CIB software GmbH developed a plug-in for LibreOffice / Apache OpenOffice that provides additional functionality for including and working with fields. The plug-in can be added in the "Extension Manager" and is then available via a new menu bar item in LibreOffice / Apache OpenOffice.

This plug-in ports the known Microsoft Word functionality of including new fields via CTRL-F9 to LibreOffice / Apache OpenOffice. New fields can be inserted either by clicking the menu bar item "Neuer Block" or via the shortcut CTRL-F9. A field consists of two field markers - an opening and a closing bracket - that cannot be separated.

This extension helps with including fields but also assists in maintaining field integrity with common editing actions: it prevents deleting single field markers by mistake with the DEL or BACKSPACE keys. When cutting, pasting or copying selected fields or parts of fields, an existing field is cut, overwritten or copied as a whole. An invalid selection (for example when part of a field with only one field marker is selected) is extended in such a way that the complete field is inside the selection. Then the cutting, pasting or copying action can be repeated without losing field integrity.

Remarks:

• In contrast to Microsoft Office, for performance reasons, there is no check while selecting text, whether fields were selected completely. Checking integrity is only done during the above mentioned editing actions.
• The extension cannot predict every possible editing error. Less common editing actions like including specific content via the menu "include" are not part of this field integrity check. When including these contents the current selection is replaced, regardless whether all necessary field markers are included or not.
• When using redo and undo functions (CTRL-Y, CTRL-Z) inconsistencies may also occur.

More detailed information about using fields can be found in chapters Syntax Basics: Using Fields and Syntax Basics: Mixed Script and Content Fields in this document. Please contact CIB sales if interested in the LibreOffice / Apache OpenOffice plug-in extension.