Delete/backspace on Mac (to remove line/paragraph returns)

[PeeGeeBee]

Hi all. When I hit the backspace/delete key in one particular project (on a Mac), though in all other projects this allows me to delete a line/paragraph return, it now shows in the history as 'Decrease paragraph level' and it does not delete that paragraph return. Any ideas how to fix this, or where I should be looking. Thanks

[walt.farrell]

It sounds like you may be using Text Styles that are set up to have Levels. For example, in a Bulleted list using Bullet 1 for the outer level, then Bullet 2 for the next indentation level, then Bullet 3 for the next level. This is also the case for Numbered 1, Numbered 2, etc. And it can be used in your own Text Styles as well.

In that case, using Delete/Backspace at the beginning of a paragraph at level 3 will revert to the Text Style for level 2. And using it at the beginning of a paragraph for level 2 will revert to the Text Style for level 1.

 

[PeeGeeBee]

Many thanks for your response. I'm still struggling with even the basics of text styles!

I've checked and it would appear I have no 'levels' selected; the paragraph style is based on No Style, which I take is a blank slate. But still I can't delete/backspace, and neither can I add a tab before a new paragraph. Though I haven't set it, I'm also getting additional spaces between paragraphs, and don't know what is causing that either. When I try to add a tab (to paras 2,3 and 4, for instance) I merely 'increase paragraph level'. Really I just need a kind of 'Reset' button that gives me a new paragraph style with NOTHING preset.

I've got an extremely simple prose (novel-style) layout, and need only three or four styles for the entire document (and indeed all the documents I work with) but the complexity of setting those up for easy re-use in Publisher is more than I ever imagined. I've laid out many very complex magazines and hundreds of books in the past (with Quark and then with InDesign) but now the simplest paragraph and character styles look like they're about to defeat me. Argh! Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Oufti]

In Affinity's Preferences, in Auto Spell Check, you can disable this automatic indenting when using tabs or backspace. 

 

For the extra space after a new paragraph, you can set it in the Paragraph panel > Spacing.

Then, you can redefine accordingly its Text style or create a new one. 

— Each software has its UI, it can take some time to discover where things are and which are our preferred tools for doing this or that…

[PeeGeeBee]

One connected question: does the Paragraph panel 'override' the settings in the Text Styles panels? Is that what I'm getting wrong?

[walt.farrell]

3 minutes ago, PeeGeeBee said:

One connected question: does the Paragraph panel 'override' the settings in the Text Styles panels? 

Yes, it does.