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Open-Licensed Instructional Guides for Learners
Lesson: Overview and Installation of NeoOffice 2
Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn the following:
Overview
NeoOffice is a full-featured, open source office productivity suite for Mac OS X. Based upon the OpenOffice.org source code, NeoOffice 2.0 has made many advances in terms of features and capabilities over the first version. This book has been created to provide users in academia a hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of one of the most popular open source office productivity suites for Mac OS X.
Before proceeding with the hands-on exercises related to document creation and formatting, we must first discuss the various features and installation process of NeoOffice. Upon completion of this lesson, you will become familiar with the new features found in NeoOffice 2.0, including accessibility features for users with physical and visual impairments. The system requirements for computers to meet in order to use NeoOffice will also be discussed, along with instructions for completing the installation of NeoOffice on a Macintosh OS X-based computer workstation.
Lesson Structure
This book was created to give students, faculty and administrators an introduction to NeoOffice and its capabilities as an office productivity suite in an academic and business environment. Individuals, who are learning the fundamentals of using an office productivity suite, or those who have had prior experience with other office applications and wish to become acquainted with NeoOffice, will gain much from the hands-on exercises and step-by-step instruction provided in this book.
However, this doesn’t mean that individuals who are not pursuing an education would not benefit from this book. This book was not only created to provide hands-on experience with using NeoOffice, but has also been designed to teach the fundamental concepts of formatting and editing documents often created by individuals both in an academic and corporate environment. The concepts could not only apply to NeoOffice, but to other office productivity suites as well. What makes NeoOffice unique to other office productivity suites is that its licensing terms and cross-platform support provides students, educational institutions, individuals and corporate enterprises a full-featured, low cost alternative to performing the fundamental tasks necessary for document creation.
This book comprises ten unique hands-on lessons to assist users to become familiar with the fundamentals of creating various documents with NeoOffice 2.0. These lessons walk readers step-by-step through the process of creating a variety of documents using the four core applications within the NeoOffice suite: Writer (word processing application), Calc (spreadsheet application), Impress (presentation application) and Base (database application). Each lesson not only provides step-by-step instruction for the creation and formatting of documents, but also provides information regarding additional resources that readers may consult to further their conceptual knowledge related to the tasks discussed within. These lessons include:
Following the ten lessons, several appendices can be found to provide a quick reference for each of the four core applications within NeoOffice 2.0. These quick reference guides are suitable to seek guidance regarding performing specific tasks, or to consult regarding tasks not covered within the hands-on exercises.
New Features Available in NeoOffice 2.0
NeoOffice 2.0 contains many new features over its predecessor. Users of NeoOffice 1.x will notice a number of enhancements both in usability and added features. Users who are familiar with other office productivity suites will find that compatibility with other formatted documents to be seamless, while providing the vast majority of tools and features they are accustomed to. Among the new features found in NeoOffice 2.0 are:
Users of NeoOffice 2.1 and higher can also take advantage of the following features and enhancements:
Accessibility Features
NeoOffice 2.0 provides a number of features that are available to help individuals that are physically or visually impaired in using the office productivity suite. These features include support for external devices and applications for use by individuals with physical or visual impairments, access to all functions via the keyboard, improved readability of screen contents, zooming of the on-screen user interface for menus, icons and documents and more.
For detailed information regarding accessibility features available within the NeoOffice suite of applications, including a list of supported devices and applications, view the documentation available by selecting the Help menu and use the search term accessibility. Accessibility features can be customized within NeoOffice by clicking the Tools menu and selecting Options from the menu list.
NeoOffice 2.0 System Requirements
This training book assumes you have fundamental knowledge of operating your computer and the operating system. The fundamental knowledge you should have before proceeding with this book includes using the mouse and keyboard, launching applications and using standard menus and commands. If you need to review these techniques, see the printed or electronic documentation included with your system or enroll in a basic computer course through your local school, community college or community parks and recreation department.
System Requirements for Installing and Operating NeoOffice 2.0 for the Mac OS X operating system include:
Installing NeoOffice 2.0 for Mac OS X
Before proceeding to the rest of the material covered in this book, your computer must have a copy of NeoOffice 2.0 installed on it. To install NeoOffice 2.0 on an Apple Macintosh computer that meets the minimum system requirements, follow these steps:
After the installation is complete, you can begin using the NeoOffice suite of applications by clicking on the application icon located within the computer’s Applications folder.
Adjusting the Page View
To adjust the view of the document you are working in, click on the View menu and select Zoom from the menu list. You may also select to Zoom by clicking on the magnifying glass icon within the Standard toolbar located just beneath the main application menu.
How to Set NeoOffice to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files
If you wish NeoOffice to automatically open Microsoft Office generated files, you may select to do so by following these steps:
If NeoOffice does not appear within the list, select Other. When doing so, the Applications folder should appear. Locate the NeoOffice application icon, click on the icon once to select it and click the ADD button.
INGOTs Certifications
International Grades in Office Technologies (INGOTs) is a platform and application-independent certification created and administered by the Learning Machine, Ltd. in the United Kingdom. INGOTs academies, which are schools and organizations approved to offer training and perform certification assessments, are located throughout the world, including Europe, the United States and the Western Pacific region. INGOTs provide a motivating progression route from complete beginner to professional level expertise in commonly used productivity tools found in the modern workplace, such as word processing, presenting and searching for information.
What makes INGOTs unique compared to other certification programs is that the certification is not dependent upon a user utilizing a specific office productivity suite or operating system. Rather, users are assessed for being awarded a certification based upon successfully demonstrating their ability to perform certain tasks by using the office productivity suite of their choice. Currently, there are four levels of INGOTs certification – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. For specific information regarding each certification level, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Assessment Criteria, download the Assessor Handbook at http://theingots.org/guides/ handbook-en-2007-02-20.pdf.
Benefits of INGOTs Certification
INGOTs certifications have many benefits for users, employers and educational institutions. For a student or user, receiving an INGOTs certificate demonstrates to prospective employers that they are proficient at using office productivity applications to perform tasks demanded in today’s modern office environment. For employers, an individual holding a specific INGOTs certificate provides a way to determine the skill set of prospective employees utilizing a certificate program developed by an independent third-party. Moreover, educational institutions and training companies can add value to their services by incorporating INGOTs into their office productivity curriculum, as well as helping seek instructors with appropriate credentials.
How to Find an INGOTs Academy
For more information about INGOTs, including locating an academy in your area or for the criteria for an institution to become an academy, visit the INGOTs website at http://www.theingots.org or email at the appropriate address located at http://www.theingots.org/contact.
Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn the following:
- Become acquainted with some of the new features available in NeoOffice 2.0.
- Learn about the accessibility features available within the NeoOffice suite of applications and how to customize them.
- Learn how to install NeoOffice 2.0 on the Mac OS X platform.
- How to Set NeoOffice to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files.
Overview
NeoOffice is a full-featured, open source office productivity suite for Mac OS X. Based upon the OpenOffice.org source code, NeoOffice 2.0 has made many advances in terms of features and capabilities over the first version. This book has been created to provide users in academia a hands-on approach to learning the fundamentals of one of the most popular open source office productivity suites for Mac OS X.
Before proceeding with the hands-on exercises related to document creation and formatting, we must first discuss the various features and installation process of NeoOffice. Upon completion of this lesson, you will become familiar with the new features found in NeoOffice 2.0, including accessibility features for users with physical and visual impairments. The system requirements for computers to meet in order to use NeoOffice will also be discussed, along with instructions for completing the installation of NeoOffice on a Macintosh OS X-based computer workstation.
Lesson Structure
This book was created to give students, faculty and administrators an introduction to NeoOffice and its capabilities as an office productivity suite in an academic and business environment. Individuals, who are learning the fundamentals of using an office productivity suite, or those who have had prior experience with other office applications and wish to become acquainted with NeoOffice, will gain much from the hands-on exercises and step-by-step instruction provided in this book.
However, this doesn’t mean that individuals who are not pursuing an education would not benefit from this book. This book was not only created to provide hands-on experience with using NeoOffice, but has also been designed to teach the fundamental concepts of formatting and editing documents often created by individuals both in an academic and corporate environment. The concepts could not only apply to NeoOffice, but to other office productivity suites as well. What makes NeoOffice unique to other office productivity suites is that its licensing terms and cross-platform support provides students, educational institutions, individuals and corporate enterprises a full-featured, low cost alternative to performing the fundamental tasks necessary for document creation.
This book comprises ten unique hands-on lessons to assist users to become familiar with the fundamentals of creating various documents with NeoOffice 2.0. These lessons walk readers step-by-step through the process of creating a variety of documents using the four core applications within the NeoOffice suite: Writer (word processing application), Calc (spreadsheet application), Impress (presentation application) and Base (database application). Each lesson not only provides step-by-step instruction for the creation and formatting of documents, but also provides information regarding additional resources that readers may consult to further their conceptual knowledge related to the tasks discussed within. These lessons include:
- Lesson One – Overview and Installation of NeoOffice 2
- Lesson Two – Creating a Resume Using Writer
- Lesson Three – Formatting a Research Paper Using Writer
- Lesson Four – Creating a Brochure Using Writer
- Lesson Five – Creating a Basic Spreadsheet for Calculating Household Expenses Using Calc
- Lesson Six – Creating a Balance Sheet Using Calc
- Lesson Seven – Creating a Cash Flow Statement Using Calc
- Lesson Eight – Creating a Basic Educational Slide Presentation Using Impress
- Lesson Nine – Creating a Bulk Mailing List Using Base and Writer
- Lesson Ten – Analyzing North Atlantic Hurricane Data Using Base
Following the ten lessons, several appendices can be found to provide a quick reference for each of the four core applications within NeoOffice 2.0. These quick reference guides are suitable to seek guidance regarding performing specific tasks, or to consult regarding tasks not covered within the hands-on exercises.
New Features Available in NeoOffice 2.0
NeoOffice 2.0 contains many new features over its predecessor. Users of NeoOffice 1.x will notice a number of enhancements both in usability and added features. Users who are familiar with other office productivity suites will find that compatibility with other formatted documents to be seamless, while providing the vast majority of tools and features they are accustomed to. Among the new features found in NeoOffice 2.0 are:
- Support for the OASIS OpenDocument file format – Beginning with version 2.0, NeoOffice uses the XML-based OASIS OpenDocument file format as its default file format for saving documents. The primary benefit of saving files in the OpenDocument format is that it will enable NeoOffice, and other applications that adopt the independent file format, to exchange files easily in cross-platform environments without worrying about compatibility issues. For users of previous versions of NeoOffice, version 2.0 still supports the native formats prior to the adoption of OpenDocument.
- Enhanced PDF Export Options – While NeoOffice 1.x featured a basic PDF exporter option, version 2.0 includes the ability to specify the level of compression for embedded images, as well as improved support for thumbnail images and embedded hyperlinks.
- Support for Nested Tables – NeoOffice 2.0 allows for the creation of nested tables, or the creation of a table within a table, which provides added usability and increased compatibility with Microsoft Word.
- Mail Merge Wizard – NeoOffice provides an easy-to-use method of creating bulk mailings and mail merge letters with the new Mail Merge Wizard. The wizard guides users step-by-step through the process of creating a mail merge, and several data sources are supported for the address information.
- 65,536 Rows in Calc – NeoOffice 2.0 doubles the number of rows supported within its spreadsheet application to 65,536. The new version of Calc now supports the same number of rows as Microsoft Excel, which will improve interoperability issues.
- New Database Application – While NeoOffice 1.x supported the ability to connect to remote databases, version 2.0 also provides a GUI-based application called Base. Base allows users to create simple database files that can be edited and saved on a local computer workstation, much like Microsoft Access or FileMaker Pro. Database files created within Base are saved in the OpenDocument file format.
Users of NeoOffice 2.1 and higher can also take advantage of the following features and enhancements:
- Enhanced Monitor Support for Impress – The Impress presentation application supports multiple monitors.
- Enhanced File Export for Calc – The Calc spreadsheet application has improved HTML export support.
- Enhanced Support for Microsoft Access Files – The Base database application has improved support for Microsoft Access database files.
- Enhanced Extensions Support – The Calc spreadsheet application has improved support for linear programming extensions.
- Support for the Microsoft Office 2007 OpenXML File Format – NeoOffice 2.1 and higher will provide the ability to open, edit and save documents in the Microsoft Office OpenXML file format.
- Support for Microsoft Visual Basic Macros – Calc will support the execution of VBA macros from Excel files.
Accessibility Features
NeoOffice 2.0 provides a number of features that are available to help individuals that are physically or visually impaired in using the office productivity suite. These features include support for external devices and applications for use by individuals with physical or visual impairments, access to all functions via the keyboard, improved readability of screen contents, zooming of the on-screen user interface for menus, icons and documents and more.
For detailed information regarding accessibility features available within the NeoOffice suite of applications, including a list of supported devices and applications, view the documentation available by selecting the Help menu and use the search term accessibility. Accessibility features can be customized within NeoOffice by clicking the Tools menu and selecting Options from the menu list.
NeoOffice 2.0 System Requirements
This training book assumes you have fundamental knowledge of operating your computer and the operating system. The fundamental knowledge you should have before proceeding with this book includes using the mouse and keyboard, launching applications and using standard menus and commands. If you need to review these techniques, see the printed or electronic documentation included with your system or enroll in a basic computer course through your local school, community college or community parks and recreation department.
System Requirements for Installing and Operating NeoOffice 2.0 for the Mac OS X operating system include:
- Mac OS X 10.3 or higher operating system
- 384 MB Random Access Memory (RAM) minimum
- 400 MB available hard drive space
Installing NeoOffice 2.0 for Mac OS X
Before proceeding to the rest of the material covered in this book, your computer must have a copy of NeoOffice 2.0 installed on it. To install NeoOffice 2.0 on an Apple Macintosh computer that meets the minimum system requirements, follow these steps:
- Go to the NeoOffice Download page at http://www.planamesa.com/neojava/en/download.php. Locate the links provided for downloading NeoOffice 2.0 for either a PowerPC processor-based Mac or an Intel processor-based Mac. Click on the appropriate link for your computer and the installation disk image will begin downloading. (NOTE: The installation disk image is approximately 124MB in size.)
- When the installation disk image has downloaded completely, the image should automatically mount and present you with a window containing the installation package file. If not, locate the installation disk image file on your computer and double-click its icon.
- Double-click on the NeoOffice.pkg icon. When doing so, the installation package will attempt to determine whether the program can be installed. Click the CONTINUE button when the dialog window appears to proceed with the installation.
- The next window will be the introduction to the NeoOffice installer that will guide you step-by-step through the installation process. When this window appears, click the CONTINUE button to proceed with the installation.
- In the next window, additional information is give regarding NeoOffice, including News and Support links, software distribution guidelines and more. Read the information presented carefully. Then click the CONTINUE button.
- The next window provides the Software License Agreement for NeoOffice. Read the information presented carefully. Then click the CONTINUE button.
- Next, select the location where the software should be installed. Unless you specify otherwise, the installer will automatically select to install within the Applications folder on the computer’s primary hard drive. This is satisfactory for most circumstances. After selecting the destination (if necessary), click the CONTINUE button.
- The next window to appear should indicate that the installation is ready to begin. Click the INSTALL button to begin the installation of NeoOffice. If the computer prompts for an Administrator username and password, enter the appropriate information to proceed with the installation. If you do not have the necessary privileges to install software on your computer, ask your Network Administrator or Computer Support Specialists for assistance.
After the installation is complete, you can begin using the NeoOffice suite of applications by clicking on the application icon located within the computer’s Applications folder.
Adjusting the Page View
To adjust the view of the document you are working in, click on the View menu and select Zoom from the menu list. You may also select to Zoom by clicking on the magnifying glass icon within the Standard toolbar located just beneath the main application menu.
How to Set NeoOffice to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files
If you wish NeoOffice to automatically open Microsoft Office generated files, you may select to do so by following these steps:
- Select the Microsoft Office generated file you wish to have NeoOffice automatically open by using the computer’s mouse to click on the file icon once.
- With the file icon selected, click on the File menu and select Get Info from the menu options that appear. You may also hold down the COMMAND (⌘) and press the “I” key on the keyboard to execute the Get Info command.
- When the file’s Information window appears, find the Open With selection area. Then click the selection list provided and select NeoOffice.
If NeoOffice does not appear within the list, select Other. When doing so, the Applications folder should appear. Locate the NeoOffice application icon, click on the icon once to select it and click the ADD button.
- If you wish to have NeoOffice to open all files that are formatted in the same file type, click the CHANGE ALL button within the Open With selection area, click OK within the dialogue window that subsequently appears to confirm the settings and close the file’s Information window. If you wish for NeoOffice to open the selected file only, simply close the file’s Information window and the operation is complete.
INGOTs Certifications
International Grades in Office Technologies (INGOTs) is a platform and application-independent certification created and administered by the Learning Machine, Ltd. in the United Kingdom. INGOTs academies, which are schools and organizations approved to offer training and perform certification assessments, are located throughout the world, including Europe, the United States and the Western Pacific region. INGOTs provide a motivating progression route from complete beginner to professional level expertise in commonly used productivity tools found in the modern workplace, such as word processing, presenting and searching for information.
What makes INGOTs unique compared to other certification programs is that the certification is not dependent upon a user utilizing a specific office productivity suite or operating system. Rather, users are assessed for being awarded a certification based upon successfully demonstrating their ability to perform certain tasks by using the office productivity suite of their choice. Currently, there are four levels of INGOTs certification – Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. For specific information regarding each certification level, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Assessment Criteria, download the Assessor Handbook at http://theingots.org/guides/ handbook-en-2007-02-20.pdf.
Benefits of INGOTs Certification
INGOTs certifications have many benefits for users, employers and educational institutions. For a student or user, receiving an INGOTs certificate demonstrates to prospective employers that they are proficient at using office productivity applications to perform tasks demanded in today’s modern office environment. For employers, an individual holding a specific INGOTs certificate provides a way to determine the skill set of prospective employees utilizing a certificate program developed by an independent third-party. Moreover, educational institutions and training companies can add value to their services by incorporating INGOTs into their office productivity curriculum, as well as helping seek instructors with appropriate credentials.
How to Find an INGOTs Academy
For more information about INGOTs, including locating an academy in your area or for the criteria for an institution to become an academy, visit the INGOTs website at http://www.theingots.org or email at the appropriate address located at http://www.theingots.org/contact.