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Quick Guide to Creating and Editing OpenOffice.org 3 Writer Documents

Section One: Overview of Writer

Starting Writer

To launch the Writer application within the Microsoft Windows operating system, follow these steps:

• Beginning at the desktop, click on the Start button located in the lower-left corner of the screen, and select Programs or All Program from the menu list that appears.
• Select the OpenOffice.org 3.0 application folder that appears, and select Writer from the applications options that appear.

To launch the Writer application within a Linux-based operating system, follow these steps:

• Beginning at the desktop, click on the Start button located in the lower-left corner of the screen, and select Office Productivity from the menu list that appears.
• Select the OpenOffice.org 3.0 Writer application icon from the list that appears, and the Writer application will launch and present a blank document.

Displaying Toolbars

Writer contains many toolbars to assist in formatting and editing your documents. Sometimes you may need to view certain toolbars to assist you with creating your documents, while other toolbars may need to hidden from view to prevent from getting in your way and free up screen space for other tools. To view or hide a toolbar within Writer, follow these steps:

• Click the View menu and select Toolbars from the menu list. A list of available toolbars will appear.
• Select a toolbar to appear within Writer by simply clicking on the appropriate toolbar within the list. If a toolbar within the list has a checkmark beside it, this means that the toolbar is already visible within the Writer application.
• If you wish to hide a toolbar from view within Writer, simply click on it from the list. Toolbars listed that do not have a checkmark beside them indicates that the toolbar is hidden from view within Writer.

Adjusting 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.

Using the Navigator

The Navigator allows a user to quickly view objects that are within a document. The Navigator displays “categories”, or the various contents within the Navigator window. Within each category contains the objects that are present in the document.

To view and utilize the Navigator while creating and editing Writer documents, follow these steps:

• To open the Navigator window, click on the Edit menu and select Navigator from the menu list. You may also view the Navigator window by pressing the F5 key at the top of your keyboard.
• If you see a “+” icon located next to a category within the Navigator, that indicates that there is at least one object within the document related to that particular category. Click the “+” sign to expand the list to view the objects related to the category. To quickly jump to the location in your document where the object is placed, double-click on the object listed in the Navigator window.

Viewing Nonprinting Characters

To view nonprinting characters, such as line spacing or paragraph indentation indicators, click on the View menu and select Nonprinting Characters from the menu list. You may also view nonprinting characters by pressing the CTRL+F10 keys simultaneously on your keyboard.

Viewing and Editing the Styles and Formatting Organizer

The Styles and Formatting Organizer allows you to quickly select pre-defined formatting options to include in your documents simply by double-clicking on a style option listed within the Organizer. To view and edit the Openoffice.org Formatting Styles Organizer, follow these steps:

• To view the organizer, click the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting or simply press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard. A window will appear displaying by default the various paragraph styles available.
• When the Organizer window is open, you will notice a small palette within the window. You can view other formatting styles as well by clicking on the appropriate button. From left-to-right, the style options you may view include Paragraph, Character, Frame, Page and List styles. In the popup menu located at the bottom of the Styles Organizer window, be sure the menu has the option All Styles selected to view all of your available options for each style.
• You can also create or modify formatting styles based upon existing styles by right-clicking on a style listed within the Organizer and select the appropriate command from the contextual menu that appears. You may also delete custom styles you created from the Organizer by right-clicking on it within the list.

How to Set OpenOffice.org to Automatically Open Microsoft Office Generated Files Using Windows

If you did not choose during the installation of OpenOffice.org to have the software automatically open Microsoft Office formatted documents, you may select to do so by following these steps:

• Close all OpenOffice.org applications and return to your desktop.
• Click on the Windows operating system Start button and select Control Panel from the list that appears. Then choose Add or Remove Programs from the submenu that appears, followed by the OpenOffice.org 3.0 list option, then click Install/Uninstall.
• In the window that appears, click the NEXT button, select the Modify option and click NEXT until the wizard prompts you to select the file types you wish OpenOffice.org to automatically open for you.
• Select or deselect the file types you wish OpenOffice.org to automatically open for you. Click NEXT until it prompts you to click Install to complete the setup. Clicking the Install button will make the necessary changes to automatically open the file types you selected. You should not need to have the installation CD inserted into your computer’s CD-ROM to complete this process.

Section Two: Formatting Text and Paragraphs

Selecting and Moving Text

There are a number of ways you can select text for editing or relocating to another area of your document. Below are a few tips for doing so:

• To select text for formatting or relocating to another area of your document, hold down your left mouse button while dragging the I-bar over the text you wish to select.
• To select text that exists in locations not adjacent to one another, hold down the left mouse button while dragging the I-bar over the first selection of text. Afterward, hold down the Command key (the key located next to your spacebar key that has the Microsoft Windows icon on it) and select the next set of text. Only the text that was highlighted with the I-bar will be included with your selection.
• To move the text you selected to another location, press your left mouse button on the text you selected, drag the mouse to the location you wish to move the text to, and release the mouse button.
• To copy the text you selected to another location (leaving the selected text in its present location), hold down the Control (CTRL) key while pressing the left mouse button on the text you selected, drag the mouse to the location you wish to copy the text to, and release the mouse button.

Changing the Font Type

To change the font type of the text within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to change the font type. If you starting with a blank document, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Character from the menu list.
• If it is not already selected, click the Font tab within the window that appears. Select the Font within the window list. Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also change the font type by using the Font Name popup menu located within the Formatting toolbar.

Changing the Font Size

To change the font size of the text within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to change the font size. If you starting with a blank document, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Character from the menu list.
• If it is not already selected, click the Font tab within the window that appears. Select the font size within the window list. Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also change the font size by using the Font Size popup menu located within the Formatting toolbar.

Changing the Font Style (including Bold, Italicize, and Underline)

To change the font style of the text within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to change the font style. If you starting with a blank document, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Character from the menu list.
• If it is not already selected, click the Font tab within the window that appears. Select the font style within the window list. Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also change the font style by using the appropriate Font Style buttons located within the Formatting toolbar.

Changing the Font Color

To change the font color of the text within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to change the font color. If you starting with a blank document, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Character from the menu list.
• Click the Font Effects tab within the window that appears. Select the font color within the Font color popup menu. Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also change the font color by using the Font Color popup menu located within the Formatting toolbar.

Changing and Rotating Text Position

There are a couple of different ways you can change or rotate the position of text within a document. To change and rotate test utilizing your standard menu options, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to change the font position. If you starting with a blank document, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Character from the menu list.
• Click the Position tab within the window that appears. Select the font rotation and scaling options within the window list. Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You can also rotate text by creating a text object using the Drawing toolbar options within Writer. To use this method of rotating text, follow these steps:

• Click on the View menu and select Toolbars from the menu list. Select Drawing from the list that appears to have the Drawing toolbar become visible.
• Within the Drawing toolbar, click the icon represented by a bold “T” to select the Text tool. When you move your pointer inside the page area of your document, your pointer will transform into a target sight. Hold down the left mouse button and drag to create a text box to enter text into. Release the left mouse button once you have created the appropriate sized text box.
• Inside the text box, a cursor will be flashing. Begin typing the text you wish to rotate. When you have completed move your pointer inside the text box until it transforms into a bold target sign. Then click your left mouse button. The text box will be surrounded by small boxes around its border.
• Select the Rotate button within the Drawing Objects toolbar that appears above your document’s ruler. The small boxes that surrounded the border of your text box will transform into red oval icons. Place your pointer on one of the oval located on the corner of the textbox. The pointer will transform into the rotation icon. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the text box into the direction you wish to rotate. When you have rotated the text to the position desired, release the left mouse button. Click your pointer outside of the text box to deselect it.

Wrapping Text Around Objects

To wrap text around objects, follow these steps:

• Select the object you wish to wrap text around.
• Click on the Format menu and select Wrap from the menu list. Select the wrap type from the list that appears. The current wrapping style is indicated with a checkmark.
• To specify wrapping properties you wish to have, select the object, click on the Format menu and select Object from the menu list, and click on Text Attributes option that appears. Select the properties you wish to have, and then click the OK button.
• To change the wrapping contour of a graphic, right-click on the graphic, choose Wrap from the contextual menu that appears, then select the Edit option. Use the tools available to change the contour and click the OK button.

Paragraph Alignment

To change the paragraph alignment within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the text or paragraph you wish to change the alignment. If you are starting off with a blank document or a new paragraph, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Paragraph from the menu list.
• Click on the Alignment tab in the window that appears. Select the alignment style (left, right, center or justified) by clicking on the radio button next to your desired selection.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also change the paragraph alignment by using the appropriate alignment buttons located within the Formatting toolbar.


Creating Paragraph Indents

To create first-line paragraph indents within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the paragraph you wish to change the first line paragraph indent. If you are starting off with a blank document or a new paragraph, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Paragraph from the menu list.
• Click on the Indents and Spacing tab in the window that appears.
• Under your indents option, you will find a popup menu that will allow you to select the appropriate indention spacing. To select the spacing, click on the little arrows to the right of the popup menu. You may also click in the checkbox next to Automatic to set your first line indent to 0.20” by default.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also change the paragraph indent by utilizing the ruler located between the toolbar and the document area. Simply drag the top-left triangle within the ruler to the new indent location. If the ruler is not visible, go to the View menu and select Ruler from the menu list. Furthermore, you may create a first-line paragraph indent by utilizing the Styles and Formatting Organizer. To view the Styles and Formatting Organizer, click on the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting from the menu list or simply press the F11 key on your keyboard.

Creating Hanging Indents

To create hanging paragraph indents within your document (where the second and subsequent lines of a paragraph are indented), follow these steps:

• Select the paragraph you wish to change the hanging paragraph indent. If you are starting off with a blank document or a new paragraph, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting from the menu list, or simply press the F11 key on your keyboard to view the Styles and Formatting Organizer.
• Click on the Paragraph styles button (the first button in the upper-left corner of the organizer window) to view your paragraph formatting options. Double-click Hanging Indent from the list within the window to automatically create a hanging indent in your document.
• You may close the Styles and Formatting Organizer window by clicking the Close button in the upper-right corner of the Organizer window (the button marked with an “X”).

You may also change the hanging paragraph indent by utilizing the ruler located between the toolbar and the document area. Simply drag the bottom-left triangle within the ruler to the new hanging indent location. Adjust your first-line paragraph indent by dragging the top-left triangle within the ruler. If the ruler is not visible, go to the View menu and select Ruler from the menu list.

Sorting Paragraphs

To sort paragraphs within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the paragraphs you wish to sort in your document. If you would like to sort all paragraphs within the document, go to the Edit menu and choose Select All from the menu list that appears.
• Click on the Tools menu and select Sort from the menu list that appears.
• Select the sort criteria utilizing the options that appear in the Sort window. In the Separator area, select whether Tabs or Characters will be utilized in the paragraph sorting criteria.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

Inserting Tables

To insert a table within your document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor at the location in your document you wish to insert a table by clicking your left mouse button once at the location.
• Click on the Table menu, select the Insert menu option and select Table from the submenu that appears. You may also hold down the Control (CTRL) key and press F12 to have the menu selection appear.
• In the window that appears, select the number of columns and rows you wish the table to contain utilizing the popup menus presented. Select any other formatting options you wish the table to have utilizing the selections presented to you within the window.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

Inserting Frames

To create a frame (or border) around a paragraph within your document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor within the paragraph you wish to create a frame around by clicking your left mouse button once within the paragraph.
• Click on the Format menu and select Paragraph from the menu list.
• Click on the Borders tab in the window that appears.
• Within your Line Arrangements selection area, choose the appropriate border arrangement to be placed around your paragraph. (Note: The first selection within Line Arrangements does not set a border around your paragraph.)
• Within the Line selection area, choose the appropriate style (thickness) of the line that will appear as your border frame. You also may select a color by using the Color popup menu available.
• Continue to make any other appropriate border formatting selections using the options presented to you, including border position, shadow style and more.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

Inserting Bullet and Numbering Lists

To insert bullet or numbered lists within your document, follow these steps:

• Select the paragraph you wish transform into a bulleted or numbered list. If you are starting off with a blank document or a new paragraph, proceed with Step #2.
• Click on the Format menu and select Bullets and Numbering from the menu that appears.
• Within the window that appears, you have numerous bullet and numbering format options available to you that are sorted within tabs that are presented along the top. Click on the tab that presents the bulleted or numbered format you wish to select to view your options.
• Click on the bulleted or numbered list option within the Selection area to specify your desired format type.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

You may also create a bulleted or numbered list by utilizing the Styles and Formatting Organizer. To view the Styles and Formatting Organizer, click on the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting from the menu list or simply press the F11 key on your keyboard. Then click on the Character Styles button (the second icon from the left at the top of the Organizer) to view your bulleted or numbered list format option.


Section Three: Formatting Pages

Selecting Page Size

To select the appropriate page size for your document, follow these steps:

• Click on the Format menu and select Page from the menu that appears.
• When the Page Style window appears, click on the Page tab at the top of the window (if it isn’t already selected).
• Using the Format popup menu, select the predefined paper size you will print your document on. When you select an option, the width and height will automatically change to format itself to the predefined paper format. If you wish to select a custom paper size, utilize the Width and Height menus to enter the appropriate page size.
• In the Margins selection area, specify your page margins for your document by entering the appropriate measurements.
• In the Layout selection area, you have the option to select the register-true feature format feature. When you select this feature, it can make pages easier to read by preventing gray shadows from appearing between the lines of text. This could be a useful feature if your document will be printed on the front and back of pages, such as a book or newsletter. To select this feature, click inside the checkbox. When a checkmark appears within the box, the feature is enabled.
• Once you have selected your page style formatting options, click the OK button to complete the selection.

Inserting Headers

Headers are areas located within the top page margins that are added to your page style and allow you to add text and/or graphics within the area. Typical uses for headers include chapter titles and page numbers. To insert a header into your document, simply click on the Insert menu, select Header from the menu that appears, and select the header type from the submenu that appears.

You may also create a header by utilizing the Styles and Formatting Organizer. To view the Styles and Formatting Organizer, click on the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting from the menu list or simply press the F11 key on your keyboard. Then click on the Paragraph Styles button (the first icon from the left at the top of the Organizer) and double-click on Header within the list available.

Inserting Footers

Footers are areas located within the bottom page margins that are added to your page style and allow you to add text and/or graphics within the area. Typical uses for headers include chapter titles, page numbers and endnotes. To insert a footer into your document, simply click on the Insert menu, select Footer from the menu that appears, and select the footer type from the submenu that appears.

You may also create a footer by utilizing the Styles and Formatting Organizer. To view the Styles and Formatting Organizer, click on the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting from the menu list or simply press the F11 key on your keyboard. Then click on the Paragraph Styles button (the first icon from the left at the top of the Organizer) and double-click on Footer within the list available.

Adjusting Page Margins

To adjust the page margins for your document, follow these steps:

• Click on the Format menu and select Page from the menu that appears.
• When the Page Style window appears, click on the Page tab at the top of the window (if it isn’t already selected).
• In the Margins selection area, specify your page margins for your document by entering the appropriate measurements.
• Once you have selected your page style formatting options, click the OK button to complete the selection.

Adding Page Columns

If you are creating a manuscript or a newsletter, you may wish to have your text formatted within multiple columns on your page layout. OpenOffice.org allows for great flexibility in creating multiple columns within your document. To create columns, follow these steps:

• Click on the Format menu and select Page from the menu that appears.
• When the Page Style window appears, click on the Columns tab at the top of the window.
• Within the Settings selection area, you may click on one of the predefined column formats available to you or enter the number of columns you wish your document to have.
• If you want to customize the width and spacing of the columns within your document or add a separator line, utilize the fields available within the appropriate selection areas.
• Click the OK button to complete the selection.

Using the Organizer to Format Pages

The Styles and Formatting Organizer allows you to quickly select pre-defined formatting options to include in your documents simply by double-clicking on a style option listed within the Organizer. To view and edit the Openoffice.org Formatting Styles Organizer, follow these steps:

• To view the organizer, click the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting or simply press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard. A window will appear displaying by default the various paragraph styles available.
• When the Organizer window is open, you will notice a small toolbar within the window. You can view other formatting styles as well by clicking on the appropriate button. Click on the Page Styles button (the fourth button in the upper-left corner of the organizer window) to view your page formatting options. Double-click on the appropriate style to make your format selection.
• You can also create or modify formatting styles based upon existing styles by right-clicking on a style listed within the Organizer and select the appropriate command from the contextual menu that appears. You may also delete custom styles you created from the Organizer by right-clicking on it within the list.

Section Four: Inserting Clip Art and Graphics

Supported Graphic File Types

OpenOffice.org supports a wide array of file types for graphics files to be imported into Writer. If you have a graphic file you wish to import into your Writer document, chances are OpenOffice.org supports it. Supported graphic file types for importing into a Writer document include:

• Windows Bitmap (*.bmp)
• AutoCAD Interchange Format (*.dxf)
• Enhanced Metafile (*.emf)
• Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps)
• Graphics Interchange Format (*.gif)
• Joint Photographic Experts Group (*.jpg or *jpeg)
• OS/2 Metafile (*.met)
• Portable Bitmap (*.pbm)
• Kodak Photo CD (*.pcd)
• Macintosh Picture Format (*.pct or *.pict)
• Zsoft Paintbrush (*.pcx)
• Portable Graymap (*.pgm)
• Portable Network Graphic (*.png)
• Portable Pixelmap (*.ppm)
• Adobe Photoshop (*.psd)
• Sun Raster Image (*.ras)
• StarWriter Graphics Format (*.sgf)
• StarDraw 2.0 (*.sgv)
• StarView Metafile (*.svm)
• Truevision Targa (*.tga)
• Tagged Image File Format (*.tif or *.tiff)
• Windows Metafile (*.wmf)
• X Bitmap (*.xbm)
• X PixMap (*.xpm)

Inserting a Graphic or Clip Art

To insert a graphic or clip art image into your Writer document, follow these steps:

• Click on the Insert menu and select the Picture menu option that appears.
• When you select the Picture menu option, a submenu will appear allowing you to choose an image file or retrieve a picture from a scanner. Select the appropriate option.
• If you selected to insert a picture from an image file, locate the file using Insert Picture window that appears. Click once on the file displayed to select the appropriate image to insert.
• At the bottom of the Insert Picture window, OpenOffice.org gives you the option to link the file rather than embedding the image into the document. If you have an image that is being used in a number of places throughout the document, you can choose to link the image to reduce the file size of your document. If you ever move the image to another location, however, you will need to re-link the image for it to appear in the document. If you wish to link the image, click within the checkbox located next to the Link selection.
• Click OK to complete your selection.

Adjusting a Graphic Image Location

If you wish to adjust the location of your graphic image, follow these steps:

• Click once within the graphic image with your left mouse button. Small boxes will appear around the edge of the image when it has been properly selected.
• Move your pointer within the graphic area. The pointer will transform into a black target icon. Holding down your left mouse button on the image, drag the image. Once you have the image in your desired location, release the mouse button.
• If you wish to center the graphic within the page, select the image as detailed in Step #1. Then click the Center Horizontal tool within the Formatting toolbar located above your document’s ruler. The image should then center itself within the page.

Resizing a Graphic Image

If you wish to resize an image or graphic within your document, follow these steps:

• Click once within the graphic image with your left mouse button. Small boxes will appear around the edge of the image when it has been properly selected.
• To proportionally resize the graphic, place your pointer on one of the small boxes located one the corner of the image. Your pointer will transform into a black bar with arrows on each end of it. Hold down the left mouse button and begin to drag either outward or inward to make your graphic larger or smaller, respectively. When you have resized it to the desired width and height, release the left mouse button.
• If you know the exact width and height you wish your graphic to be, you may also resize an image by right-clicking on the image and select Graphics from the contextual menu that appears.

Section Five: Saving and Printing a Document

Supported File Types for Saving

OpenOffice.org can open and save documents formatted in a wide array of file types. Although it might not be their primary office suite, many users have found OpenOffice.org to be a useful tool for opening and saving files not supported through their primary applications. Writer supports the following file formats:

• Hypertext Markup Language Documents (*.htm or *.html)
• OpenOffice.org 2.0 Native OpenDocument Text (*.odt)
• OpenOffice.org 2.0 Native OpenDocument Text Template (*.ott)
• OpenOffice.org 1.0 Text Document (*.sxw)
• Microsoft Word 6.0/95/97/2000/XP/2007 Documents (*.doc, *.docx)
• Microsoft Word 2003 XML Documents (*.xml)
• Palm AportisDoc Documents (*.pdb)
• Pocket Word Documents (*.psw)
• Portable Document Format Documents (*.pdf)
• Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
• StarWriter 3.0/4.0/5.0 Text Documents (*.sdw)
• StarWriter 3.0/4.0/5.0 Text Templates (*.vor)
• Text Files (*.txt)

Saving a File as a Native Writer Document

To save a document in the native Writer 3.0 OpenDocument format, follow these steps:

• Click on the File menu and choose Save As from the menu list.
• A window will appear and prompt you to choose a location to save your document. Choose the location you want to save a document to in the Save In popup field.
• In the field File Name, type the name you would like to save the file as.
• In the Save As Type popup menu, select the OpenDocument Text (.odt) file format.
• Click the button SAVE to complete the operation.

Saving a File as a Microsoft Word Document

To save a document in the Microsoft Word format, follow these steps:

• Click on the File menu and choose Save As from the menu list.
• A window will appear and prompt you to choose a location to save your document. Choose the location you want to save a document to in the Save In popup field.
• In the field File Name, type the name you would like to save the file as.
• In the Save As Type popup menu, select the appropriate Microsoft Word (*.doc) file format.
• Click the button SAVE to complete the operation.

Exporting a File as a Portable Document Format (PDF) Document

One of the many useful features OpenOffice.org has built-in to the office suite is the ability to export documents as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. To save a document as a read-only PDF file, follow these steps:

• Click on the File menu and choose Export As PDF from the menu list.
• A window will appear and prompt you to choose a location to save your document. Choose the location you want to save a document to in the Save In popup field.
• In the field File Name, type the name you would like to save the file as.
• In the File Format popup menu, make sure Portable Document Format (PDF) is selected.
• Click the button SAVE to complete the operation.

(NOTE: OpenOffice.org documents saved as a PDF file is a convenient way to share read-only documents to other users that have a PDF reader application installed on their computer. However, OpenOffice.org cannot edit a document that has been saved as a PDF file. To save a document for editing at a later date, save the document in its Native OpenDocument file format.)

Exporting a File as a Web Page (HTML) Document

To save a document in the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format, follow these steps:

• Click on the File menu and choose Save As from the menu list.
• A window will appear and prompt you to choose a location to save your document. Choose the location you want to save a document to in the Save In popup field.
• In the field File Name, type the name you would like to save the file as.
• In the Save As Type popup menu, select the HTML (*.htm or *.html) file format.
• Click the button SAVE to complete the operation.

Printing A Document

To print a document within any OpenOffice.org application, follow these steps:

• Click on the File menu and select Print from the menu that appears. You may also hold down the Control (CTRL) key and press P on the keyboard to prompt for the Print window.
• If you have more than one printer that your computer can send print jobs to, select the printer you wish to send the document to in the Printer selection area.
• In the Print Range selection area, use the radio buttons to select which pages you wish to print. If you choose the Pages option, enter the page range you wish to print (example: 1-5 will print pages one through 5; 1,2,5 will print pages one, two and five). If you choose the Selection option, OpenOffice.org will only print the text you have selected (highlighted) within your document.
• In the Copies selection area, enter the number of copies you wish to print of the document.
• If you wish to customize the print job, click on the OPTIONS button and select or deselect the print options you wish to choose. If you do not want to customize any print settings, skip to Step #6.
• Once you have completed specifying your print settings, click the OK button to begin printing.

Section Six: Correcting Document Errors

Using Cut, Copy and Paste

Using Cut, Copy and Paste is one of the most fundamental operations you will perform to correct document errors. You may also use these commands to transfer text or graphics from one document into another. If you are unfamiliar with using these operations, use these steps to assist in determining which to use when correcting document errors:

• Highlight the text you want to cut or copy.
• To eliminate text to reinsert in another location in the document, click the Edit menu and choose the Cut menu option.
• To duplicate text in another part of the document, click the Edit menu and choose the Copy menu option.
• Place the cursor at the location you want the text to appear.
• In the Edit menu, choose the Paste menu option.

Deleting Text

To permanently delete text from your document, follow these steps:

• Highlight the text you want to permanently delete.
• Press the Delete key on your keyboard to permanently remove the text from your document.

Using Undo

If you make the mistake of deleting something you didn’t wish to do or make a formatting error, immediately go to the Edit menu and choose Undo from the menu list that appears to go back to the document’s previous state before the error was made. You can continue to select the Undo menu command multiple times to continue to go back to each previous step.

Using Spellcheck

To use the OpenOffice.org spell check feature, follow these steps:

• If you wish to spell check a specific word or sentence, select the text you wish to spell check. Otherwise, proceed to Step #2.
• Go to the Tools menu and select Spellcheck from the menu that appears. You may also press the F7 key on your keyboard to begin checking for spelling errors.
• If any potential spelling errors appear, OpenOffice.org will indicate the potential error and give you a list of possible suggestions to correct the spelling.
• If you see a spelling suggestion that would correct the error, select it from the Suggestions list and click the CHANGE button.
• If you believe that the word in question is spelled correctly, you can click the IGNORE ONCE button to proceed to the next potential spelling error. If the word in question is spelled correctly and you use it often when creating documents, you may click the ADD button to add it to the Spellcheck dictionary.
• When you have completed checking for potential spelling errors, click the CLOSE button to exit and return to the document.

Using the Thesaurus

To use the OpenOffice.org thesaurus feature, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to look up using the thesaurus.
• Go to the Tools menu, select Language from the menu that appears and choose Thesaurus from the submenu. You may also hold down the Control (CTRL) key on your keyboard and press F7 to launch the thesaurus.
• The thesaurus window will appear and will provide you with the meaning and a list of synonyms for the word you selected. If you wish to replace the word with a synonym, select the word from the list of synonyms and click the OK button.

Using AutoCorrect

AutoCorrect is enabled by default. However, AutoCorrect can be enabled or disabled at any time. To enable or disable a specific AutoCorrect feature, go to the Tools menu and select AutoCorrect from the menu that appears. Once the AutoCorrect window appears, click on the tab related to the specific feature you wish to enable or disable and select the appropriate options.

Using AutoFormat

Like AutoCorrect, the AutoFormat features are enabled by default. However, AutoFormat may also be enabled or disabled at any time. To enable or disable the AutoFormat feature, click on the Format menu, select AutoFormat from the menu that appears, and select While Typing from the submenu that appears. A checkmark will appear next to the submenu option when the feature is enabled.

Section Seven: Beyond The Basics

Inserting Notes

To insert a note within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place the cursor where you wish the note to be positioned within the document.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Note from the menu that appears.
• When the Note window appears, type the note you wish to insert into the document utilizing the textbox provided.
• Click the OK button to complete the operation.

When you have completed preparing the note, a yellow rectangle will appear where your cursor was placed within the document. To read the note, double-click on the yellow box.

Creating Footnotes

To insert a footnote within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor within the page you wish the footnote to appear.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Footnote from the menu that appears.
• In the Insert Footnote window that appears, select Automatic within the Numbering selection area for the footnotes to be listed numerically at the bottom of the page.
• Select Footnote within the Type selection area.
• Click the OK button to complete the operation. The footnote will appear at the bottom of the current page.

Creating Endnotes

To insert an endnote within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor within the document you wish the endnote to appear.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Footnote from the menu that appears.
• In the Insert Footnote window that appears, select Automatic within the Numbering selection area for the endnote to be listed with roman numerals at the bottom of the page.
• Select Endnote within the Type selection area.
• Click the OK button to complete the operation. The endnote will appear at the end of the document.

Insert Bibliography Entries

To store bibliography within the OpenOffice.org Bibliography Database, follow these steps:

• Go to the Tools menu and select Bibliography Database from the menu that appears.
• When the Bibliography Database window appears, go to the Insert menu and select Record from the menu that appears.
• In the Short Name field provided in the lower half of the window, enter a short name that best describes the bibliography entry you are entering. This will be entered as the Identifier within the database.
• After entering the Short Name, complete the remaining data fields in the lower half of the window that is appropriate for your bibliography entry.
• After you have completed entering data into the remaining data fields, close the Bibliography Database window. Your data will automatically be saved into the database.

To insert a bibliography entry into your Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor within the document you wish the bibliography entry to appear.
• Go to the Insert menu, select Indexes and Tables from the menu that appears and then select Bibliography Entry from the submenu that appears.
• In the Insert Bibliography Entry window that appears, click the radio button next to the Entry selection From Bibliography Database.
• In the Short Name popup menu, select the Bibliography entry you wish to insert into the document.
• Click the INSERT button for the bibliography entry to appear within the document. Then click the CLOSE button to close out the Insert Bibliography Entry window.

Indexes and Entries

To create a user-defined index and add entries to it, follow these steps:

• Select a word or multiple words within your Writer document that you want to add into your index.
• Go to the Insert menu, select Indexes and Tables from the menu that appears and select Entry from the submenu that appears.
• Click the button located next to the Index popup menu to create a new user-defined index.
• Type a name to identify the new user-defined index and click the OK button.
• When you are returned to the Insert Index Entry window, click the INSERT button to add the word(s) to the new user-defined index. Click the CLOSE button to return to the Writer document.

To insert a user-defined index into a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor within the document you wish the index to appear.
• Go to the Insert menu, select Indexes and Tables from the menu that appears and then select Index and Tables from the submenu that appears.
• When the Insert Index/Table window appears, click on the Index/Table tab at the top of the window if it is not already selected.
• Click on the Type popup menu and select the user-defined index you created.
• Select any additional formatting options you wish your index to have by utilizing the options available within the tabs located at the top of the window.
• When you have selected the formatting options you wish the new index to have, click the OK button to complete the operation.

Line Numbering

To enable line numbering within a document, follow these steps:

• Go to the Tools menu and select Line Numbering from the menu that appears.
• Click within the Show Numbering checkbox to enable line numbering.
• Select any view styles you wish line numbering to have.
• Once you have selected the viewing options you wish your line numbering to have, click the OK button to complete the operation.

Outline Numbering

To create a specific numbering format for outlines you are creating, follow these steps:

• Go to the Tools menu and select Outline Numbering from the menu that appears.
• When the Outline Numbering window appears, click on the Numbering tab at the top of the window if it isn’t already selected.
• Within the Numbering selection area, click on the Paragraph Style popup menu and select the style you wish the outline to have. If you wish to create a standard outline, select Default within the popup menu.
• Click on the Number popup menu and select the numbering style you wish the outline to have.
• Select any additional formatting styles you wish the outline to have.
• When you have selected the formatting option you wish the outline to have, click the FORMAT button and select Save As.
• In the Format selection area within the Save As window that appears, type a name that best describes the outline format you are creating and click the OK button.

When you want to use a custom Outline Numbering style, go to the Tools menu, select Outline Numbering from the menu that appears and select the style from the Paragraph Style popup menu.

Creating a Page Break

To create a new, basic page within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place the cursor in the document where you wish the new section to begin.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Manual Break from the menu that appears.
• When the Manual Break window appears, click on the Page Break radio button within the Type selection area.
• If you are creating the page break for a specific purpose, you may select one of the formatting options from the Style popup menu. If you wish to have a standard page break, leave the popup menu selected None.
• When you have selected the formatting options you wish the new page to have, click the OK button to complete the operation.

You can also create a new page break by holding down the Control (CTRL) key and press the Enter key on the keyboard.

Creating a Section Break

To create a new, basic section within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place the cursor in the document where you wish the new section to begin.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Section from the menu that appears.
• When the Section window appears, go to the New Section selection area and type a name in the field that best describes the contents of the new section.
• Select any formatting options you wish the section to have by clicking on the appropriate tabs that are displayed at the top of the window.
• When you have selected the formatting options you wish the new section to have, click the INSERT button to complete the operation.

Creating Bookmarks and Hyperlinks

OpenOffice.org provides great flexibility in embedding hyperlinks for web pages or to target other sections of a Writer document. If you wish to embed a hyperlink to target a specific section of your document, you must first create a bookmark within the document for the hyperlink to target and then create the hyperlink.

To create a bookmark within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Place your cursor in your document where you wish the hidden bookmark to be placed.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Bookmark from the menu that appears.
• When the Insert Bookmark window appears, type a name in the first text field that best describes the contents or position of the bookmark. (NOTE: the bookmark name must not contain any spaces.)
• Click the OK button to complete the insertion of the hidden bookmark within the document.

To create a hyperlink to send a reader to a bookmarked section within a Writer document, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to embed the hyperlink into.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Hyperlink from the menu that appears.
• When the Hyperlink window appears, click on the Document button located on the left side of the window.
• In the Target In Document selection area, click the Target button located to the right of the Target text field.
• When the Target In Document window appears, click the “+” icon located next to the item Bookmarks. The bookmarks you have embedded within your Writer document will appear in a list.
• Select the bookmark you wish to link to and click the APPLY button. Click the CLOSE button to close the Target In Document window.
• The Hyperlink window will now indicate the bookmark you selected as the target. Click the APPLY button within the Hyperlink window to complete the hyperlink operation. The click the CLOSE button to close the Hyperlink window. If the hyperlink was successfully created, the text you selected in Step #1 should be blue in color and underlined.

To create a hyperlink to send a reader to an Internet destination, such as a webpage or FTP address, follow these steps:

• Select the text you wish to embed the hyperlink into.
• Go to the Insert menu and select Hyperlink from the menu that appears.
• When the Hyperlink window appears, click on the Internet button located on the left side of the window.
• In the Hyperlink Type selection area, choose the appropriate hyperlink type by clicking the radio button next to the selection. For example, if you are going to create a hyperlink to link your readers to a website, select Web.
• In the Target text field, type the full address of the webpage you wish to link to. (NOTE: To ensure that the hyperlink will refer readers to a webpage properly, begin all addresses with the referrer http://)
• Click the APPLY button within the Hyperlink window to complete the hyperlink operation. The click the CLOSE button to close the Hyperlink window. If the hyperlink was successfully created, the text you selected in Step #1 should be blue in color and underlined.

Creating a Mail Merge

With OpenOffice.org 3.0, creating a mail merge is much simpler than with the older version. OpenOffice.org 3.0 now includes a Mail Merge Wizard that walks users through step-by-step in creating a mail merge. To create a mail merge, go to the Tools menu and select Mail Merge Wizard from the menu that appears. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the mail merge.

Importing a Calc Spreadsheet as an OLE Object

Importing a Calc spreadsheet as an OLE Object into a Writer document not only allows you to place the spreadsheet contents within a text document, but also allows you to edit the spreadsheet directly within the text document as well. To import a Calc spreadsheet as an OLE object, follow these steps:

• Open both the Writer document you wish to import a spreadsheet into and the Calc spreadsheet you will be exporting data from.
• Within the Calc spreadsheet, select the spreadsheet area to want to place within the Writer document.
• Place your pointer within the selected area of the Calc Spreadsheet, hold down the left mouse button and drag the selected spreadsheet area into the Writer text document. Once the cursor appears at the location you wish to place the spreadsheet, release the mouse button. The spreadsheet in now inserted as an OLE object into the Writer document.
• To edit the Calc spreadsheet directly within the Writer document, double-click the spreadsheet. If you need to have the menu commands available to edit the spreadsheet, right-click on the spreadsheet and choose Edit from the contextual menu that appears.

About Macros

OpenOffice.org Writer cannot run the same macro code that Microsoft Office utilizes. This is because OpenOffice.org Writer uses Basic code for its macros, while Microsoft Office uses Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for its macros. While OpenOffice.org Basic and VBA share many similarities, objects and methods within each scripting language are different. In addition to Basic, OpenOffice.org also supports JavaScript and BeanShell for scripting macros.

To utilize the macros created in one application within another, you must edit the macros. OpenOffice.org can load macros that are contained within Microsoft Office documents. You can then view and edit the macro code within the OpenOffice.org Basic editor.