Migration Guide:

A guide to ease your migration to OpenOffice.org from other office suitesages

Contents

Overview	xi

Copyright and trademark information	xi

Feedback	xi

Acknowledgments	xi

Modifications and updates	xii

Introduction	1

What is OpenOffice.org?	1

How do I install OpenOffice.org?	1

How do I get support?	1

What’s involved in the initial migration?	1

Sharing files	1

How do I import other files used in Microsoft Office?	1

What other resources are available to help with migrating to OpenOffice.org?	2

What changes do I need to make in the way that I work?	2

In general what is different in use between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org?	2

How can I change OpenOffice.org to make it work even more like the way I have worked in Microsoft Office?	2

What are the specific differences in use between Word and Writer?	2

What are the specific differences in use between Excel and Calc?	2

What are the specific differences in use between PowerPoint and Impress?	3

How do I use the Math Object editor (OpenOffice.org’s equivalent to Equation Editor)?	3

What about that database functionality?	3

Is there an equivalent to WordArt?	3

What are the issues when migrating from WordPerfect to Writer?	3

How do I install the WordPerfect filter?	3

What macros are available to make Writer work more like WordPerfect?	3

Reveal codes	3

Hanging indents	3

Sharing files with Microsoft Office users	4

File formats	4

Bulk conversion	5

Opening files	5

Opening text format files	5

Opening spreadsheets	5

Opening presentations	6

Opening graphics files	6

Opening formula files	6

Saving files	7

Default file format	7

Export to PDF	7

Saving files in other formats	7

Writer can save to these file formats	7

Calc can save to these file formats	8

Impress can save to these file formats	8

Draw can save to these file formats	8

The HTML writer can save in these formats	8

AportisDoc and PocketWord files for transport to your PDA	9

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)	9

Linked files	9

WordArt / FontWork	9

Vector graphics	10

Frames / text boxes	10

Active content controls	10

Macros	10

Import / export / sharing issues in text documents	11

Good practice in text documents	11

Compatibility settings in OpenOffice.org for the current document	11

Tops of pages	11

Aligning tabs	11

Spacing between paragraphs	11

Font and font spacing	12

Tables	12

Mail merge documents	12

Forms	13

Footnotes, end notes, tables of contents and indexes	13

Numbered paragraphs, outline numbering, cross-references	14

Page numbering	14

Date and time fields	14

Importing Word fields	15

Import / export / sharing issues in spreadsheets	16

Password protected workbooks	16

Number of rows	16

Number of sheets	16

Form fields	17

Array formulas	17

Optional parameters in formulas	17

Functions	17

Statistical, engineering and financial functions	17

Analysis ToolPak Functions	18

Other functions not implemented / imported	18

DataPilot / Pivot Table	18

AutoFilter	18

Charts	19

Right aligned text	19

Number formats	19

Grid lines	19

Import / export / sharing issues in presentations	20

Color gradients and borders	20

Multimedia	20

Chart animations	20

Pack and Go	20

Fields	20

Action Settings / Interaction	20

PowerPoint custom animations – Impress object effects	21

PowerPoint – Impress slide transitions	21

Importing other Microsoft Office files	23

Custom Dictionaries	23

AutoText Entries	24

AutoCorrect Entries	25

General differences in use between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office	26

Help	26

Zoom – the view percentage	26

AutoCorrect / AutoFormat	27

Menus	27

Personalized menus	27

Toolbars	27

Moving toolbars	28

Tear-off toolbars	28

The Draw Functions toolbar	28

The Load URL drop-down on the Function bar	28

Mouse use	28

Long click	28

Drag and drop	29

Right click	29

Side panes – docked / floating windows	29

Docking and undocking	29

Resizing	30

Show / Hide	30

Stick / Floating pin	30

Navigator	30

Stylist	30

Gallery	31

Insert media into document	31

Add pictures to the Gallery	31

Delete picture from Gallery	31

Add a new theme	31

Data source viewer	32

Page preview	32

Keyboard shortcuts	32

Smart tags	32

Special characters / symbols	32

File management	33

Default locations	33

Creating new files	33

Default templates	33

Template folder management	34

Open and Save As dialogs	34

File management within an OpenOffice.org Open or Save As dialog	35

Password protection	35

Privacy options	35

PDF (Adobe Reader) file creation	35

Creating web pages (HTML files) overview	35

Writer	36

Calc	37

Draw	37

Impress	38

Document properties	38

Searching for files	38

Working with multiple files	39

Version control	39

Find and Replace	39

Some tips for find and replace	40

Attributes	40

Formats	40

Regular expressions	40

Similarity search	41

Search for styles	41

Grammar checking	42

Customizing OpenOffice.org	43

Toolbars	43

Customizing toolbars	43

Creating a new toolbar	44

Menus	44

Customizing menu content	44

Customizing the menu font	44

Customizing keyboard shortcuts	44

Customizing word entry and editing	45

AutoCorrect/AutoFormat	45

Undo / Redo	45

Spell checking	45

Security settings	46

Personal settings	46

Storing configurations in a template	46

Differences in use between Writer and Word	47

Views	47

Status bar	47

Navigator	48

Stylist	48

Keyboard	48

How to select multiple parts of the text	49

Multiple selections and tables	49

Comparison of key shortcuts	49

Mouse use	50

Tables	50

Header rows	51

Turning off header rows	51

Adjusting column widths and row heights using the keyboard	51

Copying and pasting cells in a table	52

Inserting and deleting rows or columns	52

Equal row heights and column widths	52

Splits and merges	52

Preventing accidental change to cell contents	52

Sorting	53

Entering numbers and formulas	53

Creating a table from a data source	54

Charts in Writer	54

Customizing the user interface	54

Write, edit, and review documents	55

Control page layout	57

Word notion of page layout	57

Writer notion of page layout	57

Comparison for page layout	57

Use templates and styles	58

Font size	59

Space between paragraphs and page breaks before	59

Fields	60

Work with large or complex documents	61

Work with graphics	62

Mail Merge	63

Creation of the Mail Template (main document)	63

To add the fields into your document	63

Selecting records for the merge	63

Viewing merged data	63

Eliminating blank lines	63

Merging	64

Mailing Labels	64

Merge to e-mail	64

Envelopes	65

Adding an envelope	65

Removing an envelope	65

Page styles and page numbering	65

Modify a page style	65

Create a style	65

The Page style dialog	65

Organizer tab	65

Page tab	66

Background tab	66

Header/footer tabs	66

Borders/columns footnote tabs	66

Page breaks and page numbering	67

Changing the style used for a page and changing the numbering sequence	67

To insert page numbering	67

Page numbers on portrait and landscape pages in the same place and orientation	68

Conditional text	68

Master documents	69

Differences in use between Calc and Excel	70

Separating parameters in functions	70

Interpreting cell contents	70

Limitations	70

Form fields	71

Named ranges and “Natural Language” formulas	71

Array formulas	71

Optional parameters in formulas	72

Functions	72

Statistical, engineering, and financial functions	72

Analysis ToolPak functions	72

Other functions not implemented / imported	72

DataPilot / Pivot Table	72

AutoFilter	73

Text to columns	74

Solver	74

Charts	74

Right aligned text	75

Number formats	75

Grid lines	75

Keyboard shortcuts	75

Mouse use	76

Hidden rows	76

Navigator	76

Stylist	76

Sheet area combo box	76

Function list	77

Error values	77

Conditional formatting and styles	77

Working across spreadsheets, web pages, and database data	77

Working across spreadsheets	77

Links to HTML data or other spreadsheets	78

Links to database data	79

Printing	79

Differences in use between Impress and PowerPoint	80

Accessing different views	80

Color gradients and borders	81

Multimedia	81

Narration	81

Sound	81

Video	82

Chart animations	82

Pack and Go	82

Fields	82

Action settings / Interaction	82

Animating a slide show	82

Object effect animations	82

Differences in animation effects	83

Slide transition effects	84

Fitting text to a frame	86

Overview

This document is primarily for people or organizations who currently use or have used Microsoft Office and are investigating or are actively changing to OpenOffice.org. It is aimed at intermediate to advanced users of Microsoft Office; therefore, if the functionality in OpenOffice.org is not significantly different, then typically that function is not mentioned.

Copyright and trademark information

The contents of this Documentation are subject to the Public Documentation License, Version 1.0 (the "License"); you may only use this Documentation if you comply with the terms of this License. A copy of the License is available at:
http://www.openoffice.org/licenses/PDL.rtf

The Original Documentation is Migration Guide: A guide to ease your migration to OpenOffice.org from other office suitesages. The Initial Writer(s) of the Original Documentation is/are Ian Laurenson © 2004. All Rights Reserved. (Initial Writer contact(s): hillview@paradise.net.nz. The Initial Writer contact(s) is to report errors in the documentation. For questions regarding how to use the software, subscribe to the OpenOffice.org Users Mail List and post your question there: http://www.openoffice.org/mail_list.html#general)

All trademarks within this guide belong to legitimate owners.

Feedback

Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to:
authors@user-faq.openoffice.org

Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge all those who have posted requests and solutions to the forums.

I would also like to thank other documenters whose work I have based some of this material on, particularly: Daniel Carrera, Jean Hollis Weber, Sophie Gautier, Scott Carr, Ralph Krause, Catherine Waterman, Fred Saalbach and Daniel Hedley. However, any mistakes in this document are mine and do not reflect on them. Thanks to the other authors on the OOoAuthors site, particularly Diane Mackay and Jean Hollis Weber.

My greatest thanks go to my partner, Warwick Anderson, without whom writing this guide would not have been possible!

Modifications and updates

Version	Date	Description of Change
0.1	1 July 2004	First draft
1.0	28 November 2004	First published edition

Introduction

What is OpenOffice.org?

See the chapter titled “What is OpenOffice.org?” in the Introduction to the User Guide for an overview about OpenOffice.org and its ability to work with text documents, spreadsheets, presentations and drawings. OpenOffice.org is open source software; in this document you will learn more about what this means.

How do I install OpenOffice.org?

See the chapter titled “Installing OpenOffice.org” in the Introduction to the User Guide for instructions that show how to download and install OpenOffice.org.

How do I get support?

See the chapter titled “How to Get Help” in the Introduction to the User Guide to learn where and how to ask questions to acquire the best support during your migration to OpenOffice.org.

What’s involved in the initial migration?

Sharing files

See Sharing files with Microsoft Office users on page 4 for information about opening and saving files of various formats.

How do I import other files used in Microsoft Office?

See Importing other Microsoft Office fileson page 23 for information about importing custom dictionaries, auto-correct entries and Auto Text entries into OpenOffice.org.

What other resources are available to help with migrating to OpenOffice.org?

See http://se.sun.com/edu/staroffice/so_migration_guide_0104.pdf for a document developed by Sun that covers similar issues regarding migration to StarOffice, the cousin and commercial version of the OpenOffice.org office package.

What changes do I need to make in the way that I work?

While the interfaces of OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office are sufficiently similar to allow immediate productivity, they are not identical. Some functions are based on different underlying concepts. Documents linked herein are guides to help you with these differences.

In general what is different in use between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org?

See General differences in use between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office on page 26 first as it gives an overall view of differences; the other linked documents build on the information presented in this section.

How can I change OpenOffice.org to make it work even more like the way I have worked in Microsoft Office?

See Customizing OpenOffice.org on page 43 for information about customizing OpenOffice.org. This section includes links to macros that were written to help ease the transition.

What are the specific differences in use between Word and Writer?

See Differences in use between Writer and Word on page 47 for specific information related to text documents.

What are the specific differences in use between Excel and Calc?

See Differences in use between Calc and Excel on page 70 for specific information related to spreadsheets.

What are the specific differences in use between PowerPoint and Impress?

See Differences in use between Impress and PowerPoint on page 80 for specific information related to presentations.

How do I use the Math Object editor (OpenOffice.org’s equivalent to Equation Editor)?

See the chapter titled “Editing Math Objects” in the Common Features Guide.

What about that database functionality?

See the chapter titled “Using Data Sources” in the Common Features Guide.

Is there an equivalent to WordArt?

See the chapter titled “FontWork” in the Common Features Guide.

What are the issues when migrating from WordPerfect to Writer?

How do I install the WordPerfect filter?

The WordPerfect filter is not available in the standard OpenOffice.org installation. See http://libwpd.sourceforge.net/ for more information about the WordPerfect filter.

What macros are available to make Writer work more like WordPerfect?

Reveal codes

OpenOffice.org’s Writer doesn’t have underlying codes in the same way that WordPerfect does. But a macro is being written that will allow you to work in a similar way to WordPerfect’s reveal codes. See the reveal code document available at http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/ for more information.

Hanging indents

The hanging indent concept in Writer is quite different from the concept used in WordPerfect. The best approach in OpenOffice.org is to use styles, but to ease the transition, see either AltKeyHandler.sxw or Indents.sxw available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/ for a macro that approximates WordPerfect’s way of implementing hanging indents.

Sharing files with Microsoft Office users

This chapter outlines the issues when importing Microsoft Office format files to OpenOffice.org and exporting from OpenOffice.org in Microsoft Office file formats.

File formats

This section gives an overview of file format from an end-user’s perspective. For details about XML formats, see http://books.evc-cit.info/book.php.

OpenOffice.org “natively” stores its files in a compressed (zipped) human readable (when unzipped) XML format. This format is openly documented and is available under the GNU General Public Library License (http://www.gnu.org).

Note: Some compression utilities only check the file extension and so may not recognize the file as being compressed in the zip format. To open an OpenOffice.org file with such a compression utility, rename the file to have the extension .zip.

By contrast, Microsoft Office files are stored in a proprietary format which is not human readable. Microsoft have not publicly documented their file formats, which causes a lot of problems for software developers to write filters for importing and exporting in Microsoft Office formats.

Table 1. File extensions

Document type	Application	Document Extension	Template Extension	Microsoft Office eqv
Text	Writer	.sxw	.stw	.doc .dot
Spreadsheet	Calc	.sxc	.stc	.xls .xlt
Drawing	Draw	.sxd	.std	na
Presentation	Impress	.sxi	.sti	.ppt .pot .pps
Formula	Math	.sxm	na	
Master document	Writer	.sxg	na	
HTML document	Writer	.html	na	

Note: OpenOffice.org can open Microsoft Office files. The reverse is NOT true: Microsoft Office can not open OpenOffice.org formats. So if you need to deal with someone using Microsoft Office, save your file first in the native OpenOffice.org format; then you can save it to one of the many supported Microsoft Office formats. This way you ensure that even if the filter can’t translate perfectly, you have your original in its native format.

Bulk conversion

To convert a lot of files:

File > AutoPilot > Document Converter...

Note: Converting a lot of files can take a long time. Recommend to set it going when the computer is not going to be used for a while, but check for sufficient disk space.

Before doing a bulk conversion of files, think about whether it is really necessary. Read this document right through to get an appreciation of the limitations of the conversion process.

Opening files

Opening text format files

OpenOffice.org Writer can import the standard Microsoft Office formats (as shown in the right column of Table 1) as well as the .rtf, .txt, .csv and StarWriter formats.

When opening .HTM or .HTML files, OpenOffice.org customizes Writer for working with these files.

Opening spreadsheets

In addition to the native formats, OpenOffice.org can open the following spreadsheet formats:

Microsoft Excel 97/2000/XP (*.xls; *.xlw) Microsoft Excel 97/2000/XP Template (*.xlt) Microsoft Excel 95 (*.xls; *.xlw) Data Interchange Format (*.def) dBase (*.dbf) Sylk	Rich Text Format Text CSV (*.csv; *.txt) Lotus 123 (*.wk1; *.wk1) StarCalc formats HTM and HTML files including Web page queries

Opening presentations

In addition to the native formats, OpenOffice.org can open the following presentation formats:

Microsoft PowerPoint 97/2000/XP (*.ppt; *.pps)

Microsoft PowerPoint 97/2000/XP Template (.pot)

StarDraw, StarImpress

CGM - Computer Graphics Metafile (*.cgm)

Opening graphics files

In addition to the native formats, OpenOffice.org can open the following graphic formats:

BMP

DXF

EMF

EPS

GIF

JPEG

MET

PBM

PCD

PCX

PGM

PLT

PNG

PPM

PSD

RAS

SGF

SGV

Star Draw

SVM

TGA

TIFF

WMF

XBM

XPM

Opening formula files

In addition to its native format, OpenOffice.org can open the following formula files:

StarMath and MathML (*.mml).

When opening a Word document that contains an embedded equation editor object, if the option for it is checked in Tools > Options > Load/Save > Microsoft Office then the object will be automatically converted to an OpenOffice.org Math object.

Saving files

Figure 1. The first half of the writer Save As pulldown menu Default file format

To set the default file format when saving new files:

Tools > Options... > Load/Save > General

Note: If the default is set to an OpenOffice.org format and a Microsoft Office file is being saved, then a warning dialog will be displayed about potential loss of formatting.

Export to PDF

In each application there is the ability to directly export to PDF. This industry-standard file format for file viewing is ideal for sending the file to someone else to view using Acrobat Reader or any other PDF display program like ggv or Xpdf.

You can export directly to PDF using a button on the toolbar (next to the Printer icon) for export directly to PDF, or by choosing File > Export, which allows you to select some more detailed options.

Saving files in other formats

To save files in different formats:

File > Save As > File Type:

Writer can save to these file formats

In addition to its native formats, Writer can save in these formats:

OpenOffice.org Writer template (.stw)

Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP (.doc)

Microsoft Word 95 (.doc)

Microsoft Word 6.0 (.doc)

Rich Text Format (.rtf)

StarWriter 5.0 (.sdw)

StarWriter Template (.vor)

StarWriter 4.0 (.sdw)

StarWriter 4.0 Template (.vor)

StarWriter 3.0 (.sdw)

StarWriter Template 3.0 (.vor)

Text (.txt)

Text Encoded (.txt)

HTML (.html; .htm)

Note: The .rtf format is a common format for transferring text files between applications but be aware of the lack of formating available in that format. It also seems that there is a bug concerning files saved in the .rtf format that contain images when opened by Microsoft Office. So the best way to pass a file in writer to a Microsoft Word user is to save it as Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP (.doc).

Calc can save to these file formats

In addition to its native formats, Calc can save in these formats:

Microsoft Excel 97/2000/XP (*.xls; *.xlw)

Microsoft Excel 97/2000/XP Template (*.xlt)

Microsoft Excel 95 (*.xls; *.xlw)

Data Interchange Format (*.dif)

dBase (*.dbf)

SYLK (*.slk)

Text CSV (*.csv; *.txt)

StarCalc formats (*.sdc, *.vor)

HTM and HTML files

Impress can save to these file formats

Microsoft PowerPoint 97/2000/XP (*.ppt; *.pps)

Microsoft PowerPoint 97/2000/XP Template (*.pot)

StarDraw, StarImpress (*.sda, *.sdd, *.vor)

Impress can also export to MacroMedia Flash (*.swf) and any of the graphics formats as listed below for Draw.

Draw can save to these file formats

Draw can only save in its native format and StarDraw format, but can export to:

BMP

EMF

EPS

GIF

JPEG

MET

PBM

PCT

PGM

PNG

PPM

RAS

SVG

SVM

TIFF

WMF

XPM

The HTML writer can save in these formats

HTML Document (*.html; *.htm)

OpenOffice.org 1.0 HTML Template (*.stw)

StarWriter/Web5.0 and 4.0 (*.vor)

Text (OpenOffice.org Writer/Web) (*.txt)

Text Encoded (OpenOffice.org Writer/Web) (*.txt)

AportisDoc and PocketWord files for transport to your PDA

When installing OpenOffice.org, you can optionally choose to install DocBook and XLST filters. They are then added to the Save As menu automatically. For more information, see the chapter on installing OpenOffice.org.

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE)

To change the settings for Microsoft Office OLE objects:

Tools > Options > Load/Save > Microsoft Office

Having all of these options checked will allow embedded objects to be converted and thus be editable in both office suites.

For other OLE objects, it will depend on the machine where the file is being edited just as it does with Microsoft Office alone. Thus Windows application based OLE objects will not be editable in OpenOffice.org on a Linux machine, although the object will still be displayed correctly and is able to be resized.

Linked files

Cells copied from Excel and pasted special, linked and with RTF format, into Word are imported into Writer as a normal table. This means that when the document is imported, the link to the Excel file is lost.

Similarly when a chart is copied from Excel and pasted special, linked into Word, and then the file imported into Writer, the chart is imported as an embedded OLE object but is not converted into a Calc chart. On saving the file in Word format and then opening the file in Word and trying to edit the chart by double-clicking, it displays an error message.

Warning: The links are lost!

WordArt / FontWork

The equivalent to Microsoft Office’s WordArt in OpenOffice.org is FontWork. WordArt objects are imported as graphics so the ability to edit them is lost. Similarly, FontWork objects are exported into Microsoft Office files as graphics only. See the chapter on FontWork.

Vector graphics

The basic shapes (lines, arrows, rectangles, ovals) all import and export without any problem. OpenOffice.org provides a greater degree of control over some properties than Microsoft Office does, so sometimes there will be changes when going from OpenOffice.org to Microsoft Office. Examples include the size of arrow heads, and line styles.

The Microsoft Office autoshapes, like the smiley face, lose their special characteristics. For instance the ability to adjust the degree of the smile / frown on the smiley face is lost.

Microsoft Office provides more shadow options than OpenOffice.org, so sometimes there will be a change in shadow appearance. Microsoft Office shadow styles 1, 2, 4, 6,14, 17 and 18 are supported in OpenOffice.org. Horizontal and tapered shadows do not get imported.

On exporting documents containing graphics, such as callouts, the locations frequently change.

Frames / text boxes

When frames or text boxes from Microsoft Office are imported into OpenOffice.org with linked text, the links do not remain.

Active content controls

These are the controls in Microsoft Office available on the Controls toolbar.

Checkboxes, radio buttons, text fields, labels, list boxes, combo boxes, and toggle buttons all import without a problem. But as these controls typically require macros to be of use, they will be functionally useless in the absence of macros custom built for use in OpenOffice.org.

Scrollbars and images import as OLE objects.

Macros

OpenOffice.org cannot run Microsoft Office macros. Although the macro language is very similar, the underlying objects are quite different. To set whether OpenOffice.org keeps attached macros for Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, use:

Tools > Options... > Load/Save > VBA properties

Note: Opening a Microsoft Office file infected with a virus is quite safe in OpenOffice.org.

OpenOffice.org has the ability to record macros. The recorder uses something called a dispatcher. It is better practice to use the application program interface (API).

Import / export / sharing issues in text documents

Good practice in text documents

Some issues can be avoided simply by using good word-processing practice:

Use character and paragraph styles rather than direct formatting.

Use paragraph formatting for space before and after rather than hard returns, particularly in numbered or bulleted lists.

Use paragraph text flow properties (e.g. keep with next) rather than using manual page breaks.

Do not use multiple tabs or spaces to align text – either set specific tab stops or better yet use a table.

Use only commonly available fonts.

Compatibility settings in OpenOffice.org for the current document

The following settings change the way OpenOffice.org works with the current document so that it works more like Microsoft Office.

Use Tools > Options... > Text Document > General

Tops of pages

In Writer, if this setting isn’t checked, if a paragraph at the top of the page (or column) is formatted with space above then the space above is ignored, whereas in Word the space above is included it. Checking this option causes Writer to behave in the same way as Word.

Aligning tabs

This setting specifies whether centered and right-aligned paragraphs containing tabs are formatted as a whole in the center or aligned to the right. If this checkbox is not marked, only the text to the right of the last tab is aligned to the right, while the text to the left remains as is. (From help.)

Spacing between paragraphs

Writer uses the greater of the two spacings for above and below paragraphs; Word sums the two together. Check this box to have Writer behave in the same way as Word.

Font and font spacing

Text effect animations are not imported by Writer from Word files.

Hidden text in Writer is a field, whereas in Word it is a font attribute.

Typically Word’s character spacing is tighter than Writer’s, so often Word will fit more characters to a line. It is also possible that the spacing between lines could be slightly different. The end result is that the page breaks may be in different places.

Tables

Writer doesn’t allow a row within a table to be split across pages. Word (by default) allows a row to be split across pages.

Writer doesn’t support vertical text within a cell.

Warning: There is a vertical option for formatting text (Format > Character... > Rotation / Scaling) for some reason that the authors haven’t figured out this is not recommended for using in a table; see: http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=16944. If it is used in a table in a document and that document gets exported to Word then Word goes into a loop perpetually trying to re-paginate the document.

Text in a table with vertical alignment imported from Word: the vertical text simply becomes horizontal.

Fields for calculations within tables are imported as the text of the saved result. In other words, the field for performing the calculation is lost.

Summary: Documents containing tables can be imported and exported between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office, but they cannot contain vertical text, nor should a row span more than a page.

Mail merge documents

As OpenOffice.org and Writer have different approaches to data sources, on importing a Word document that is the main document for a mail merge there is no connection with the data source. It is not just a matter of making that connection, each field needs to be reinserted.

Also in Word you can have another Word document as a data source for a mail merge. There is no way of specifying a Word (or Writer) document as a data source in OpenOffice.org.

Writer doesn’t have the option of suppressing blank lines when data fields are empty, so you need to use conditional fields.

Writer merge fields export as text with the name of the field between angle brackets, e.g. <Name>.

Summary: To work in a shared environment would require a separate file for each “main document”: one in Word format, the other in OpenOffice.org format.

Forms

Issues with forms created in Microsoft Office:

A locked file in Microsoft Office imports unlocked into OpenOffice.org; that is, in design mode.

Text form fields import into OpenOffice.org as Input fields and so lose their type. For example, a text form field of type “number” or “date” will accept any text for input. In use a text form field in OpenOffice.org displays a dialog for entering the text. Exporting back to Microsoft Office, text form fields are changed into “Fillin” fields. The current date and time and calculation fields import as simple text.

Check-boxes import/export ok.

Drop-down form fields import as Input List fields. Like text form fields in operation these display a dialog from which the user can select an option. On export back to Microsoft Office they return to drop-down form fields again.

Issues with forms created in OpenOffice.org:

The controls are exported as active controls when there is a Microsoft Office equivalent. As Word doesn’t have the same database functionality of OpenOffice.org and as the macros aren’t compatible, it would be very difficult to have one form that works in both environments using standard form controls.

Summary: To work in a shared environment with forms is not easy but one workaround would be to use other fields like Input field and Input List. To insert these fields use: Insert > Fields > Other... > Functions.

Footnotes, end notes, tables of contents and indexes

Footnotes, endnotes and indexes all import / export ok. Some issues found:

The location of the endnotes may change (in Word the endnotes were placed before the index. In Writer they are always at the end of the document).

Writer bibliographic entries become text in Word.

A three column index exported from Writer to Word as three columns but on re-import it was one column.

On importing a Word file containing index entry fields, the index entry fields are imported but as fields to the left of the text rather than the field containing the text.

Summary: Working in a shared environment is possible with some minor issues.

Numbered paragraphs, outline numbering, cross-references

Import / Export without a problem, except for references to numbered paragraphs:

Cross-references to the numbers of numbered paragraphs that aren’t numbered using outline numbering don’t work as Writer doesn’t have this ability

Writer also doesn’t have the ability to use relative numbering in its cross-references to numbers.

Cross-references to chapter numbers don’t have the same format as that displayed.

Page numbering

A quick and dirty approach in Word for having a different first page (like a cover page) and then to have the numbering start on the second page but numbered as page 1 is to have a layout of different first page and setting the starting page to be zero. Unfortunately, on importing such a file into OpenOffice.org the page number on the second page is 2 instead of 1. To fix this problem in Writer, use:

Create a page style for how the pages after the first page should look. Name it (for example) Convert1.

Have the cursor in the first paragraph of the second page.

Format > Paragraph > Text Flow.

In the Breaks portion of the dialog, select the checkbox Enable.

Check With Page Style.

Choose the page style created in step 1.

Leave the position as Before and set the page number to 1.

On exporting this document back to Word it will work, the only difference being that the document will have a section break at the end of the first page. Documents created with section breaks like this in Word will work fine importing and exporting with Writer. There is one difference with Word: there will now be a blank page between the cover page and the next page when printed (or print previewed).

Summary: For some documents a little work maybe required to fix up the page numbering on importing to Writer. Once “fixed” the page numbering of the documents will import/export without a problem.

Date and time fields

Word’s CreateDate and SaveDate fields don’t get imported with the same formats. For example, if the fields in the Word document have a format that includes time, then this information is not displayed by default. To include time in the format:

Right click on the field > Fields... > scroll to the bottom of the Formats listbox > Additional formats... > in format code add HH:MM:SS

On export the SaveDate / DocInformation:Modified is exported as text.

Writer’s Time Fixed and Date Fixed fields get exported as text.

Importing Word fields

Table 2: Imported Word fields conversion

Word Field:	Writer converts to:
ASK	Input field
AUTHOR	DocInformation:Created
AUTONUM	Number Range AutoNr
AUTONUMLGL	Number range AutoNr
AUTONUMOUT	Number range AutoNr
COMMENTS	DocInfomation:Comments
CREATEDATE	DocInformation:Created
DATE	Date
EDITTIME	DocInformation:Modified
FILENAME	File name
FILLIN	Input field
HYPERLINK	(as a hyperlink)
INFO xxx	DocInformation:xxx
KEYWORDS	DocInformation:Keywords
LASTSAVEDBY	DocInformation:Modified
MACROBUTTON	(the name of the macro?)
MERGEFIELD	Mail merge fields (displayed as the name of the field)
MERGEREC	Record number
NEXT	Next record
NOTEREF	Show variable
NUMCHARS	Statistics (with select = Characters)
NUMPAGES	Statistics (with select = Pages)
PAGE	Page numbers
PAGEREF	Bookmarks (displayed as name of bookmark)
REVNUM	DocInformation:Document number
SAVEDATE	DocInformation:Modified
SEQ	Number range
SET	Set variable
SUBJECT	DocInformation:Subject
TEMPLATE	Templates
TIME	Date
TITLE	DocInformation:Title
TOC	(Displays the table of contents)

The following fields are not imported into OpenOffice.org (only the text that they displayed when last saved): =, IF, DOCPROPERTY, FILESIZE, LINK, LISTNUM, QUOTE, SECTION, SECTIONPAGES, STYLEREF, TOA, USERADDRESS, USERINITIALS, USERNAME.

The following fields are ignored on import: AUTOTEXT, AUTOTEXTLIST, BARCODE, BIDIOUTLINE, DOCVARIABLE, EQ, GOTOBUTTON, INCLUDETEXT, LISTNUM, MERGESEQ, PRINT, RD, SKIPIF, SYMBOL, TA, TC.

The Word field EDITTIME is mapped to Writer field DocInformation:Modified on import but the meaning has changed to the date and time last saved rather than how long the file has been open for editing.

Import / export / sharing issues in spreadsheets

Password protected workbooks

Workbooks that have been password protected in Excel cannot be opened by Calc. The file needs to be saved in Excel without password protection so that Calc can open it. If you don’t have access to Excel, then to open the files you need another program. In Windows you can use an Excel viewer (free to download from Microsoft) and in Linux you can use Gnumeric 1.2.6 and above. (As Gnumeric is open source it is probable that this limitation will soon be removed from Calc.)

Number of rows

Calc only supports 32,000 rows (compared to Excel’s 65,536). When importing an Excel workbook that contains a sheet with more than 32,000 rows, Calc creates a new sheet so the data isn’t lost, but any formulas that refer to that data need to be manually changed.

Number of sheets

The maximum number of sheets in Calc is 256. When importing an Excel spreadsheet with more than 256 sheets, a warning about data loss is displayed.

Form fields

Combo boxes, list boxes and checkboxes with links to spreadsheet cells all import and export properly, although due to font handling the number of rows displayed in list boxes may be slightly different. List boxes in Calc can either have multi-selection or not, whereas Excel has two multi-selection modes: multi and extend. In Excel a multi-selection listbox’s link to a cell is ignored (at least in Excel2000; the author hasn’t checked Excel XP). In Calc the link works, but if more than one item is selected, the cell’s value is set to #N/A.

Option buttons import into Calc, but the link with cells works differently. In Calc each option button has its own link to a cell, setting its value to true or false depending on whether the option is selected. In Excel the cell link returns the number of the selected option button. On exporting option buttons to Excel, the option buttons lose their radio operation – in other words, they are not grouped so that selecting one does not “unselect” the others.

Scroll bars and spinners are not implemented in Calc.

Array formulas

Calc supports array formulas (formulas entered using Control+Shift+Enter) but there are two things which Excel can do that Calc can’t do.

In Excel it is possible to have an array formula with two ranges in the formula and Excel matches each cell in the ranges to get a result. For example, {=SUM(IF(A2:A5=1,B2:B5))} would work like SUMIF and sum those cells in column B where in the same row column A contained a 1. Calc returns “Err504”. Often this can be worked around by using SUMIF, COUNTIF, or the database functions.

Array constants are not available in OpenOffice.org. The workaround is to have the constant values in cells on a sheet and refer to them.

Optional parameters in formulas

Some formulas have more than one optional parameter at the end of the parameter list. In Excel it is possible to leave an optional parameter blank and specify a later parameter, but this is not possible in Calc. Formulas with optional parameters are not correctly imported into Calc.

Functions

Statistical, engineering and financial functions

The statistical functions return slightly different results. They are the same up to at least 5 decimal places, but after that there is a discrepancy. Gnumeric (another open source spreadsheet package) returns exactly the same results as Excel (based on the author’s simple tests). The author hasn’t compared the results returned by a statistical package such as R or SAS for the statistical functions.

In Excel some of the financial functions accept string parameters for dates; in OpenOffice.org they require a serial number, and thus they are not correctly imported into Calc.

Analysis ToolPak Functions

The function EFFECT provided by the Analysis ToolPak for Excel is converted to EFFECT_ADD in Calc and returns the same results.

Other functions not implemented / imported

Only three other functions are not imported: INFO, GETPIVOTDATA, and HYPERLINK. Hyperlinks are supported but not as a function – use the Hyperlink button on the Function bar.

DataPilot / Pivot Table

DataPilots are Calc’s equivalent to Excel’s Pivot Tables. However there are a number of limitations. Pivot tables import from Excel into Calc but as soon as they are worked on these limitations become apparent. The limitations are:

There is no PivotChart facility, but a DataPilot can be used as the data source for a chart.

Page fields have not been implemented, but there is a filter option which gives similar functionality.

Can have no more than 8 fields in the data, row or column areas.

There is no ability to group data (for example, a date field grouping by month can’t be done). The workaround is to create a new column with a formula for calculating the grouping, e.g. =Month().

You can’t define different formats for different fields.

There are no calculated fields.

There is no ability to show data fields as things like “Difference From” or “% of”

The Application Program Interface specification is incomplete for writing macros that work with DataPilots—for example, the ability to control through another program, such as OpenOffice.org’s own macro language, BASIC, whether the tables have grand totals, or having access to DataPilots created from external data.

AutoFilter

AutoFilter imports and exports ok with the required rows being hidden. However, there are a number of differences between Excel and Calc:

There is only one AutoFilter active for a spreadsheet document at a time. The rows remain hidden but the drop downs in the first row disappear on applying AutoFilter elsewhere.

The remaining visible row numbers don’t change color to warn that there is a filter in place.

Error values don’t show as an option in the drop down lists when cells in the column have errors.

In the drop down lists, the equivalent to Excel’s “Custom” is called “Standard”.

Charts

Chart types that Excel provides that Calc doesn’t:

Bar of pie converts to a 2D - columns - normal

Pie of pie converts to a 2D - columns - normal

Radar filled converts to 3D – columns deep

Radar with markers – converts to 2D – net – normal but counter clockwise rather than Excel’s clockwise

Other charting issues include:

There are fewer axis options, such as no option for having an inverted y axis (negative at top towards positive at bottom).

The data must be contiguous, with the labels in the first row or column.

Right aligned text

In Excel if text is longer than the cell can hold and right aligned and there is nothing in the cell to the left, then the text “spills” into this cell. In Calc, the text will “spill” into the cell to the right if it is empty.

Number formats

There is no “accounting” format (with the currency symbol at the left edge of the cell). A workaround would be to have another column to the left that contains the currency symbol.

There is no predefined option for bracketing negative numbers. Use a custom format such as “$#,##0.00_);[RED]($#,##0.00)”.

Grid lines

In Excel gridlines are a property of a Worksheet; in Calc it is an application wide option:

Tools > Options > Spreadsheet > View

Import / export / sharing issues in presentations

Color gradients and borders

The author had not noticed the following changes, so this is a direct quote from “StarOffice 7 Migration Guide” by Sun.

Unlike Microsoft PowerPoint, StarOffice Impress does not support three color gradients, double and triple borders, or round-dotted borders. To improve the results of the import, you have to make the necessary adjusts before import. Change three-color presets to similar two-color gradient fills and change double and triple border lines to a single border line with appropriate width. Round-dotted border lines that are mapped to rectangle-border closely resemble the original line style in PowerPoint so that manual editing should not be necessary.

Multimedia

Voice-over narration is not supported by Impress.

There appear to be no settings for multimedia custom animations, such as the ability to play a sound for the next x slides.

Chart animations

There is no facility in Impress for “Chart Effects” as there is in PowerPoint, such as presenting a series or category at a time. On import the charts simply appear. A workaround is to have multiple copies of the chart with each one set up to display as desired.

Pack and Go

This feature in PowerPoint allowed a PowerPoint file to be split up over several floppy disks and assured that all related files were included. This facility is not included in Impress, nor can Impress open such files.

Fields

Date fields are exported as text, so they don’t automatically update.

Action Settings / Interaction

PowerPoint provides action settings for mouseover, but Impress doesn’t have this option, only on mouse click, so mouseovers get mapped to mouse clicks. PowerPoint has an option for highlighting the object on mouse click / mouse over; Impress doesn’t have this, so it gets ignored on import.

PowerPoint custom animations – Impress object effects

Table 3 shows how the custom animations / object effects are imported into Impress and exported to PowerPoint.

Table 3. Importing/exporting custom animations between PowerPoint and Impress

PowerPoint	Impress
Appear	Appear
Blinds	Fade Horizontally
Box	Fade To Center
Checkerboard	Checkerboard
Diamond	Appear
Crawl	Fly In From bottom
Dissolve	Dissolve
Flash once	Appear
Peek	Short Fly In from Bottom
Random Bars	Horizontal lines
Spiral	Spiral Outward Clockwise
Split	Close Vertical
Stretch	Stretch Vertical
Strips	Fade From Top Right
Swivel	Rotate Horizontally
Wipe	Cross-Fade From Top
Zoom	Fade From Center
Random effects	Vertical Lines

PowerPoint – Impress slide transitions

Table 4 shows how slide transitions are imported into Impress and exported to PowerPoint.

Table 4. Importing/exporting slide transitions between PowerPoint and Impress

PowerPoint	Impress
Blinds Horizontal	Fade Horizontally
Blind Vertical	Fade Vertically
Box In	Fade To Center
Box Out	Fade From Center
Checkerboard Across	Horizontal Checkerboard
Checkerboard Down	Vertical Checkerboard
Cover Down	Fly In From Top
Cover Left	Fly In From Right
Cover Right	Fly In From Left
Cover Up	Fly In From Bottom
Cover Left Down	Fly In From Upper Right
Cover Right Down	Fly In From Top Left
Cover Left Down	Fly In From Upper Right
Cover Right Up	Fly In From Lower Left
Cut	No effect
Cut through Black	No effect
Dissolve	Dissolve
Fade Through Black	No effect
Random Bars Horizontally	Horizontal Lines
Random Bars Vertically	Vertical Lines
Horizontal In	Close Vertically
Horizontal Out	Open Vertically
Split Vertical In	Close Horizontally
Split Vertical Out	Open Horizontally
Strips Left Down	Fade From Top Right
Strips Left Up	Fade From Bottom Right
Strips Right Down	Fade From Top Left
Strips Right Up	Fade From Bottom Left
Uncover Down	Uncover Downwards
Uncover Left	Uncover To Left
Uncover Right	Uncover To Right
Uncover Up	Uncover Upwards
Uncover Left Down	Uncover To Lower Left
Uncover Left Up	Uncover To Upper Left
Uncover Right Down	Uncover To Lower Right
Uncover Right Up	Uncover To Upper Right
Wipe Down	Cross-Fade From Top
Wipe Left	Cross-Fade From Right
Wipe Right	Cross-Fade From Left
Wipe Up	Cross Fade From Bottom
Random Transition	Automatic (random)

Importing other Microsoft Office files

This chapter describes how to import custom dictionaries and AutoText entries from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org. Currently the author knows no easy way of importing Microsoft Office auto-correct entries into OpenOffice.org.

Custom Dictionaries

Dictionaries are used when checking any document for spelling errors. Custom dictionaries are enhanced dictionaries that may contain unique words or custom spelling of certain entries.

OpenOffice.org does not provide a way of importing Microsoft Office custom dictionaries. However, a macro has been developed for importing Microsoft Office custom dictionaries into OpenOffice.org. A link for downloading the file can be found at http://ooomacros.org/user.php#114694.

To import Microsoft Office custom dictionaries:

Create a new Dictionary:

Tools > Options... > Language Settings > Writing Aids > New.

Give the dictionary a name.

Optionally choose a language for the dictionary.

Click OK > OK.

Download the file that contains the macro:

In a web browser start at http://ooomacros.org/user.php#114694 and click on the link for Download Import/Export Dictionary Words.

This should display a Source Forge page. Click on the latest link for this file. At the time of writing, this is ImportExportDictionary1-1.zip.

Click on the icon to the right of a mirror (typically choose one closest to you, but it doesn’t really matter).

The browser should display a “save file” dialog, Fill the dialog in, remembering where you saved the file.

Unzip the file you saved in the previous step.

In Microsoft Word, locate where the custom dictionaries are stored:

Tools > Options... > Spelling & Grammar > Dictionaries
Typical location is:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof\CUSTOM.DIC

Import the dictionary:

In OpenOffice.org, open the file that contains the import/export macro (instructions for downloading are above).

A confirmation dialog about running macros may be displayed. Click Run.

Click the Run Macro button (towards the top of the document).

Either type in the location of the custom dictionary to be imported or click on the ... button and navigate to it.

Choose the dictionary to import the words into (instructions for creating such a dictionary are above).

Click Import. Two dialogs will be displayed. The first says how many words the dictionary currently holds and the second how many words the dictionary holds after the import.

Click Close.

Close the file and the job is done.

AutoText Entries

AutoText is a feature that stores formatted text, text with graphics, tables and fields and provides the means to easily insert the saved material into documents.

OpenOffice.org stores AutoText entries in XML files in specified folders. Microsoft Word stores AutoText entries in template files, typically Normal.dot. To import the AutoText entries from these Microsoft Word templates, follow these steps:

Locate the template. Typically templates are found in:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.

Edit > AutoText. (or Control + F3).

Optionally create a new category: Click Categories... > type in name for new category > choose the location for the new category > click New > OK.

Select the category into which the AutoText entries are to be imported.

AutoText > Import.

Navigate to and select the desired Microsoft Word template > click Open.

The AutoText entries should now be visible in the left list box of the dialog.

Click Close.

AutoCorrect Entries

AutoCorrect is a feature to automatically correct words as you type. You can add entries to the AutoCorrect function to customize the way that OpenOffice.org operates.

The author has not been able to find a way of importing Microsoft Office AutoCorrect entries to OpenOffice.org. A thread discussing this problem can be viewed at: http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10248.

Information from that thread is copied below, because using this information it is reportedly possible to import the “first hundred or so” entries.

There is a Word macro available from http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/ExportAutocorrect.htm for creating a Word document with the AutoCorrrect entries.

OOo AutoCorrect files are typically stored in ./user/autocorr/acorrXXXX.dat where XXXX corresponds to the number for a given locale. These files are zipped and contain the file DocumentList.xml, which looks like:

<block-list:block-list>
<block-list:block block-list:abbreviated-name="(C)" block-list:name="©"/>
<block-list:block block-list:abbreviated-name="yuor" block-list:name="your"/>
</block-list:block-list>

So it would not be too difficult to create a text file to look like this and to zip it into a acorrXXXX.dat file.

General differences in use between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office

While the interfaces of OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office are generally similar, there are some differences. The purpose of this chapter is to outline those differences and how to work with them. One of the underlying differences is the degree of integration of the applications. For instance, it is possible to open a spreadsheet in Calc while working in Writer.

For information on how to customize the interface, see the chapter on Customizing OpenOffice.org.

Help

Help in OpenOffice.org is very similar to its equivalent in Microsoft Office.

If you pause the mouse over a button, you will see a tooltip describing the button. (If you don't see a tooltip, go to the Help menu and select Tips to turn them on.)

Shift + F1 changes the pointer to a question mark. When the question mark pointer is over a button or control on a dialog, a more detailed description is displayed.

Pressing F1 displays contextual help (based on what is currently selected).

There is an equivalent to the Microsoft Office “Office Assistant”. This is called the Help Agent. It “lights up,” alerting the user that help is available for an event that has just happened. Examples are when a user first saves a file, or when a word gets automatically corrected. The Help Agent can be turned off and on from the Help menu.

See the Technical Support chapter for more information on getting help.

Zoom – the view percentage

To change the size at which the document is displayed on the monitor, use: View > Zoom or right-click or double-click the number with a percentage sign next to it on the status bar.

In Writer, the Optimal option zooms the display so that the document is displayed between left and right margins. The zoom factor is automatically adjusted as the side panels are displayed.

AutoCorrect / AutoFormat

Writer adds an auto-complete feature to words, so that when a user is typing, Writer tries to predict what the completion of the word will be. Settings for this feature (including turning it off) are here:

Tools > Auto Correct/Auto Format... > Word completion.

Menus

One of the differences in menu location is that page layout is considered to be a format, so it is found under the Format menu (Format > Page...) rather than the File menu.

Personalized menus

There is no personalized menus option. This feature in Microsoft Office reorganizes the menus so that the most frequently used options are displayed first. However, the degree of context sensitivity, based on current cursor location, is much greater in OpenOffice.org than in Microsoft Office. For instance, in Writer, the menu items for working with tables, found in the Format menu, are only displayed when the cursor is in a table.

In OpenOffice.org there are some menu items that are relevant to the current cursor location, but which are inactive for some reason. For example the sort option (Tools > Sort) is not available when nothing is selected. By default these menu items are not displayed. To make them visible use: Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > View > Inactive Menu Items.

Toolbars

The top toolbar (default position) is called the Function Bar. The Function Bar is consistent across the OpenOffice.org applications.

The second toolbar across the top (default location) is the Object Bar. The Object Bar is a context-sensitive bar which shows the relevant toolbars in response to the cursor's current position or selection. For example when the cursor is in a table, the object bar provides both a Table Bar and a Text Bar. To toggle between these bars click the large triangle button at the right end of the Object Bar.

The toolbar down the left side (default position) is the Main Toolbar. It has the buttons most relevant to the current application.

Buttons with a small green triangle will display one of the following with a long click, depending on the button:

Sub-menus (e.g. the New, Paste, Undo, Redo, AutoText buttons)

Tear-off toolbars (e.g. Font Color, Highlighting, Insert buttons)

A quick way of selecting things like number of cells or columns (e.g. Insert table, Insert Frame, Insert Section)

Moving toolbars

To convert a docked toolbar to a floating toolbar and vice versa: Control + double click a blank area of the toolbar. To dock a toolbar at a different edge, Control + drag a floating toolbar to the desired edge.

Tear-off toolbars

Tear-off toolbars are accessed by giving a long click on a button with a small green triangle. These toolbars are always floating (they cannot be docked at an edge), but they can float over the top of other toolbars and docked / floating windows. To move a tear-off toolbar, drag it by its title bar.

The Draw Functions toolbar

In Microsoft Office the Draw toolbar is, by default, across the bottom of the application window.

In Writer and Calc the Draw Functions toolbar is a tear-off toolbar from the Main Toolbar (down the left by default). To display this toolbar click the Show Draw Functions button (fourth button down by default). In Draw and Impress, the tools found on Microsoft Office's Draw toolbar are found directly on the Main Toolbar.

The Load URL drop-down on the Function bar

The drop-down on the left of the Function Bar is called “Load URL”. It lists up to the last 100 files that have been open in OpenOffice.org. Select a file from the list to open it.

Mouse use

Long click

Some toolbar buttons have a small green triangle in the top right corner of the button. This green triangle symbolizes that clicking and holding the mouse button down will display a submenu or tear-off toolbar (see “Tear-off toolbars“ on page 28). When you select a submenu or button, then the symbol on this button will change to the same symbol. Thus doing a normal click on these buttons will act in the same way as long clicking and then clicking on the submenu entry or button on the tear-off toolbar.

Drag and drop

While drag and drop does work, there is less feedback with pointer changing in OpenOffice.org than in Microsoft Office. For example, when moving the pointer onto a selected piece of text, the pointer remains the usual I bar rather than changing to an arrow.

Right click

Right clicking in OpenOffice.org does display a context menu but it doesn't select what has just been right clicked on; the context menu is for what is currently selected.

Side panes – docked / floating windows

Microsoft Office XP introduced the concept of side panes. These are the closest equivalent to OpenOffice.org's docked / floating windows. In OpenOffice.org these windows include:

Navigator to help move around the document (the closest equivalent in Microsoft Office would be the Outline view in Word)

Stylist for managing styles

Gallery (a clip art viewer)

Function List (available only in Calc)

Data Source View, sometimes called the beamer (available in Calc and Writer and can only be docked at the top)

There is no equivalent of the Microsoft Office Clipboard for handling multiple copies.

Docking and undocking

Docking and undocking windows works the same as for the toolbars: Control + Double click docks / undocks. Control + drag the title bar will shift the edge at which it docks.

It is possible to have two windows in the same area, for example having the Stylist and the Navigator at the right edge with one above the other rather than side by side. Then the show / hide and stick / floating buttons work for both docked windows.

Resizing

The docked windows can be resized by moving to the border between its window and the next window. When the mouse pointer changes to a double-ended arrow, click and drag to the desired size.

Show / Hide

In addition to hiding/displaying windows, many have their own button that works like a minimize to the edge button. It is a triangle pointing to the current docked edge to hide it, or pointing out from the edge to show it.

Stick / Floating pin

With a window floating but docked at an edge, it overlaps the workspace window. Click the pin to “stick” it so that the workspace window is resized to make the entire width of the workspace window visible.

Navigator

The Navigator is activated and deactivated by F5, or the Navigator On/Off button in the Function Bar or Edit > Navigator. This window shows the different objects in the current document. For example in Writer it shows the list of headings and has controls similar to Outline view in Word. The drop-down at the bottom of the Navigator is for selecting which of the currently open documents has information displayed in the Navigator. (For more information, see Navigator in each of the applications.)

Stylist

The Stylist can be activated and deactivated by F11, or the Stylist On/Off button in the Function Bar or Format > Stylist.

To change the type of styles displayed, use the buttons across the top. For example, in Writer the buttons are Paragraph Styles, Character Styles, Frame Styles, Page Styles and Numbering Styles. The drop-down at the bottom of the Stylist determines which of these different types get displayed. For example in Writer, for character styles the options are Hierarchical, All, Applied and Custom. The style of the current selection is highlighted. See Help > Index > type “Stylist” > creating new Styles from selections and updating from selections; and Help > Find > type “Applying Styles” > Applying Styles in Fill Format Mode for how the other buttons work.

Gallery

The Gallery is activated and deactivated by the Gallery button in the Function Bar or Tools > Gallery.

Note: There is no default key press.

This is OpenOffice.org's equivalent to Microsoft Office's Media Gallery, except it doesn't have ties to the Web and there is no search facility. Very little clip-art comes with OpenOffice.org. To download some public domain clip-art, see http://www.openclipart.org/.

Media in the Gallery is organized by themes. Themes are displayed down the left side of the Gallery window.

Insert media into document

To place the media (such as clip art) into the current document:

Drag and drop the media into the document

or

Right click > Insert > Copy

Add pictures to the Gallery

It is possible to add pictures to existing themes when the icon for the theme is green .

Right click on a theme > Properties... > Files > Find Files...

Navigate to (or type in) the top folder. Click Select. OOo will search this folder and all subfolders for media files.

Select the files (by holding down Ctrl for individual files or Shift for blocks of files) that you wish to be included in the Gallery.

Click Add.

Note: It is also possible to drag and drop a picture from the document into the Gallery.

Delete picture from Gallery

To delete a picture from the Gallery:

Select the picture.

Right Click > Delete.

Confirm the deletion.

Note: The link to the picture is removed from the Gallery but the file is not removed from the disk.

Add a new theme

To add a new theme:

Display the Gallery.

In the top left of the window is a button New Theme... click it.

On the General tab, enter a name for the new theme.

On the Files tab, follow the instructions above to add pictures to the gallery.

Data source viewer

The Data source viewer is activated and deactivated by F4 and by the Data sources button in the Main Toolbar.

The Data source viewer window behaves differently in that it can only be docked at the top.

It is possible to drag and drop fields from data sources to create fields in the current document.

For working with the Data source viewer, see the chapter Data Sources in the Common Features Guide.

Page preview

File > Page Preview in OpenOffice.org is the equivalent of Microsoft Office's Print preview.

The Zoom button in OpenOffice.org simply zooms the view; it doesn't provide a pointer with which the user can select an area to zoom in on.

Keyboard shortcuts

The standard keyboard shortcuts for cut (Control + X), copy (Control+C), paste (Control+V), undo (Control + Z), redo (Control + Y), save (Control + S), open (Control + O) and new (Control + N) are the same.

Smart tags

Smart tags are not available in OpenOffice.org. In Microsoft Office XP they are like context menus for things like pasting text so that the user could alter the way the paste worked.

Special characters / symbols

The equivalent of insert symbols is:

Insert > Special Characters

Note: The dialog displayed doesn't have a second tab for common special characters such as em-dash. Workarounds are to use AutoFormat/AutoCorrect, AutoText or to record a macro.

File management

Default locations

Use Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths to set the default locations for file storage. The two path settings of interest (at this stage) are My Documents and Templates.

My Documents only allows one location. In other words., it is not possible to have a separate folder for each of the applications. This folder is the default location for File > Save As, and is the folder that gets displayed when the Default Directory button, , is clicked in the Open and Save As dialogs.

For templates it is possible to have more than one folder specified. These are the folders that are shown down the left side of the dialog that gets displayed for File > New > Templates and Documents (see “Creating new files” on page 33).

Creating new files

As with Microsoft Office, in OpenOffice.org there are a number of different ways of creating new files. What is different is that you can initiate the creation of any OpenOffice.org file type from any application. For instance, it is possible to start creating a spreadsheet while working in Writer.

Different ways of creating a new document:

File > New.

Use the New button on the Function Bar. This button has the long-click feature for selecting the type of document to be created.

From a “Quick start” program. For instance, the Microsoft Windows version of OpenOffice.org has a Quickstart icon in the system tray.

Control + N.

Using AutoPilots (OpenOffice.org equivalent to Microsoft Office Wizards):
File > AutoPilot.

Default templates

Each component of OpenOffice.org (Writer, Calc, etc.) has a default template. To change the default template for a component:

Save the template using File > Templates > Save... Category Default. The name of the template is not important

File > Templates > Organize...

Double click Default folder.

Select the template by clicking on it.

Either right click or Commands > Set as Default Template.

Note: The default template in Microsoft Word is always a file called Normal.dot. In OpenOffice.org there is no special name for the default template files; they can be called anything. If no template has been specified in OpenOffice.org then the properties for the default template are those that are directly coded into OpenOffice.org code – an in-built template.

To reset back to the default (in-built) template:

File > Templates > Organize... > Commands > Reset Default Template >
[xxx Document] where xxx is the type of document to be reset.

Template folder management

To make it easier to manage your templates such as creating and deleting folders (categories), and importing templates into the folders, use:

File > Templates > Organize... > Double click the desired folder > Commands

Open and Save As dialogs

Running under Microsoft Windows there is the option of using either the OpenOffice.org Open and Save As dialogs or the ones provided by Microsoft Windows. To view or change which type of dialog OpenOffice.org is using:

Tools > Options... > OpenOffice.org > General > Use OpenOffice.org dialogs.

Note: The dialogs provided by Microsoft Windows are not the dialogs used by Microsoft Office!

What follows is for the OpenOffice.org Open and Save As dialogs.

The three buttons in the top right are, from left to right:

Go up one level in the folder (directory) hierarchy. Note that this is a long-click button if you want to go up higher than just one level.

New folder.

Default Directory (see “Default locations” on page 33).

For OpenOffice.org documents that have been saved with more than one version, use the version drop-down to select which version you wish to open in read-only mode.

Note: For Microsoft Office documents only the current version can be opened.

The File type field has the same concept in OpenOffice.org as in Microsoft Office – the ability to specify the type of file to be opened or the format of the file to be saved.

The Read only checkbox opens the file for reading and printing only. Consequently most of the toolbars disappear and most menu options are disabled. An Edit File button is displayed on the Function Toolbar to open the file for editing.

It is possible to open files from the web using URLs. In theory it is possible to save files, but the author hasn't been able to get this to work. Having a local copy and using an FTP program to copy it to the server feels safer to the author anyway.

File management within an OpenOffice.org Open or Save As dialog

To rename a file:

Right click on a file name to display a context menu.

Click Rename and the file name will be selected.

Typing will replace the selected name or use a left or right arrow key to move the insertion point to modify the existing name.

To delete a file:

Right click on a file name to display a context menu.

Click Delete and you will get a confirmation dialog.

Note: Instead of Right click > Delete you can simply press the Del key.

It is not possible to copy and paste files within the dialogs for moving files around.

Password protection

To protect an entire document from being viewable without a password, there is an option on the Save As dialog to enter a password. This option is only available for files saved in OpenOffice.org formats. OpenOffice.org's password-protection uses strong encryption to protect your data.

Privacy options

To include or remove personal information (e.g. author’s name) with the document, go to File > Properties... > General. The Delete button removes information such as editing time. The Apply User data checkbox includes or removes information such as “Author”.

PDF (Adobe Reader) file creation

All of the applications have the ability to export documents as PDF files. Click on Export Directly as PDF button on the Main toolbar, or use: File > Export as PDF... The menu bar option provides access to choices including the print quality and the range of pages to be printed to PDF.

Creating web pages (HTML files) overview

This section is based upon an article by Ralph Krause, titled “HowTo: Creating web pages with OpenOffice.org”. The original document is available at: http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=6289.

All of the OpenOffice.org applications can be used to create web pages. This section introduces their HTML capabilities.

Writer

Writer's HTML capabilities include saving existing documents in HTML format, creating new documents as HTML and creating several different types of web pages using a wizard (or AutoPilot in OpenOffice.org).

The easiest way to create HTML documents is to start with an existing Writer document. You can view it as it will appear on a web page by using View > Online Layout.

Links can be inserted and modified using the hyperlink dialog. Display the dialog by clicking the Hyperlink Dialog button on the Function Bar or Insert > Hyperlink. Writing or pasting a URL will (depending on AutoCorrect/AutoFormat settings) automatically convert to hyperlinks.

To edit an existing link, either move the cursor into the link using the keyboard or toggle the “HYP” to “SEL” in the Status Bar and use the mouse, Edit > Hyperlink. From the Hyperlink dialog, you can choose the type of link, as well as specify the link's address, text and how it should be displayed (for example, in a new window).

To turn existing text into a link, simply highlight it before opening the Hyperlink dialog. You have to click Apply to insert the link into your document before closing the window.

Note: Cross references do not become hyperlinks in an HTML document.

To save in HTML format, select Save As from the File menu and specify HTML document as the file type.

Note: One thing that Writer doesn't do is replace multiple spaces in the original document with the HTML code for non-breaking spaces.

Writer can save a large document as a series of HTML files with a table of contents page. To do this:

Decide which headings in the document should be on separate pages and make sure that they have the same formatting style (for example, Heading 2).

File > Send and click on Create HTML Document.

In the dialog box that appears, enter the file name to save the pages under. Also specify which style indicates a new page (as decided on in step 1).

Click Save to create the multi-page HTML document. (For those who may be interested, the resulting HTML files conform to the HTML 3.2 standard.)

OpenOffice.org's wizard, called AutoPilot, allow you to create several types of standard web pages. To use the AutoPilot:

File > AutoPilot > Web Page... .

In the dialog, select a template and layout to use. Templates define the structure of the web page, while layouts determine font styles, colors and page background. Some templates included with OpenOffice.org are:

A list with table of contents

Contact form

Photo album

Single column with subheading

Standard

The standard template provides a document with a page heading in large text, example links, space for body text and a line indicating when the document was last changed. Changes in the template and layout selections are reflected in the document immediately, so that you can preview them.

To create a template based on your selections, place a check in the Create template box. This template will be available in the future through File > New > Templates and Documents.

Click the Create button to close the dialog and edit the document. If you elect to create a template, the Templates dialog appears, so that the template can be named.

To edit or view the document's underlying HTML code, View > HTML-Source or click HTML Source on the Main toolbar.

Calc

Calc can save its files as HTML documents. If the file contains more than one sheet, the additional sheets will follow one another in the HTML file. Links to each sheet will be placed at the top of the document. Calc also allows the insertion of links directly into the spreadsheet by using the Hyperlink dialog.

Draw

It is possible to export drawings as a Macromedia Flash file: File >Export and choose Macromedia Flash for the file type.

The drawing program allows you to turn your drawings into a series of web pages. These web pages are created by using:

File > Export > select Web Page as the file type, supply a name for the resulting HTML file, and click Save.

In the HTML Export window, select whether to use an existing design for the web pages or create a new one.

Click Next to select the type of web pages to create. The types available are Standard HTML format, Standard HTML with frames, Automatic and WebCast. There is also an option for creating a title page for the presentation.

Standard HTML generates a series of pages, each page containing one slide. Navigation links are available to move from slide to slide.

Automatic generates a series of pages, each set with the Refresh meta tag that causes a browser to automatically cycle through each web page.

WebCast generates an ASP or Perl application to display the slides.

After selecting the type of publication to create, select whether to convert the slides to GIF or JPG files and what resolution should be used.

If Create a title page was chosen in step 3 above, supply the information for it on the next page. The title contains an author name, e-mail address and home page, along with any additional information specified

In the next page, choose between text or graphics for the links used to navigate through the slides. For graphical navigation buttons, there are several styles to choose from.

Next select the color scheme to use on the web pages. Available schemes include the document's existing scheme, one based upon browser colors, and a completely user-defined scheme.

Click the Create button to generate the HTML files.

Note: The HTML and image files are placed in the same directory, so it is advisable to create unique directories for each drawing.

Impress

Exporting presentations from OpenOffice.org's Impress application is similar to exporting a drawing from Draw. Use File > Export and select HTML document as the file type. The only difference is that there is an option to display each slide's notes along with the slide.

Document properties

Some differences in document properties:

Summary / Description: OpenOffice.org doesn't include fields for manager or category.

Statistics: For Writer this is where you find the word count.

Custom / User defined: OpenOffice.org provides only four fields. To rename the fields use Info fields...

The Internet tab is for dynamic web pages – such as a page saying “redirecting you to ...”

Searching for files

There is no Find Files command built-in to OpenOffice.org for finding files that contain specific text. However for those who are more technically able, a Python script that does this is available from: http://www.danielnaber.de/loook/.

Working with multiple files

The Window menu displays all of the currently open documents in OpenOffice.org.

Each open document has its own window, so depending on the operating system, use the task bar or ALT + Tab to switch between the currently open documents. In Microsoft Office it is possible to use Control + F6 to switch between currently open documents. In OpenOffice.org F6 is used for accessibility to move to the menu and each of the toolbars. Control +F6 will make the current document active.

In the Windows version of OpenOffice.org, it is possible to copy and paste special cells from a Calc spreadsheet into a Writer document as a Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) link. It is also possible in the Windows version to create a DDE field. Neither of these options is available in the Linux version, yet opening a file created in the Windows version on a Linux version works (some modification of the file location may be necessary). If you would like to know more, see http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=5317.

In neither version is it possible to have a link to a chart.

Autosaves

To turn on/off autosaving and set the time period:

Tools > Options... > Load/Save > General > AutoSave every

Warning: Autosave will overwrite the current file!

Version control

With version control, you can save more than one version of a file under the one file name. In Microsoft Office each version contains the changes that have occurred to the document (like fast saves), in OpenOffice.org each version is complete. To use: File > Versions...

See “Open and Save As dialogs” on page 34 for more information.

Find and Replace

Find and replace are combined in OpenOffice.org. There isn't a separate menu entry or key shortcut for replace.

There is no “word forms” search.

Having performed a search and having closed the dialog box, the key shortcut to repeat the search is: Control + Shift + F.

Searches are paragraph based so there is no way to search for text either side of a paragraph marker. For example OpenOffice.org cannot search for two blank paragraphs. To get around this problem and some other issues, an alternative macro has been developed. See IannzFindReplace, available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/.

Note: Manual page breaks are handled by changing the paragraph format of the first paragraph on the new page. When searching for formats this option is grayed out, as there is no way to search for “manual” page breaks (except by using macros).

Some tips for find and replace

It is common to do several find and replace operations on the same selection. However OpenOffice.org doesn't “remember” the original selection. So, before doing the find and replace, bookmark the selection in Writer or define a range name for the selection in Calc, so that by using the Navigator, the same range can be quickly reselected.

Doing a “find all” selects all the pieces of text that match the criteria. It is possible to perform, on all of these selections, most operations that are possible on a single selection.

Attributes

The Attributes... button is only available in Writer's Find dialog. This button displays a dialog with a series of checkboxes to find where a particular attribute has been changed from the default for the underlying style. for example, the attribute “Font weight” would find where text had been made bold where the underlying font was not bold (and vice versa).

Note: The attributes settings remain between uses of the Find dialog. This can be frustrating, so always turn off all of the attribute settings after use.

Formats

This is the same concept as in Microsoft Office. Note that, if formats are used, there is an option to include searching within styles. For example, searching for bold text would not find bold text where the style is bold unless this option is checked.

Regular expressions

“Regular expressions” are significantly different in OpenOffice.org from Microsoft Office's “Use wildcards”. See Help > Index tab > type in “regular expressions”. Some common examples are in Table 1. To use regular expressions, make sure the Regular expressions checkbox is checked. On reopening the Find / Replace dialog the Regular Expressions checkbox is always unchecked.

Note: The asterisk “*” means any number of the preceding character so where in Microsoft Office you might have just “*” the equivalent in OpenOffice.org is “.*” as “.” stands for any single character (like Microsoft Office's “?”).

A macro that makes it easier to use regular expressions in Writer, and allows searching for “page breaks” and for things like multiple blank paragraphs, is available in a document called IannzFindReplace.sxw available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/.

Similarity search

The Similarity search option broadens the search so that what is found doesn't have to be exactly the same as what was specified in the “Search for” field. To specify how different it can be, click on the ... button next to Similarity search.

Search for styles

Writer and Calc have an option, Search for styles (changes to Within Styles if Format or Attribute search is used). Check this first if searching for a particular style. The Search for combo box field changes to listing the used paragraph styles.

Table 5. Sample regular expressions

Problem	Search	Replace
Replace multiple tabs with just one tab	\t*	\t
Replace multiple spaces with just one space. “[:space]” finds both non-breaking spaces and normal spaces but not tabs (help is currently incorrect). Type a normal space in the Replace field.	[:space:]*	
Remove leading white space (space or tabs in any combination) at the start of a paragraph.	^([:space:]|\t)*	
Remove trailing white space (space or tabs in any combination at end of paragraph).	([:space:]|\t)*$	
Find paragraphs beginning with the character “a” (the rest of the paragraph can vary) and replace the whole paragraph with a blank line	^a.*	
Remove a paragraph mark from the end of lines (e.g. when having pasted text from an e-mail message).	$	
Replace paragraph marks with a comma so that there is one long line rather than many lines.	$	,
Replace commas with a paragraph mark.	,	\n
Replace line breaks (Shift+Enter) with paragraph markers. (Note that \n is used for both the Search and Replace fields. In search it is interpreted as a newline and in replace as a paragraph mark. There is not the ability to have a line break in the replace field.)	\n	\n
Find the word “the” only (Don't find “then” or “bathe”).	\<the\>	
Find “ing” at the end of a word, e.g Reading, writing, but not singer.	ing\>	
Find whole word that ends with “ing”. Note there is a space between the caret and the close square bracket character.	[^ ]*ing\>	
Select all numbers at the start of a line where the numbers could include a period, e.g. 1.1.	^[0-9.]*	

Grammar checking

Currently there is no grammar checking function. To quote a proofreader of this document: “But this is no great loss. I have reservations about the value of the one available in Microsoft Word.”

Customizing OpenOffice.org

This chapter is about customizing the user interface in OpenOffice.org (OOo). The chapter specifically covers the differences between customizing OOo and Microsoft Office (MSO). The last section of this chapter describes how to store to a template any changes to menus, keyboard shortcuts, status bar, and toolbars. It does not cover how to write macros; this is covered in another chapter in the User Guide.

Toolbars

In the Windows version of OOo it is possible to customize toolbars by holding down the Alt key while dragging a button – the same functionality as MSO. However, as OOo is available on different platforms, the following method outlines the most generic approach to customizing and adding toolbars.

Customizing toolbars

There are three ways to get to the toolbar customization menu:

On a toolbar, right-click > Customize. (Same as MSO).

Tools > Configure... > Toolbars tab > Customize...

View > Toolbars > Customize... (Same as MSO).

However, rather than dragging buttons onto the toolbar as is required in MSO, use:

Toolbars drop-down to select the toolbar.

The Add‑‑> and <‑‑Remove buttons to change which buttons are on the selected toolbar.

The checkboxes to determine whether the button gets displayed or not.

The Move Up or Move Down buttons to change the order.

Icons... to change the icon displayed (e.g. for a macro).

Note: There is no in-built tool button editor. To use a custom icon, save it to the "{installpath}/share/config/symbol" directory in *.BMP format. OOo automatically searches this directory for new icons each time the Customize Buttons dialog is opened. Custom icons must be 16 x 16 or 26 x 26 pixels in size and cannot contain more than 256 colors (from OOo help).

Creating a new toolbar

To create a new toolbar:

Tools > Configure... > Toolbars.

Click New. This will create a toolbar called “User-defined no.1”. It is not possible to change the name of this toolbar. Based on pre-release versions of Ooo2.0, clicking New will display a dialog allowing a name to be given to the new toolbar.

Customize the toolbar as above.

Menus

Customizing menus is not significantly different in OOo to what it is in MSO. The specific steps are outlined below. It is even possible to set the menu font to be the font used by the system.

Customizing menu content

To customize menu content:

Tools > Configure... > Menu

To add a function:

Select the location in the Menu entries list box.

Select the new menu item using the Category and Function list boxes.

Click New to insert that function into the menu.

Customizing the menu font

The font used in OOo for menus is different from that used in MSO. If you want to change the font to the one used in MSO:

Tools > Options... > OpenOffice.org > Accessibility.

Check Use system font for user interface.

Click OK.

Customizing keyboard shortcuts

Customizing keyboard shortcuts requires a different procedure from that used in MSO. MSO requires the user to use a key combination and then click Assign, whereas in OOo the following steps are used:

Tools > Configure... > Keyboard.

Select the desired shortcut in the top list box labeled Shortcut keys.

Select the Category for the command, and the actual Function in the bottom list boxes.

Select whether the key shortcut is to be OOo-wide or just for the current application in the top right corner of the dialog.

Click Modify.

Note: Styles cannot automatically have keyboard shortcuts. A work-around is to record a macro. A macro has been written to make it easier to assign Alt key combinations to things like styles. See AltKeyHandler.sxw available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/.

Customizing word entry and editing

AutoCorrect/AutoFormat

A feature in OOo is the ability to have exceptions for AutoCorrect/AutoFormat rules. For example, you can have “Correct TWo INitial Capitals” in operation but exclude situations where two capitals are desired, like OOo. To set up exceptions:

Tools > AutoCorrect/AutoFormat...

Click on the Modifications menu tab.

Undo / Redo

To specify how many “undos” are available:

Tools > Options... > OpenOffice.org > Memory > Number of steps.

Spell checking

To set up the spell check options in OOo, use:

Tools > Options... > Language Settings > Writing Aids

The spell check options are consistent across all OOo applications.

Note: Custom dictionaries, unlike the default dictionaries, are not compressed. Using too many custom dictionaries, or custom dictionaries that contain more than 1,000 entries, slows down performance while proofing text.

Security settings

To set up virus protection for macro and Java security settings, use:

Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Security

Personal settings

To find out where these customizations are stored, use:

Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths

The dialog shows that the information, by default, is stored below a folder called “user”.

Storing configurations in a template

This section describes how to store changes to menus, keyboard shortcuts, status bar and toolbars in a template so that these customizations are automatically loaded when you work on an OOo document based on that template.

Create and save the template that is to have the configurations saved into it. Having a back-up of the template without the configuration changes is probably a good idea.

Make the desired changes to the configuration. (See Toolbars, Menus and Customizing keyboard shortcuts above.) Note any changes that you don't want as standard, as these will have to be undone.

Tools > Configure.

For each type of customization which is to be stored in the template, that is for each tab of the dialog that you want to change, click Save and choose the desired template (the one created and saved in step 1).

It is OK to overwrite the file – the warning message that is displayed is inappropriate and can be ignored.

Undo the changes that are not wanted as standard (as were noted in step 2).

Differences in use between Writer and Word

This chapter summarizes the differences in use between OpenOffice.org Writer 1.1.x and Microsoft Word (various versions).

Views

Word has 4 views (depending on the version) called:

Normal: Recommended view (by Microsoft) for doing most of your typing and editing. Writer has no real equivalent view.

Page or Print Layout: This shows the document (more or less) as it will print. This is the closest equivalent to the main view in Writer.

Online Layout: In theory, this shows the document as if viewed on-line. Writer's equivalent is a view option called Online Layout. To access this view, select View > Online Layout.

Outline View: For working with heading hierarchies. Writer has the Navigator, which is detailed later in this chapter.

Writer also has an HTML source view that only shows when editing an HTML document. To access this view, select View > HTML – Source.

When field codes are turned on, Writer displays less information about the field than does Word. To get detailed information, right click the field > Fields... (or select field > Edit > Fields...).

Status bar

The status bar is similar to Word's except it does not show the current location of the cursor on the page (row number and number of characters across). It does however show the position within a table in spreadsheet style format, e.g., Top left cell =A1.

Navigator

Word doesn't have a similar concept to the Navigator and, in the author's opinion, it is such a useful tool it is worth taking the time to learn more about it.

To launch the Navigator, press F5 or click the navigator icon on the Function Bar. To get a detailed description of what each of the buttons do, press Shift + F1 and hover over the buttons.

The Headings at the top of the list box in the Navigator are the closest equivalent to Word’s Outline View.

With the List Box on there is a drop-down list box at the bottom of the navigator. With this list box it is possible to select any of the open Writer documents so that their contents are available for dragging and dropping. What happens when the selection is dropped is determined by the drag mode specified by the Drag Mode button. Press and hold the Drag Mode button to see the available options.

When viewing a master document the Navigator is quite different. For more details see the chapter on Master Documents in the Writer Guide section.

Note: Graphics, indexes, OLE objects, and references cannot be dragged and dropped when in the Insert as link or Insert as Copy modes.

Stylist

For a more detailed guide on using styles, see “Use templates and styles” on page 58.

Use Shift + F1 to check out the different buttons on the Stylist. Use the bottom list box to change the style group that is displayed. For example, Applied Styles only shows those styles that have been used in the document.

Keyboard

When some text has a character attribute at the end of a paragraph (say bold or a hyperlink)but the new text doesn't require that attribute then press the right arrow key before typing.

Deleting paragraph marks: pressing Delete at the end of a paragraph effectively moves the text of the following paragraph into the current paragraph, and the paragraph formating of the top paragraph remains. Press Backspace at the start of a paragraph and the format of the lower paragraph remains.

Hint: An aid to remember this is: the format of the paragraph that has the cursor will be the format of the combined paragraph, unless the current paragraph is empty; in that case, backspacing will leave the previous paragraph's formatting.

Control + Home when in tables: In Word Control + Home always positions the cursor to the top of the document, in Writer Control + Home first positions the cursor at the start of the cell, then the start of the table and then the start of the document. Control + End has similar behavior.

How to select multiple parts of the text

To copy, cut, format, or delete parts of the text in different areas of the document use:

Control + selection with one click, double-click or sliding.

or

Click once on the field "STD" (STanDard) in the status bar
The field now shows "EXT" (EXTended selection).

Another click and it changes to "ADD" (ADD to selection).

Note: the ADD mode is the equivalent to Control + click and EXT is equivalent to Shift + click.

Multiple selections and tables

The following limitations apply when selections involve tables:

It is possible to have multiple selections within a cell, but only one selection is possible that involves more than one cell.

A selection that starts in a table can not extend beyond the table.

A selection that starts outside a table will include the entire table (that is, a selection cannot start outside a table and also contain a portion of a table).

Comparison of key shortcuts

Table 6: Word vs Writer different default key shortcuts (incomplete)

Function	Word standard shortcut	Writer standard shortcut
Underline words not spaces	Control + Shift + W	No equivalent
Change font size	Control + Shift + P	No standard equivalent
Thesaurus	Shift + F7	Control + F7
Show/hide non-printing characters	Control + Shift + *	Control + F10
Hanging Indent	Control + T	No standard equivalent
“Unhang” Indent	Control + Shift + T	No standard equivalent
Indent	Control + M	No standard equivalent
“UnIndent”	Control + Shift + M	No standard equivalent
Superscript	Control + Shift =	Control+Shift+P
Subscript	Control + =	Control + Shift + B
Remove character formatting	Control + Spacebar	Right click > Default
Remove paragraph formatting	Control + Q	No equivalent
Jump to previous edit point	Shift + F5	Need to use the reminders on the Navigator
Shift paragraph up	No equivalent	Control + Up
Shift paragraph down	No equivalent	Control + Down

See AltKeyHandler.sxw (available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/) for macros that extend Writer's key shortcut ability.

Mouse use

Some differences are:

Right click displays a context menu, but for the current cursor position not the pointer position.

No quick selection of rows or columns in tables.

Triple click selects current line or current cell when cursor is in a table.

No quick selection of paragraphs or lines by clicking to the left of the paragraph.

Control + Click doesn't select a sentence.

To select sentences easily, customize the keyboard:

Tools > Configure... > Keyboard.

For Category select Navigate.

Assign key shortcuts for Select to Next/Previous sentence.

Alternatively assign key shortcuts for To next/previous sentence and use F8 (extend selection) and the assigned keys.

Tables

The menu option to insert a table is in the Insert menu. The other menu options for tables are in the Format menu (rather than having their own menu). The menu options and Tables object toolbar become visible when the cursor is in a table.

Tables are like one special paragraph so when selecting text using the keyboard (Shift + arrow) from, say, above the paragraph, the whole table is selected followed by the line below it.

Tables without borders can be hard to spot – they don't have a thin gray line like tables in Word. To display the thin gray line, use Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Appearance and select the "Table boundaries" checkbox.

The page formatting of long skinny tables into newspaper style columns when the table crosses a page break appears to be unreliable.

Header rows

By default new tables have a header row.

To have more than one row for a header row (copied from help):

Select the first row of the table.

Right-click and choose Cell – Split.

In the Split area, enter the number of rows that you want to include in the header.

In the Direction area, click in the Horizontally check box. If you want the rows to have equal heights, select the Into equal proportions check box.

Click OK.

Turning off header rows

Simply delete the rows. To keep the contents of the header rows, insert the required number of rows, copy and paste the heading rows into the new rows, then delete.

Adjusting column widths and row heights using the keyboard

Use the 3 buttons on the Table object toolbar to set what happens to the overall width of the table:

Table: Fixed: Overall width of the table stays the same, but the adjoining column shrinks or grows correspondingly.

Table: Fixed Proportional: The current column and the end column change by corresponding amounts, keeping the overall width the same.

Table: Variable: Only the current column changes so the overall width of the table changes.

Use Alt and the arrow keys as follows to adjust the width of columns (or height of rows):

Alt and arrow keys adjusts the right side (bottom for rows).

Alt + Shift and arrow keys adjusts the left side (top for rows).

Alt + Control + left or right arrow keys adjusts the current cell only.

Copying and pasting cells in a table

Writer never inserts new rows or columns when pasting data – it always overwrites the contents of the cells. This makes it clear as to what will happen. To avoid overwriting cells, first insert the required number of rows or columns.

Inserting and deleting rows or columns

Inserting is always below for rows and to the right for columns (opposite of Word).

Note: This is a surprising inconsistency as Calc inserts above and to the left.

To insert rows or columns using the keyboard: Alt + Insert, arrow key. To delete rows or columns using the keyboard: Alt + Delete, arrow key. The insertion or deletion is in the direction of the arrow key. For example, Alt + Insert, Up inserts a row above the current row.

Equal row heights and column widths

On the Tables object toolbar there is a long click button called Optimize. This presents a tear-off menu for easily adjusting row heights and column widths to being the same.

Splits and merges

To merge cells – do this last, as you would in Word..

To split or merge cells: Select cells to be merged then Format > Cell.

To split a table (horizontally): Format > Split Table.

To join two tables they need to be one below the other, then Format > Merge Tables. If there is a table above and below the current table the user will be prompted which one they wish to join.

Preventing accidental change to cell contents

To prevent accidental change to cell contents: Select the cells, Format > Cells > Protect.

This is not a security feature as the cells aren't password protected but does prevent accidentally changing a cell.

Sorting

To sort a table:

Select the cells to be sorted; don't include the headings. The option to sort only becomes available when there is something selected.

Tools > Sort.

Unlike Word, the sort dialog uses column number rather than the names of the column.

Entering numbers and formulas

Unlike Word, tables in Writer can work much more like spreadsheets. For example calculated values change as the data is input (no more selecting and pressing F9 to update calculated results).

With number recognition turned on, when entering a number Writer will automatically format the number according to a specified number format. To change this behavior, right-click when the cursor is in a table > Number Recognition.

To change the number format: Select the cells, Format > Number Format...

To enter a formula like SUM():

Select the cell where the result is to go.

Press F2 to display the Formula bar.

Click and hold Formula button to display formula menu.

Select desired function (list separator is for separating constants, e.g. =mean 5 | 12 | 20).

Click and drag on cells to input ranges.

Press Enter to finish.

To enter a formula like “this cell plus that cell minus that cell”:

Select the cell where the result is to go.

Press F2 to display the Formula bar.

Click on a cell.

Type or select the desired operator.

Click on the next cell.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 until done.

Press Enter to finish.

Creating a table from a data source

To create a table from a data source:

Display the Data source viewer (F4).

In the Data explorer window navigate to the desired table or query.

Drag the name of the table or query into the document.

Select the desired fields and set other properties as required in the dialog.

Charts in Writer

Charts copied from a Calc spreadsheet and pasted into a Writer document are, by default, embedded objects. Unlike doing this in Microsoft Office, only the relevant data for the chart is embedded. In Microsoft Office copying and pasting a chart also embeds it, but if the Excel workbook was 8 mb in size (not unrealistic for a spreadsheet) then each chart pasted into a Word document would increase the Word document by 8 mb.

Linking of charts does not exist.

Customizing the user interface

Most functions are found in similar places in both programs, but a few are slightly different, and the degree of control varies. This table summarizes where to find the setup choices.

Table 7: Customizing the user interface

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Change measurement system	Tools > Options... > General	Tools > Options... > Text Document > General
Turn off Autocompletion	Not applicable	Tools > AutoCorrect/AutoFormat. In the “Word completion” tab, untick Word Completion.
Turn on/off Help Agent	Help > Microsoft Word Help > Options	Help > Help Agent
Set up document window (rulers, status bar, default toolbars, etc)	View > select required items	View > select required items
Customize toolbars	Tools > Customize	Tools > Configure
Customize menus	Tools > Customize	Tools > Configure
Display font names in their font (in toolbar drop-down font list)	Tools > Customize > Options	Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > View, select Preview in fonts lists
Always show full menus (include unavailable and little-used items)	Tools > Customize > Options	Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > View, select Inactive menu items
Show/hide ScreenTips (ToolTips) on toolbars	Tools > Customize > Options	Help > Tips to uncheck
Always create backup copy	Tools > Options > Save	Tools > Options > Load/Save > General
Autosave every x minutes	Tools > Options > Save	Tools > Options > Load/Save > General
Show paragraph marks, tabs, etc.	Tools > Options > View	Tools > Options > Text Document > Formatting Aids
Change file locations	Tools > Options > File Locations	Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths
Change user information	Tools > Options > User Information	Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > User Data
Set up AutoCorrect and AutoFormat options	Tools > AutoCorrect Options	Tools > AutoCorrect/AutoFormat > Options

Write, edit, and review documents

Most writing, editing, and reviewing techniques in OOoWriter are similar to those in Microsoft Word, but the details often vary.

Table 8: Write, edit and review documents

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Jump quickly to other parts of a document	Edit > Go to	Edit > Navigator (or F11), double-click on required heading, figure, table, etc.
Choose language for spelling checker	Tools > Language > Set Language	Tools > Options > Language Settings > Language. (Note: OpenOffice.org has no grammar checker.)
Ignore some text when checking spelling	Select text; Tools > Language > Set Language > Do not check (or) Format > Style > Modify> Format > Language	Select text; right-click > Character > Font > Language = [None] or the real language of the selected text, if that is foreign.
Recheck spelling	Tools > Spelling & Grammar > Recheck Document	Always rechecks
Find and replace text, formatting, and styles	Edit > Replace > More; choices as needed	Edit > Find & Replace; details are a bit different
Use wildcards in find and replace	Edit > Replace > More > select Use Wildcards checkbox	Edit > Find & Replace, select Regular expressions; wildcards themselves are different
Choose, create, or edit a custom dictionary	Tools > Options > Spelling & Grammar > Custom Dictionaries	Tools > Options > Language Settings > Writing Aids
Create exception (exclude) dictionary	File > New, type words, Save As > text only, file extension .EXC	As for custom dictionary, but select Exception [-] checkbox
Track changes (choose options)	Tools > Options > Track Changes	Tools > Options > Text Document > Changes
Protect document for editing	Tools > Protect Document	Edit > Changes > Protect Records (Password needs to be at least 5 characters)
Mark and track changes	(Word 2000) Tools > Track Changes > Highlight Changes	Edit > Changes > Record
Insert comments associated with a change	Highlight text; Insert > Comment	Edit > Changes >Comment
Insert notes (comments not associated with a change)	Highlight text; Insert > Comment	Insert > Note
Show changes as pop-up text	Options > View > Screentips	Help > Tips (and) Help > Extended Tips
Merge documents	Tools > Merge Documents	Edit > Changes > Merge Document
Accept or reject changes	View > Toolbars > Reviewing	Edit > Changes > Accept or Reject
Change document properties	File > Properties	File > Properties
Get a word count	Tools > Word Count (can get word count for selection)	File > Properties > Statistics tab.
Create AutoText entry	Select text; Insert > AutoText > New	Edit > AutoText (or) Control + F3
Insert AutoText	Type shortcut and press F3	Type shortcut and press F3; or type Name and press Enter. Writer distinguishes between the “name” and the “shortcut” of an autotext. Word does not.

AutoText in Writer always ends with a paragraph mark. So for a short in-line shortcut, better to use AutoCorrect.

Control page layout

This section covers such things as margins, headers, and footers.

Writer and Word have somewhat different notions of page layout.

Word notion of page layout

Page layout is a property of the document as a whole. If you change the page layout (for instance, set the document to landscape), it changes for the entire document. You can then arrange for specific sections to have a different layout.

Writer notion of page layout

Page layout is a property of the page style (for example, First Page, Index and Default). If you change the page layout for one page style (for instance, set Default to have a header with page numbers) only that style will be affected.

Using page styles gives Writer some very useful features. For instance, you can define the First Page page style so that, after you have typed the first page, the style switches to Index (or any other style you choose). You can then set Index so that it is followed by Default.

Comparison for page layout

Table 9: Control page layout

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Define margins	File > Page Setup > Margins	Format > Page >Page
Specify different headers and footers on first, odd, and even pages	File > Page Setup > Layout > Headers and Footers section	Define different page styles for First, Left (even), and Right (odd) pages, using Header and Footer tabs
Edit headers and footers	View > Headers and Footers, then type or insert fields; can also double-click in existing header or footer regions	After you have specified Header and Footer areas for a page, they are always active. Single-click to type or insert fields
Change from roman to arabic page numbers in the footer of a page	Insert a section break, deselect “Same as Previous” in the second section, define a new footer with page numbers restarting at 1 in arabic numerals	Insert a manual page break and apply a different page style
Use paragraph styles for page layout	Can define paragraph styles with offset from left margin, with heading styles aligned left or right	Can define paragraph styles with offset from left margin, with heading styles aligned left or right
Use columns for page layout	Insert continuous sections to switch from single to multiple columns on one page	Format > Page > Columns (or) Insert/Format > Section > Columns (or) other methods
Use frames or text boxes for page layout	Frames are used in Word 97 but mostly replaced by text boxes in Word2000 and 2002; can be linked to flow text from one to next, as in a newsletter	Insert > Frame (can link frames to flow text from one to next, as in a newsletter); “text boxes” are fields, not positioning devices
Use tables for page layout	Table > Insert > Table (use dialog to format)	Insert > Table (use dialog to format)
Put portrait headers on landscape pages	Use rotated text box linked to header	Use rotated text in a frame
Set first page number to greater than 1	Insert > Page Numbers > Format	In first paragraph on first page, Format > Paragraph > Text Flow > Breaks, select Enable and With Page Style, choose the page style, specify the page number
View and edit facing pages	File > Print Preview; click Zoom button to enable editing	File > Page Preview; cannot edit when previewing; shows pages on wrong sides of screen
Reduce page count by 1	File > PagePreview, Click ShrinkToFit button.	See http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/ShrinkToFit.sxw.

Use templates and styles

Table 10: Use templates and styles.

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Find which template is associated with a document	Tools > Templates and Add-ins	File > Document Properties > General tab.
Specify default template	"Normal" template is default	File > Templates > Organize lets you set any template as default
Create a new template	File > Save As, set type to Document Template (.DOT)	File > Templates > Save
Edit a template	File > Open, choose template	File > Templates > Edit
Copy styles between templates	Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Organizer	File > Templates > Organize. There, you can copy styles with drag and drop between templates and documents.
Create a new document from a template	File > New (opens a list of templates)	File > New > Templates and Documents
Apply a different template to a document	Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Attach, select template, Open	Start a new document based on the different template; copy contents of old document into new document.
Apply a style to text	(Word 2000) Select from Style List or Style dialog (XP) Can also use task pane.	Format > Styles (or press F11), double-click style in list; after one use, paragraph styles appear in Apply Style list on Formatting object bar.
Change a style definition	(Word 2000) Format > Style > Modify; (XP) can also select in task pane and click Modify	Select style in Stylist, right-click, choose Modify; or Format > Styles > Catalog, select style, click Modify.
Create a new style	Format > Style > New	Format > Styles > Catalog, click New or Right click in Stylist New.
Use outline numbering	Format > Style, select style > Format > Numbering	Tools > Outline Numbering
Drop caps	Format >Drop Cap... One character only, can not be part of a style.	Format > Paragraph > Drop Caps Drop caps are able to be part of a style. Can be >= 1 char or word.

Font size

When a style is based on another style, it is possible to set the font to being a percentage of the font size of the original style. In the font size field simply type the number followed by a percentage sign, e.g. 120%. This way, changes to the underlying style will be better reflected in this style. To change it back to being an absolute font size type the number followed by the characters “pt”, e.g. 12pt. It is also possible to specify how many points larger or smaller: e.g. +2pt for 2 points larger, or -2pt for two points smaller.

Space between paragraphs and page breaks before

In Writer, some paragraph properties behave differently to the way they behave in Word. Specifically:

Space before if at the top of a page is ignored.

Space between paragraphs: the greatest of space above and space below for the two paragraphs is applied.

Page break before: if at the top of a page, doesn't create a blank page.

This makes using styles possible without having to apply direct paragraph formating to fix issues afterwards.

Fields

Table 11: Use of fields

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Insert a field	Insert > Field (or) CTRL+F9 for blank field	Insert > Fields
Define a number range field	Insert > Field, use SEQ (sequence)	Insert > Fields > Other > Variables > Number range
Insert a bookmark	Select text; Insert > Bookmark	Select text; Insert > Bookmark
Insert a cross-reference to a bookmark	Insert > Cross Reference, choose Bookmark as type	Insert > Cross Reference > Bookmark
Insert a cross-reference to a heading	Insert > Cross Reference, choose Heading as type	Either bookmark the heading or use Insert > Cross Reference > Set Reference to mark the heading, then Insert > Cross Reference > Insert Reference.
Insert a cross-reference to a figure or table	Insert > Cross Reference, choose type	Insert > Cross Reference > Insert Reference > Figure (or Table)
Use conditional content	Use IF or other fields, or styles (all workarounds)	Insert > Fields > Other > Variables (among other ways)

Work with large or complex documents

Major differences exist in the use of master documents. The table does not attempt to summarize all these differences.

Table 12: Work with large or complex documents.

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Create a table of contents, list of figures, or an alphabetic index	Insert > Index and Tables	Insert > Indexes and Tables > Indexes and Tables
Insert index entries	ALT+SHIFT+X	Insert > Indexes and Tables > Entry (or) click Insert Index Marker icon
Create a bibliographic database	Need to use other package	Tools > Bibliography Database
Insert bibliographic references into text	Link to field in database	Insert > Indexes and Tables > Bibliographic Entry
Insert footnotes and endnotes	Insert > Footnote	Insert > Footnote (or) click Insert Endnote Directly icon
Insert other files	Insert > File, choose Insert or As Link	Insert > File
Cross-reference between documents	Use Includetext fields	Currently have to remember the name of the set reference. Reference will show correctly when in master document.
Use master documents	Some experts do not recommend using Master Documents in Word.	File > Send > Create Master Document; use Navigator to insert subdocuments

Work with graphics

Most graphics work should be done outside Word or Writer, with the graphic files embedded or linked to the Word or Writer file. However, you can do some simple graphics using the drawing tools in Word or Writer. This table covers the basics.

Table 13: Work with graphics.

To do this...	In Word...	In Writer...
Create Drawing objects	(Word 2000) View > Toolbars > Drawing; (XP) Insert > Picture > New Drawing	Click Show Draw Functions icon
Combine graphics objects and drawing objects	(Word 2000) Edit > Picture > Reset Picture Boundary; (XP) Use drawing canvas	Place all objects in a frame
Insert graphics files into a text document (embed or link)	Insert > Picture > From File, choose Insert or As Link	Insert > Graphics > From File
Anchor graphics	Format > Picture > Layout > Advanced > Picture Position	Use icons on Graphics object bar, or right-click and choose from pop-up menu, or click Format > Graphics
Wrap text around graphics	Format > Picture (or Object) > Layout	Use icons on Graphics object bar, or right-click and choose from pop-up menu, or click Format > Graphics > Wrap
Crop graphics	Format > Picture > Crop, (or) click Crop tool on Picture toolbar	Format > Graphics > Crop (No tool for dragging crop area)
Create captions for graphics	Select graphic; Insert > Reference > Caption	Select graphic; Insert > Caption
Annotate graphics	Use drawing objects; group, or place in frame or on drawing canvas (XP)	Place all objects in a frame
Insert watermark	Format > Background > Printed Watermark > Picture (or Text) Watermark	Format > Page Style > Background (or) create drawing object, Arrange > To Background, Anchor > To Page

Mail Merge

A lot of this section is based on a “howto” written by Sophie Gautier, titled “How to do a “mail merge” from a Calc spreadsheet”. The original is at: http://documentation.openoffice.org/HOW_TO/word_processing/writer2_EN.html.

Creation of the Mail Template (main document)

In Writer create a document that is going to be the mail template.

Save the file but don't close it.

View > Data Sources (or press the F4 key). The registered data sources will be displayed in the data source viewer.

Select the source of data for the mail merge. Click on the little cross next to the data source name to display its content tree. Clicking on the name of a table to display the fields and their records in the right side of the data source viewer. See the chapter on Data Sources in the Common Features Guide section for information on registering a data source.

To add the fields into your document

Click and drag the desired fields (one at a time) to the desired places in your document.

Selecting records for the merge

To select a record, click on the gray rectangle to its right. A small arrow will be displayed and the record will be highlighted.

To select records that are not consecutive, hold the Control key down while making selections.

Note: For selecting records based on a criteria see the chapter on Data Sources in the Common Features Guide section.

Viewing merged data

To see your document as it will be when merged, click the Data to fields button

To view different records, simply select the records in the data source viewer.

Eliminating blank lines

If a field might be blank, then the process to suppress the potentially blank line is:

In the mail template, place the cursor before the field.

Control+F2 (or Insert > Fields > Other... ) to open the Fields dialog.

Switch to the Functions tab.

Select the field style Hidden Paragraph and type in the Condition area “not(field name)”.

Click on the Insert button to insert the function into the document.

Merging

Click the mail merge button.

Choose whether to use all the records, the currently selected records (option becomes available when records are selected; see Selecting records for the merge above).

Choose whether to send the merge to printer or file. When sending to file, a separate file is created for each record; the files are named according to your options but with an appended number to ensure that they are unique.

Mailing Labels

The easiest way to create mailing labels is:

File > New > Labels.

Select database from the list of registered databases (see the chapter on Data Sources in the Common Features Guide section).

Select the table within the database.

Select each field and click the left facing arrow to move the field into the Label text area.

Tidy the Label text area (press Enter between the address fields).

Select the brand and type of label for the labels to be printed on. If the correct brand and type isn't listed use the Format tab to specify the layout.

Click the Options tab, ensure Entire page is chosen. The Synchronize contents checkbox is so that changes made to the first label are propagated through the remaining labels.

Click New Document.

Merge as above.

Merge to e-mail

There is no option for merging to e-mail.

Envelopes

From the forums some people have had difficulty with envelopes. From brief experimentation the author hasn't had any problems with OpenOffice.org 1.1.1 and above.

Adding an envelope

Insert > Envelope...

Removing an envelope

Place the cursor at the beginning of the envelope page.

If the Stylist is not open, press F11 or use Format > Stylist to display it.

Change to the Page Styles options. It's the fourth icon from the left.

Double Click on Default.

Remove the remaining elements.

Page styles and page numbering

Modify a page style

In Writer all pages have a page style. To modify the page style of the page where the cursor is positioned, use Format > Page.

Warning: As the page style is being changed, all pages with this style will be changed as well.

Create a style

To create a new page style:

If the Stylist isn't currently displayed, press F11 to display it.

Click Page Styles in the Stylist (fourth icon from left).

Right click in the Stylist > New.

The Page style dialog

Organizer tab

Name: Nothing tricky here, simply a name to help the user remember what the settings are for.

Next style: This setting specifies what page style to use at the next page break (manual or automatic) for any page that has this page style. Set it to a different page style when the page style is only for one page (such as the first page of each chapter), otherwise this should be the same as Name to keep the same page style for the following pages.

Page tab

Paper format settings: Format is the paper size, the other settings have the same names in Word (on the paper size tab of page setup).

Margin settings: Same as for Word. Each setting represents the distance from the edge of the page, but see Header/footer tabs below as the location of headers and footers relative to the margins is different.

Layout settings: Page Layout is for specifying whether the page style is mirrored – used for left and right pages. There are more options here than in Word, but there isn't a different first page option – that's because it is handled by the Next style setting as mentioned above in Organizer tab. Format refers to the format of page numbers. Register true is to make the text line up better at the top of the page (see help for more details).

Background tab

For specifying a background color or graphic (watermark). (An alternative to this with more flexibility is to create a drawing object, then use Arrange > To Background, Anchor > To Page.)

Header/footer tabs

Headers and footers are printed between the margins of the page rather than in the top or bottom margins as they are in Word. Another way of saying this is that for the top of a page the area between the edge of the page and the top margin is always blank, next is the header, and after the header, the main text area for the page.

Auto height allows the header or footer to grow and shrink depending on their contents.

Spacing specifies the distance between the header/footer and the main text area on the page. Dynamic spacing allows the header/footer to expand into the area between the header/footer and the main text area.

The left and right margins are indenting from the margins of the page and cannot have negative values.

The More button is for specifying borders and backgrounds for the header/footer area. In some versions of Word this approach was used to create a watermark. Since it is possible to have graphics in the background of the main document, this is not the required way of having a watermark in Writer.

Borders/columns footnote tabs

These tabs are for specifying the borders (lines around the outside), number and widths of newspaper style columns and defining the area for footnotes (if any) for the page style.

Page breaks and page numbering

Changing the style used for a page and changing the numbering sequence

To insert a page break and change page style or page numbering method1:

Control + Enter.

Cursor will be in the first paragraph of the new page.

Format > Paragraph...

Breaks will be enabled.

Select With Page style, specify the page style to use and specify the page number to start from.

To insert a page break and change page style or page numbering method2:

Insert > Manual break...

By default it will specify Page breaks.

Choose the Page style.

Select Change page number.

Enter the new starting page number.

To insert page numbering

Define a page style with header or footer turned on.

Position the cursor in the header or footer (use the mouse or key shortcut Control + PageUp for Header or Control + PageDown for footer).

Optionally type: “Page” space.

Insert > Fields > Page Number.

Optionally type space “of” space “ Insert > Fields > Page Count.

To insert a field that calculates a different page count (for example, when you have a title page but want to have the remaining pages say page 1 of 2 (instead of page 1 of3 ):

Press F2 to display the text formula bar.

Type =page – 1.

Press Enter.

Note: Unfortunately this field doesn't automatically update, so press F9 to update it before printing.

Page numbers on portrait and landscape pages in the same place and orientation

Create a style for landscape pages. Set the margins for the landscape style such that they correspond with the portrait style when rotated (top = left, bottom = right, left = bottom and right = top). For page numbering on left, turn on headers; on right – footers. Select Use dynamic spacing.

Create a style for the landscape header or footer based on the style for the portrait header or footer. (In the Stylist, select the style that is used for the portrait header or footer > right click > New.) Change the font position to 2700. If the page numbering is on the bottom choose left alignment, for the top choose right.

Insert the page break and choose the page style just created (see above); don't change the numbering.

In the relevant header/footer (as per step 1) insert the page number field.

Conditional text

In Word the only way to have conditional text is with the “if” field . The equivalent in Writer is the field “Conditional text”.

To insert a conditional field in Writer: Insert > Fields > Other > Functions > Conditional text or Control + F2 > Functions >Conditional text.

There is also a field “Hidden text” that hides the text when the condition is true.

Working with the relevant fields for conditional text, both in Word and in Writer, means that only small amounts of text can be conditional. However, there are times when having whole paragraphs or sections of text be conditionally hidden is very convenient. Some examples:

A test so that the same document can be used for the test itself and for the model answers.

Technical documents where the same document with variations can be used for similar models of equipment.

Writer provides a field for conditionally hiding paragraphs and the ability to conditionally hide sections. Here's an example to show how this could be done:

Ensure that hidden text is viewable: Tools > Options > Text Document > Formatting Aids, tick both “Hidden text” and “Hidden paragraphs”.

Note: Conditionally hidden sections are not visible regardless of these settings if the condition for hiding them is true.

At the top of the document: Insert > Fields > Other > Variables.

Name: DocType. Value: Model Answers.

At the start of a one paragraph answer: Insert > Fields > Other > Functions > Hidden Paragraph. For the condition type DocType == “Test” (To make this easier to insert repeatedly, create an autocorrect entry).

For longer answers: Enter the model answer, select it, Insert > Section..., tick Hide, and enter DocType == “Test” for the condition.

To print the document for a test, double click the field at the top of the document created in steps 2 and 3, and change the value to Test. Print as usual.

Note 1: The field “Input list” has a name but this is not a variable so its value cannot be used in the condition.

Note 2: It is easiest if the selection doesn't include the last paragraph to keep adding sections. But if the last paragraph is selected simply move to the end of the document (Control + End) then press Alt + Enter.

Master documents

Help covers using the basics of using master documents, or see “Work with large or complex documents” on page 61, or for even more information see the chapter on Master Documents in the User’s Guide.

It is possible to insert cross-references across sub-documents but the names of the references must be typed in rather than selected from a list.

Use Insert > Fields > Other... > References.

A macro to help insert references to headings, including references across documents that will be sub documents, in a master document, is available in a document called OutlineCrossRef3.sxw available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/.

Note: There is no way to have a landscape page in a sub-document and that page remaining a landscape page when included in the master document. The workaround is to have the landscape page be part of the master document rather than a sub-document, or the entire sub document to be landscape.

Differences in use between Calc and Excel

This chapter builds on the material covered in the chapter “General differences in use between MSO and OOo”. It explores some of the differences is use specific to the difference in use of the spreadsheet component in Microsoft Office (MSO) and OpenOffice.org (OOo).

Separating parameters in functions

The single biggest difference between Calc and Excel is that Calc uses semicolons to separate parameters in a function and commas for separating non-contiguous ranges. This usage is the reverse of Excel.

Interpreting cell contents

In Excel if a cell contains text that can be interpreted as a number, then Excel will in some situations attempt to do so. In Calc if a cell is defined as text, even if the cell contains a number then that cell is treated as it is defined as text, which typically means the numeric value zero.

For example, if cell A1 is formatted as text and contains the character “1”, in Excel a formula =A1+1 would return the value 2, but in Calc it would return the value 1.

Limitations

Calc only supports 32,000 rows compared to Excel's 65,536. OOo2.0 due out March 2005 supports 65,536 rows.

The maximum number of sheets in Calc is 256 (Excel is only limited by available PC memory).

Form fields

List boxes in Calc can either have multi-selection or not, whereas Excel has two multi-selection modes: multi and extend. In Excel a multi-selection listbox's link to a cell is ignored (at least in Excel2000; author hasn't checked Excel XP). In Calc the link works, but if more than one item is selected the cell's value is set to #N/A.

In Calc each option button has its own link to a cell, setting its value to true or false depending on whether the option is selected. In Excel the cell link returns the number of the selected option button.

Scroll bars and spinners are not implemented in Calc, although numeric fields can optionally have spin buttons.

Named ranges and “Natural Language” formulas

It is possible in some versions of Excel to have the same range name on different sheets, but this is not possible in Calc.

Calc does have “Natural Language.” This is where column and/or row labels are used (without defining them as range names) in a formula. In Excel to refer to a cell a space is used between the label names; in Calc an exclamation mark (sometimes called pling) “!” is used. In Calc the names are enclosed in single quotes (done automatically by Calc if the label starts with a letter and only has alphanumeric characters). To turn this feature on/off use: Tools > Options... > Spreadsheet > Calculate >Automatically find column and row labels.

Array formulas

Calc supports array formulas (formulas entered using Control+Shift+Enter), but there are two things which Excel can do that Calc can't do.

In Excel it is possible to have an array formula with two ranges in the formula and Excel matches each cell in the ranges to get a result. For example, {=SUM(IF(A2:A5=1;B2:B5))} would work like SUMIF and sum those cells in column B where in the same row column A contained a 1. Calc returns “Err504” which is an “error in parameter”. Often this can be worked around by using SUMIF, COUNTIF, or the database functions.

Array constants are not available in OpenOffice.org. The workaround is to have the constant values in cells on a sheet and refer to them.

Note: OpenOffice.org help refers to array functions as matrix functions.

Optional parameters in formulas

Some formulas have more than one optional parameter at the end of the parameter list. In Excel it is possible to leave an optional parameter blank and specify a later parameter, but this is not possible in Calc.

For example, to calculate an annuity, in Excel the formula =PV(0.05,10,100,,1) returns -$810.78; in Calc =PV(0.05;10;100;;1) returns Err:511.

The workaround is to put values in for the missing parameters. For the above example putting a zero in for the blank parameter returns the same result for the annuity.

Functions

Statistical, engineering, and financial functions

The statistical functions return slightly different results. They are the same up to at least 5 decimal places, but after that there is a discrepancy. Gnumeric (another open source spreadsheet package) returns exactly the same results as Excel (based on the author's simple tests). The author hasn't compared the results returned by a statistical package such as R or SAS for the statistical functions.

In Excel some of the financial functions accept string parameters for dates; in OpenOffice.org they require a serial number, although you can simply type in the dates in date format without quotes.

Analysis ToolPak functions

The function EFFECT provided by the Analysis ToolPak for Excel is converted to EFFECT_ADD in Calc and returns the same results.

Other functions not implemented / imported

Only three other functions are not imported: INFO, GETPIVOTDATA, and HYPERLINK. Hyperlinks are supported but not as a function – use the Hyperlink button on the Function bar.

DataPilot / Pivot Table

DataPilots are Calc's equivalent to Excel's Pivot Tables. However there are a number of limitations. Pivot tables import from Excel into Calc, but as soon as they are worked on these limitations become apparent. The limitations are:

There is no PivotChart facility, but a DataPilot can be used as the data source for a chart.

Page fields have not been implemented, but there is a filter option which gives similar functionality.

You can have no more than 8 fields in the data, row, or column areas.

There is no ability to group data (e.g., for a date field, grouping by month can't be done). The workaround is to create a new column with a formula for calculating the grouping, e.g., =Month().

You can't define different formats for different fields.

There are no calculated fields.

There is no ability to show data fields as things like “Difference From” or “% of.”

The Application Program Interface specification is incomplete for writing macros that work with DataPilots—for example, the ability to control via another program, such as OpenOffice.org's own macro language, BASIC, whether the tables have grand totals; or having access to DataPilots created from external data.

There is a bug in OpenOffice.org that when a sheet containing a DataPilot is deleted the DataPilot ends up on the preceding sheet but not visible.

An alternative interface for working with DatPilots can be found in a document called MyDataPilot.sxc available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/.

AutoFilter

There are a number of AutoFilter differences between Excel and Calc:

There is only one AutoFilter active for a spreadsheet document at a time. The rows remain hidden but the drop downs in the first row disappear on applying AutoFilter elsewhere.

The remaining visible row numbers don't change color to warn that there is a filter in place.

Error values don't show as an option in the drop down lists when cells in the column have errors.

In the drop down lists, the equivalent to Excel's “Custom” is called “Standard.”

The top 10 in the drop down list is literal, but to get the same degree of control, use Standard and specify “largest”, “largest%”, “smallest” or “smallest%” in the condition field.

Use regular expressions for specifying criteria to select rows based upon the text in the cells. To do this: Choose “Standard” from the drop-down list, click More so that the rest of the dialog is displayed, check Regular expressions. Table 1 has some examples to help an Excel user to use regular expressions.

Table 14: Example regular expressions for AutoFilter

Excel custom command	Comparison Field	Equivalent Regular Expression
Begins with x	=	^x.*
Does not begin with x	<>	^x.*
Ends with x	=	.*x$
Does not end with x	<>	.*x$
Contains x	=	.*x.*
Does not contain x	<>	.*x.*

The user is not limited to these regular expressions; they are included here to show how to achieve the same result for AutoFilter in Calc as can be achieved in Excel.

Text to columns

There is not an option to do this in Calc. See http://ooomacros.org/user.php#104183 for a macro to do this.

Solver

There is no equivalent in Calc to the Solver add-in for Excel. But a working macro prototype has been developed and is available from http://www.openoffice.org/nonav/issues/showattachment.cgi/16029/SolverPrototype.sxc.

Charts

Chart types that Excel provides that Calc doesn't:

Bar of pie converts to a 2D - columns - normal

Pie of pie converts to a 2D - columns - normal

Radar filled converts to 3D – columns deep

Radar with markers – converts to 2D – net – normal but counter clockwise rather than Excel's clockwise

Other charting issues include:

Charts are slower to update in Calc than in Excel.

There are fewer axis options such as no option for having an inverted y axis (negative at top towards positive at bottom).

The data must be contiguous with the labels in the first row or column.

To change the range, click on the border of the chart, so that it is selected (green selection points) > Right Click > Modify Data Range...

Right aligned text

In Excel if text is longer than the cell can hold and right aligned and there is nothing in the cell to the left, then the text “spills” into this cell. In Calc, the text will “spill” into the cell to the right if it is empty.

Number formats

There is no “accounting” format (with the currency symbol at the left edge of the cell). A workaround would be to have another column to the left that contains the currency symbol.

There is no predefined option for bracketing negative numbers. Use a custom format such as “$#,##0.00_);[RED]($#,##0.00)”.

Grid lines

In Excel gridlines are a property of a Worksheet; in Calc it is an application-wide option:

Tools > Options > Spreadsheet > View

Keyboard shortcuts

Table 15: Excel and Calc default key shortcuts (incomplete)

Function	Excel Shortcut	Calc Shortcut
Rearranges the relative or absolute references (for example, A1, $A$1, $A1, A$1) in the input field	F4	Shift + F4
Edit cell comment (they are known as 'notes' in Calc)	Shift + F2	Control + F1
Fill right	Control + R	No equivalent
Go to specific cell	F5	F5 (shows Navigator)
Insert Function	No standard equivalent	Control + F2
Enter into all currently selected cells	Control + Enter	Alt + Enter Alt + Shift + Enter (also applies the cell format)

Mouse use

To select non-contiguous blocks of cells the first selection must be two or more cells, then proceed as in Excel, holding down Control to select the next block(s) or

Click once on the field "STD" (STanDard) in the status bar.

The field now shows "EXT" (EXTended selection).

Another click and it changes to "ADD" (ADD to selection).

Note: the ADD mode is the equivalent to Control + click and EXT is equivalent to Shift + click.

Double-clicking the bottom right corner of the selection doesn't copy to the bottom of the current region.

Hidden rows

There is no “select only visible rows” command. Selecting a block of cells with hidden rows and deleting will delete the hidden rows as well. Workaround: select each visible row manually before deleting. See IannzGotoSpecial.sxc available from http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/ for a macro that can select only the visible cells.

Navigator

The Navigator's main use would be for spreadsheet documents that have a lot of sheets. Right-clicking on sheet selection controls doesn't display a dialog for selecting a sheet, so using the Navigator is faster than scrolling through the sheets.

Stylist

Calc has two types of styles: cell and page. Right-click in the Stylist to create, modify, or delete styles.

Sheet area combo box

The sheet area combo box (left side of the Formula bar) shows the current range. It can be used to jump to a named range, but can't be used to define a range (to define a range, use Insert > Names > Define or Control + F3).

Function list

The Function list is a floating / dockable window that provides information about the available functions. It is an alternative to AutoPilot:Functions. To view it: Insert > Function List.

Error values

Some functions in Calc return esoteric error messages like Err:503. To get a message that is more meaningful, select the cell with the error message then look at the right end of the status bar. In this case it will show Error: Invalid floating point operation (e.g. division by zero).

There is also a full description for each error message found within OpenOffice.org Help.

Conditional formatting and styles

Conditional formatting requires styles to be defined – use the Stylist to do so.

To view a current list of styles for the sheet, press F3 or Format > Stylist.

Working across spreadsheets, web pages, and database data

Working across spreadsheets

Contrary to help and other references, using the Navigator with a “Drag Mode” of Link doesn't work for accessing the contents of one spreadsheet in another.

To refer to the contents of cells in another spreadsheet document or workbook, the syntax is 'url of other workbook'#$sheetname!cellrange. For example, on a Linux system:

'file:///home/hillview/Documents/Tests/Address.xls'#$Sheet1.A1

or on a Windows system:

'file:///C:/Documents/Tests/Address.xls'#$Sheet1.A1

To input these links it is possible to:

Type in the formula up to the point where the link is required.

Window > [select desired document].

It isn't obvious that this is working but it is. Select the desired cell or range of cells.

Window > [select the original document].

Finish entering the formula.

What is disconcerting is that the value displayed is based on the value of the cell (or range of cells) when the linked document was last saved.

So to check it, save the linked document and update the link in the document (Edit > Links) that contains the link.

Note: To reiterate: these links do not update automatically! To get them to update, use Edit > Links > [select the desired link] > Update. The update works from the saved file – so if both files are open and the file that the link is based on is updated, that file must be saved before updating the link.

To have dynamic updating of data between two spreadsheets, use:

Select and copy the range of cells to be linked to.

Change to the spreadsheet that requires the link.

Edit > Paste Special > Link (checkbox down the bottom left).

These cells will have dynamic access to the contents of the other sheet and the values returned can then be used in other formulas.

Links to HTML data or other spreadsheets

To link to data on the Internet:

In a browser navigate to the desired page.

Copy the URL.

In Calc, Insert > External Data...

Paste in the URL.

This step is not obvious: press Enter, wait a moment and the bottom list box (called Available tables / ranges) will show:

HTML_all (the entire page)

HTML_tables (all the tables on the page)

HTML_1 (each table consecutively numbered on the page)

Select the desired option from the list box,

Optionally check the Update every checkbox and specify how often to update.

The same process can be used for linking to data in spreadsheets.

Note: The source file must be saved before the update can take place. (In OpenOffice.org AutoSaves overwrite the original file, so with AutoSaves turned on this feature could be more useful than it at first appears. The author hasn't experimented with this feature to test its limits.)

Links to database data

Display the Data source viewer (F4).

In the Data Explorer window, navigate to the desired table or query (if it isn't visible click Explorer on / off - left button in the Data source toolbar).

Drag the table or query onto the sheet (see the Data Sources chapter in the Common Features Guide section for information about working with data sources such as registering the data source).

Printing

Calc and Excel have the same printing functionality, but the location of where to get to the settings is slightly different.

Unlike Excel, a print range must be specified first.

To define the print range (this is the equivalent of File > Page Setup > Sheet in Excel, first 3 fields):

Format > Print Ranges > Edit...

Select the desired range for each of the fields.

Note: it is possible to select noncontiguous areas for the print area, with each area being on a separate page. Each area is separated by a semicolon.

Like Excel, Calc provides a Page break view. The menu option is a toggle:

View > Page break preview

The other settings such as whether to have grid-lines are done via the page style:

Format > Page... > Sheet

Print Options for suppressing blank pages and printing only the selected sheet(s) can be set:

Tools > Options... > Spreadsheet > Print

Note: Recommend having both these options set.

To print:

File > Print.

Optionally click Options to change the settings for suppressing blank pages and /or only the selected sheet(s).

Other settings are the same as in Excel.

Differences in use between Impress and PowerPoint

This chapter builds on the information given in “General Differences in Use between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office” by describing specific differences in use between PowerPoint and Impress.

Accessing different views

Impress provides equivalent views to those provided by PowerPoint, and it has an additional view for customizing the layout of handouts. The two main differences in views between the two programs are: they have different names (see Table 16), and Impress gives you quick access to all of its views from the main editing window.

In PowerPoint the buttons for quickly changing the view are in the the bottom left corner. In Impress, the equivalent buttons are on the top right side, just above the vertical scroll bar.

In PowerPoint, the Notes view is only accessible from the View menu.

In Impress the buttons in the bottom left corner toggle between Slide view and Master view. To quickly access the Master Slide view in PowerPoint, you need to hold down the Shift key while clicking on the Normal View button.

Impress includes a button that allows access to objects in the background, and different layers.

Impress also provides a Handout view for fine tuning how a handout will look. This is equivalent to (but more flexible than) PowerPoint's print option for handouts.

Table 16. Comparison of view names between PowerPoint and Impress.

PowerPoint Name	Impress Name	Main use
Normal	Drawing	Editing the contents of the slide
Slide Sorter	Slide	Rearranging the order of the slide show
Slide Show	Start Slide Show	The actual presentation (starts from current slide)
Outline	Outline	Editing the text
Notes Page (from Edit menu)	Notes	Appending notes to a slide
N/A	Handout	Changing the number and position of multiple slides to be printed on a page
Master	Master	Placing and modifying those things which are consistent in all slides in the presentation

Color gradients and borders

Impress does not support some of the formatting features that PowerPoint does. For example, Impress does not support three-color gradients, double and triple borders, or round-dotted borders. When import with PowerPoint slides, Impress will change three-color gradients to two-color, double or triple borders to single, and round-dotted borders to square dots.

To improve the results of the import, make the necessary adjustments in PowerPoint before importing to Impress. Change three-color to similar two-color gradient fills, and change double and triple border lines to a single border line with appropriate width. Round-dotted border lines that are mapped to rectangle-border closely resemble the original line style in PowerPoint so that manual editing should not be necessary.

Multimedia

Narration

Voice-over narration is not supported by Impress.

There appear to be no settings for multimedia custom animations, such as the ability to play a sound for the next x slides.

Sound

The author experienced some problems with sound in OOo 1.1.1 that are not present in OOo 1.1.3.

Dragging and dropping a sound file from the Gallery places a control button on the slide, which plays on being clicked when running the slide show.

Video

Similarly with Insert > Object > Video... there were problems in Ooo1.1.1 that are not present on OOo1.1.3.

Chart animations

There is no facility in Impress for Chart Effects as there is in PowerPoint, such as presenting a series or category at a time. On import the charts simply appear. A workaround is to have multiple copies of the chart with each one set up to display as desired.

Pack and Go

This feature in PowerPoint allowed a PowerPoint file to be split up over several floppy disks and assured that all related files were included. This facility is not included in Impress, nor can Impress open such files.

Fields

Date fields are exported as text, so they don't automatically update.

Fields are shown with gray background when editing so that they are recognizable as fields.

Action settings / Interaction

PowerPoint provides action settings for mouse over, but Impress doesn't have this option, only on mouse click, so mouseovers get mapped to mouse clicks. PowerPoint has an option for highlighting the object on mouse click / mouse over; Impress doesn't have this, so it gets ignored on import.

Animating a slide show

Object effect animations

In OOo the object effects are the equivalent to MSO's custom animation. You can accomplish most of the same functions, but the process is slightly different.

To access the object effects, go to Slideshow > Effects. This will display a docked/floating window ().

Categories Options Figure 1. Animation Effects docked/floating window (shown as floating).

To begin, choose an effect category. These categories don't show whether the effect is an entrance, exit, or emphasis like MSO does. In OOo, the effects are sorted first by the motion the object takes, then by its direction.

Differences in animation effects

On export/import of Impress/PowerPoint files the names of the effects change. However, the result and appearance are essentially the same. See Table 17.

In Impress you can only have one type of animation per text box. In PowerPoint it is possible to assign each bullet in an outline to enter a different way.

Table 17. Comparison of animation effects between PowerPoint and Impress.

PowerPoint	Impress
Appear	Appear
Blinds	Fade Horizontally
Box	Fade To Center
Checkerboard	Checkerboard
Diamond	Appear
Crawl	Fly In From bottom
Dissolve	Dissolve
Flash once	Appear
Peek	Short Fly In from Bottom
Random Bars	Horizontal lines
Spiral	Spiral Outward Clockwise
Split	Close Vertical
Stretch	Stretch Vertical
Strips	Fade From Top Right
Swivel	Rotate Horizontally
Wipe	Cross-Fade From Top
Zoom	Fade From Center
Random effects	Vertical Lines

Slide transition effects

In the same way that object animations have a mapping between PowerPoint and Impress, slide transitions also have different names between the programs, as summarized in Table 18.

Note: For both text effects and for slide transitions, if you choose one of the effects from the Favorites menu it will, by default, have sound. The sound can be disabled by changing the effect options (see ).

Table 18. Comparison of slide transitions between PowerPoint and Impress.

PowerPoint	Impress
Blinds Horizontal	Fade Horizontally
Blind Vertical	Fade Vertically
Box In	Fade To Center
Box Out	Fade From Center
Checkerboard Across	Horizontal Checkerboard
Checkerboard Down	Vertical Checkerboard
Cover Down	Fly In From Top
Cover Left	Fly In From Right
Cover Right	Fly In From Left
Cover Up	Fly In From Bottom
Cover Left Down	Fly In From Upper Right
Cover Right Down	Fly In From Top Left
Cover Left Down	Fly In From Upper Right
Cover Right Up	Fly In From Lower Left
Cut	No effect
Cut through Black	No effect
Dissolve	Dissolve
Fade Through Black	No effect
Random Bars Horizontally	Horizontal Lines
Random Bars Vertically	Vertical Lines
Horizontal In	Close Vertically
Horizontal Out	Open Vertically
Split Vertical In	Close Horizontally
Split Vertical Out	Open Horizontally
Strips Left Down	Fade From Top Right
Strips Left Up	Fade From Bottom Right
Strips Right Down	Fade From Top Left
Strips Right Up	Fade From Bottom Left
Uncover Down	Uncover Downwards
Uncover Left	Uncover To Left

Fitting text to a frame

Fitting text to the frame, or text box, behaves differently between the two programs. In PowerPoint, the program automatically resizes the font proportionally as the text exceeds the size of the text box. In Impress, if the option Fit text to frame has been selected, the program allows text to be typed outside of the text box. When you select another object, signifying that typing has finished, Impress resizes the text as if it were resizing a picture. This often leads to scrunched unattractive text.

The best way to avoid this is to avoid making a slide where the text goes beyond the size of the text box. This is good work practice for making a presentation anyway.

To change the Fit to frame property in Impress:

Select the text box, by moving the mouse until the pointer is on the border of the text box and the pointer changes into resize or move arrows; click.

Format > Text....

On the Text tab are the options for automatically adjusting frame size or font size:

Fit width to text: Resizes the text to fit the width of the drawing or text object.

Fit height to text: Resizes the text to fit the height of the drawing or text object.

Fit to frame: Resizes the text to fit the entire area of the drawing or text object (to be able to check this option the other two options must be unchecked).

This setting can also be changed in Graphics styles.

An icon colored something other than green indicates that the folder that stores the theme is read-only for the current user.

To get word count for selection, use the wordcount macro at:
http://www.darwinwars.com/lunatic/bugs/oo_macros.html. This does selections, and will do footnotes for OOo1.1 and above. OOo 2.0 will have a Word Count feature for selections.

For macros that aid in working with references see http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hillview/OOo/. For a more detailed discussion on references see the latest document available from http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=28058.

To the best of the Author's knowledge.

Differences in use between Impress and PowerPoint

Migration Guide	2

Title:	Migration Guide: A guide to ease your migration to OpenOffice.org from other office suitesages
Version:	1.0
First edition:	November 2004

Overview

Migration Guide	ii

Migration Guide

Ian Laurenson

2004-10-27T11:59:08

Jean Hollis Weber