Documentation/Administration Guide/Customizing the UI

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Creating a Customized XML Configuration File

Apache OpenOffice stores most of the UI configuration settings in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. The UI components are defined in the XML-based User Interface Language (XUL) and stored in XML files.

Apache OpenOffice provides a Customize dialog box where you can make changes to most of the UI components. For example, you use this dialog box to add a custom menu to Writer.

You can also edit an XML UI configuration file to make your changes. The XML elements and attributes for the Apache OpenOffice UI components are described below.

Using the Customize Dialog Box

You can use the Customize dialog box to make changes to or to create the following UI components:

  • Menus
  • Shortcut Keys
  • Toolbars
  • Events

The changes are saved to an XML configuration file. After you make your changes in the Customize dialog box, you can use the XML configuration file that you created to apply the changes to other Apache OpenOffice installations.

Template:Documentation/Note


To Customize Menus, Keyboard Shortcuts, Toolbars, and Events

Customize Dialog box
  1. Open the Apache OpenOffice program where you want to customize a UI element.
  2. Choose Tools → Customize
    The Customize dialog box opens.
  3. Click the tab of the UI element that you want to customize.
  4. Make your changes and then click OK.
    The changes are saved to one or more XML configuration files in the Apache OpenOffice user directory. The file name path for these files is <Apache OpenOffice user directory>/config/soffice.cfg/modules/<short module identifier>/<ui element type>/<ui element name>.xml

Template:Documentation/Note

Using a Text Editor

You can also use a text editor to customize a UI element in an XML configuration file. For example, to remove a item from the Tools menu in Writer, you open the menubar.xml file for Writer, and delete the XML element for the menu item. If you want, you can also use XML configuration files to limit the functionality of Apache OpenOffice. See Restricting_functionality for more information.

The UI configuration settings for each of the following components in a Apache OpenOffice module are stored in separate XML configuration files:

  • Menu bars
  • Shortcut Keys
  • Toolbars
  • Events
  • Status bars
  • Images

The file name path for the default XML configuration files for these UI elements <Apache OpenOffice installation/share/config/soffice.cfg/modules/<short module identifier>/<ui element type>/<ui element name>.xml

For example, the XML configuration file for the Writer menu bar is <Apache OpenOffice installation>/share/config/soffice.cfg/modules/swriter/menubar/menubar.xml

The short module indentifier for each Apache OpenOffice module is listed in the following table:

Short module identifiers for each Apache OpenOffice module.
Apache OpenOffice Module Short Module Identifier
Apache OpenOffice Writer/Web sweb
Apache OpenOffice Writer/Globaldocument sglobal
Apache OpenOffice Calc scalc
Apache OpenOffice Draw sdraw
Apache OpenOffice Impress simpress
Apache OpenOffice Math smath
Apache OpenOffice Chart schart
Apache OpenOffice Bibliography sbibliography
Apache OpenOffice BasicIDE BasicIDE
Apache OpenOffice Database QueryDesign dbquery
Apache OpenOffice Database TableDesign dbtable
Apache OpenOffice Database RelationDesign dbrelation
Apache OpenOffice StartModule (Backing Component) StartModule

For a description of the XML elements and attributes that the Apache OpenOffice configuration files use, see the Apache OpenOffice XML File Format Technical Reference Manual

Applying a Customized User Interface to Different Apache OpenOffice Installations

You can use XML configuration files to apply a customized user interface to one or more Apache OpenOffice installations.

To Apply a Customized User Interface to All Users on a Network

On a master Apache OpenOffice installation, create a customized XML configuration file for each UI element that you want to change, see Creating a Customized XML Configuration File for details.

  1. Become root.
  2. Copy the contents of the <Apache OpenOffice user directory>/config/soffice.cfg/modules directory of the master installation to the <Apache OpenOffice network installation directory>/share/config/soffice.cfg/modules directory.
  3. Restart Apache OpenOffice.

To Apply a Customized User Interface to a Single User

On a master Apache OpenOffice installation, create a customized XML configuration file for each UI element that you want to change, see Creating a Customized XML Configuration File for details.

  1. Become root.
  2. Copy the contents of the <Apache OpenOffice user directory>/config/soffice.cfg/modules directory of the master installation to the <Apache OpenOffice user directory>/share/config/soffice.cfg/modules directory of the single user instalation.
  3. Restart Apache OpenOffice.
Content on this page is licensed under the Public Documentation License (PDL).
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