OpenOffice.org Frequently Asked Questions

Version 0.9.1 (04:01:40 pm 23. August 2003)

In this document you will find a collection of the most frequently asked questions from the users@openoffice.org and discuss@openoffice.org mailing lists. These questions have been categorized to make it easy for you to quickly find your question and the relevant answer.

If you do not find your question, or a relevant answer to your question please send an email to users@openoffice.org, it's important that you also include your operating system and what version of it you use, what version of OpenOffice.org you are using and clearly describe your problem. Please also remember that users@openoffice.org is a mailing list, and without being subscribed you may not see all answers to your question. There are several ways to see all answers to your question(s) :

subscribe to users@openoffice.org – you will learn a lot from other users answering questions from many people, but there are also many questions and many more answers, so after a few days you may find that the volume is a bit too high. If so then you can unsubscribe and use one of the following mechanisms to view questions and answers.

Use newsgroups – news://news.gmame.org for those who prefer to use newsgroups rather than e-mail mailing lists, the users mailing list can be found in gmame in the newsgroup gmane.comp.openoffice.questions; and

Use the html archives

There are also several other mailing lists which are more specialized, however if you are not sure which list to post to then users@openoffice.org is always a good place to start. But please remember that these are public mailing lists and there is a certain guidelines and etiquette which you are expected to respect.

General

To use OpenOffice ...

What operating system does OpenOffice run on ?

Contributed ports of OpenOffice.org 1.1 exist for FreeBSD, Apple MacOSX, Irix, Linux-PPC, Linux s390, Linux Sparc, and Solaris Intel. Porting activity is underway for Linux/Apha, HPUX, and AIX and developer help is needed for those platforms. For more information please see the OpenOffice porting project or send your questions or queries to dev@porting.openoffic.org.

How much memory do I need ?

Generally 64-128MB is needed, but it is system and version dependent. For Windows and Linux a minimum of 64 megabytes is recommended but 128 megabytes or more would be better. Several people have run OpenOffice.org on 16 MB machines and even though it takes quite a while to start, they were very quite happy with its usability.

How much disk space do I need ?

For OpenOffice 1.0 you will need around 115 megabytes of disk space is necessary. For version 1.1 you will need about 215 MB for a complete installation.

Is OpenOffice available in my language ?

Probably, please check the native language project where currently you will find projects for Czech, Danske, Germanophone, Español, Suomenkieliset, Francophone, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Português, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, Turkish and Chinese. There may be others since this document was written, and other native language projects are always welcome.

Please note that spellcheckers and thesauri are also available for many languages where the OpenOffice interface has not been localized. They are available here .

For Free ?

Is it really free ?

Yes. Really.

Can I give it to my friends for free ?

Yes.

Can I use it in my company for free ?

Yes.

How can you make it for free ?

A lot of development, and all(most?) infrastructure is supplied/sponsored by Sun Microsystems. There are also many other people working on the project on a community basis, including localization, documentation, support, testing, QA and development.

If you want to contribute, your help would be greatly appreciated.

Also many other products are available for free under what are generally called Free/Libre Open Source Software. Examples include Mozilla ( for email and web browsing ), MySQL ( an advanced database ), and GIMP ( for image manipulation ). There are many other great products available, including advanced enterprise products from other groups on the internet.

But will it always remain free ?

Yes, the licenses under which it is developed and distributed does not allow it to be taken away.

What happens if the BSA comes looking for the license ?

Tell them to look at the license here .

Basic Windows questions

What do I need to do when I want to email a document to someone so that they can read it with MSOffice ?

You need to save your document in the correct Microsoft format. To do this use “File” => “Save As..” and then select the correct option in the “File Type” drop down menu. Another option to consider if you only want someone to be able to read a document is that PDF is very good for this. OpenOffice can export documents in PDF format.

When I send someone an OpenOffice document as an attachment, they cannot open it. Why not?

This may be because you sent them a file in the OpenOffice file format. Unfortunately most people only recognize MSOffice files as the only way to exchange files. To save your document as MSOffice files use the OpenOffice menu "File" => "Save As..." and, from the lower drop-down box select the version of Word or Excel you want to save it in. Be aware that older versions of Word does not always read newer Word documents, but in general the best format to pick is Word97/2000/XP.

Why can't I open MSOffice password protected files ?

Because the protection is a specific MS technology which is protected and may not be used legally. There are however several tools you'll find on the web to open these files as the password protection is not actually very good and can easily be broken without even knowing the password!

The quick launch icon disappeared, how can I get it back ?

Start one of the OpenOffice applications, say, Writer then use the menu "Tools" => "Options" and in the dialog "OpenOffice.org" => "Memory" and tick "Load OpenOffice.org during system startup".

I have removed MSOffice and now my Outlook(or Outlook Express ) can not do any spell checking. Is it possible for OpenOffice spellchecker to be used ?

Currently ( as of 1.1 ), it is not possible to use the OpenOffice spellchecker for Outlook. However there is a freeware alternative .

Basic Linux problems

I have huge fonts on login, how can I fix it ?

This seems to be a common problem with RedHat 9. RedHat support found the solution and it has to do with the DPI being set to the wrong unit ( The monitor screen size may have to be entered in millimeters rather than inches in the display setting). Please contact RedHat support ( or any of the RedHat mailing lists for the correct fix.

On my Linux system, OpenOffice will not start, what's wrong ?

Only one OpenOffice process can run at a time for each user. So it's possible that you have an OpenOffice process already running. You can check this with the shell command “ps -a | grep office ”.

You should then either check that OpenOffice is not running in any other workspace. If it is not then you can stop that OpenOffice process by using the command “kill <process-id-of-openoffice> ”.

My OpenOffice has slowed down, what's wrong ?

In the versions before 1.0.2 there was a problem with the psfontcache file. This file would get bigger and slow down openoffice.org. The solution is to delete this file, or to upgrade to a more recent version of OpenOffice. Also the internals of OpenOffice threading made some assumptions about the Linux threading model which turned out to be a problem with an updated version of Linux. This should be solved with an update to the latest version of OpenOffice.

Misc.

How do I start Calc instead of Writer ?

You can use “soffice -calc”.

What is the difference between OpenOffice and StarOffice ?

Please look at this answer .

Why does my document look different when I open it and print it ?

This is probably a problem with the configuration of fonts, please have a look at the font guide.

Where is the Zoom function ?

The zoom percent is normally visible in the status bar. It is shown as a figure followed by a percent sign. If you right-click on it, you should be able to select a zoom. That works well for standard choices, such as Optimal or 100%. You can also increase and decrease the zoom level with the mouse if you have a mouse with a wheel by holding the Ctrl button and using the mouse wheel.

How can I turn off the startup icon ?

You need to find the file called "sofficerc" and edit the line in it to read"Logo=0"

Documentation and Support

Where can I get a book or manual ?

There are currently at least 4 books available :

GetOpenOffice.org - This is actually a book in print, that is great for beginners

Taming OpenOffice.org - Here's a shareware book that you can download, and pay for if you enjoy using it! Currently only supporting Writer, there will be more components of the package supported.

OpenOffice.org Clue Sheets - Guides that are 2 pages long for each application, and come as real handy help. A review is provided.

OOoSwitch: 501 Things You Want to Know About Switching to OpenOffice.org from Microsoft Office

Other links can be found at the third party documentation page.

How can I contact the OpenOffice.org project ?

There are several mailing lists available for this project. However please remember to read the guidelines first, remembering to give enough information for someone to help you ( including what version of OpenOffice you use, what operating system you use, a describe your problem in a reasonable way for others to repeat, and only 1 or 2 question per email ).

How can I help the OpenOffice.org project ?

There are several areas that you could help with:

subscribe to users@openoffice.org and answer questions there;

http://documentation.openoffice.org for How-To type documentation, templates, etc. ;

testing and bug processing http://qa.openoffice.org/helping.html ;

donating your macros to http://scripting.openoffice.org ;

working on the website http://website.openoffice.org ;

if you want to help with any functionality and you can program your help would also be much appreciated ; and

as soon as the OpenOffice Community Council is setup and running it will hopefully be possible to donate funds

What other websites can help me with OpenOffice.org ?

There are at least 2 others : www.oodocs.org and ooextras.sourceforge.net.

Downloads

General

Where can I get the downloads for my platform ?

The current stable version is 1.0.3.1 : Windows , Linux , Solaris , LinuxPPC, FreeBSD , Mac OS X .

The next release will be 1.1 and there are pre-releases available : Windows , Linux , Solaris

There are probably downloads available for the other platforms, but since they are not part of the official build, it may take some time to make those builds available on this site.

What is the best way to download such a large file ?

Use a download manager to start, suspend, and resume the download.

It's too large to download, what other choices do I have ?

You can always order it on CD from various distributors .

I can't find the file I downloaded, where is it ?

Assuming that you downloaded the Windows version of OpenOffice.org. If that is correct, then the file should be called something like :OOo_1.0.3.1_Win32Intel_install.zip . If you can't remember which folder you saved the file to you can use the Windows “Search” utility.

“Start Menu” then “Find Files & Folders” ( simply called "Search" on Windows XP ) and type in the file name "OOo" and search.

Once you find the file, you want to use WinZip to expand the zip file into a whole directory. Then go into that directory and run the program called "setup.exe".

What do I need to do after downloading ?

You need to “unzip” the downloaded file. You almost certainly have the tool to do this already on you computer : on Windows use WinZip, and on most other platforms use gzip. Then simply run the setup program in the “unzipped” directory.

Release Notes

Where can I find the release notes ?

For 1.0.3.1 the releases notes can be found here .

Release notes for 1.1 will be added when it is officially released.

What has changed since the last release ?

Please look at the release notes for the version of OpenOffice you are using.

Why does the release notes not contain more specific information ?

The developers and release management people only have so much time in the day. If you see something that you think is missing please suggest it – or better yet join the project and contribute a small amount of your time.

Misc

Can I download only the part of the application for writing text documents ?

No this is not possible at this time. OpenOffice is an application suite, this means that it is one application with several different faces . Most of these faces use the same set of libraries so even though the total download size may be around 70 MB the download for the necessary core components to enable the word processor to work would probably be over 50 MB. Not much of a saving for loosing all that extra functionality.

Can I download OpenOffice in parts ?

Not exactly, but have a look at the Download/General section of this FAQ for download managers.

Can I download patches to upgrade my current version to the new version without downloading the complete new installation ?

That is not currently possible with OpenOffice, but it is hoped to make it possible in the future.

What do I do after I download the file ?

Unzip the downloaded file and run the setup program.

Unicows.dll

What is it ?

A library needed for Windows95, Windows98 and Windows ME to work with international characters. It was needed for a time with early versions of OpenOffice 1.1 development series ( 1.1beta1, 1.1beta2, 1.1rc1 and 1.1rc2 ). But it is now included in the OpenOffice 1.1 download. You do not need this if you have Windows NT or Windows XP.

Why do I need it ?

You usually only need to download it if you are using Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME.

Where do I get it ?

It seems as if Microsoft changes this link ever now and again, but it currently is here and follow the link on the right for “Download MSLU”. Alternatively upgrade to a more recent version of OpenOffice as it is automatically contained in the recent versions.

Installation & Setup

Documentation

Where can I get documentation on installation ?

The following installation and setup guides are available here .

Java

The installer is looking for Java, does it really need it to work correctly ?

It is not needed for OpenOffice.org to work correctly. However there will be some features which will not be available to you, for example with 1.1 you will not be able to use the XSLT functionality, JDBC, applets, form generators, and java api's for 3rd party modules.

The installer is looking for java, where do I find it ?

http://java.sun.com

What version of Java do I need ?

The release notes should be able to tell you that information.

I have Java installed but it's not recognized ?

Are you sure that you have the right version of java installed ? Please check the release notes for the version of OpenOffice you have installed.

Can I install Java after I install OpenOffice ?

Yes, you just need to run the program jvmsetup which can be found in the program folder of your OpenOffice installation.

General

I've installed OpenOffice, now what do I do ?

Simply start OpenOffice. You should see that there is now an entry for OpenOffice in you programs menu. After OpenOffice has started you should see an icon on the system tray ( it looks like flying seagulls on a blue and white background ). By using the right mouse button you can start the various different components quite quickly. This quick-launcher should be automatically started when you log in.

Can I install multiple versions at the same time ?

Yes, but they must be installed in different directories, and it is recommended to only start one with the quick-launcher tool.

How can I maintain my settings when I install a new version of OpenOffice ?

When upgrading from version 1.0 to 1.1 your settings should be automatically maintained if you install 1.1 in the same directory as 1.0.

How can I install OpenOffice so that it can be used by multiple users on the same machine ?

Use the multiuser installation mechanism i.e. as administrator call the setup program with the “-net” parameter e.g. “./setup -net”.

Then each user when they first run the application will be asked for some information. Only per user configuration files will be kept in a directory specific to each user.

Is it possible to install OpenOffice without the user having to input data ?

Yes, read this document .

Can I change the measurement units from centimeters to inches ?

Yes, but it is slightly different between the components :

For Writer it is : "Tools" => "Options" and then "Text Document" => "General" => "Settings" ;

For Calc it is : "Tools" => "Options" and then "Spreadsheet" => "General" => "Metrics" ; and

For Impress it is : "Tools" => "Options" and then "Presentation" => "General" => "Settings".

You can also change the settings by clicking the right mouse button on the ruler at the top of the page.

How can I change from edit mode so that I cannot make any changes to my document ?

If you press the "Edit File" button in the toolbar all of the edit features will be disabled. Clicking on this button will reactivate the edit functions again.

How can I get an editable document from a read only document ?

If you press the "Edit File" button in the toolbar while a read-only file is open, you'll get an untitled copy of the file to work with. When you try to save the document you will be prompted for a file name.

How can I dock the Stylist, Navigator and other floating windows ?

To dock the stylist, press Ctrl and double-click on a white or gray area of the window to dock. You can also hold the Ctrl button down while you drag the window. To undock you can also use the Ctrl button and double click on the grey area around the window to undock.

How can I add fonts to OpenOffice?

Exit OpenOffice and then run the program spadmin and click on the “Fonts” button.

Getting help

I'm looking for help, where do I get it ?

There are several places to get help :

Reading this FAQ first is a good start;

Use the built in OpenOffice.org help files : “Help” => “Contents” and then in the help window choose the “Index” tab and then either type the most relevant word into the “Search term” field and hit return or use the “Contents” tab to use a more structured layout.

Send an email to the users@openoffice.org list with all relevant info including which operation system you use, which version of that operating system, which version of OpenOffice you use and any other relevant info.

I've found a problem, what do I do ?

Ask the users@openoffice.org mailing list for help.

How do I report a problem so that the developers might fix it ?

To get a developer to look at your problem ( or your request to add a new feature ), then you must become a member of OpenOffice.org. The reason for this is just so that you can log onto the site to view and update your bug reports. So when you fill in the details and hit return, you will receive a confirmation email. When you confirm, you can then login in, and then enter a bug report.

On Windows

I've installed OpenOffice but it's taken over my files ?

When you install OpenOffice, it asks you whether you want to associate MS Office files with OpenOffice. In order to not associate these MS Office file types, you must uncheck the appropriate boxes before continuing.

Many people do not read this dialog properly, and simply click on “OK".

Once this association has been made, though, there are several ways to re-association the files with MSOffice. Go into your file types setting(it should be under either “Tools” or “Folder Options”) from one of the windows in “My Computer”. Then delete the association for .doc, .xls, and any other file types that you do not want associated with OpenOffice.

When you next click on a file of that type (such as .doc or .xls), it will ask you what you want to use to open it. Click on word, excel, or whatever you want to use. You will also be given the option to select always use this application to open the file type.

How come when I double click on a file it now opens in OpenOffice instead of my old word processor ?

Please see the answer of the previous question.

On Linux

Where should I install OpenOffice ?

It depends on which distribution of Linux you use, but /opt is probably the best place.

How do I improve the fonts (they look ugly )?

The font trouble shooting guide should be able to help you.

On Mac

Is there a version of OpenOffice available for the Macintosh with an Aqua interface ?

No, not yet. It is being worked on, but it will be at least next year before it is available. If you are a Mac developer then please help at http://porting.openoffice.org

Is there a version of OpenOffice which works on Macintosh OS9 ?

No. Since this version of the operating system is not supported anymore by Apple and it's APIs are very different from any other system it is not considered a good use of very limited resources to work on this. However volunteers are always welcome to help.

Writer

General

Is there an introductory document for Writer ?

Yes, at www.ooodocs.org the document Writer Getting Started :: How to Write and Manage OpenOffice.org text documents using Common Features and Styles will give you a reasonable introduction to using some general features of OpenOffice and a quick tour of the essential Writer features to make you productive.

How can I count words in a part of my document ?

There is a macro available for counting words in a highlighted area of text. Have a look at the macro from the document http://www.pitonyak.org/.

How can I get mail merge to work ?

The documentation project has a good guide.

Does OpenOffice have a “Reveal Codes” functionality similar to WordPerfect ?

In short no. However there is proposals to implement something similar, check the users or discuss mailing lists for more information.

What is a Master Document ?

A Master Document is one that is used as a "holder" for smaller documents. You can write the "front matter" in the master document and then add files which are, each, a separate part of the entire document.

You can edit the front matter, but not the inserted documents as they are other files. It is best if both the Master Document and the files are based on the same template file.

File Formats

What file formats does OpenOffice.org Writer support ?

Many different types – the easiest way to see is to use the file dialog ( “File” => “Open” ) and look at the file types listed there.

Why does OpenOffice not support the file format my application uses ?

There may be several reasons :

the file formats may not be open and available ;

there may not be enough developers available to do the work ( either paid or volunteer ) ;

there may not be enough interest in it ; and

there may be reasonable, available workarounds.

Currently work is ongoing for the WordPerfect filters at the WordPerfect filters project. StarOffice also comes with a WordPerfect filter.

Why does OpenOffice not open MSWorks files ( .wks )?

MSWorks files have a proprietary format which is being kept secret by Microsoft. However a reasonable workaround is to save your WKS files as RTF files. OpenOffice can read and write RTF files. However there is a Microsoft utility for converting the wks files : go to this Microsoft website and in section 1 for “Product” select “Word” and for “Version” select “All Versions”. Then in section 2 select “Converters and Viewers” and click on the “Update List” link. You should then have listed below a link for the relevant converter.

Does OpenOffice support WordPerfect file formats ?

Not yet. StarOffice on Windows does but the filters they use are proprietary from a 3rd party and therefore not available to the open source community.

But there is a WordPerfect filter project which is has a preliminary version available.

How can I do a batch conversion of my files into OpenOffice file formats ?

You can use "File" => "AutoPilot" => "Document Converter".

Document Formatting

What is the best way to format my documents ?

Have a look at this document.

What is the Stylist useful for ?

The Stylist is very powerful mechanism to control all of the styles in your document with a simple clear interface.

How do I use styles ?

This document has an excellent explanation.

How can I setup styles for my default document?

If you do a “File” => “New” without specifying a template, your default template will be used to set up the new document.

You can change this to suit your preferences for example by changing the attributes of the standard styles or by adding your own custom styles. You then need to save this as a template, by “File” => “Templates” => “Save” to save it with a filename like "MyDefault.stw". Finally, to make this your default “File” => “Templates” => “Organize”, select "MyDefault.stw" and and “Commands” => “Set As Default Template”.

Can I disable the default styles from the Stylist so that I can see only my own defined styles ?

No there are built-in styles which cannot be disabled, but you can filter the styles by changing the option at the bottom of the Stylist window from “Automatic” to “Custom Styles” so that you will see only your own styles. To see only the styles used in the document choose the “Applied Styles” option.

Printing

Why does my document get marked as modified when I print it ?

This is because certain information regarding the printer is saved in the document data. This can be turned off in the “Tools” => “Options” dialog.

Import problems

I found a problem with importing a document, what do I do ?

You need to report the problem StarOffice that the developers can hopefully fix it for the next release. To do this, you need to join the OpenOffice.org project, and then file a bug.

Macros

Does OpenOffice have a macro language like MSOffice VBA ?

Yes it does, it is called StarBasic. There are also several other ways to write scripts for OpenOffice : Java, JavaScript, and Python. To get more info on these have a look at http://scripting.openoffice.org/.

I want to write a macro, what do I do and who do I ask ?

The project http://api.openoffice.org is where most macro questions should be directed. Also have a look at the excellent StarBasic document on http://www.pitonyak.org/.

Spellcheckers

Where do I get a spellchecker for my language ?

Look here.

My spellchecker does not seem to work ?

Check your language settings for your document and whether a spellchecker is active for that language. Format|Character and the "Font" tab check "Language", there should be a tick mark beside the relevant language.

How do I setup the spellchecker to be the correct default for my language ?

"Tools” => “Options" then "Language Settings” => “Languages" and set the default.

Templates

Where can I get more templates ?

The documentation project has a site for templates.

Also the project http://ooextras.sourceforge.net/ has many templates and clipart.

Can I donate my templates somewhere ?

Yes, you can send them to either the ooextras project above or to dev@documentation.openoffice.org.

HOWTOs and Documentation

What do I need to do to author and print brochures ?

An excellent document by Kelvin can be found here here.

Where can I find some more documentation ?

The documentation project has several “How to” documents available.

How to do a Mail Merge from a Calc spreadsheet.

This is also covered by the www.oodocs.org project with this document.

Calc

General

Are there any introduction documents for Calc ?

The documentation project has this excellent document explaining how to do simple calculations and formatting.

I have a text file but Calc refuses to open it ?

You have 2 options :

rename the file to have the extension .csv ; and

“File” => “Open” dialog, you can also set the 'Files of type' field to 'Text CSV'. This is quite a way down in the list so it is easy to miss.

There seems to be a 32000 row limit, how can I get around it ?

This is a design limit in OpenOffice, but there are proposals to remove it. However it is unlikely that this will happen before OpenOffice 2.0. But if you want to help, this problem has been broken into several steps to be completed and many programmers could easily do it.

If the 32000 limit is a real problem for you, there are a few options. Frequently when you are hitting the row limit it is a symptom of a spreadsheet design which could be improved:

Restructure the rows - split the data into several spreadsheets ( or several sheets within one spreadsheet file ); and

Use a real database – this is the most frequent thing people are trying to accomplish by having such a large number of rows in a sheet.

What is the fastest way to copy a calculation to all rows?

To quote from Calc “Help” => “Shortcut Keys for Spreadsheet” :

To fill a selected cell range with the formula that you entered on the Input line, press Alt+Enter. Hold down Alt+Enter+Shift to apply the cell format of the input cell to the entire cell range.

How can I start Calc instead of Writer ?

By passing the “-calc” as an argument on the command line.

When I try to print a spreadsheet all of it is printed instead of just the current sheet, what can I do ?

Go to “Tools” => “Options” and then “Spreadsheet” => “Print” to make sure the "Print only selected sheet" is checked.

How can I print some of the cells on a sheet, not all of the cells ?

You can select the cell(s) you want to print then you go to “Format” => “Print Range” => “Define”.

I see '###' in a cell that formerly held data. How can I see my data again?

When the content of a cell is too long to be displayed in a single cell, it will be clipped at the standard width and height of the cell itself. The rest of the content is simply hidden. You can:

Go to the heading row and drag one of the column edges until it is wide enough to display your data properly if the cell content is a number; or

Double click on the cell if the cell content is text and a little red triangle appears on the right side of the cell to signal that this is an overflowing one.

Is it possible to open an Excel file that is protected by a password in Calc?

It is not possible to do this directly. Such a file can be opened from Calc only if you remove the password using the original application.

HOWTOs and Documentation

Where can I find a more documentation ?

There are a list of documents on the documentation project which explain how to do various useful things with Calc. And another very good list of FAQs here. There are also sites outside of OpenOffice : www.oodocs.org and ooextras.sourceforge.net.

Formatting

In MS Excel I can center my text so that the text will flow both to the left and right if the cells are empty, how can I do this in Calc ?

It is possible in Calc for the text to flow to the empty cells on the right hand side. However flowing to the left is not yet supported in Calc.

How can I use conditional formatting ?

The documentation project has an excellent document here.

How do I use styles and formatting ?

Again the documentation project has provided a document : “How to Format a Spreadsheet”.

Printing

What is the best way to print my spreadsheet ?

The documentation project has an excellent document here.

How can I print just a range of cells ?

Again the documentation project has provided a document : “How to set the Printing Settings”.

Impress

General

Does Impress play embedded videos ?

Not yet.

Is there a facility for doing the "loop until escape" function in the Impress ?

Yes, you can do this with Impress. You have to do two things to set it up.

First, the slides themselves need automatic transitions defined. To set that up, switch to to “Slide View”, and select all the slides. Then, choose “Slide Show” => “Slide Transition” from the menu. In the Slide Transition window, click the Extras button. On the Extras page that appears, click Automatic Transition and then use the spinner to set the length of time each slide should appear. Then, click the green checkmark to apply the setting. Close the Slide Transition window.

Next, from the menu, choose “Slide Show” => “Slide Show Settings”. In the dialog, choose Auto and set the spinner for the period of time to elapse between the end of one cycle and the beginning of the next. If you want continuous viewing, set it to 0.

Formatting

How do I create header/footer information in an OpenOffice.org presentation? I want my information to show up on every slide.

Go to the 'Background view' of the presentation [There are three small icons under the left side ruler - the middle icon is the 'Background view' - it looks like a box with a dark bottom edge] ;

To enter text, for example, click on the big 'T' icon on the left edge ;

Create a text input area on your presentation by dragging your mouse in the desired location ;

If you want to insert a page/slide number:

while still in Background view ;

select: Insert-Fields-Page Numbers.

When you are finished adding text/logos/etc. Click on the left-most icon under the left side ruler. This icon is called 'Slide view' and will return you to slide editing mode. Any slide in your presentation will have the data entered in 'Background view'.

Printing

How do I print the notes with the slides on the same page in OpenOffice.org Presentation?

You need to set the printing options for presentations.

From the “Tools” menu select “Options” and then in dialog that appears, go to “Presentations” => “Print“.

In the 'Contents' box, click on the check box next to 'Notes' to turn on note printing; de-select the check box next to 'Drawing' to avoid printing both the slide and the notes on separate pages.

This dialog also has choices for printing 'Outline' and 'Handout'.

Compatibility

Can Impress open MS Powerpoint 95 files ?

No, they are a different format from Powerpoint 97 files.

HOWTOs and Documentation

Where can I find more info ?

A FAQ can be found here. An excerpt from Solveig Hauglands excellent book is available on an introduction to Impress usage.

Draw

General

Is there any introductory document ?

Yes the ooextras.sourceforge.net project has the document : Tutorial on drawing objects.

How can I make the drawing tools remain selected after I draw 1 object ?

Instead of single-clicking the tool, double-click it. It will keep it selected between operations.

Are there any extra tools I should be aware of ?

Yes, again the ooextras.sourceforge.net has a document : Danny's Power Drawing Tools. This document is a Draw document with macros to create Drawings of complex shapes that are difficult to draw by hand. It also includes documentation. Dannys Draw Power Tools represents a significant amount of work and is a non-trivial project. It is also a work in progress, so check at the OOExtras project for updates.

HOWTOs and Documentation

Is there any documentation for this tool ?

The documentation project has an excellent document ( “How To Compose a Document with Simple Geometric Shapes, to Change their Attributes (color, size, position, ...) and to Print the Result” ) and a FAQ.

Email

General

Does OpenOffice come with an equivalent of Outlook ?

No, it does not. However if you have paid for MSExchange licenses, please check as this license cost may also be for MSOutlook.

However I would not recommend either Outlook or Outlook Express in any case as they are very open to email viruses. This is because these tools are by default on almost every MSWindows PC and are used by most people, and they both have almost the same weaknesses making it very “profitable” for virus writers.

What email tool do you recommend using ?

It really depends on your platform. A very good cross-platform tool is Mozilla, in recent versions it has a built in calendar and a very good spam fighting tool. On Linux, I use KMail as it has very powerful filtering capabilities. Another very popular graphical email tool is Evolution. There are many other possible tools depending on your requirements for graphical, integrated, PIM or other requirements.

How do I setup mail merge ?

There are three main steps: creating the data source, creating the mail merge document, and printing. It's simple once you get the hang of it.

Do you have a data source set up that the mail merge will suck its info out of? Tools > Data Sources to create one. Pick the kind of storage mechanism your data is in (spreadsheet is easiest) or the means by which to connect to a database (JDBC, ADO, etc.).* If you want to practice, I would suggest just making a 4-row spreadsheet with data like this

John Smith 413 Main Str. Apt 2 Boulder CO 80026

and so on. Save it. In the Data Sources window mentioned above, click New Data Sources, name the data source, select Spreadsheet in the drop-down list, and browse to the spreadsheet you just created. Then click OK and you're good to go.

If you're connecting to an Access database or something else, just select ADO as the connection means from the drop-down list, and enter your provider and Data Source filename. This all varies according to what database you're using.

Choose File > AutoPilot > Letter and walk through the wizard. It'll let you pick the data source you set up in the data sources window. Then just insert the fields you want. (Another approach is to choose View > Data Sources, create a new writer document, and just drag the fields you want onto the document.)

To print, choose File> Form Letter. You get to pick the range of data source records to print to here, then click OK and you get the regular print options window. If you're printing on envelopes MAKE SURE your printer is set up for the same size envelope in the paper tray as you're set up to print to.

How can I set a different email program than the ones listed ?

In the OpenOffice.org directory you have to look at the file share/registry/data/org/openoffice/Office/Common.xcu to see how this is configured for other email tools.

Database

General

Is there a FAQ specifically for the database component ?

Yes, the database project has one here. There are many different detailed sections.

Why is there no equivalent of MSAccess ?

You can do mostly the same with OpenOffice as you can with MS Access. Table design, query design, relation design, forms and reports. The big difference is that OpenOffice doesn't ship any database (only dbase) with it.

You need to choose your own (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MYDB, Adabas D, Oracle, etc. or even the MS Access file).

For more information look at the database project site.

What does the message 'there are no registered data sources present' mean when I try to connect to a mdb file?

Please have a look at the database project FAQ . There it is described how to connect to your mdb files.

HOWTOs and Documentation

How do I setup a MySQL to work with OpenOffice ?

This contains the answer.

How do you Create a Data Source from Scratch ?

The documentation project covers this.

Import problems

How can I get data from my MSAccess database into OpenOffice ?

Like in StarOffice 5.2, you of course still can access your Microsoft Access database. Just the names and the syntax changed ....

First, you need the Microsoft Jet Engine for accessing MS Access database files. It is part of the Microsoft Data Access Components MDAC. Download the latest version of this package and install it.

Second, go to “Tools” => “Data Sources”, and in the dialog create a new data source of type ADO, and as URL enter

PROVIDER=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=<path_to_mdb_file>

(The "<"/">" belong to the "variable" ?when replacing the path, this should result in something like "Data Source=C:\AllMyFiles\MyDB.mdb").

Macros

General

Where can I find help on writing macros ?

The email address dev@api.openoffice.org is the best email address as the API project is the place where most macro experts would reside.

Is OpenOffice.org's macro language the same as MSOffice ?

No, it is not the same. But the language itself is very similar. However the security model is different as is the model of how the document is structured.

How can I record a macro ?

Go to “Tools” => “Macros” => “Record Macro”, then press the sequence of keystrokes you want. Then click on "Stop Recording". On the new window that pops up, save the file under “soffice>Standard>Module1” and give it a relevant name.

How can I assign a macro to a key ?

Go to “Tools” => “Macros” => “Macro...”, then select the macro you just made, then click "Assign".

Under the "Keyboard" tab select some unused key for this action, like F3 for instance.

Click on "Modify", then "OK" then "Close".

Now F3 will do exactly what you wanted, with only one keystroke. Because you saved it under "soffice", this will be available in all your OpenOffice documents.

HOWTOs and Documentation

Where can I find more info ?

More info API project and from the Developers Guide. Andrew Pitonyak has also written an excellent macros document contain many many examples : http://www.pitonyak.org/oo.php

Math

General

What is Math ?

Math is a formula editor. This means that you can use it to create (typeset) formulas to include in, for example, your word processing documents. If you are using Windows they can also be created as OLE objects.

Math is _not_ a calculation program or anything like that. The only thing you primarily do with it is entering a formula in order for it to be displayed nicely, e.g.

sum_{i=0}^{10} i^2 = 385

will be displayed as (this will not show up correctly if you are using a proportional font)

10

--

\ 2

/ i = 385

--

i = 0

( a nice image should go here instead )

all in the correct font sizes and proportions.

What is the format used for storing this Math info ?

The format is MathML, a standardized XML file format.

2002-07-15T12:38:53