Writer
OpenOffice.org Writer is the word processor component of the OpenOffice.org software package. Writer is a word processor similar to Microsoft Word and Corel’s WordPerfect, with some of their features.
As with the entire OpenOffice.org suite, Writer can be used across a variety of platforms, including Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, Irix and Solaris. Released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public Licence, Writer is free software. – Wikipedia
Comparison: See MS Word Help for how things are done in MS Word 2003.
autosave document
Tools – Options – Load/Save(in the left column) – General – Tick “Always create backup copy” – OK
backup document
Tools – Options – Load/Save(in the left column) – General – Save Autorecovery Information Every x Minutes
bold text
Select the text you want to ‘Bold’ – Ctrl + B
center paragraph
Select the paragraph you want to center align – Format – Paragraph – Alignment – Tick the ‘Center’
close document
columns
Format > Columns
columns, different number of columns on different pages
Let’s say you want three columns preceded by a page with one column.
- Define page styles you name 3columns and 1column.
To define a page style press F11, click the Page Styles icon, click the New Styles From Selection icon and choose New Style From Selection. Type the style name (3columns or 1column) and click OK. Right-click the style name and select Modify. Define the style as you want it and click OK. - If 3columns should follow 1column make sure that Next Style in the Organizer tab in 1columns page style says 3columns.
- Give each page the proper style by using F11, clicking the Page Styles icon, and then either 1column or 3columns.
Note: Do not use Format – Columns – Apply to: Current Section.
Note: The name of the page style used on a page is in the second cell in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
copy text
Select the text you want to copy – ctrl + c
combine documents
delete document from disk
delete text
Select the text you want to delete. Press the Delete key on the right side of the keyboard.
endnote
font and font size
footer
Go to Insert, then select footer.
footnote
Format > Page… > Footnote
frames
hanging indent paragraph
header
Go to Insert, then select header.
help
highlight
horizontal line
hyphenation
import files
insert document
insert text
italic text
justify paragraph
left align paragraph
left indent paragraph
line spacing
format – paragraph – indents & spacing
margins
format > page… > page
measurement units
Tools – Options – OpenOffice.org.Writer – General
move around in document
new document
normal view
open a document
overtype
page break
Insert > Manual break…
page layout view
page numbers
Insert > Fields > Page Number – (more)
page orientation
Go to Format, select “page” and choose landscape.
page setup
Go to Format, select Page
paper size
Go to Format, select Page and then Page again.
paragraphs
paragraph widows and orphans
“Widows and orphans are historical typography terms, which have been in use for many years. A widow refers to a short line at the end of a paragraph, which when printed, appears alone at the top of the next page. An orphan is, in contrast, the first line of a paragraph printed alone at the bottom of the previous page. In a OpenOffice.org text document you can automatically prevent such occurrences in the desired Paragraph Style. When doing so, you can determine the minimum amount of lines to be kept together on a page.” (From OO Help)
Press F11. Choose Paragraph Styles. Right-click ‘Default” and choose ‘Modify’. In the Text Flow tab, check ‘Orphan control’ and ‘Widow control’ and set them to 2 lines.
preview document
Click the Pape Preview icon on the standard toolbar or File – Page Preview.
print document
rename a document
replace
right align paragraph
right indent paragraph
save a document first time
save a document second time
search
section break
Insert – Section – (Name the section if you want) – OK.
Note: The section you are in is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
select text
show hide paragraph marks
spaces
spellcheck
subscript
superscript
tab indented paragraph
tab stops
Default spacing: Tools – Options – OpenOffice.org.Writer – General – Tab stops.
table
For table width check Relative and set it to 100% to fit in a column.
Thesaurus
Press Ctrl+F7
transfer data between applications
underline text
undo what you just did
undo what you just undid
uppercase text
wordart
View-Toolbars-Fontwork displays the toolbar for Fontwork (Wordart). Click the framed A to get started. Read more
zoom
Use the slider on the right in the status bar or click the magnifying glass on the standard toolbar and make a choice.
Some help pages on the Internet
- OpenOffice.org 3 Writer Guide (download chapters from here)
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Work in progress
This page is very much a work in progress. If you want to do something with Writer, but don’t know how to, please type your problem in the comment box below. I will incorporate the answer in this page so you will be a fellow complice of making the page better.