Word Processor

Abstract

This section will give you a brief introduction to OpenOffice.org Writer's word processing functions.

[Note]Note

In order to make the text a little easier to read, we will alternate between the popular OOo acronym and the very long, yet full and correct OpenOffice.org name.

OpenOffice.org Writer

OpenOffice.org Writer is the part of the OpenOffice.org suite which provides the word processing functions. OpenOffice.org Writer can read popular Office formats, easing the transition from, and ensuring compatibility with, other Office suites.

Starting

To launch OpenOffice.org Writer, select Office->Wordprocessors->OpenOffice.org Writer from the main menu.

You can also open it from any other OOo application screen, by selecting File->New->Text Document, which will open a blank OOo Writer document.

Interface

Figure 11.1. OpenOffice.org Writer's Main Window

OpenOffice.org Writer's Main Window
Format Bar

This is the standard format bar used for all OpenOffice.org applications and is used to change fonts, colors, alignment, etc. of the application's data.

Rulers

Rulers define the horizontal location of the text and format elements. They are extremely useful when you want to establish tabulations and paragraphs indentation.

Work Area

Where you enter the content of your document: words, numbers, images, tables, hyperlinks, etc.

Insert Point

All characters typed on your keyboard will be placed at the left of this point. Also called the cursor.

Stylist

Clicking on any of the styles shown on the list will change the current selected text's style or the whole page style if no text is currently selected.

Page Style

Page size, margins, text-orientation, etc. all define the style. Page style can be changed by choosing Format->Page from the menu. You may use any one of the pre-defined styles or define one of your own.

Page Zoom

The current zoom level at which the page is being displayed, 100% by default. You can reduce it to, say 50% to take a “quick glance” at the page's layout. However the page preview feature (more on that later) is the preferred way to do this.

Insert Mode

When this shows OVER, the characters you type will overwrite the existing ones (if any) at the Insert Point. When this shows INSRT (the default mode), existing text at the Insert Point will not be overwritten but characters you type will be “inserted” at the cursor.

Going Further

If you wish to learn more on the usage of OpenOffice.org Writer, you should consult the tutorial available on the OpenOffice Support Web site.

Also do not hesitate to refer to the OpenOffice.org Writer on-disk help accessible through the Help->Contents menu. You are bound to find the answers to your questions. Topics are accessible through a table of contents, an index is available as well as a contextual search tool.

[Tip]Tip

OpenOffice.org Writer is able to export your documents in PDF format (File->Export as PDF ...). This allows you to publish your documents in the famous Adobe® Reader® format.

Conclusion

Word processing could be considered as one of the most performed actions with a personal computer. As you have read above, OpenOffice.org Writer is a tool which not only gives you everything you need to create simple or complex documents, but is also compatible with existing Office file formats. Enjoy creating your documents with OpenOffice.org Writer!