| openSUSE-Dokumentation Part I. OpenOffice.org Novell Edition and Other Office Applications / Chapter 1. The OpenOffice.org Office Suite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Part I. OpenOffice.org Novell Edition and Other Office Applications | 1.2. Finding Help and Information About OpenOffice.org |  | |
Abstract
OpenOffice.org is a powerful open-source office suite that provides tools for all types of office tasks, such as writing texts, working with spreadsheets, or creating graphics and presentations. With OpenOffice.org, you can use the same data across different computing platforms. You can also open and edit files in other formats, including Microsoft Office, then save them back to this format, if needed. This chapter covers information about the Novell® edition of OpenOffice.org and some of the key features you should be aware of when getting started with the suite.
OpenOffice.org consists of several application modules (subprograms), which are designed to interact with each other. They are listed in Table 1.1. A full description of each module is available in the online help, described in Section 1.2, “Finding Help and Information About OpenOffice.org”.
Table 1.1. The OpenOffice.org Application Modules
|
Module |
Purpose |
|---|---|
|
Writer |
Word processor application module |
|
Calc |
Spreadsheet application module |
|
Impress |
Presentation application module |
|
Base |
Database application module |
|
Draw |
Application module for drawing vector graphics |
|
Math |
Application module for generating mathematical formulas |
The appearance of the application varies depending on the desktop or window manager you use. Regardless of the appearance, the basic layout and functions are the same.
This section is about OpenOffice.org in general and the advantages of the Novell Edition of OpenOffice.org. Writer and Calc are the most common applications wherefore there are extra chapters to explain the important functions in detail, see Chapter 2, OpenOffice.org Writer and Chapter 3, OpenOffice.org Calc. The other modules (Impress, Base, Draw, Math) are collectived in Chapter 4, Further OpenOffice.org Modules
openSUSE® includes the Novell edition of OpenOffice.org. The Novell edition includes several enhancements that are not yet included in the standard edition.
Compatibility: Improved Excel compatibility for certain built-in functions (e.g., CELL, INFO, INDIRECT), hyperlinks and filters, improved ergonomics, and support for "R1C1" style addresses. Improved performance on certain text functions such as SEARCH. Natural sorting option in cell range sorting.
OpenOffice.org Novell Edition eases the migration of many macros from Microsoft Excel. Although not all macros can be successfully migrated, this interoperability offers more than the standard edition, which does not support migration of macros.
Data Pilots are interoperable with Microsoft Office PivotTables*. OpenOffice.org Novell Edition substantially improves the Data Pilot feature, making it possible to edit pilots after creation.
Licensed fonts from Agfa* Monotype* which are metrically identical and visually compatible with some of the key Microsoft fonts. This allows OpenOffice.org Novell Edition to match fonts when opening documents originally composed in Microsoft Office, and very closely match pagination and page formatting.
The ability to render EMF+ formatted graphics.
The ability to import scalable vector graphics.
Microsoft Works, WordPerfect* text and graphics, T602 files, OfficeOpen XML, and more.
OpenOffice.org Novell Edition includes improved integration with ODMA (Open Document Management Architecture) services, for example for GroupWise. If you have the GroupWise client installed on the machine, OpenOffice.org Novell Edition will offer to open documents from GroupWise, or save documents in GroupWise.
You can use the standard edition of OpenOffice.org rather than the Novell edition. If you install the latest version of OpenOffice.org, all of your Novell Edition files remain compatible. However, the standard edition does not contain the enhancements made in the Novell edition.
OpenOffice.org can work with documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and databases in many other formats, including Microsoft Office. They can be seamlessly opened like other files and saved back to the original format. Because the Microsoft formats are proprietary and the specifications are not available to other applications, there are occasionally formatting issues. If you have problems with your documents, consider opening them in the original application and resaving them in an open format such as RTF for text documents or CSV for spreadsheets.
![[Tip]](admon/tip.png) | |
For good information about migrating from other office suites to OpenOffice.org, refer to the OpenOffice.org Migration Guide at http://documentation.openoffice.org/manuals/oooauthors2/0600MG-MigrationGuide.pdf. | |
OpenOffice.org can read, edit, and save documents in a number of formats. It is not necessary to convert files from those formats to the OpenOffice.org format to use those files. However, if you want to convert the files, you can do so. To convert a number of documents, such as when first switching to OpenOffice.org, do the following:
Select ++.
Choose the file format from which to convert.
There are several StarOffice and Microsoft Office formats available.
Click .
Specify where OpenOffice.org should look for templates and documents to convert and in which directory the converted files should be placed.
![[Important]](admon/important.png) | |
Documents retrieved from a Windows partition are usually in a
subdirectory of | |
Make sure that all other settings are appropriate, then click .
Review the summary of the actions to perform, then start the conversion by clicking . When everthing is done, close the Wizard by clicking .
The amount of time needed for the conversion depends on the number of files and their complexity. For most documents, conversion does not take very long.
OpenOffice.org is available for a number of operating systems. This makes it an excellent tool when a group of users frequently need to share files and do not use the same system on their computers.
When sharing documents with others, you have several options.
Save the document in the format the other user needs. For example, to save as a Microsoft Word file, click +, then select the Microsoft Word file type for the version of Word the other user needs.
Export the document to a PDF file with +. PDF files can be read on any platform using a viewer like Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Use one of the standard document formats. The default formats comply with the OASIS standard XML format, making them compatible with a number of applications. TXT and RTF formats, although limited in formatting, might be a good option for text documents. Comma Separated Value (CSV) is useful for spreadsheets. OpenOffice.org might also offer your recipient's preferred format, especially Microsoft formats.
Click ++. Your default e-mail program opens with the file attached.
Click ++. Your default e-mail program opens with the file attached.
Click ++. Your default e-mail program opens with the contents of the document as the e-mail body.
Start the application in one of the following ways:
Click +.
This opens Writer. To open a different module, click + from the newly opened Writer document, then choose the module you want to open.
Click ++, then click the name of the OpenOffice.org module you want to start.
Some OpenOffice.org modules can be found in other sections of the More Applications window. For example, the Writer/Web module is listed under and the Draw module is under .
In a terminal window, enter ooffice. The OpenOffice.org window opens. Click , then choose the module you want to open.
If any OpenOffice.org application is open, you can open any of the other applications by clicking ++.
You can save files, no matter in which OpenOffice.org format, with a password. For this you have to activate the checkbox in the . After you have typed and confirmed your password, your file will be saved. Next time a user opens the file, he will be prompted for the password. You can change the password in two different ways:
Overwrite the same file with and continue like above.
Open and click
You can customize OpenOffice.org to best suit your needs and working style. Toolbars, menus, and keyboard shortcuts can all be reconfigured to help you more quickly access the features you use the most. You can also assign macros to application events if you want specific actions to occur when those events take place. For example, if you always work with a specific spreadsheet, you can create a macro that opens the spreadsheet and assign the macro to the Start Application event.
This section contains simple, generic instructions for customizing your environment. The changes you make are effective immediately, so you can see if the changes are what you wanted and go back and modify them if they were not. See the OpenOffice.org help files for detailed instructions.
Use the dialog to modify OpenOffice.org toolbars.
Click the arrow icon at the end of any toolbar, then click .
or
Click ++.
Select the toolbar you want to customize.
The toolbar you clicked should already be selected. You can change the toolbar you want to customize by selecting the desired toolbar from the menu.
Select the check boxes next to the commands you want to appear on the toolbar, and deselect the check boxes next to the commands you do not want to appear.
Select whether to save your customized toolbar in the OpenOffice.org module you are using or in the document.
OpenOffice.org module
The customized toolbar is used whenever you open that module.
Document filename
The customized toolbar is used whenever you open that document.
Repeat to customize additional toolbars.
Click .
You can quickly choose the buttons that appear on a particular toolbar.
Click the arrow icon at the end of the toolbar you want to change.
Click to display a list of buttons.
Select the buttons in the list to enable (check) or disable (uncheck) them.
You can add or delete items from current menus, reorganize menus, and even create new menus.
Click ++.
Select the menu you want to change, or click to create a new menu.
Click for more information about the options in the dialog.
Modify, add, or delete menu items as desired.
Click .
You can reassign currently assigned keyboard shortcuts and assign new shortcuts to frequently used functions.
Click ++.
Select the keys you want to assign to a function, or select the function and assign the keys or key combinations.
Click for more information about the options in the dialog.
Modify, add, or delete keyboard shortcuts as desired.
Click .
OpenOffice.org also provides ways to assign macros to events such as application startup or the saving of a document. The assigned macro runs automatically whenever the selected event occurs.
Click ++.
Select the event you want to change.
Click for more information about the options in the dialog box.
Assign or remove macros for the selected event.
Click .
Global settings can be changed in any OpenOffice.org application by clicking + on the menu bar. This opens the window shown in the figure below. A tree structure is used to display categories of settings.
The following table lists the settings categories along with a brief description of each category:
![[Note]](admon/note.png) | |
The settings categories that appear depend on the module you are working in. For example, if you are in Writer, the OpenOffice.org Writer category appears in the list, but the OpenOffice.org Calc category does not. The OpenOffice.org Base category appears in both Calc and Writer. The Application column in the table shows where each setting category is available. | |
Table 1.2. Global Setting Categories
|
Settings Category |
Description |
Application |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Various basic settings, including your user data (such as your address and e-mail), important paths, and settings for printers and external programs. |
All |
|
|
Includes the settings related to the opening and saving of several file types. There is a dialog for general settings and several special dialogs to define how external formats should be handled. |
All |
|
|
Covers the various settings related to languages and writing aids, such as your locale and spell checker settings. This is also the place to enable support for Asian languages. |
All |
|
OpenOffice.org Writer |
Configures the global word processing options, such as the basic fonts and layout that Writer should use. |
Writer |
|
OpenOffice.org Writer/Web |
Changes the settings related to the HTML authoring features of OpenOffice.org. |
Writer |
|
OpenOffice.org Calc |
Changes the settings for Calc, such as those related to sort lists and grids. |
Calc |
|
OpenOffice.org Impress |
Changes the settings that should apply to all presentations. For example, you can specify the measurement unit for the grid used to arrange elements. |
Impress |
|
OpenOffice.org Draw |
Includes the settings related to the vector drawing module, such as the drawing scale, grid properties, and some print options. |
Draw |
|
|
Provides a single dialog to set special print options for formulas. |
Math |
|
|
Provides dialogs to set and edit connections and registered databases. |
Base |
|
s |
Defines the default colors used for newly created charts. |
All |
|
|
Includes the dialogs to configure any proxies and to change settings related to search engines. |
All |
| |
All settings listed in the table are applied globally for the specified applications. They are used as defaults for every new document you create. | |
Templates greatly enhance the use of OpenOffice.org by simplifying formatting tasks for a variety of different types of documents. OpenOffice.org comes with a few templates, and you can find additional templates on the Internet. You can also create your own. Creating templates is beyond the scope of this guide, but detailed instructions are found in the OpenOffice.org help system and in other documents and tutorials available online.
In addition to templates, you can find other extras and add-ins online. The following table lists a few of the prominent places where you can find templates and other extras. Please note that the information in the following table might not be current, because Web sites often close or change its content.
Table 1.3. Where to Find OpenOffice.org Templates and Extras
|
Location |
What You Can Find |
|---|---|
|
OpenOffice.org documentation Web site, see http://documentation.openoffice.org/Samples_Templates/User/template_2_x/index.html |
Templates for Calc spreadsheets, CD cases, seed packets, fax cover sheets, and more |
|
Worldlabel.com, see http://www.worldlabel.com/Pages/openoffice-template.htm |
Templates for many types of labels |
For more information about templates, see Section 2.5, “Using Templates to Format Documents” and Section 3.1.2, “Using Templates in Calc”.
