First they take the simple but elegant mail merge option off the Tools menu, and now this.
There are two wonderful, extremely useful, much-requested features in OpenOffice 2.0.3.
- Email as Microsoft Word
- Email as OpenDocument Text
These are in addition to the existing ones:
- Send Document as PDF Attachment
- Send Document as Email
If you're working in some text document, the Email as Microsoft Word option will take your current doc, make a MS Word version of it, start your default email program, and attach the MS Word copy to a new email document.
The Email as OpenDocument Text option does the same thing, but the attachment is in OpenOffice text format regardless of the format of the current document.
Send Document as Email -- This one does pretty much the same thing, but it just uses the format of the document you're working in. If you're working in MS Doc format, the attachment is .doc and if you're working in OpenOffice, the attachment is OpenOffice.
Send Document as PDF Attachment -- This one does the same thing but creates a PDF copy of your document .
Can you see how incredibly useful these are? They're great for working with MS Office users within or outside your organization. Combine them with File > Send > Document as PDF Attachment and you're golden. (See this blog on setting up openoffice for easier use for inexperienced users for more info on that.)
But how do you get them on the menu? They're there -- you just can't see them.
Here's how. I'll show you how to add them to File > Send, and I'll also show you how to create a whole separate menu to add them to. If you're working with inexperienced users in your organization, the latter might be more helpful for them.
Adding the Two New Items to the File > Send Menu to Join the Other Similar Options
Choose Tools > Customize.
Click the Menus tab.
Select the File | Send menu.
Click Add.
In the window that appears, find Document on the left and the indicated menu item on the right. Click Add.
Select the other option, Email as OpenDocument Text, and click Add.
Close the window.
In the original window you'll see the two newly added items.
Click OK.
Choose File > Send and you'll see all the items.
Adding the Two New Items to the File > Send Menu to Join the Other Similar Options
Here's how to make a special menu to put these items on. It might be simpler for your users if there were a specific menu for these items.
Choose Tools > Customize.
Click the Menus tab.
Click New.
Type the name for the menu like Sending Out Documents.
Click OK. You'll see the new menu with no items.
Click Add.
In the window that appears, select Document on the left, and the four indicated items on the right. Select each of the four items in turn and Click Add.
Close the window. You'll see the items you added.
You might want to rename some of the items to make them clearer or comply with internal processes. Select the item, click and hold down on Modify, and choose Rename.
In the window, type a name you prefer, then click OK.
Rename any additional items.
Click OK to save changes and close the window.
Click on the menu you added. You'll see the items.
Solveig, that's cool. Unfortunately, I can't find how to link OO.o to my email client, and I am running OO.o 2.0.3. Tools > Options > OO.o doesn't include an external programs section, at least as far as I can see.
Finding that may only be the first step. I use Gnus for email, and I suspect that may take a moment to link Gnus and OO.o.
If you've got a quick answer, I'm certainly interested in reading it! Thanks again.
Posted by: Bill Harris | September 11, 2006 at 08:29 PM
It uses you're default email client. You will have to set that in Internet Options in the Control Panel
Posted by: Samuel deHuszar Allen | September 12, 2006 at 11:52 AM