Components
Open Office Suite  is a collection of applications that closely work together to provide the features expected from a modern office suite. Many of the components are designed to mirror those available in Microsoft Office. The components available include:
Writer |
A word processor similar in look and feel to Microsoft Word that offers a comparable range of functions and tools. It also includes the ability to export Portable Document Format (PDF) files with no additional software and can also function as a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor for creating and editing web pages. WRITER has everything you would expect from a modern, fully equipped word processor or desktop publisher.
It's simple enough for a quick memo, powerful enough to create complete books with contents, diagrams, indexes, etc. You're free to concentrate on your message - while WRITER makes it look great.
The Wizards takes all the hassle out of producing standard documents such as letters, faxes, agendas, minutes, or carrying out more complex tasks such as mail merges. You are of course free to create your own templates.
Trap typing mistakes on the fly with the AutoCorrect dictionary, which can check your spelling as you type.
AutoFormat takes care of the formatting as you write, leaving you free to concentrate on your message.
Make your documents freely available with WRITER's HTML export to the web, or publish in Portable Document Format (.pdf) to guarantee that what you write is what your reader sees.
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Calc |
A spreadsheet similar to Microsoft Excel with approximately the same  range of features. Calc provides many features not available in Excel, including a system which automatically defines series for graphing, based on the layout of the user’s data. Calc is also capable of writing spreadsheets directly as a PDF file. Calc is the spreadsheet program you've always wanted. Newcomers find it intuitive and easy to learn; professional data miners and number crunchers will appreciate the comprehensive range of advanced functions.
Advanced DataPilot technology makes it easy to pull in raw data from corporate databases; cross-tabulate, summarise, and convert it into meaningful information.
Natural language formulas let you create formulas using words (e.g. "sales - costs").
The Intelligent Sum Button inserts a sum function or a subtotal automatically, depending on context.
Wizards guides you through choosing and using a comprehensive range of advanced spreadsheet functions.
Styles and Formatting makes it easy to apply flexible cell formatting options, including freely rotating contents, templates, backgrounds, borders, and many more. You can be your own spreadsheet expert thanks to templates with built-in functions, allowing you to concentrate on your real work.
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Impress |
A presentation program similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. It can export presentations to Adobe Flash (SWF) files allowing them to be played on any computer with Flash player installed. It also includes the ability to create PDF files and read Microsoft PowerPoint's .ppt format. IMPRESS is a truly outstanding tool for creating effective multimedia presentations. Your presentations will stand out with 2D and 3D clip art, special effects, animation, and high-impact drawing tools.
Master Pages simplify the task of preparing your materials.
A complete range of Views are supported: Drawing / Outline / Slides / Notes / Handouts to meet all the needs of presenters and audiences, plus an optional multi-pane view to put all the tools at your fingertips.
IMPRESS has a complete range of easy-to-use drawing and diagramming tools to spice up your presentation.
Slide show Animation and Effects bring your presentation to life. Fontworks provides stunning 2D and 3D images from text. Create lifelike 3D images with astounding speed and response.
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Base |
A database program comparable to Microsoft Access. Base allows the creation and manipulation of databases along with the building of forms and reports to provide easy access to data for end-users. As is the case with Access, Base may be used as a front-end to a number of different database systems, including Access databases (JET), ODBC data sources and MySQL/PostgreSQL. Base became part of the suite starting with version 2.0. Native to the OpenOffice, suite is an adaptation of HSQL. While Base can be a front-end for any of the databases listed, there is no need for any of them to be installed. New to Version 2, BASE enables you to manipulate database data seamlessly within Open Office. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, either using your own database or BASE’s own built-in HSQL database engine. BASE offers a choice of using Wizards, Design Views, or SQL Views for beginners, intermediate, and advanced users.
With BASE, you can:
Create new tables for your data - and also change them as your needs change
Maintain indexes on the tables to make data access faster
View a table in an editing grid and add, change, and delete records
Use the Report Wizard to produce impressive reports from your data
Use the Form Wizard to create 'instant' database applications
Using BASE, you can not only browse your data, but also:
Perform simple (single column) or complex (multi-column) sorts
View subsets of your data with simple (one-click) or complex (logical query) filters
Create powerful queries to show your data in new ways, including summaries and multi-table views |
Draw |
A vector graphics editor related in features to early versions of CorelDRAW. It features versatile "connectors" between shapes - which are available in a range of line styles - and facilitate building drawings such as flowcharts. DRAW gives you the tools to communicate with graphics and diagrams.
'Park' your most commonly used drawing tools around your screen ready for single-click access.
Use Styles and Formatting to put all your graphics styles at your finger tips.
Manipulate objects, rotate in two or three dimensions; the 3D controller puts spheres, rings, cubes, etc. at your disposal.
Arrange objects: group, ungroup, regroup, and edit objects while grouped. Sophisticated rendering let you create photorealistic images with your own texture, lighting effects, transparency, perspective, and so on.
Smart connectors make short work of flowcharts, organisation charts, network diagrams, etc. Define your own 'glue points' for connectors to 'stick' to.
Use the picture Gallery for clipart; create your own art and add it to the Gallery.
Import graphics from all common formats (including BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and WMF)
It also has similar features to Desktop publishing software such as Scribus and Microsoft Publisher. |
Math |
A tool for creating and editing mathematical formulas, similar to Microsoft Equation Editor. Formulas can be embedded inside other OpenOffice documents, like those created by Writer. It supports multiple fonts and can export to PDF. MATH is the Open Office Suite component for mathematical equations. It is most commonly used as an equation editor for text documents, but it can also be used with other types of documents or stand-alone. When used inside WRITER, the equation is treated as an object inside the text document. Similarly, one can also insert these into other Open Office programs like CALC and IMPRESS.
Using MATH, there are three main ways of entering a formula:
Type markup in the equation editor.
Right-click on the equation editor and select the symbol from the context menu.
Select a symbol from the Selection toolbox. |
QuickStarter
QuicStarter is a small program for Windows and Linux that runs when the computer kick starts for the first time. It loads core files and libraries for OpenOffice during computer startup and allows the suite applications to start quicker when selected at a later time. The amount of time it takes to open OpenOffice  applications was a common complaint in version 1.0 of the suite and Quickstarter was an attempt to find a solution. Substantial improvements were made in this area for version 2.2.
The macro recorder
Is used to record user actions and replay them later to help with automating tasks while using OpenOffice  Basic (see below).
It is not possible to download these components individually on Windows - though they can be installed separately. Most Linux distributions break the components into individual packages which may be downloaded and installed separately.
Features According to its mission statement, the OpenOffice  project aims "To create, as a community, the leading international office suite that will run on all major platforms and provide access to all functionality and data through open-component based APIs and an XML-based file format."
OpenOffice  aspires to compete with Microsoft Office and emulate its look and feel where suitable. It can read and write most of the file formats found in Microsoft Office and many other applications; an essential feature of the suite for many users. OpenOffice has been found to be able to open files of older versions of Microsoft Office and damaged files that newer versions of Microsoft Office itself cannot open. However, it is not able to open older Word for Macintosh (MCW) files.
Platforms
Platforms for which OpenOffice is available include Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, BSD, OpenVMS, OS/2 and IRIX.[10] The current primary development platforms are Microsoft Windows, Linux and Solaris.
A port for Mac OS X exists for OS X machines which have the X Window System component installed. A port to OS X's native Aqua user interface is in progress and is scheduled for completion for the 3.0 milestone.[11] NeoOffice is an independent offshoot of OpenOffice that is specially adapted for Mac OS X.
OpenOffice Basic
OpenOffice  Basic is a programming language similar to Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) based on StarOffice Basic. In addition to the macros, the upcoming Novell edition of OpenOffice  2.0 supports running Microsoft VBA macros, a feature expected to be incorporated into the mainstream version soon.
OpenOffice  Basic is available in the Writer and Calc applications. It is written in functions called subroutines or macros, with each macro performing a different task such as counting all words in a paragraph. OpenOffice  Basic is especially useful in performing repetitive tasks that have not been integrated in the program.
As the OpenOffice  database (called "Base") uses documents created under the Writer application for reports and forms, one could say that Base can also be programmed with OpenOffice  Basic.
File formats
OpenOffice pioneered its own file format- OpenDocument (ODF) - which became an accepted industry standard. It also supports reading (and in some cases writing) a large number of legacy proprietary file formats (e.g.: WordPerfect, StarOffice, Lotus software, MS Works, Rich Text Format.) Most notably Microsoft Office formats after which the OpenDocument specification was "approved for release as an ISO and IEC International Standard" under the name ISO/IEC 26300:2006.
File Types That Can Be Created, Opened or Saved:
Microsoft Word (*.doc *.dot)
Microsoft Excel (*.xls *.xlw *.xlt)
Microsoft PowerPoint (*.ppt *.pps *.pot)
Open Office (*.sxw *.stw *.sxc *.stc)
OpenOffice Drawing (*.sxd)
OpenOffice Presentation (*.sxi *.st)
OpenOffice Drawing (*.sxd *.std)
StarWriter (*.sdw *.vor)
StarWriter Graphics Format (*.sgf)
StarDraw (*.sgv *.sda *.sdd)
StarView Metafile (*.svm)
StarCalc (*.sdc *.vor)
HTML Documents (*.htm *.html)
WordPerfect (*.wp *.wpd)
Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
Lotus 1-2-3 (*.wk1 *.wks)
dBASE (*.dbf)
Text (*.txt)
Data Interchange Format (*.dif)
SYLK (*.slk)
Text Spreadsheets (*.csv *.txt)
Computer Graphics Metafile (*.cgm)
AutoCAD (*.dxf)
Enhanced Metafile (*.emf)
Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps)
OS/2 Metafile (*.met)
Mac Picture (*.pct)
Windows Metafile (*.wmf)
Windows Bitmap (*.bmp)
Graphics Interchange Format (*.gif)
Joint Photographic Experts Group (*.jpg *.jepg *.jiff *.jif *.jpe)
Portable Bitmap (*.pbm)
Kodak Photo CD (*.pcd)
Zsoft Paintbrush (*.pct)
Portable Greymap (*.pgm)
Portable Network Graphic (*.png)
Portable Pixelmap (*.ppm)
Adobe Photoshop (*.psd)
Sun Raster Image (*.ras)
Truevision Targa (*.tga)
Tagged Image File Format (*.tif *.tiff)
X Bitmap (*.xbm)
X PixMap (*.xpm) |
