OUCH! Massive loss of body text format (into headers)

[Bobsterz]

UPDATE 29 Sept., 2026: I must have tested in the wrong direction. I thought the problem was solved. It's still there. The issue is with styles like "Heading 1" and body text. The body text is converted into the same heading level as the one above the body text. It only happens in one direction though: when I PROMOTE it. Demoting does not change the body text. This only happens when both heading and body text are selected (or the text is hidden such as when the outline is collapsed, and the selection includes it invisibly. I have been asked to provide screen shots. I will as soon as I can escape a tight deadline I'm on.
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ORIGINAL (edited to correct terminology: Heading style)
Hi, this is my first post. So far, I'm loving TextMaker, but I ran into a huge problem. I also wrote customer service in case they have any ideas for the short run. But this may also be of interest to the community, (and maybe you have advice?) so here goes:

I changed the heading levels of a large amount of text. This caused countless body text sections to become headings at the SAME level as the parent heading for all body text below that heading. What a mess! No exaggeration, this is a devastating time loss, unless I find an earlier version prior to this edit.

I have used Microsoft Word for many years with body text being handled flawlessly despite aggressive outline manipulation. I came to SoftMaker because Word gets bogged down and slow, among other things. But working around this will be time-consuming, and the risk of accidentally destroying many hours of work is significant.

For now, the only way of preventing this that I have found is to manually change one header at a time.

[Woody44]

TextMaker does not have a pre-made style for ""Headline," but they do have a pre-set style for Header, and in the style menu 'Header" appears immediately above "Heading1." Is it possible that you wanted to click "Heading1" and you clicked "Header" by mistake?

[Bobsterz]

Hi, thanks for responding, but I'm not talking about selecting a heading level. When you select multiple headings and click tab to change their level, ALL the BODY TEXT is turned into the same heading level. This problem makes it impossible to rapidly edit outlines, and I depend on that for many aspects of my work. It takes a great deal of time to do what in Word only takes a moment, because, in TextMaker, you have to go item by item to the deepest level, one at a time, in order to avoid selecting body text in the process. One mistake and hours of work can go up in smoke.



Admin: I'm hoping you can tell me this is a priority OR that there is already a way to do this. I got no response when I asked Customer Service about it.

ADDED DETAIL if needed:

In TextMaker, when you select more than one header AND there is body text between them, AND you then click TAB or SH-TAB, TextMaker considers that body text to be a selection that is to be assigned a header style and level equal to the header above it. Word knows better and doesn't change the format of the body text, it only changes the header.

[Woody44]

Interesting.

Using TextMaker 2024 on a Windows 10 computer, I cannot reproduce this problem.

[Bobsterz]

Thanks for checking this out! Just to be sure...

UPDATE: I am using the NX Home Version

Here is how the problem happens:

The body text is turned into headers when:

Headings and body text (normal style) are selected (like when you want to promote or demote a number of headers at once, and the selection includes body text).

The selection is demoted by using either the ribbon arrow or Alt-Shift-Arrow command.

However: When the selection is promoted, the body text keeps its style.

- - - - - Errata - - - - -

I have discussed this a great deal with Gemini AI and run out of things to try, except for a macro. I'm trying that today.

I had switched to WPS Writer out of frustration, but it has a lag problem sometimes and it just doesn't have the "feel" that TextMaker has. I really feel at home with it (I'm on the subscription tier). So I'm really motivated to resolve this. I'm hoping SoftMaker will take this seriously and resolves the problem.

[lgsl]

This seems to me to be a bug. As Woody44 states it can not be reproduced in 2024. I would suggest you provide a step-by-step of how you reproduce the bug and a file with dummy text were the bug happens in TM2026/NX. I bet that would be helpful for the SMO team.

[SuperTech]

Thank you for reporting this. I have been unable to reproduce the problem so far.

Please attach a screen recording demonstrating the issue and a small sample document with which it can be reproduced.

[lgsl]

I can reproduce this issue in 2026.

Is happens when you select headers and body text and promote or demote the selected block. I will convert a style as normal into header for whatever reason.

To reproduce:

1. Open/create a document that have both headers (h1, h2, h3...) and text (normal style will do)
2. Go to outline mode and select header and normal text.
3. Promote or demote all text.

Alternatively: Try to demote any regular text that is "normal" it will suddenly become header, witch makes no sense, to me at least.

[Woody44]

I am confused. The posts describing this issue appear to be conflating "Header" style with "Heading#" styles.

I have TextMaker 2026. I have just one pre-set style for "header." I have pre-set styles for Heading1, Heading2, Heading3, ... Heading9.

There is no style named h1, h2, h3 ...

Does this occur when changing the "Header" style, or when changing the level of the "Headings"?

[lgsl]

Yes, by h1, h2 and so on I mean headings.

[SuperTech]

Please attach a screen recording demonstrating the issue and a small sample document with which it can be reproduced.

For a clearer understanding and more accurate diagnosis of the issue, I asked the OP to provide a screen recording and an affected sample document.

[Bobsterz]

Hi, I didn't get notified of the responses, so I'm just seeing this now. I was referring to the hierarchical heading styles that are used in the outline view such as "Heading 1"

Correction: the problem continues as of this date 9/29/2026

[Bobsterz]

I am confused. The posts describing this issue appear to be conflating "Header" style with "Heading#" styles.

Sorry for the confusion, I meant styles of hierarchical headings such as "Heading 1"

Correction: the problem continues as of this date 9/29/2026

[Bobsterz]

TextMaker does not have a pre-made style for ""Headline,"...

Thanks, sorry for the sloppy post. Yes, Heading 1, etc. which allow use of the outline view functions are what I'm having trouble with. Promoting a selection that includes headings and body text converts the body text into headings at the same level as the parent heading.

[Bobsterz]

For a clearer understanding and more accurate diagnosis of the issue...

Thanks, I will try this (haven't done it before) when I can get clear of a deadline I'm dealing with.