Slick Feature in 2.0.3 -- Email an MS Version of Your File: Updated With Screen Shot and Link May 12th

Dave Richards of Largo, FL mentioned in a recent email that there's a slick feature in the 2.o.3 build of OpenOffice.org. (2.0.2 is the current stable release.)

Currently, if you need to send an MS Office version of a file to an MS Office user, you need to:

• Choose File > Save As
• Choose the right format, such as Word or Excel
• Name the file and save it
• Go to your email program and create a new email
• Find the correct MS version of the file
• Attach it to your email and send it
• And make sure that you don't get confused between the MS and OpenOffice.org versions of your file

CORRECTION  from Pete: While the above steps  work, it's easier to just Save As Word or Excel, then choose File > Send > Document as Email.

Now, all of this is doable. (And you can choose to always save in MS format under Tools > Options > Load/Save > General.) 

But how much slicker would it be if you could just tell OpenOffice.org "I want to send an MS version of this file I'm working on" and the program would take care of the rest?

That's what the 2.0.3 build contains.

Dave sent me the following info and screen shot. Get the software here. ftp://ftp.ussg.iu.edu/pub/openoffice/developer/

Milestone 169 just came out.

Here's what it looks like.

 

Comments

[Sergio Margarita]

If you are using 2.0.2 or a previous version, you can install the SendDoc macro (http://www.ooomacros.org/).

You can add a button in a bar, assign it to the macro and send a MS version of the current document with a single click.

[Pete Holsberg]

No need for all that. If you want to email, say, an MS Word version of an OOo doc you're editing, do this:

Save As and select MS Word
File > Send > Document as E-mail

Poof! Up jumps your email client with the MS Word file as an attachment.

[Solveig]

D'oh! Of course, good point. I neglect that Send Document as Email feature.

Solveig

[Dave Richards]

This feature is primarily useful for places that do not want .doc used as a file format. Our users were taking .odt documents and then saving it with the same file name in .doc format and then sending that one out. Then you end up with multiple copies on the network. This new feature allows you to just send it out without creating a one-time file for sending.

[Samuel deHuszar Allen]

Does it require a local mail client or can it be configured to work with webmail services from the likes of Google, Yahoo, etc.?

[Solveig]

Hi Samuel,

>> Does it require a local mail client or can it be configured to work with webmail services from the likes of Google, Yahoo, etc.?

Kind of...when you set your default email client in your operating system, you control which one is used. When I set mine up to use Yahoo mail just to experiment, it started Yahoo and created a new email doc. However, it pointed me to the doc that had to be attached, with the full path, rather than actually attaching it. So, OK, not perfect.

Solveig

[Solveig]

Hi Sergio,

>> If you are using 2.0.2 or a previous version, you can install the SendDoc macro (http://www.ooomacros.org/).

>> You can add a button in a bar, assign it to the macro and send a MS version of the current document with a single click.

Great tip! Excellent.

Solveig

[Robert Van Vlerah]

I looking for a macro that will take a word doc and email it to specific address all the time. Is this possible.

[Solveig Haugland]

Hi Robert,

I'm sorry; I'm not familiar with the existing macros, though I imagine it's possible. The info at http://www.ooomacros.org/ or other macro sites would have information. Or alternately write to [email protected].

Good luck!

Solveig

[Jeff]

The feature "Document as e-mail" in M$ Office, together Outlook Express or M$ Outlook, create a new e-mail body in basic (and not clean!) html, sending a formatted e-mail. Is like to use text editor as mail composer.

There are a way to get this feature in Ooo? I remember that I get it in a older (very older!) version of StarOffice.

Thx!
Jeff