While many people I work with like the "red squiggly lines" underneath misspelled words, I also know quite a few who hate them. I like them because I just fix my mistakes as I go, whenever possible, however I've watched many people totally ignore them and run the Spelling and Grammar check at intervals throughout … Continue reading OpenOffice.org: Turning off the Automatic Spellcheck
Default Formatting in OpenOffice Writer
OpenOffice.org Writer: Back to the Beginning with the Formatting While I can't speak for everyone, I know that there are times when I sit back, take a good look at my document and think... What was I thinking when I did that, and that, and that???? It's that moment of clarity, when I realize that … Continue reading Default Formatting in OpenOffice Writer
Setting the Default Tab Stops in OpenOffice Writer
OpenOffice.org Writer: Just Add It to My Tab If I've seen it once, I've seen it a thousand times... When someone wants to tab let's say 3 inches into a document they use the default half-inch tabs and hit the Tab key 6 times! Don't get me wrong, it works and all but the same … Continue reading Setting the Default Tab Stops in OpenOffice Writer
The Text to Table Feature in OpenOffice Writer
OpenOffice.org Writer: Oh Man, I Should Have Used a Table! While I cannot speak for everyone, I know that there have been many times that, after setting up information in a word processing document, I find myself wishing I had used a table instead of a list of text. If the list is long and … Continue reading The Text to Table Feature in OpenOffice Writer
Playing Space Invaders in OpenOffice Calc
OpenOffice.org Calc: Taking A Break for a Little Fun Ok, so I'll admit it right from the start - this tip is for fun, not for productivity... But who's not for a little fun once in a while? Buried within the code of OpenOffice.org's Calc program is a favorite game from days gone past. Yep … Continue reading Playing Space Invaders in OpenOffice Calc
Customizing OpenOffice Menus
OpenOffice.org: I Can Customize the Menus Too? Yep. It's as simple as customizing your toolbars. The result can make your life a bit easier, not to mention more efficient, when you're working. Worth a minute or two to investigate? Yeah, I thought so too. Start in the Tools menu with the Customize choice. When the … Continue reading Customizing OpenOffice Menus
Using the Format Paintbrush in OpenOffice
Here's one of the most useful items that I've ever found in the programs of any office suite... it's the Format Paintbrush. This little gem can save you tons of time when it comes to formatting fonts, cells, paragraphs, etc. Here's how it works. Let's say you've got some text that you've spent a lot … Continue reading Using the Format Paintbrush in OpenOffice
Switching Views in OpenOffice Impress
When we create presentations, the software can show us a variety of views - we can see each slide in the Normal view for editing, we can access an Outline view of our presentation content, there's the Notes view where we can add our extra info that doesn't go to the audience... well, you get … Continue reading Switching Views in OpenOffice Impress
The Function List in OpenOffice Calc
OpenOffice.org Calc: Using the Function List without Opening the Function Wizard Sometimes you know what you want to do with your data, but you just can't seem to remember the name of the function that does what you need. If you open the Function Wizard (which is basically a dialog box for inserting functions) via … Continue reading The Function List in OpenOffice Calc
Printing a Worksheet in OpenOffice Calc
A really simple thing like altering your hard copy could save you a lot of editing time and prevent quite a few headaches during the time you do spend editing the worksheet.