How to manage Pages styles in a list

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Level 2

219 points

How to manage Pages styles in a list

Has anyone found a clear, complete and accurate explanation regarding how Styles works in an outline?

When I create an outline "list" in Pages, I find that the Styles feature behaves in very confusing, unpredictable ways. First, it is not easy to make a change in the style for one line of text an outline. When I highlight a line of text in an outline and click on a different style, nothing happens even though the Style name has changed. Second, sometimes making a change in one line of text in an outline makes a universal change to that style and sometimes it does not. Sometimes, changing the style of any line of text to a different level style in the outline seems impossible - Pages simply refuses to change the style. The only way I have found to change the style of a line of text in an outline is to use the keyboard -- "command [ " or "command ] ".

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3), 8GB Ram; 500GB HD

Posted on Mar 17, 2014 7:15 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 17, 2014 11:45 AM in response to AMCarter3

Version of Pages?

Peter

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Answer 2

AMCarter3 Author

Level 2

219 points

Mar 17, 2014 11:54 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Pages 5.1... FYI -- I have looked for guidance on this issue in: 1) Apple's online Pages help; 2) Take Control of Pages (new ebook); and 3) My Pages (book by Gary Rosenberg). None of these sources seems to address the very confusing behavior when applying Styles to outlines.

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Answer 3

Mar 17, 2014 12:49 PM in response to AMCarter3

Because Pages 5 doesn't really have Outlines, it has a Line style with some ability to drag the points about.

Just another buggy or half implemented feature in Pages 5.

Why not just use Pages '09.

Peter

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Answer 4

AMCarter3 Author

Level 2

219 points

Mar 17, 2014 1:02 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I have to disagree with you. Pages has always had outline formats... Harvard, Legal, Numbers for example are all structured outline formats. The current Pages 5 also offers a traditional "I.A.1.a" style outline format. That's the one I'm working with now.

The same odd behavior issues I'm seeing in Pages has also occured in MS Word since its inception -- buggy outline style features that seem to conflict or compete with Numbers/List features. Even after using Word for more than 25 years, I still hold my breath when I'm using an outline. Pages also seems to get mixed up between normal Outline styles and the Bullets & Lists feature. It is unclear which has priorty over the other. Net... Pages seems just a fraction easier to use than Word as far as outlines, and it is still confusing to me.

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Answer 5

Mar 17, 2014 1:20 PM in response to AMCarter3

You are confusing Lists with Outlines.

Pages has not always had outline formats. Earlier versions had none.

Pages '09 has full outline features. You can collapse and expand the content, move it around and view it independently of the final formatting. If you implement a List style as part of a Paragraph style, it sticks.

Pages 5 only has Lists and the ability to drag points around. The List style has to be applied independently of the Paragraph style which is why you get inconsistent behavior. You have to get both right, concurrently.

…and Pages 5's List formatting is confusing in itself.

Peter

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Answer 6

AMCarter3 Author

Level 2

219 points

Mar 17, 2014 4:09 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I'm not confusing them... Apple describes it clearly:

"Ordered lists, such as outlines, can have levels of indented lists within them to show hierarchy. They also use bullets, letters, or numbers at the beginning of each line." See: http://help.apple.com/pages/mac/5.1/#/tan724896ee

Since you have such strong opinions about this topic, why don't you send your feedback to Apple regarding the List issues in Pages 5?

And, I'm not going back to the 09 version.

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Answer 7

Mar 17, 2014 9:23 PM in response to AMCarter3

Yes you are.

Outlines can be lists but that doesn't make lists outlines.

Apple has had plenty of feedback from me. It is your turn.

No compulsion to use Pages '09, …unless you really want any of the missing 100 features.

Peter

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Answer 8

AMCarter3 Author

Level 2

219 points

Mar 17, 2014 11:48 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter... This exchange feels more like some wierd, immature form of verbal combat as opposed to a civil conversation. Interacting in this way is of no value to me. I'm ending this exchange.

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