Paragraph style for lists?

[GediWorrier]

Hi. I wanted to create a bullet list style that had single spacing, but I can't find how to associate a paragraph style with a list, only character styles. Is this a two-step process (make a bullet list, then select and apply paragraph style)?

The GediWorrier

[rpcameron]

That is correct. Although, I often have to create 2 paragraph styles for lists: One for the list; and one for the last item of the list. This allows me to have separate "after paragraph" spacing within the list, and a different "after paragraph" spacing for the last element that is consistent with the rest of the document.

List styles are due for an upgrade, which should include settings for before/after list spacing, line spacing for elements and spacing between elements. We already have to create separate styles for our lists, so why can't they have their own paragraph-type settings?

[GediWorrier]

I agree, and I have set up paragraph styles just as you have. It seems strange that we link character styles to lists and not paragraphs. Surely if we plug in a paragraph style, the font comes too.

The GediWorrier

[rpcameron]

While Mellel has a pretty good style system, there are still several shortcomings and gaps. Better multi-language/script support in styles, cascading styles, table styles/presets and better image/object handling/styles have frequently been requested in the past 5 years or so ...

[GediWorrier]

Yes, I just looove the style sets, but tables in particular almost make Mellel unusable. If I have to keep diving into Word to format my tables, I might as well stay with Word.

I had the same beef with Scrivener. Their table support was/is so bad, I ended up going back to an app with no tables at all (Ulysses). Scrivener wouldn't even give a clean grid.

Anyway, we wait and hope.

GediWorrier.

[ozean]

I often have to create 2 paragraph styles for lists: One for the list; and one for the last item of the list. This allows me to have separate "after paragraph" spacing within the list, and a different "after paragraph" spacing for the last element that is consistent with the rest of the document.

List styles are due for an upgrade, which should include settings for before/after list spacing, line spacing for elements and spacing between elements. We already have to create separate styles for our lists, so why can't they have their own paragraph-type settings?

Agreed, all of these are features that I currently only implement by work-arounds such as the one with a separate style for the last paragraph of a list etc.

[nicka]

In a way, though, isn't this a separate issue from the question of whether lists should come with paragraph styles? Or at least, it's a question that comes up outside of that context. For example, I have four different paragraph styles for numbered examples -- to get right the spacing between them and between them and body text: numbered example first line; numbered example last line; numbered example middle line; and solitary numbered example.

I'm not aware of any word processor that really solves this kind of problem. Obviously LaTeX does, but that's a different type of system.

[rpcameron]

In a way, though, isn't this a separate issue from the question of whether lists should come with paragraph styles? Or at least, it's a question that comes up outside of that context. For example, I have four different paragraph styles for numbered examples -- to get right the spacing between them and between them and body text: numbered example first line; numbered example last line; numbered example middle line; and solitary numbered example.

I'm not aware of any word processor that really solves this kind of problem. Obviously LaTeX does, but that's a different type of system.

Actually, I think it is directly related to how Mellel handles styles with regard to lists. Perhaps lists are only linked with character styles because the issue of paragraph/item spacing needs more work, and the matter is a bit more complex than merely assigning a paragraph style. Personally I feel that this indicates that the Redlers knew that paragraph and line item spacing was an issue in lists, and instead of having lists encompass all of the spacing issues needed, they were just neglected, forcing the user to come up with workarounds.

Also, this post, along with others within the past few months, have brought to the forefront many shortcomings in Mellel's styles. However, what has been lacking is any (sufficient) response from the developers …