# Odt Writer for Docutils

Author: | Dave Kuhlman
Contact: | docutils-develop@lists.sourceforge.net
Revision: | 8631
Date: | 2021-03-05
Copyright: | This document has been placed in the public domain.

Abstract

This document describes the Docutils odtwriter (rst2odt.py).

Contents

# 1 Introduction

What it does -- `rst2odt.py` translates reST (reStructuredText) into a Open Document Format `.odt` file. You can learn more about the ODF format here:

- OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) TC
- Open Document at Wikipedia

You should be able to open documents (.odt files) generated with `rst2odt.py` in `OpenOffice/oowriter`.

You can learn more about Docutils and reST here: Docutils

# 2 Requirements

In addition to the Docutils standard requirements, `odtwriter` requires:

- Optional -- Pygments is required if you want syntax highlighting of code in literal blocks. See section Syntax highlighting.
- Optional -- Python Imaging Library (PIL) is required if on an image or figure directive, you specify `scale` but not `width` and `height`. See section Images and figures.

# 3 How to Use It

Run it from the command line as follows:

    $ rst2odt.py myinput.txt myoutput.odt

To see usage information and to learn about command line options that you can use, run the following:

    $ rst2odt.py --help

Examples:

    $ rst2odt.py -s -g python_comments.txt python_comments.odt

    $ rst2odt.py --source-url=odtwriter.txt --generator \
        --stylesheet=/myconfigs/styles.odt odtwriter.txt odtwriter.odt

## 3.1 Configuration file

The options described below can also be set in a configuration file. Use section `[odf_odt writer]` to set options specific to the `odtwriter`. For example:

    [odf_odt writer]
    stylesheet: styles1.odt

See the "Docutils Configuration" document for more information on Docutils configuration files, including locations which are searched.

## 3.2 Command line options

The following command line options are specific to `odtwriter`:

`--stylesheet=<URL>`
| Specify a stylesheet URL, used verbatim. Default: writers/odf_odt/styles.odt in the installation directory.
`--odf-config-file=<file>`
| Specify a configuration/mapping file relative to the current working directory for additional ODF options. In particular, this file may contain a section named "Formats" that maps default style names to names to be used in the resulting output file allowing for adhering to external standards. For more info and the format of the configuration/mapping file, see the odtwriter doc.
`--cloak-email-addresses`
| Obfuscate email addresses to confuse harvesters while still keeping email links usable with standards- compliant browsers.
`--no-cloak-email-addresses`
| Do not obfuscate email addresses.
`--table-border-thickness=TABLE_BORDER_THICKNESS`
| Specify the thickness of table borders in thousands of a cm. Default is 35.
`--add-syntax-highlighting`
| Add syntax highlighting in literal code blocks.
`--no-syntax-highlighting`
| Do not add syntax highlighting in literal code blocks. (default)
`--create-sections`
| Create sections for headers. (default)
`--no-sections` | Do not create sections for headers.
`--create-links` | Create links.
`--no-links` | Do not create links. (default)
`--endnotes-end-doc`
| Generate endnotes at end of document, not footnotes at bottom of page.
`--no-endnotes-end-doc`
| Generate footnotes at bottom of page, not endnotes at end of document. (default)
`--generate-list-toc`
| Generate a bullet list table of contents, not an ODF/`oowriter` table of contents.
`--generate-oowriter-toc`
| Generate an ODF/`oowriter` table of contents, not a bullet list. (default) Note: `odtwriter` is not able to determine page numbers, so you will need to open the generated document in `oowriter`, then right-click on the table of contents and select "Update" to insert page numbers.
`--custom-odt-header=CUSTOM_HEADER`
| Specify the contents of an custom header line. See odf_odt writer documentation for details about special field character sequences. See section Custom header/footers: inserting page numbers, date, time, etc for details
`--custom-odt-footer=CUSTOM_FOOTER`
| Specify the contents of an custom footer line. See odf_odt writer documentation for details about special field character sequences. See section Custom header/footers: inserting page numbers, date, time, etc for details

# 4 Styles and Classes

`odtwriter` uses a number of styles that are defined in `styles.xml` in the default `styles.odt`. This section describes those styles.

Note that with the `--stylesheet` command line option, you can use either `styles.odt` or `styles.xml`, as described below. Use of `styles.odt` is recommended over `styles.xml`.

You can modify the look of documents generated by `odtwriter` in several ways:

- Open (a copy of) `styles.odt` in `OpenOffice/oowriter` and modify the style you wish to change. Now, save this document, then generate your documents using this modified copy of `styles.odt`.

  In my version of `oowriter`, to modify styles, either (1) press F11 or (2) use menu item "Format/Styles and Formatting", then right-click on the relevant style and select "Modify". Modify the style, then save your document.

- Open a document generated by `odtwriter` in oowriter`. Now, edit the style you are interested in modifying. Now, you can extract the styles.xml file from your document and either (1) use this as your default styles file or (2) copy and paste the relevant style definition into your styles.xml.

- Extract `styles.xml` from `styles.odt` using your favorite `zip/unzip` tool. Then modify `styles.xml` with a text editor. Now re-zip it back into your own `styles.odt`, or use it directly by specifying it with the `--stylesheet` command line option. Hint: If you intend to extract `styles.xml` from an `.odt` file (and then "re-zip" it), you should turn off XML optimization/compression in `oowriter`. In order to this in `oowriter`, use Tools --> Options... --> Load-Save --> General and turn off "Size optimization for XML format".

- Open an empty (or new) document in `oowriter`. Define all of the styles described in this section. Then, use that document (a .odt file) as your stylesheet. `odtwriter` will extract the `styles.xml` file from that document and insert it into the output document.

- Some combination of the above.

## 4.1 Styles used by odtwriter

This section describes the styles used by `odtwriter`.

Note that we do not describe the "look" of these styles. That can be easily changed by using `oowriter` to edit the document `styles.odt` (or a copy of it), and modifying any of the styles described here.

To change the definition and appearance of these styles, open `styles.odt` in `oowriter` and open the Styles and Formatting window by using the following menu item:

    Format --> Styles and Formatting

Then, click on the Paragraph Styles button or the Character Styles button at the top of the Styles and Formatting window. You may also need to select "All Styles" from the drop-down selection list at the bottom of the Styles and Formatting window in order to see the styles used by `odtwriter`.

Notice that you can make a copy of file `styles.odt`, modify it using `oowriter`, and then use your copy with the `--stylesheet=<file>` command line option. Example:

    $ rst2odt.py --stylesheet=mystyles.odt test2.txt test2.odt

### 4.1.1 Paragraph styles

rststyle-attribution
  The style for attributions, for example, the attribution in a `.. epigraph::` directive. Derived from `rststyle-blockquote`.
rststyle-blockindent
  An indented block.
rststyle-blockquote
  A block quote.
rststyle-blockquote-bulletitem
  The style for bullet list items inside block quote.
rststyle-blockquote-enumitem
  The style for enumerated list items inside block quote.
rststyle-bodyindent
  An indented block.
rststyle-bulletitem
  An item in an bullet list.
rststyle-caption
  The caption in a figure or image. Also see `rststyle-legend`.
rststyle-codeblock
  Literal code blocks -- A block of example code. Created with double colon ("::") followed by an indented block or with the `.. parsed-literal::` directive. Derived from the `Preformatted Text` style in `oowriter`.
rststyle-enumitem
  An item in an enumerated list.
rststyle-epigraph
  The style for epigraphs, for example, the body of an `.. epigraph::` directive. Derived from `rststyle-blockquote`.
rststyle-epigraph-bulletitem
  The style for bullet list items inside epigraphs.
rststyle-epigraph-enumitem
  The style for enumerated list items inside epigraphs.
rststyle-footer
  The style for footers. The footer content originates from the `..footer::` directive and in response to the command line flags for generator (`--generator`), date/time generated (`--date` and `--time`), and view source link (`--source-link` and `--source-url=URL`).
rststyle-header
  The style for headers. The header content originates from the `..header::` directive.
rststyle-highlights
  The style for highlightss, for example, the body of an `.. highlights::` directive. Derived from `rststyle-blockquote`.
rststyle-highlights-bulletitem
  The style for bullet list items inside highlights.
rststyle-highlights-enumitem
  The style for enumerated list items inside highlights.
rststyle-horizontalline
  A horizontal line, e.g. used for transitions.
rststyle-legend
  The legend in a figure. See the Docutils figure directive. Also see `rststyle-caption`.
rststyle-table-title
  The style for titles of tables. See section The table directive.
rststyle-textbody
  Normal text. The style for paragraphs. Derived from the `Text body` style in `oowriter`.

### 4.1.2 Character styles

rststyle-emphasis
  Emphasis. Normally rendered as italics.
rststyle-inlineliteral
  An inline literal.
rststyle-strong
  Strong emphasis. Normally rendered as boldface.
rststyle-quotation
  In-line quoted material.
rststyle-codeblock-classname
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- class names.
rststyle-codeblock-comment
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- comments.
rststyle-codeblock-functionname
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- function names.
rststyle-codeblock-keyword
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- Python language keywords.
rststyle-codeblock-name
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- other names, for example, variables.
rststyle-codeblock-number
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- literal numbers, including integers, floats, hex numbers, and octal numbers.
rststyle-codeblock-operator
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- Python operators.
rststyle-codeblock-string
  Syntax highlighting in literal code blocks -- literal strings.

### 4.1.3 List styles

rststyle-bulletlist
  Bullet lists (but not in the table of contents)
rststyle-blockquote-bulletlist
  Bullet lists in block quotes.
rststyle-blockquote-enumlist
  Enumerated lists in block quotes.
rststyle-enumlist-arabic
  Enumerated lists, arabic (but not in the table of contents)
rststyle-enumlist-loweralpha
  Enumerated lists, lower alpha (but not in the table of contents)
rststyle-enumlist-lowerroman
  Enumerated lists, lower roman (but not in the table of contents)
rststyle-enumlist-upperalpha
  Enumerated lists, upper alpha (but not in the table of contents)
rststyle-enumlist-upperroman
  Enumerated lists, upper roman (but not in the table of contents)
rststyle-epigraph-bulletlist
  Bullet lists in epigraphs. See the `.. epigraph::` directive.
rststyle-epigraph-enumlist
  Enumerated lists in epigraphs. See the `.. epigraph::` directive.
rststyle-highlights-bulletlist
  Bullet lists in highlights blocks. See the `.. highlights::` directive.
rststyle-highlights-enumlist
  Enumerated lists in highlights blocks. See the `.. highlights::` directive.
rststyle-tocbulletlist
  Lists in the table of contents when section numbering is off.
rststyle-tocenumlist
  Lists in the table of contents when section numbering is on.

### 4.1.4 Admonition styles

rststyle-admon-attention-hdr
  The style for the attention admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-attention-body
  The style for the attention admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-caution-hdr
  The style for the caution admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-caution-body
  The style for the caution admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-danger-hdr
  The style for the admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-danger-body
  The style for the danger admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-error-hdr
  The style for the error admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-error-body
  The style for the error admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-hint-hdr
  The style for the hint admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-hint-body
  The style for the hint admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-hint-hdr
  The style for the hint admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-hint-body
  The style for the hint admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-important-hdr
  The style for the important admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-important-body
  The style for the important admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-note-hdr
  The style for the note admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-note-hdr
  The style for the note admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-tip-body
  The style for the tip admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-tip-hdr
  The style for the tip admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-warning-body
  The style for the warning admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-warning-hdr
  The style for the warning admonition header/title.
rststyle-admon-generic-body
  The style for the generic admonition body/paragraph.
rststyle-admon-generic-hdr
  The style for the generic admonition header/title.

### 4.1.5 Rubric style

rststyle-rubric
  The style for the text in a rubric directive.

The rubric directive recognizes a "class" option. If entered, odtwriter uses the value of that option instead of the `rststyle-rubric` style. Here is an example which which attaches the `rststyle-heading1` style to the generated rubric:

    .. rubric:: This is my first rubric
       :class: rststyle-heading1

### 4.1.6 Table styles

A table style is generated by `oowriter` for each table that you create. Therefore, `odtwriter` attempts to do something similar. These styles are created in the `content.xml` document in the generated `.odt` file. These styles have names prefixed with "rststyle-table-".

There are two ways in which you can control the styles of your tables: one simple, the other a bit more complex, but more powerful.

First, you can change the thickness of the borders of all tables generated in a document using the "--table-border-thickness" command line option.

Second, you can control additional table properties and you can apply different styles to different tables within the same document by customizing and using tables in your stylesheet: `styles.odt` or whatever you name your copy of it using the --stylesheet command line option. Then, follow these rules to apply a table style to the tables in your document:

- The default table style -- Optionally, alter and customize the style applied by default to tables in your document by modifying table "rststyle-table-0" in your stylesheet (`styles.odt` or a copy). Caution: Do not change the name of this table.

- User-created table styles -- Add one or more new table styles to be applied selectively to tables in your document by doing the following:

  1. Using `oowriter`, add a table to your stylesheet and give it a name that starts with the prefix "rststyle-table-", for example "rststyle-table-vegetabledata". Customize the table's border thickness, border color, and table background color.

  2. In your reStructuredText document, apply your new table style to a specific table by placing the ".. class::" directive immediately before the table, for example:

         .. class:: rststyle-table-vegetabledata

The default table style will be applied to all tables for which you do not specify a style with the ".. class::" directive.

Customize the table properties in `oowriter` using the table properties dialog for the table (style) that you wish to customize.

Note that "--table-border-thickness" command line option overrides the border thickness specified in the stylesheet.

The specific properties that you can control with this second method are the following:

- Border thickness and border color.
- Background color -- When you change the background color of a table to be used as a style (in `styles.odt` or whatever you name it), make sure you change the background color for the table and not for a cell in the table. `odtwriter` picks the background color from the table, not from a cell within the table.

### 4.1.7 Line block styles

The line block styles wrap the various nested levels of line blocks. There is one line block style for each indent level.

rststyle-lineblock1
  Line block style for line block with no indent.
rststyle-lineblock2
  Line block style for line block indented 1 level.
rststyle-lineblock3
  Line block style for line block indented 2 levels.
rststyle-lineblock4
  Line block style for line block indented 3 levels.
rststyle-lineblock5
  Line block style for line block indented 4 levels.
rststyle-lineblock6
  Line block style for line block indented 5 levels.

Notes:

- `odtwriter` does not check for a maximum level of indents within line blocks. Therefore, you can define additional line block styles for additional levels if you need them. Define these styles with the names `rststyle-lineblock7`, `rststyle-lineblock8`, ...
- Since the line block style is used to create indentation, a line block that is inside a block quote will use `rststyle-lineblock2` as its first level of indentation.

### 4.1.8 Footnote and citation styles

rststyle-footnote
  The style for footnotes. This style affects the footnote content, not the footnote reference in the body of the document.
rststyle-citation
  The style for citations. This style affects the citation content, not the citation reference in the body of the document. You might need to adjust the indentation in this style depending on the length of the label used in your citations.

### 4.1.9 Heading and title styles

rststyle-heading{1|2|3|4|5}
  The styles for headings (section titles and sub-titles). Five levels of sub-headings are provided: rststyle-heading1 through rststyle-heading5.
rststyle-title
  The style for the document title.
rststyle-subtitle
  The style for the document sub-title.

### 4.1.10 Image and figure styles

rststyle-image
  The style applied to an image, either an image by itself or an image in a figure.
rststyle-figureframe
  The style applied to a figure (actually to the frame that surrounds a figure).

## 4.2 Defining and using a custom stylesheet

You can create your own custom stylesheet. Here is how:

1. Make a copy of `styles.odt`, which is in the distribution.
2. Open your copy of `styles.odt` in `oowriter`. Modify styles in that document. Then, save it.
3. When you run `rst2odt.py`, use the `--stylesheet` command line option to use your custom stylesheet. Run `rst2odt.py --help` to learn more about these options.

### 4.2.1 Why custom stylesheets

Here are a few reasons and ideas:

- The page size is stored in the style sheet. The default page size is `Letter`. You can change the page size (for example, to `A4`) in your custom stylesheet by opening it in `oowriter`, then clicking on menu: `Format/Page...`, then clicking on the `Page` tab.

## 4.3 Defining and using custom style names

[Credits: Stefan Merten designed and implemented the custom style names capability. Thank you, Stefan.]

You can also instruct `odtwriter` to use style names of your own choice.

### 4.3.1 Why custom style names

Here are a few reasons and ideas:

- Suppose that your organization has a standard set of styles in OOo `oowriter` and suppose that the use of these styles is required. You would like to generate ODF documents from reST text files, and you want the generated documents to contain these styles.
- Suppose that your company or organization has a policy of using a certain MS Word template for some set of documents. You would like to generate ODF documents that use these custom style names, so that you can export these documents from ODF `oowriter` to MS Word documents that use these style names.
- Suppose that your documents are written in a language other than English. You would like the style names visible in the "Styles and Formatting" window in OOo `oowriter` (menu item `Format/Styles and Formatting`) to be understandable in the language of your users.
- `odtwriter` maps single asterisks/stars (for example, *stuff*) to emphasis and double stars to strong. You'd like to reverse these. Or, you would like to generate headings level 3 and 4 where headings level 1 and 2 would normally be produced.

### 4.3.2 How to use custom style names

In order to define custom style names and to generate documents that contain them, do the following:

1. Create a configuration file containing a "Formats" section. The configuration file obeys the file format supported by the Python ConfigParser module: ConfigParser -- Configuration file parser -- http://docs.python.org/lib/module-ConfigParser.html.

2. In the "Formats" section of the configuration file, create one option (a name-value pair) for each custom style name that you wish to define. The option name is the standard `odtwriter` style name (without "rststyle-"), and the value is your custom style name. Here is an example:

       [Formats]
       textbody: mytextbody
       bulletitem: mybulletitem
       heading1: myheading1
           o
           o
           o

3. Create a styles document that defines the styles generated by `odtwriter`. You can create and edit the styles in OOo `oowriter`. It may be helpful to begin by making a copy of the styles document that is part of the `odtwriter` distribution (`styles.odt`).

4. When you run `odtwriter`, specify the `--odf-config-file` option. You might also want to specify your styles document using the `--stylesheet` option in order to include your custom style definitions. For example:

       rst2odt.py --odf-config-file=mymappingfile.ini \
         --stylesheet=mystyles.odt mydoc.txt mydoc.odt

## 4.4 Classes

`odtwriter` uses the following Docutils class to provide additional control of the generation of ODF content:

- Class `wrap` -- Use this to cause the wrapping of text around an image. The default is not to wrap text around images. Here is an example:

      .. class:: wrap
      .. image:: images/flower01.png
          :alt: A bright yellow flower
          :height: 55
          :width: 60

## 4.5 Roles

You can use a Docutils custom interpreted text role to attach a character style to an inline area of text. This capability also enables you to attach a new character style (with a new name) that you define yourself. Do this by defining your role in a stylesheet as a character style with "rststyle-" prefixed to your role name, then use the `role` directive and inline markup to apply your role.

In order to use this capability, do the following:

- Define the character style for your custom role in a stylesheet (a copy of `styles.odt`) with the prefix "rststyle-". Remember: (1) If the name of your custom role is "pretty", then define a character style named "rststyle-pretty". (2) Define the style as a character style, and not, for example as a paragraph style.

- Declare your role in the source reStructuredText document in a `role` directive. Example:

      .. role:: pretty

- Use inline markup to apply your role to text. Example:

      We have :pretty:`very nice` apples.

Here is another example:

    .. role:: fancy

    Here is some :fancy:`pretty text` that looks fancy.

For more on roles see: Custom Interpreted Text Roles -- http://docutils.sourceforge.net/docs/ref/rst/directives.html#custom-interpreted-text-roles.

Note: The ability to base a role on another existing role is not supported by `odtwriter`.

# 5 Hints and Suggestions and Features

## 5.1 Table of contents

The `..contents::` directive causes `odtwriter` to generate either:

1. A static, outline style table of contents, if the `--generate-list-toc` command line option is specified, or
2. An ODF/`oowriter` style table of contents containing dynamically updated page numbers and with the formatting control that `oowriter` gives you. This is the default, or use the command line option `--generate-list-toc`. Note: `odtwriter` is not able to determine page numbers, so you will need to open the generated document in `oowriter`, then right-click on the table of contents and select "Update" to insert correct page numbers.

## 5.2 Syntax highlighting

`odtwriter` can add syntax highlighting to code in code blocks. In order to activate this, do all of the following:

1. Install Pygments and ...

2. Use the command line option `--add-syntax-highlighting`. Example:

       $ rst2odt.py --add-syntax-highlight test.txt test.odt

The following styles are defined in styles.odt and are used for literal code blocks and syntax highlighting:

- Paragraph styles:
  - rststyle-codeblock -- The style for the code block as a whole.
- Character styles:
  - rststyle-codeblock-classname -- class names.
  - rststyle-codeblock-comment -- comments.
  - rststyle-codeblock-functionname -- function names.
  - rststyle-codeblock-keyword -- Python language keywords.
  - rststyle-codeblock-name -- other names, for example, variables.
  - rststyle-codeblock-number -- literal numbers, including integers, floats, hex numbers, and octal numbers.
  - rststyle-codeblock-operator -- Python operators.
  - rststyle-codeblock-string -- literal strings.

Each of the above styles has a default appearance that is defined in `styles.odt`. To change that definition and appearance, open `styles.odt` in `oowriter` and use menu item:

    Format --> Styles and Formatting

Then, click on the Paragraph Styles button or the Character Styles button at the top of the Styles and Formatting window. You may also need to select "All Styles" from the drop-down selection list at the bottom of the Styles and Formatting window.

## 5.3 The container directive

There is limited support for the `container` directive. The limitations and rules for the container directive are the following:

- Only the first class in the list of classes (arguments) is used.
- That class/style must be a paragraph style and not (for example) a character style.
- The style/class given to the container directive will have a "rststyle-" prefix in the odt file.

So, for example:

    .. container:: style-1 style-2 style-3

        a block of text

- Only `style-1` is used; `style-2` and `style-3` are ignored.
- `rststyle-style-1` must be defined. It should be an existing, predefined style, or you should define it in your stylesheet (`styles.odt` or the argument to the `--stylesheet` command line option).
- `rststyle-style-1` must be a paragraph style.

To define a paragraph style, use the following menu item in `oowriter`:

    Format --> Styles and Formatting

Then, click on the Paragraph Styles button.

The following example attaches the `rststyle-heading2` style (a predefined style) to each paragraph/line in the container:

    .. container:: heading2

       Line 1 of container.

       Line 2 of container.

More information on how to define a new style (for example, in your `styles.odt`) can be found in section Defining and using custom style names.

## 5.4 The table directive

The `table` directive can be used to add a title to a table. Example:

    .. table:: A little test table

        =========== =============
        Name        Value
        =========== =============
        Dave        Cute
        Mona        Smart
        =========== =============

The above will insert the title "A little test table" at the top of the table. You can modify the appearance of the title by modifying the paragraph style `rststyle-table-title`.

## 5.5 Footnotes and citations

Footnotes and citations are supported.

There are additional styles `rststyle-footnote` and `rststyle-citation` for footnotes and citations. See Footnote and citation styles.

You may need to modify the citation style to fit the length of your citation references.

Endnotes -- There are command line options that control whether `odtwriter` creates endnotes instead of footnotes. Endnotes appear at the end of the document instead of at the bottom of the page. See flags `--endnotes-end-doc` and `--no-endnotes-end-doc` in section Command line options.

## 5.6 Images and figures

If on the image or the figure directive you provide the scale option but do not provide the width and height options, then `odtwriter` will attempt to determine the size of the image using the Python Imaging Library (PIL). If `odtwriter` cannot find and import Python Imaging Library, it will raise an exception. If this ocurrs, you can fix it by doing one of the following:

- Install the Python Imaging Library or
- Remove the `scale` option or
- Add both the `width` and the `height` options.

So, the rule is: if on any image or figure, you specify scale but not both width and height, you must install the Python Imaging Library library.

For more information about PIL, see: Python Imaging Library.

## 5.7 The raw directive

The `raw` directive is supported. Use output format type "odt".

You will need to be careful about the formatting of the raw content. In particular, introduced whitespace might be a problem.

In order to produce content for the raw directive for use by `odtwriter`, you might want to extract the file `content.xml` from a `.odt` file (using some Zip tool), and then clip, paste, and modify a selected bit of it.

Here is an example:

    .. raw:: odt

        <text:p text:style-name="rststyle-textbody">Determining
        <text:span text:style-name="rststyle-emphasis">which</text:span>
        namespace a name is in is static.  It can be determined by a
        lexical scan of the code.  If a variable is assigned a value
        <text:span text:style-name="rststyle-emphasis">anywhere</text:span>
        in a scope (specifically within a function or method body),
        then that variable is local to that scope.  If Python does
        not find a variable in the local scope, then it looks next
        in the global scope (also sometimes called the module scope)
        and then in the built-ins scope.  But, the
        <text:span text:style-name="rststyle-inlineliteral">global</text:span>
        statement can be used to force Python to find and use a global
        variable (a variable defined at top level in a module) rather
        than create a local one.</text:p>

## 5.8 The meta directive

`odtwriter` supports the `meta` directive. "keywords" and "description" are set in their respective odt fields. Other meta fields are set as "Custom Properties". Here is an example:

    .. meta::
       :keywords: reStructuredText, docutils, formatting
       :description lang=en: A reST document, contains formatted
           text in a formatted style.
       :custom_var: Value

To see the results of the `meta` directive in `oowriter`, select menu item "File/Properties...", then click on the "Description" tab ("keywords" and "description" fields) and the "Custom Properties" tab.

## 5.9 Footnote references inside footnotes

Not supported.

Get a grip. Be serious. Try a dose of reality.

`odtwriter` ignores them.

They cause `oowriter` to croak.

## 5.10 Page size

The default page size, in documents generated by `odtwriter` is `Letter`. You can change this (for example to `A4`) by using a custom stylesheet. See Defining and using a custom stylesheet for instructions on how to do this.

On machines which support `paperconf`, `odtwriter` can insert the default page size for your locale. In order for this to work, the following conditions must be met:

1. The program `paperconf` must be available on your system. `odtwriter` uses `paperconf -s` to obtain the paper size. See `man paperconf` for more information.

2. The default page height and width must be removed from the `styles.odt` used to generate the document. A Python script `rst2odt_prepstyles.py` is distributed with `odtwriter` and is installed in the `bin` directory. You can remove the page height and width with something like the following:

       $ rst2odt_prepstyles.py styles.odt

Warning

If you edit your stylesheet in `oowriter` and then save it, `oowriter` automatically inserts a page height and width in the styles for that (stylesheet) document. If that is not the page size that you want and you want `odtwriter` to insert a default page size using `paperconf`, then you will need to strip the page size from your stylesheet each time you edit that stylesheet with `oowriter`.

## 5.11 Custom header/footers: inserting page numbers, date, time, etc

You can specify custom headers and footers for your document from the command line. These headers and footers can be used to insert fields such as the page number, page count, date, time, etc. See below for a complete list.

To insert a custom header or footer, use the "--custom-odt-header" or "--custom-odt-footer" command line options. For example, the following inserts a footer containing the page number and page count:

    $ rst2odt.py --custom-odt-footer="Page %p% of %P%" f1.txt f1.odt

### 5.11.1 Field specifiers

You can use the following field specifiers to insert `oowriter` fields in your custom headers and footers:

%p%
  The current page number.
%P%
  The number of pages in the document.
%d1%
  The current date in format 12/31/99.
%d2%
  The current date in format 12/31/1999.
%d3%
  The current date in format Dec 31, 1999.
%d4%
  The current date in format December 31, 1999.
%d5%
  The current date in format 1999-12-31.
%t1%
  The current time in format 14:22.
%t2%
  The current time in format 14:22:33.
%t3%
  The current time in format 02:22 PM.
%t4%
  The current time in format 02:22:33 PM.
%a%
  The author of the document (actually the initial creator).
%t%
  The document title.
%s%
  The document subject.

Note: The use of the above field specifiers in the body of your reStructuredText document is not supported, because these specifiers are not standard across Docutils writers.

# 6 Credits

Stefan Merten designed and implemented the custom style names capability. Thank you, Stefan.

Michael Schutte supports the Debian GNU/Linux distribution of `odtwriter`. Thank you, Michael, for providing and supporting the Debian package.

Michael Schutte implemented the fix that enables `odtwriter` to pick up the default paper size on platforms where the program `paperconf` is available. Thank you.