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3.2 Word Processing with Writer
OpenOffice.org Writer is a full-featured word processor with
page and text formatting capabilities. Its interface is similar to
interfaces for other major word processors, and it includes some
features that are usually found only in expensive desktop
publishing applications.
This section highlights a few key features of Writer. For more
information about these features and for complete instructions for
using Writer, look at the OpenOffice.org help or any of the
sources listed in Section 3.8,
Finding Help and Information About OpenOffice.org.
NOTE:Much of the information in this section can also be applied
to other OpenOffice.org modules. For example, other modules use
styles similarly to how they are used in Writer.
3.2.1 Creating a New Document
There are two ways to create a new document:
To create a document from scratch, click .
To use a standard format and predefined elements for your
own documents, try a wizard. Wizards are small utilities that
let you make some basic decisions then produce a ready-made
document from a template. For example, to create a business
letter, click . Using the wizard's dialogs, easily create a basic
document using a standard format. A sample wizard dialog is
shown in Figure 3-2.
Enter text in the document window as desired. Use the
toolbar or the
menu to adjust the appearance of the
document. Use the menu or the relevant
buttons in the toolbar to print and save your document. With the
options under , add extra items to your
document, such as a table, picture, or chart.
3.2.2 Sharing Documents with Other Word Processors
You can use Writer to edit documents created in a variety of
other word processors. For example, you can import a Microsoft
Word document, edit it, and save it again as a Word document.
Most Word documents can be imported into OpenOffice.org without
any problem. Formatting, fonts, and all other aspects of the
document remain intact. However, some very complex
documents—such as documents containing complicated
tables, Word macros, or unusual fonts or
formatting—might require some editing after being
imported. OpenOffice.org can also save in many popular word
processing formats. Likewise, documents created in
OpenOffice.org and saved as Word files can be opened in
Microsoft Word without any trouble.
So, if you use OpenOffice.org in an environment where you
frequently share documents with Word users, you should have
little or no trouble exchanging document files. Just open the
files, edit them, and save them as Word files.
3.2.3 Formatting with Styles
OpenOffice.org uses styles for applying consistent
formatting to various elements in a document. The following
types of styles are available:
Table 3-4 About the Types of Styles
|
Paragraph |
Applies standardized formatting to the various
types of paragraphs in your document. For example,
apply a paragraph style to a first-level heading to
set the font and font size, spacing above and below
the heading, location of the heading, and other
formatting specifications. |
|
Character |
Applies standardized formatting for types of text.
For example, if you want emphasized text to appear in
italics, you can create an emphasis style that
italicizes selected text when you apply the style to
it. |
|
Frame |
Applies standardized formatting to frames. For
example, if your document uses sidebars, you can
create frames with specified graphics, borders,
location, and other formatting so that all of your
sidebars have a consistent appearance. |
|
Page |
Applies standardized formatting to a specified
type of page. For example, if every page of your
document contains a header and footer except for the
first page, you can use a first page style that
disables headers and footers. You can also use
different page styles for left and right pages so that
you have bigger margins on the insides of pages and
your page numbers appear on an outside corner. |
|
List |
Applies standardized formatting to specified list
types. For example, you can define a checklist with
with square check boxes and a bullet list with round
bullets, then easily apply the correct style when
creating your lists. |
Opening the Styles and Formatting Window
The window
(called the in earlier versions of
OpenOffice.org), is a versatile formatting tool for applying
styles to text, paragraphs, pages, frames, and lists. To open
this window, click
. OpenOffice.org comes
with several predefined styles. You can use these styles as
they are, modify them, or create new styles.
HINT:By default, the
window is a floating window; that is, it opens in its own
window that you can place anywhere on the screen. If you use
styles extensively, you might find it helpful to dock the
window so that it always present in the same part of the
Writer interface. To dock the window, press Control
while you double-click on a gray area in the window. This
tip applies to some other windows in OpenOffice.org as well,
including the Navigator.
Applying a Style
To apply a style, select the element you want to apply the
style to, and then double-click the style in the
window. For
example, to apply a style to a paragraph, place the cursor
anywhere in that paragraph and double-click the desired
style.
Using Styles Versus Using Formatting Buttons and Menu
Options
Using styles rather than the
menu options and buttons helps give your pages, paragraphs,
texts, and lists a more consistent look and makes it easier to
change your formatting. For example, if you emphasize text by
selecting it and clicking the button,
then later decide you want emphasized text to be italicized,
you need to find all of your bolded text and manually change
it to italics. If you use a character style, you only need to
change the style from bold to italics and all text that has
been formatted with that style automatically changes from bold
to italics.
Text formatted with a menu option or button overrides any
styles you have applied. If you use the
button to format some text and an
emphasis style to format other text, then changing the style
does not change the text that you formatted with the button,
even if you later apply the style to the text you bolded with
the button. You must manually unbold the text and then apply
the style.
Likewise, if you manually format your paragraphs using
, it is easy to end up with
inconsistent paragraph formatting. This is especially true if
you copy and paste paragraphs from other documents with
different formatting.
Changing a Style
Styles are powerful because you can change formatting
throughout a document by changing a style, rather than
applying the change separately everywhere you want to apply
the new formatting.
-
In the
window, right-click the style you want to change.
-
Click .
-
Change the settings for the selected style.
For information about the available settings, refer to
the OpenOffice.org online help.
-
Click .
Creating a Style
OpenOffice.org comes with a collection of styles to suit
many users’ needs. However, most users eventually
need a style that does not yet exist. To create a new style:
-
Right-click in any empty space in the window.
Make sure you are in the list of styles for the type
of style you want to create. For example, if you are
creating a character style, make sure you are in the
character style list.
-
Click .
-
Click .
-
Name your style and choose the settings you want
applied with that style.
For details about the style options available in any
tab, click that tab and then click
.
3.2.4 Using Templates to Format Documents
Most word processor users create more than one kind of
document. For example, you might write letters, memos, and
reports, all of which look different and require different
styles. If you create a template for each of your document
types, the styles you need for each document are always readily
available.
Creating a template requires a little bit of up-front
planning. You need to determine what you want the document to
look like so you can create the styles you need in that
template. You can always change your template, but a little
planning can save you a lot of time later.
A detailed explanation of templates is beyond the scope of
this section. However, more information is found in the help
system, and detailed how-tos are found at the OpenOffice.org
Documentation page (https://documentation.openoffice.org/HOW_TO/index.html).
Creating a Template
A template is a text document containing only the styles
and content that you want to appear in every document, such as
your address information and letterhead on a letter. When a
document is created or opened with the template, the styles
are automatically applied to that document.
To create a template:
-
Click .
-
Create the styles and content that you want to use in
any document that uses this template.
-
Click .
-
Specify a name for the template.
-
In the box, click the
category you want to place the template in.
The category is the folder where the template is
stored.
-
Click .
3.2.5 Working with Large Documents
You can use Writer to work on large documents. Large
documents can be either a single file or a collection of files
assembled into a single document.
Navigating in Large Documents
The Navigator tool displays information about the contents
of a document. It also lets you quickly jump to different
elements. For example, you can use the Navigator to get a
quick overview of all images included in the document.
To open the Navigator, click . The elements listed in the Navigator vary
according to the document loaded in Writer.
Click an item in the Navigator to jump to that item in the
document.
Creating a Single Document from Multiple Documents
If you are working with a very large document, such as a
book, you might find it easier to manage the book with a
master document, rather than keeping the book in a single
file. A master document enables you to quickly apply
formatting changes to a large document or to jump to each
subdocument for editing.
A master document is a Writer document that serves as a
container for individual Writer files. You can maintain
chapters or other subdocuments as individual files collected
in the master document. Master documents are also useful if
multiple people are working on a document. You can separate
each person’s portion of the document into
subdocuments collected in a master document, allowing multiple
writers to work on their subdocuments at the same time without
fear of overwriting other people’s work.
NOTE:If you are coming to OpenOffice.org from Microsoft Word,
you might be nervous about using master documents because
the master document feature in Word has a reputation for
corrupting documents. This problem does not exist in
OpenOffice.org Writer, so you can safely use master
documents to manage your projects.
To create a master document:
-
Click .
or
Open an existing document and click .
-
Insert subdocuments.
-
Click .
The OpenOffice.org help files contain more complete
information about working with master documents. Look for the
topic entitled “Using Master Documents and
Subdocuments.”
HINT:The styles from all of your subdocuments are imported
into the master document. To ensure that formatting is
consistent throughout your master document, you should use
the same template for each subdocument. Doing so is not
mandatory; however, if subdocuments are formatted
differently, you will probably need to do some reformatting
to successfully bring subdocuments into the master document
without creating inconsistencies. For example, if two
documents imported into your master document include
different styles with the same name, the master document
will use the formatting specified for that style in the
first document you import.
3.2.6 Using Writer as an HTML Editor
In addition to being a full-featured word processor, Writer
also functions as an HTML editor. Writer includes HTML tags that
can be applied as you would any other style in a Writer
document. You can view the document as it will appear online, or
you can directly edit the HTML code.
Creating an HTML Document
-
Click .
-
Click the arrow at the bottom of the
window.
-
Select .
-
Create your HTML document, using the styles to tag
your text.
-
Click .
-
Select the location where you want to save your file,
name the file, and select from the
list.
-
Click .
If you prefer to edit HTML code directly, or if you want
to see the HTML code created when you edited the HTML file as
a Writer document, click . In HTML Source mode, the
list is no longer
available.
NOTE:The first time you switch to HTML Source mode, you are
prompted to save the file as HTML, if you have not already
done so.
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