
>>>
>>> That's what I get, so I don't know why your case differs. I don't
>>> suppose you have turned off inclusion of author information? Please
>>> check your export options, and what you find when you look at
>>> File > Properties in LibreOffice.
>>
>> Sorry, my bad.  I had indeed disabled the author in the export
>> properties of the subtree and did not check there.
>>
> I assume this works, then.

It does, thanks.

>>>
>>>> 2. (The same happens for email)
>>>
> And if you enable #+OPTIONS: email:t ...?

Does not seem to change anything here.

>>>
>>>> 3. The date always shows the current date, but I'd like to see
>>>>    the #+DATE: value.
>>>
>>> Yes, this is a little more tricky than I thought.
>>>
>>> Try this: 
>>>
>>> Insert > Fields > Other > Tab:DocInformation > Type:Created, Select:Date
>>>
>>
>> Well, I changed the date in the org file (#+DATE: 2013-10-10) and I do not know
>> where that value would be set in the odt.  In the standard export it is
>> included as text formatted as OrgSubtitle, so I guess it is not a field
>> value, I could display someplace else?
>>
>> The field you suggest seems to give me what it says:  the creation date.
>>
> 
> Yes, try using a timestamp instead:
> 
> #+DATE: [2013-10-10]
> 

That works, thanks.  I do not always use a real date here (but sometimes
also sth like '3rd meeting of ...').  But that is not a real problem --
I can easily restrict myself to using real dates only.

>> [...]
>>
>>>>> 8. If you don't see your custom header in the exported document, you may
>>>>>    have to put the first page in OrgFirstPage style manually. (Not sure
>>>>>    how to make this happen automatically.)
>>>>
>>>> It would be nice to have this happen somehow.
>>>
>>> I'll need to get back to you on that.
>>>
>>
>> No(t too many) worries here.  I can live with that manual interaction
>> (for now). ;-)
>>
>>


Thank again for all your help and patience.

Regards,
Andreas

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Christian Moe]

Andreas Leha writes:

> Hi Christian,
>
> [bringing this back on the list]

Oops.

>>>>>> 3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 

>>>>> Which I had to create new.  Is that intended?
(...)

>> It doesn't strictly have to be that style, or an Org-prefixed style at
>> all, but it's strange that you don't have them.

> Yes, which style is used seems not essential (as it works with my
> self-created OrgFirstPage style).  But I guess, that getting (at
> one point) orgmode to automatically assign the desired style to
> the first page will be only possible, if the intended style is
> used.

Yes, very true.

>> What is the value of the variable `org-odt-styles-file'? If nil, what is
>> your `org-odt-styles-dir'? You should find an `OrgOdtStyles.xml' in one
>> of those.

> That was the correct pointer.  org-odt-styles-file is indeed nil,
> and org-odt-styles-dir is pointing to the wrong directory!  I
> gather that it is derived from org-odt-styles-dir-list.  That
> list contains the correct directory, but only at the third
> position. (...)
> Isn't that supposed to be set automagically during the install process?

It is set when ox-odt is loaded, ultimately based on info from the
install, I guess, but making a number of guesses about other possible
locations to look. Org-odt-styles-dir will then look for the first
directory in the list that contains the two required files
(OrgOdtStyles.xml, OrgOdtContentTemplate.xml). The order of the
directories listed shouldn't matter, as long as you don't have more than
one directory containing files with the right names. Not sure I can help
with this.

> I have now a
> (setq org-odt-styles-dir "/home/andreas/local/emacs/org-mode-install/etc/styles")
> in my .emacs
> Is that the correct fix here?

For now, if it works...

>>>>> 2. (The same happens for email)

>> And if you enable #+OPTIONS: email:t ...?

> Does not seem to change anything here.

Right. I can't actually find a useful field to insert for email, apart
from Insert>Fields>Document>Sender>E-mail, which is populated from the
user data registered for LibreOffice on your user account, not from the
document information, which does not contain email info. If you'll
always be using the same email address, just include it; if you need to
specify different email addresses for different documents, there may not
be a very simple solution.

>>>>
>>>>> 3. The date always shows the current date, but I'd like to see
>>>>>    the #+DATE: value. [...]

>>>> Try this: 
>>>> Insert > Fields > Other > Tab:DocInformation > Type:Created, Select:Date
[...]

>>> The field you suggest seems to give me what it says:  the creation date.

>> Yes, try using a timestamp instead:
>> #+DATE: [2013-10-10]

> That works, thanks.  I do not always use a real date here (but sometimes
> also sth like '3rd meeting of ...').  But that is not a real problem --
> I can easily restrict myself to using real dates only.

Yes, I think that restriction will be necessary.

Yours,
Christian

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Christian Moe]

Uh, I said:

> Right. I can't actually find a useful field to insert for email, apart
> from Insert>Fields>Document>Sender>E-mail, which is populated from the
> user data registered for LibreOffice on your user account, not from the
> document information, which does not contain email info.

But actually, I *can* think of one simple but ugly workaround for now:
anything you put in a #+DESCRIPTION line is included as "Subject"
metadata, so you could put an email address there and insert a "Subject"
field where you want to display it. As long as you don't actually need
to use it for, well, a description of the subject.

Yours,
Christian

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:


[...]


>
>>>>>>> 3. Give the first page the page style OrgFirstPage. 
>
>>>>>> Which I had to create new.  Is that intended?
> (...)
>
>>> It doesn't strictly have to be that style, or an Org-prefixed style at
>>> all, but it's strange that you don't have them.
>
>> Yes, which style is used seems not essential (as it works with my
>> self-created OrgFirstPage style).  But I guess, that getting (at
>> one point) orgmode to automatically assign the desired style to
>> the first page will be only possible, if the intended style is
>> used.
>
> Yes, very true.
>

With the correct (i.e. much more recent) style file I have this page
style and, thus, this issue is solved.

>>> What is the value of the variable `org-odt-styles-file'? If nil, what is
>>> your `org-odt-styles-dir'? You should find an `OrgOdtStyles.xml' in one
>>> of those.
>
>> That was the correct pointer.  org-odt-styles-file is indeed nil,
>> and org-odt-styles-dir is pointing to the wrong directory!  I
>> gather that it is derived from org-odt-styles-dir-list.  That
>> list contains the correct directory, but only at the third
>> position. (...)
>> Isn't that supposed to be set automagically during the install process?
>
> It is set when ox-odt is loaded, ultimately based on info from the
> install, I guess, but making a number of guesses about other possible
> locations to look. Org-odt-styles-dir will then look for the first
> directory in the list that contains the two required files
> (OrgOdtStyles.xml, OrgOdtContentTemplate.xml). The order of the
> directories listed shouldn't matter, as long as you don't have more than
> one directory containing files with the right names. Not sure I can help
> with this.
>

Well, I do have more than one directory containing files with the right
names, as emacs ships with its own orgmode and its own style files.
These tend to be older than the orgmode (plus style files) I use (via
git), so I will set the directory manually.  (Even if I do not expect too
much changes on these style files in the near future.)

>> I have now a
>> (setq org-odt-styles-dir "/home/andreas/local/emacs/org-mode-install/etc/styles")
>> in my .emacs
>> Is that the correct fix here?
>
> For now, if it works...
>

It does, so issue is solved for me.


>>>>>> 2. (The same happens for email)
>
>>> And if you enable #+OPTIONS: email:t ...?
>
>> Does not seem to change anything here.
>
> Right. I can't actually find a useful field to insert for email, apart
> from Insert>Fields>Document>Sender>E-mail, which is populated from the
> user data registered for LibreOffice on your user account, not from the
> document information, which does not contain email info. If you'll
> always be using the same email address, just include it; if you need to
> specify different email addresses for different documents, there may not
> be a very simple solution.
>

No worries.  Most documents will use the same email address, so I hard
coded that into my template.

[...]


All in all, I do have my template set up now.   And besides the needed
manual switch of the firstPage style it runs smoothly.

Many thanks!  That will be a time saver and even more a hassle saver for
me in the future.

Regards,
Andreas

Re: odt export with 'header'

[Andreas Leha]

Christian Moe <mail@christianmoe.com> writes:

> Uh, I said:
>
>> Right. I can't actually find a useful field to insert for email, apart
>> from Insert>Fields>Document>Sender>E-mail, which is populated from the
>> user data registered for LibreOffice on your user account, not from the
>> document information, which does not contain email info.
>
> But actually, I *can* think of one simple but ugly workaround for now:
> anything you put in a #+DESCRIPTION line is included as "Subject"
> metadata, so you could put an email address there and insert a "Subject"
> field where you want to display it. As long as you don't actually need
> to use it for, well, a description of the subject.
>

Wow, thanks for the hint.  I've already included that into my template.
Not for email, though, but for a description of the subject.
I saw, that the keywords get exported, as well.  I am (mis)using that
for some kind of ID now.

This is really nice.

Thanks a lot,
Andreas