What Are All These Things Called?

Apache OpenOffice 4.1 Writer Guide

Chapter 1: Introducing Writer

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• What is Writer?
• Parts of the Main Writer Window
  • Title Bar
  • Menus
  • Toolbars
  • Floating Toolbars
  • Customizing Toolbars
  • Statusbar
  • Sidebar
• Changing Document Views
• Starting a New Document
• Opening an Existing Document
• Saving a Document
• Password Protection
• Closing a Document
• Closing OpenOffice
• Using the Navigator
• Getting Help
• What Are All These Things Called?
• Undoing and Redoing Changes
• Using Writer on a Mac

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What Are All These Things Called?

The terms used in OpenOffice for most parts of the user interface (the parts of the program you see and use, in contrast to the behind-the-scenes code that actually makes it work) are the same as for most other programs.

A dialog box is a special type of window. Its purpose is to inform you of something, or request input from you, or both. It provides controls for you to use to specify how to carry out an action. The technical names for common controls are shown in Figure 25; not shown is the list box (from which you select an item). In most cases we do not use the technical terms in this book, but it is useful to know them because the Help and other sources of information often use them.

In most cases, you can interact only with the dialog box (not the document itself) as long as the dialog box remains open. When you close the dialog box after use (usually, clicking  OK  or another button saves your changes and closes the dialog box), then you can again work with your document.

Some dialog boxes can be left open as you work, so you can switch back and forth between the dialog box and your document. An example of this type is the Find & Replace dialog box. The Sidebar also remains visible unless you choose to hide it.

Figure 25: Dialog box (not from Writer) showing common controls:
1=Tabbed page (not strictly speaking a control)
2=Radio buttons (only one can be selected at a time)
3=Checkbox (more than one can be selected at a time)
4=Spin box (click the up and down arrows to change the number shown in the text box next to it, or type in the text box)
5=Thumbnail or preview
6=Drop-down list from which to select an item
7=Push buttons