Simple Summer Tips for Easier Use of OpenOffice.org Writer

In the summer season, I want to throw out some nice easy-going simple tips.

(I also just took three blues-dancing lessons, my quads are burning and apparently my Norwegian-Lutheran upbringing did not, as perhaps one might assume, prepare me for a sensuous blues dancing career or even hobby. I am thus feeling very very very beginnerish, and  very sympathetic to those who might not have been using OpenOffice.org heavily since 1999.)

Anyway. Here's the summer vacation reading equivalent of some everyday OpenOffice.org tips. Some new, some not. It's just how I use the program, things that make it easier.

* I always start OpenOffice.org by starting Writer, then keep it open and create or open new Calc, Writer, Base documents, etc. I probably run OOo slower than some people but I like having all the documents open, and just creating or opening new ones from the menu of whatever OpenOffice.org document's menu is available.

* I use, as much as possible, the File > Recent Documents menu. Any document you've created and closed recently is likely to show up there.

* Undo, undo, undo. You can use the Undo icon, or just press Ctrl Z and keep going. OpenOffice is set up for 20 undoes and you can set it for farther back under Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Memory.

You can undo multiples at a time by clicking and holding down on the Undo icon and choosing multiple items by selecting as many as you want.

*Select multiple non-contiguous pieces of text by holding down Ctrl. Select the first word or character, then hold down Ctrl, hold down the next word, release Ctrl, and so on. When you're done, release the mouse, and the Ctrl key. Then you can apply the same formatting, or other action, to all of them at once.

* Use styles! Just Heading1 through Heading3, and Text Body, will save you a lot of time. Select the text, then select the style from the dropdown list shown.

* Edit the existing styles rather than creating new ones. Apply the styles, then if you don't like them just edit them and everywhere they're applied, they'll change. Select anything with a particular style applied that you want to edit, right-click, and choose Edit Paragraph Style. (This of course works only for paragraph styles.)

A window appears where you can change any attributes of the formatting that you want. Click the tab you want, make the changes, click another Tab and make changes, etc. then click OK.

The change will be applied to any text where that paragraph style was applied. As with any modification to or creation of a style, the changes apply only in the current document.

* Keep your cats off the desk. My cat Winston loves to lay his head on the Esc key. And wackiness ensues.

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Comments

[Peter Sjoelin]

Hi.

You can also use the shortcut ctrl + 1 for heading one, ctrl + 2 for heading 2 and ctrl + 3 for heading 3.

[Bill Harris]

Hi, Solveig. While I've not used it, it sounds as if you're in the market for PawSense (http://www.bitboost.com/pawsense/). No, I don't get anything for recommending it; it's just that I think that software that claims to understand cats is worth a look. :-)

[deebat]

Ever since they closed My Favorite Goat Leg at the megamall, I've been wondering where to find great goat leg.

[Solveig]

Hi deebat,

Wasn't it My Favorite Leg? Or maybe there are specialized chains around the US specializing in goat, lamb, sacrificial, etc.

[Solveig]

Hi Bill,

You know, I think I saw this on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Or heard about it.

I wonder what sounds cats find annoying, besides the vacuum cleaner?

http://www.kittenwars.com

[Solveig]

Hi Peter,

Thank you, I always neglect to mention the shortcuts. (I'm so mouse-driven. Like a cat.)

Solveig