Documentation/FAQ/Writer/AutomaticFunctions

Automatic functions

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

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

1. From the main menu bar, select Tools -> Options.
2. In the dialog that appears, select OpenOffice.org Writer - Formatting Aids.
3. Change the 'Insert' value to 'Left Paragraph Margin' (it was set to 'Tabs').
4. Click on OK.

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 shortcut 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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 occur 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	Note:	module
DNA	And	the replacement table	(3) (1)	All
XImport	Ximport		(3)	All
coordination	Coordination	Capitalize first letter of every sentence	(3)	All
It was excl. on this day	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.	the exceptions table	(2)	Writer only
*Hello* _world_	Hello world	Automatic bold and underline	(3)	All
www.openoffice.org john@sun.com	www.openoffice.org john@sun.com	The URL recognition	(3)	All
1st, 2nd, 4th	1st, 2nd, 4th	The AutoFormat of the cardinal numbers	(3)	All
1/2 1/4 3/4	½ ¼ ¾	The AutoFormat of	(3)	All
The man -- yes, him! The man--yes, him!	The man – yes, him! The man—yes, him!	Replace dashes	(3)	All
<2_spaces>	The second space doesn't appear	Ignore double spaces	(3)	All
1 bottle of milk <Return>	1. bottle of milk 2.	Apply numbering	(3)	Writer only
---<Return> ===<Return> ___<Return>	horizontal lines created	Apply border	(3)	Writer only
+---+---+	a table	Create table	(3)	Writer only
My title <Return> <Return>	My title	Use styles	(3)	Writer only
one	*one> *test	Replace bullets	(3)	Writer only
"	« or an other typographical quote	Custom quotes	(4)	Writer only
Int	Int|roduction| (the word is completed)	Word completion	(5))
1.1 in a table	01/01/03 (a date)	Number recognition	(6))	Writer only

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