Documentation/FAQ/Writer

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User FAQ

Contents

If I click in the middle of a table cell or in an empty paragraph, OpenOffice.org insert tabs in front of the cursor position. How do I stop this?

This is caused by a default setting of the OpenOffice.org interface called 'Direct Cursor'. To change this behavior:

  • From the pull down menus, select: Tools -> Options
  • In the dialog that appears, select: Text Document - Cursor
  • Change the 'Insert' value to 'Left Paragraph Margin' (it was set to 'Tabs')
  • Click on OK

These automatisms suck!!

OpenOffice is configured in standard to execute, while typing a text, automatical formatting tasks. Those automatisms can be amazing or boring - especially because they can occure when you don't expect them.

You have two solutions: turn them off or learn to know them and domesticate them.

  • Turn them ALL off/on: under Format-AutoFormat-While Typing.
  • Turn some of them off/on: under Tools-AutoCorrect/Autoformat.

To USE them you have to know them and first recognize them, so...

How to recognize them?

When I type

I get

caused by

module

DNA

And

the replacement table

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

       (<A HREF="#1">1</A>)

All

XImport

Ximport

 

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>) </TD>

<P ALIGN="left">All

</TD> </TR>

coordination

</TD>

Coordination

</TD>

Capitalize first letter of every sentence

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

It was excl. on this day

</TD>

The lowercase won't be replaced by a capital though there is a dot and I check the option "Capitalize first letter of every sentence" in the AutoFormat.

</TD>

the exceptions table

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no2">2</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

*Hello* _world_

</TD>

Hello world

</TD>

Automatic bold and underline

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

www.openoffice.org
john@sun.com

</TD>

<A HREF="http://www.openoffice.org/">www.openoffice.org</A>

       
<A HREF="mailto:john@sun.com">john@sun.com</A>

</TD>

The URL recognition

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

1st, 2nd, 4th

</TD>

1st, 2nd, 4th

</TD>

The AutoFormat of the cardinal numbers

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

1/2 1/4 3/4


</TD>

½ ¼ ¾

</TD>

The AutoFormat of

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

The man -- yes, him!

       The man--yes, him!

</TD>

The man – yes, him!

       The man—yes, him!

</TD>

Replace dashes

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

<2_spaces>

</TD>

The second space doesn't appear

</TD>

Ignore double spaces

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

All

</TD> </TR>

1 bottle of milk <Return>

</TD>

1. bottle of milk
2.

</TD>

Apply numbering

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

---<Return> ===<Return>

          ___<Return>


</TD>

horizontal lines created

</TD>

Apply border

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

+---+---+

</TD>

a table

</TD>

Create table

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

My title
<Return>
<Return>

</TD>

My title

</TD>

Use styles

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

- one

       -

</TD>

    * one
  • test

</TD>

Replace bullets

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no3">3</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

"

</TD>

« or an other typographical quote

</TD>

Custom quotes

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no4">4</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR>

Int

</TD>

Int|roduction|
(the word is completed)

</TD>

Word completion

</TD>

<P ALIGN="left">(<A HREF="#no5">5</A>)

</TD>

 

</TD> </TR>

1.1
in a table

</TD>

01/01/03
(a date)

</TD>

Number recognition

</TD>

(<A HREF="#no6">6</A>)

</TD>

Writer only

</TD> </TR> </TABLE>

<A NAME="no1">(1)</A> Menu Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat, tabpage [Replace]
<A NAME="no2">(2)</A> Menu Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat, tabpage [Exceptions]
<A NAME="no3">(3)</A> Menu Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat, tabpage [Options]
<A NAME="no4">(4)</A> Menu Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat, tabpage [Custom quotes]
<A NAME="no5">(5)</A> Menu Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat, tabpage [Word completion]
<A NAME="no6">(6)</A> Menu Tools-Options-Text document-Table-Input in table-Number recognition


How to easily come back to the default character format while typing when I just wanted to format one word?

Example: you write default, then underlined for a while and you want to come back to the normal styles.

In this example, you have pressed [Ctrl]+U after "then" to format your text italic.
To return to the normal attribute press [Right] immediatly after the first "to" as following:

You write default, then [Ctrl]+U underlined for a while and you want to [Right] come back to the normal styles.


How to format a piece of text (not a whole page) in columns?

You have to use a section:

    * Select the text you want to format * Menu Insert-Section-[Columns]


How to correct the text of an hyperlink? (if I click on the text the target document loads)

Quick methode: [Alt]+click

Permanante state: in the staus bar, click the field "HYP" (HYPerlink) to toggle it to "SEL" (SELection)


How to move paragraphs with the keyboard?

    * Set the cursor in the paragraph you want to to move * [Ctrl]+[Up] or [Down]


How to select multiple parts of the text?

Copy, cut, format, delete parts of the text in differents areas of the document:

    * [Ctrl]+<selection> with one click, double click or sliding.

An other methode exists - the "lazzy" one (don't feel about holding [Ctrl] over 150 pages!):

    * Click once on the field "STD" (STanDard) in the status bar * The field shows now "EXT" (EXTended selection) * An other clic and it goes to "ADD" (ADD to selection).

-> the ADD mode has the same function than [Ctrl] + click
and EXT the same function than [Shift]+click.


A series of '#' characters on a line by themselves has generated a bold black double line. How can I remove this line?

A series of # symbols is a keyboard short cut to creating a solid line below a paragraph in a text document. To remove this line, click anywhere in the paragraph just above the thick line and choose Format -> Paragraph. The line set will appear on the Borders tab. To remove the line, keep the cursor in the paragraph above the line and choose Format -> Default.

Learn more about automatisms <A HREF="025.html">here (#025)</A>.


URLs (Uniform Reference Locators) appear underlined and in a different color from the rest of my text. How do I reverse this setting?

To reverse this setting:

    * Select Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat-[Options] * Scroll down in the list that appears to the choice called 'URL recognition'. * Click the box to the left of this choice to turn the behavior off. * Click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog to apply the change.

URL recognition also recognizes anything with the '@' symbol as an email address. Turning this option off will cause email addresses to remain unrecognized.

To selectively determine which addresses should be treated as links, leave URL recognition on, but turn off recognition by one of the following two methods:

    * Drag select the entire address * Hold down the context (right mouse) button * Select 'Default'

An address which has converted to a link may be converted back to normal text by entering Ctrl-Z before the text cursor is moved.

Learn more about automatisms <A HREF="025.html">here (#025)</A>.


OpenOffice.org is changing my decimals into fractions. How do I reverse this setting?

<To reverse this setting:

    * select Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat-[Replace]. * near the top of the list, find the replacement choice for '.5' * select this replacement description and click on the 'Delete' button to the right of the dialog * click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog to apply the change.

Learn more about automatisms <A HREF="025.html">here (#025)</A>.


When lower case text is typed, OpenOffice.org changes the first letter to uppercase. How do reverse this setting?

This setting is designed to correct sentences mistakenly typed starting with a lower case letter.

To reverse this setting:

    * Select Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat-[Options]. * Near the top of the list, uncheck the box next to "Capitalize the first letter of every sentence" * Click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog to apply the change.

Learn more about automatisms <A HREF="025.html">here (#025)</A>.


When using asterisks [ asterisk = * ], OpenOffice.org removes the asterisks [ * ] and presents the text in bold. How do reverse this setting?

Typing an asterisk [ * ] before and after a word or words allows for words to be made bold without using the mouse. Similarly, typing an undersc ore [underscore = _] before and after a word or words allows for words to be underlined.

To reverse this setting:

    * Select Tools-AutoCorrect/AutoFormat-[Options] * Near the top of the list click the checkbox next to "Automatic *bold* and _underline_" to deselect this choice. * Click 'OK' at the bottom of the dialog to apply the change.

Learn more about automatisms <A HREF="025.html">here (#025)</A>.


How do I insert a page number of the form 'Page 1 of N'?

    * Click in the footer or header area of the document * Type the text "Page " * Select Insert-Fields-Page Numbers from the pulldown menus to insert the page number field * Type the text "of " * Select Insert-Fields-Page Count from the pulldown menus to insert the page total field.

The page number should appear in the footer or header of every page.


How do I insert a special character?

The simplest method for inserting special characters is to select them from the special character dialog:

    * From the pull down menus, select Insert-Special Character * In the dialog that appears, all the available characters in the current font will be displayed * Select a character by clicking on it. If you do not see the desired character, it may not be available in the current font. Try changing fonts if it is not. * After selecting one or more characters, click on [OK] to insert the characters at the location of the text cursor.

On certain platforms, OpenOffice.org does not have certain characters available in any font, including emdash and curly double quote characters.

Characters used in mathematical formulas may be inserted using this method:

    * From the pull down menus, select Insert-Object-Formula * In the "Command" window, hold down your right mouse button to access the context menu. The available formula operators can be found within this menu. * The "Command" window does not have a close button - so just click outside the formula box (anywhere else in the document) to perform the close.

Formulas are graphical objects and characters inserted using this method may not convert well to other applications. OpenOffice.org also supports entry of certain characters (accented characters, ligatures, monetary symbols, etc.) via compose (keyboard) sequences.


How do I insert a trademark symbol?

This symbol is only available in certain fonts. On Solaris platforms, the symbol is available in the 'Symbols', 'Serif' and San-Serif' font. To insert:


    * Place your cursor in the location where you would like the symbol to appear * From the pull down menu, select Insert-Special Character * In the dialog that appears, choose 'Symbol' from the 'Font' list * The trademark symbol is available in a serif font (character 212) or in a san-serif font (character 228). Click on the symbol desired. * Click 'OK'


How Do I remove an envelope from a document?

Removing an envelope from a document can be tricky.  Work is being done to make this easier in the future.  In the meantime, here are the steps to manually remove the envelope:

  • Place the cursor at the beginning of the envelope page.
  • If the "Stylist" dialog box is not open, press F11 or use the Menu Option Format->Stylist to open it up.
  • Change to the Page Styles options.  It's the fourth icon from the left.
  • Double Click on "Default"
  • Remove the remaining elements.


How can I change the defaults for a new writer document?

You need to create a template that has the settings you want and then make that template the default. The way you do this is as follows:


Part 1: Create a template

    • Start with a blank document.
    • Change whatever settings you need to change. To change margins,
    modify the Default page style.
    • Save the document as a template: File > Templates > Save, and
    specify a name for the template.

Part 2: Make your new template the default

    • File > Templates > Organize
    • In the left-hand list, find your template. Most likely, you'll need
    to double-click on the folder called Default, and your template will be inside that folder. Click on the template.
    • Click Commands. From the menu that appears, choose Set as Default Template.


How to delete a table?

For this, you need to highlight the whole table, then rightclick into the highlighted area and choose > Row > Delete.


I want to insert special characters with keyboard shortcuts. How do I do this?

From OpenOffice.org Version 1.1 on you can use the built in macro recorder. To assign a character to a key, follow these steps:

  • Select Tools > Macro > Record to start the recording process.
  • Now click Insert > Special Character and choose the character you want,

then insert it and close the special character dialog.

  • Click on "Stop recording" in the small macro recorder dialog.
  • A dialog appears asking you to save the macro with a name.

Be sure to save it under Standard, not in the tree for the document currently open. That way you'll be able to use the macro use it any time a OOo Writer window is open.

Now that you have recorded the macro, you'll need to assign it to a keystroke.

  • Select > Tools > Macro > Macros ..., then > Assign.
  • Now follow > Keyboard > Functions and find your macro using the Category tree.

Your macro will appear in the Function window when you've found the right module.

  • Select a keystroke in the Shortcut Keys list, and click Modify.

The key you have selected will appear in the Keys window.


How can I rotate a graphic with a given angle?

Up to version 1.x, Writer doesn't contain a rotation facility for graphics. To be able to rotate graphics one needs to use Draw:

    • In your Writer file, select the graphic you want to rotate and copy it.
    • Open a Draw window and paste your graphic into the draw file.
  • Rightclick onto the graphic, select "Position and Size"
  • Select "Rotation" and rotate according to your needs.
  • Select your graphic after it has been rotated and copy it.
  • Go back to Writer and paste the rotated graphic into your file.


How can change the page number of the first page of my document to something other than "1"?

    • Click into the first paragraph of your first page.
  • Then select > Format > Paragraph > Text Flow.
  • Under "Breaks", check "Enable".
  • Make sure it says "Page" as Type, and "Before" as Position.
  • Check "With Page Style" und choose "Default" as Page Style or any other according to your needs.
  • Now choose the page number you need. Note that the "0" in the Page Number dropdown list doesn't denote a page number but simply means that the present page number won't be changed.


The space between the letters in a word seems just a bit too wide. It would look better if that space is being reduced. How can I achieve this?

What you need to enable is "Kerning". Kerning is part of the typesetting process, where the space between letters is adjusted to the appearance of the letter and its neighbour. For example, when a V is followed by an A, the shape of the letters would result in a little too much space between them, and this just doesn't look nice. The A should be moved a little towards the V.

This text is not kerned:
<img src="lvat1.jpg">
As you can see, the space between the letters is just too wide. This text is kerned:
<img src="lvat2.jpg">

So how do you enable kerning?

If you need kerning only for selected parts of your text, follow these steps:

  • Highlight the passages of your text for which kerning needs to be enabled.
  • Now > Format > Character > Position > Spacing, here check box "pair kerning"

If you need the whole text to be "kerned", follow here

  • Press F1 to open the stylist.
  • Click on paragraph styles icon to open the list of paragraph styles.
  • Rightclick on each paragraph styles that's being used > Modify.
  • Now > Position > Spacing, here check box "pair kerning".

Note that kerning is controlled by information in the font data (in particular the font metrics). Fonts that do not need such precise corrections, like fixed width fonts, will not be subject to kerning.

Is there something like a Format Painter feature that copies the formats of one part of the text to other parts?

There are two possibilities within OOo Writer. For the first, follow these steps:


  • Make the changes that you want, then, with the cursor still in the

paragraph, open the Stylist and then you can either

    • Highlight a portion of the text, hold down the left mouse button and

drag the text over the style name then release the mouse button, or

    • Left click on the very far right icon in the Stylist header. This icon

is called Update Style.

  • Now, if the changes you have made haven't been transferred already to

the other relevant parts of your text, click on the "Fill Format" icon in the Stylist, which is the third from the right. The button is a toggle - so click once to turn the feature on, and click again to turn it off.

  • Once it is on, select the style from

the list to which you've just made the changes, then click into the text area that you want to change.

Another solution would be to actually add a button that acts like a format painter: It's an unofficial, but excellent addon written by the Francophone project. It adds two paintbrush icons to the tool bar, which copy and paint styles. Get it from here: [1]

How can I place a time/date variable (or field) that updates automatically into a document?

You need to insert a time/date field that indicates the time when the doc last has been modified. Follow here:

  • In the drop-down menus in Writer, go to Insert Fields > Other.
  • Select the DocInformation tab.
  • In the Type section, click on Modified; in the Select section, click on Date.
  • Click on Insert to place this field in your document.


How to print an envelope in OpenOffice.org?

You need to print an envelope. Follow these steps:

  1. Open OOo Writer
  2. Insert Envelope
  3. On the Envelope tab, enter your address info.
  4. On the Format tab, set Size > Format to DL. Adjust layout to suit.
  5. On the Printer tab, Select the layout that reflects how to feed.
  6. On the same tab, you next, click on Setup. This opens a new dialogue.
  7. On the Setup dialogue, select your printer and click Properties.
  8. On the Properties dialogue, select the envelope size in the dialogue.
  9. Same dialogue, select Orientation. This depends on how your envelope feeds (see step 5) In any case, landscape means that the text is rotated 90 degrees so that it is parallel to the envelope and vice versa for portrait.
  10. If you have a manual feed tray, select this under Device.
  11. Click OK
  12. Click OK
  13. Select New Doc if you only want the envelope or insert to add it to your existing doc. I tested with New Doc.
  14. In the new window, check that all is okay and click the print icon.

Now you have an envelope.


This may seem a bit complicated but it is historical. If you would like OOo print setup to set the printer too, please vote for http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=47121


Skipping steps 6 through 12 will cause you no end of problems.

How do I make page numbers alternate? (eg. even page numbers on the top-right, odd page numbers on the top-left).

  1. Open the Stylist (F11).
  2. Select Page Styles.
  3. Select Right Page (create it if it does not exist).
  4. Double-click on Right Page to set the current page to Right Page.
  5. Insert a page number on the top-right.
  6. Set Right Page to be followed by Left Page (you'll have to create Left Page first if it does not exist.
  7. Repeat the steps above to get a Left Page to display the page number on the top-left.


How to re-enable update of template style in OpenOffice.org 2.0.2?

  • Open the document you want to fix in OpenOffice.org</li>
  • Use Tools > Macros > Organize Dialogs > Modules and select the document from the list and Standard module or use Tools > Macros > Organize Macros >OpenOffice.org BASIC and select the document from the list and Standard module.</li>
  • Click New</li>
  • Name the macro. For example, you could call it FixDocument.</li>
  • Click the Edit button and enter the following in the IDE.
Sub FixDocument
  TemplateName = ThisComponent.DocumentInfo.Template
  if TemplateName <> "" then
    ThisComponent.DocumentInfo.Template = TemplateName
  end if
End Sub
  • Click the Run icon
  • Finallly save the document.

Next time when you open this document you will have the update from template feature back.

This is issue Issue 63320

What is the equivalent of MSO outline mode in OpenOffice.org?

Open the Navigator to have most of this functionality. The Navigator can be found in Writer's drop-down menus: Edit > Navigator.


How do I do revision marking (redlining) in OpenOffice.org?

To enable the Revision feature:

  • Open the document to be edited
  • From the pull down menus, select: Edit -> Changes -> Record

Start making your changes. You will note that all new text passages you enter are underlined in color, while all text that you delete remains visible but is crossed out and shown in color.

How do I make my first page a cover/title page and start page numbering (Page 1) on the second page of my document?

Here is the basic procedure for breaking a document into sections (for whatever purpose) as well as placing a page number in a footer of the second page:

* Open a new word processing document.

  • Enter some or all of the data that you want on your cover page (or simply hit the return key a few times).
  • Press F11 to open the Stylist, choose "Page Styles" from the icons (hover with your pointer on each icon to open the note), doubleclick on "First Page" for assigning the "First Page" style to the first page of your document.
  • Place your cursor at the end of the first page. Select: Insert->Manual Break...
  • Select the button next to "Page Break". Then choose the style to use for the next page (pick one from the menu - such as "Default"). Then mark the check box called "Change page number". In the box below this check box the number 1 should appear. Click OK.
Note: by picking a different style for the next page, you are in
effect breaking the document into two sections. The sections then
can have different characteristics (headers, footers, page
numbering, etc.). The page style that is assigned for each section
of the document can be seen by clicking into the desired page. Look
below the document window area, to the right of the "Page x/n"
block to see the page style name for the current page/section.
  • Now you should have two pages. Put your cursor in the second page, then select: Insert->Footer->Default from the pulldown menus. A footer area will appear on the second page.
  • To insert the page number, select: Insert->Fields->Page Numbers. A number '1' should appear on the second page of the file (because the page number field is counting pages from the beginning

of the current SECTION).

How do I make a header appear on only the first page of my document?

Follow these steps:

  • Open a new word processing document.
  • Enter some or all of the data that you want on your cover (1st) page (or simply hit the return key a few times)
  • Select: Format->Stylist
  • Click on the Page style icon (fourth one from the left)
  • Double-click on the Page style called "First Page". The page style name should appear on the status bar below your document. It is also possible at this point to create your own first page style. You may close the Stylist now, if desired.
  • Select: Insert->Manual Break...
  • Select the button next to "Page Break". Then choose the style to use for the next page (pick one from the menu - such as "Standard").
  • Click OK.
  • Now you should have two pages. Put your cursor in the first page, then select: Insert->Header->First Page from the pulldown menus.
  • A header area will appear on the first page. Use the

OpenOffice.org tools to insert whatever you want in the header area.

How do I make a logo appear on the top of every page of my document?

Follow these steps:


    * Open a new word processing document * From the pull down menus, select: Insert -> Header -> Standard * Click inside the new header block * From the pull down menus, select: Insert -> Graphics -> From File... * Navigate to the desired logo, then click Open

If the graphic does not appear on every page, there are two possible problems. The page style in use could have the wrong header settings. To check the settings:


    * From the pull down menus, select: Format -> Page * Click on the 'Header' tab * Check to see that the box next to "Same content left/right" is clicked. If it is not, you will get logos only on odd or even pages, but not both.

If the graphic appears on one or more pages, then stops appearing, the cause is likely to be a different page style that is applied on the page where the logo ceases to appear. Look below the document, just to the right of where the page number information appears. The name that appears is the page style name. If the style name is different, the document has been broken into sections. To change this:


    * Place your text cursor into the page that has the wrong style * From the pull down menus, select: Format -> Stylist * Click on the Page style icon (fourth one from the left) * Double-click on the desired Page style name (the one that properly displays your header/logo). You may close the Stylist now, if desired.



How do you turn off the Automatic word completion behavior?

Open a text document. From the pulldown menus, select: Tools->AutoCorrect/AutoFormat. Select the "Word Completion" tab. Deselect the check box to the left of "Complete Words". Click on OK.



How do I create a simple outline-style numbered list? It should look like:


1. List Title
   1.1 First item
   1.2 Second item
   1.3 Third item

There are two tools in OpenOffice.org that give you the ability to create numbered lists. One is the Format Stylist, accessed by selecting Stylist from the pulldown menu. It will open in a separate window and will default to opening the "Paragraph Styles" view. If you click on the fifth icon from the left, "Numbering Styles", you will see a list of pre-defined number styles. The other tool that you need is the numbering toolbar. At the extreme far right of the text toolbar (the bar that displays font name, font size, etc.), there is a small arrow that points to the left. Click on it. You will now see the numbering toolbar. You will not see this arrow if you are not already in a text area that has a numbering style assigned. It turns out that the numbering you want for the simple list above is already defined in the pre-defined numbering styles. If the style you need does not exist, you may also create your own styles. To create the list above:


    * Type in your text. The paragraph style that you use should not matter. This procedure was tested using the "Text body" paragraph style. * Select all the text by drag selecting. * Double-click on the numbering style "Numbering 5". List numbers (but not the sub-numbers) should appear. * Click on the left pointing arrow to the far right of the text toolbar. This will expose the numbering toolbar. * Place your text cursor into the list item that says "First item". * Click on the right pointing arrow (the single one) in the numbering toolbar. Its name is "Move Level Down". This item should now have the number "1.1" in front of it. * Repeat the above step for the other sub-list items.

If you need to make your own list numbering style, it is suggested to select one of the existing styles that is similar (in the Stylist), then right click to get a context menu. Select "New..." to make a new style based on the style that was selected. You will get a dialog with many tabs that allow you to configure your own numbering style. By the way, you can set up heading numbering the same way. Each heading level can be assigned a different paragraph style (e.g. Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3) but they all would be assigned the same NUMBERING style - so the list would number correctly. Note: OpenOffice.org will often make numbering difficult when you do the following actions:


    * Hit the back space key when you are in the style following a numbering style * Insert unnumbered styles between numbered styles * Output to HTML format with noncontiguous numbered and unnumbered styles



How do I join two adjacent tables?

The tables must be right next to each other for the "Join Tables" menu choice to appear. Even if there is only one text style between the tables with no content, the choice will not show up. When the tables appear to be almost touching, place your cursor into one of the tables. Right click to get the context menu. Select "Join Tables".




How do I create a hanging indent in my document?

You have two basic options, depending on how you want your hanging indent to look.


    * Using a pre-defined style:
      * Open the Format Stylist (select: Format -> Stylist from the pulldown menu) * Have the text cursor in the text that you want to format as hanging indent (or have the cursor in an empty text style and enter the text later) * Double-click on the "Hanging indent" choice in the Stylist window. This default style has a hanging indent - but it also has a left margin offset of .19 inches.

    * Create your own style:


      * Open the Stylist (as described above) * Select one of the "generic" styles such as "Standard" * Right click (in the Stylist window) to get the context menu and select "New ..." * In the dialog that appears, enter a new name for the style * Click on the "Indents & Spacing" tab. For a .25 inch hanging style, you would enter ".25" in the "Indent From left" field. Then enter "-.25" in the "Indent First line" field * Click on "OK". The new style will be available in the Stylist list.



How do I perform a word count of my document?

Open the file, then select: File -> Properties. Click on the "Statistics" tab. The word count (and other statistics) will appear in the dialog.

How do I insert 'dummy text' into my document?

Follow these steps:

  • Place your cursor where you want

some text

  • Type the characters: dt
  • Press the 'F3' key on your keyboard

How do I create labels in OpenOffice.org?

Select: File -> New -> Labels. In the dialog that appears, you will be able to enter the initial text for the label(s) and select the label type (Avery, etc.) desired. Click on "New Document" to open the document using the settings you selected.

How do I insert a Landscape page into my (portrait) document?

In your open document in OpenOffice.org:

  • Open the Stylist (Format-Stylist or [F11])
  • In the Stylist window, click on the Page Styles icon (fourth icon from left)
  • The type "Standard" should already be highlighted, hold the right menu button down to see the context menu and choose "New..."
  • In the dialog that appears, give the new page style a descriptive name, e.g. Landscape
  • Click on the [Page] taband change the page orientation to Landscape by clicking on the corresponding radio button. You may also make other changes to the page style, if needed (such as adjusting the margin sizes).
  • Click on [OK]. The new style will appear as one of your page style choices.
  • Place the text cursor in your document at the location where you want to insert the Landscape page
  • Select Insert-Manual Break
  • In the dialog that appears, select Page Break and in the Style list, select your new page style, e.g. "Landscape";
  • Click on [OK]

To end the Landscape area in your document:

  • Place the text cursor in your document at the location where you want to stop the Landscape layout
  • Select Insert-Manual Break
  • In the dialog that appears, select Page Break and in the Style list, select the previous page style, e.g. "Standard"
  • Click on [OK]

I have a blank page in my word processing document. All of my content seems to fit on the previous page. How do I get rid of this extra page?

Select View -> Nonprinting Characters from the pull down menus (so that the choice is checked). This will allow you to see the special control character that is pushing the page over to another sheet. Locate that character and delete it (after making a backup of your file). Be sure to turn these options off before printing. (If left 'on' you will be prompted for whether you want to print them or not). In rare cases, playing around with the Insert -> Manual Break feature using a change of page style can cause 'ghost' pages. These are pages that have no apparent content, no hidden characters, and cannot hold a text cursor. In the case tested, these 'ghost' pages were removed by the following procedure:

  • From the pulldown menus, select

View -> Online Layout

  • Scroll through your document. The

'ghost' pages should not appear.

  • Select View -> Online Layout again (this deselects the

choice). The 'ghost' pages should not return.

How do I make a table heading row repeat on each page of my word processing document that the table appears on?

A repeating header row is the default in OpenOffice.org when creating a new table. If you have an existing table, or if you are using a different text document template, follow the following instructions:

  • Place your cursor somewhere in the

table

  • Hold your right mouse button down

to get the context menu, then select: Table

  • In the dialog that appears, click

on the "Text Flow" tab

  • In the "Text Flow" box,

click on the check box next to "Repeat heading" (so that a check appears)

  • Click on OK

How do I perform a spellcheck in a multilingual text?

When OOo checks the spelling of a word (note: word, not paragraph or text) it chooses the spelling dictionary appropriate to the language this single word comes from. This is defined in > Format > Character > Font. This individual language setting normally is set to the default language but can be changed to any other supported language.

So, to perform a spellcheck on a multilingual text you need to select each word that isn't part of the default language and assign the appropriate language in > Format > Character > Font.

However, if you want to set the whole text to a new language, highlight the whole text and change the setting in > Format > Character > Font.

How do I remove a large number of hard returns from text that were pasted into my document (for example, from an email message)?

Follow these steps:

  • Select Edit -> Find &

Replace

  • Near the bottom left of the dialog

that appears, click on the box next to "Regular Expressions"

  • In the "Search For"

field, type: ^$ This regular expression says to search for a paragraph marker '$' at the beginning of a paragraph - programmer terms for an empty paragraph.

  • Click on the "Find"

button

  • To replace the hard return with a

space character, type a space in the "Replace With" field, then click the "Replace" button

  • To replace the hard return with

nothing (remove the character), click the "Replace" button (without entering anything in the "Replace With" field)

  • If you have many hard returns to replace, you can also use

the "Replace All" button. It is wise to save your document prior to using this option, in case it behaves unexpectedly.

Note: Regular expressions do not appear to work in the 'Replace' field.

How do I protect (lock) a section of text so that the content cannot be changed?

Follow these steps to protect a section of text:

  • Write or otherwise insert the

desired text

  • Select the text to be protected
  • From the pull down menus, select:

Insert -> Section

  • Click on the box next to

"Protected"

  • Give the section a name (or take

the default name assigned)

  • Click on the "insert"

box

  • You may also want to create a password on the section. This

will keep anyone without the password from removing the protection set on the section.

To insert a password on a protected section:

  • From the pull down menus, select:

Format -> Sections

  • Select the name of the desired

section (if, applicable)

  • Click on the box next to "Password

protected"

  • In the dialog that appears, enter

a password and confirm the password

  • Click on OK (in the password

dialog)

  • Click on OK (in the format section dialog)

Follow these steps to modify a section that you have previously protected:

  • From the pull down menus, select:

Format -> Sections

  • Enter your password in the dialog

that appears (only appears if password protected); Click OK

  • Select the name of the desired

section (if, applicable)

  • Click on the "Remove"

button

  • Click on OK
  • Make the desired changes
  • Follow steps in the "protect a section of text"

instructions, above, to re-apply the section protection

Note that, once you put a password on a section, you will be prompted for that password before receiving any dialog that might have a chance to access that section of text.

I have some text that I want to appear with the first character of each word in uppercase and the rest of the word in lowercase (initial uppercase). How do I do this automatically?

Follow these steps:

  • Select the desired text (by drag

selecting)

  • From the pull down menus, select:

Format -> Character

  • Click on the tab called 'Font

Effects'

  • In the 'More Effects' area, click

on the box next to 'Title Case'

  • Click on OK

This method also works for anything that can be drag-selected, such as a table row or column.

In my document, how do I repeat more than one table row when the table breaks across pages?

This function is not very intuitive, but it is possible:

  • Select the first (heading) table

ROW

  • From the pull down menus, select:

Format -> Cell -> Split

  • Set the "Split Amount"

for the number of total heading rows needed. Make sure the "Direction" is set to "horizontally".

  • Click on OK
  • Add text as needed to the added heading rows. This may mean

having to copy/paste data from rows you had previously created.

If this method is used, the THEAD and TBODY tags are used when exporting to HTML format.

How do I insert a Table of Contents into my document?

Before inserting a Table of Contents, the Stylist must be used to identify headings.

To mark headings:

  • Highlight the paragraph heading.
  • Choose Format -> Stylist from

the pull-down menu.

  • Double-click on your choice of

Heading Level from the dialog box.

  • Mark all headings in your document

as described above.

To Insert the Table of Contents:

  • Place your text cursor at the

location where you would like a Table of Contents

  • From the pulldown menus, select:

Insert -> Indexes -> Indexes...

  • In the dialog that appears, make

sure you are on the "Index" tab, then select the index "Type:" to be "Table of Contents"

  • You may want to adjust other

settings in this dialog to create the type of TOC desired. For example, if you want a table of captions, you would click on the box next to "Additional Styles" and select your caption style.

  • Click on "OK"

How do I update my table of contents (TOC)? I've added more data and it does not reflect my new headings.

Click inside the TOC (so that your text cursor is blinking somewhere inside it), then hold down your right mouse button to get the context menu. Select "Update Index".



How do I insert a variable for the current date into the footer of my document?

Follow these steps:

  • Insert a footer into your document

(if you don't already have one) by selecting: Insert->Footer ->Standard

  • With the cursor in the footer

area, select: Insert -> Fields -> Other

  • In the dialog that appears, be sure that the 'DocInformation' tab is selected (click to select)
  • If you want the date to update each time the document is modified, select 'Modified' in the 'Type' list. Other choices are 'Last Printed', 'Created', etc.
  • In the 'Select' list, click on 'Date'
  • In the 'Format' list, click on the format desired
  • Make sure that the check box next to 'Fixed content' is not checked
  • Click on 'Insert'
  • Click on 'Close'

You should now see the current date. If you see the name of the date field, select: View -> Fields (to turn off the check mark next to this choice). If you see nothing, it may be because you have not yet saved your document for the first time.

Trying to use the version control features for my word processing document, but some of the menu choices I've seen before do not appear. What's wrong?

Some version management functions become unavailable when you create an index (such as Table of Contents) within your document. Menu choices that will no longer appear include:

  • Edit->Changes->Merge Document
  • Edit->Compare Document In addition, the 'Compare' button in the 'Versions' dialog (accessed using File -> Versions) becomes gray (unusable) when the document contains an index.

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