A beginner’s guide on how to create a custom list in LibreOffice or OpenOffice.
Lists are a fundamental element of writing, providing a structured and organized way to present information. While LibreOffice offers a variety of predefined list styles, you may need to create custom lists to match the specific needs of your document. This guide will walk you through the process of creating custom lists in LibreOffice, covering both numbered and bulleted lists.
Table of Contents
Custom lists
Custom lists allow you to personalize the appearance of your lists, going beyond the standard options. You can customize various aspects, including the numbering style, bullet symbol, indentations, and spacing. This level of control ensures that your lists align perfectly with your document’s overall design and tone.
For example, if you want a list of US States as autofill via drag, then you can define a custom list. Then, use it anywhere you want.
Now, let’s see how you can define it.
Create custom list
- Using the Sort List feature, you can define your custom list in LibreOffice Calc. Then, use the sort list to autofill using the drag handle.
- The option is available under Tools > Options > LibreOffice Calc > Sort List. See Figure 1.
- In the Sort List window, you should see some pre-defined values, such as weekdays and months pre-loaded.
- You can also click on new and define your custom list or copy from a series of cells. Click New. See Figure 1.
- Type the list or copy the list which you want in the Entries text box, one entry in each line. Then click on Add. See Figure 2.
- You can also use the “Copy List from” option at the bottom of the window (Figure 2), which may refer to any other sheet or external workbook data.
- You should see the list is now available in the Lists box at the bottom. See Figure 3.
The same option is also available at the same menu location, in OpenOffice.
How to use it
- Once you created the list above, click OK and close the window.
- In the Calc spreadsheet, type any item from your custom list in any cell.
- Say, you type “Maryland” in A1.
- Using the drag handle, drag the cells down. You can see the consecutive cells are filled up using the data from your custom list.
In this way, you can customize your data input and faster way of handling data.
Using the list as dropdown
You can also use the same concept as a dropdown list. Read the following guides.
Conclusion
Custom lists are a powerful tool for enhancing your documents’ data entry and organization in LibreOffice. By utilizing the available options, you can create spreadsheets with correct data while saving time.
Cheers.