Abhishek Chib had asked me for some help regarding OpenOffice Writer usage. Many others also need the same help. So, I had plans to prepare a document comparing the features and usage of Microsoft Word vis-à-vis OpenOffice Writer to help the Windows converts into Linux or OSS. Luckily I came across this document http://documentation.openoffice.org/HOW_TO/word_processing/Word-to-OOo.html. Though this document was meant for OpenOffice 1.1.1, it works well with OpenOffice 2.0.2 that ships with PCLinuxOS 2007 and other leading Linux distributions.
Usability wise OpenOffice Writer is not difficult in comparison to Microsoft Word. But as many have learnt computing through a Windows perspective, they generally face the problems in terminology and “where to find what” kind of annoyance. Little bit of intuition will help the users be familiar with OO Writer.
Terminology
Most functions and controls have the same or similar names in Microsoft Word and OpenOffice.org Writer, but a few are different. This table compares some common terms in the two programs.
Set up the program to work your way
Most functions are found in similar places in both programs, but a few are slightly different, and the degree of control varies. This table summarizes where to find the setup choices.
Write, edit, and review documents
Most writing, editing, and reviewing techniques in OOoWriter are similar to those in Microsoft Word, but the details often vary.
Control page layout
This section covers such things as margins, headers and footers, columns, and frames. OOoWriter controls basic page setup somewhat differently than Word does.
Microsoft Word page setup
Page setup (paper size, orientation, margins, and so on) is a property of the document as a whole. To change the setup for a page, you need to define a separate section with the changed
setup. For example, if you specify headers and footers, they apply to the entire document, unless you change them in specific sections.
OpenOffice.org Writer page setup
Page setup is a property of the page style. You can define many page styles—for example, First Page, Left Page, Index Page, and Default. If you change the page layout for one page style, only that style will be affected. When you set up a page style, you can specify which page style applies to the next page, so when text flows from one page to the next, the correct page style will automatically apply to the following pages. For example, you could specify a First Page style to be followed by a Left Page style, to be followed by a Right Page style, to be followed by a Left Page style—a common setup in books.
Use templates and styles
A full discussion of the similarities and differences in the use of templates and styles would take too long for this summary document, but the following table should get you started.
Use fields
A full discussion of the similarities and differences in the use of fields would take too long for this
summary document, but the following table should get your started. Major differences exist in the use of cross-references.
Work with large or complex documents
A full discussion of the similarities and differences in working with large or complex documents would take too long for this summary document, but the following table should get your started.
Major differences exist in the use of master documents. The table does not attempt to summarize all these differences. Other how-to documents are being written to describe the use of master documents in detail.
Work with graphics
Most graphics work should be done outside Word or Writer, with the graphic files embedded or linked to the Word or Writer file. However, you can do some simple graphics using the drawing tools in Word or Writer. This table covers the basics.
Use keyboard shortcuts
This table summarizes some of the built-in keyboard shortcuts used in Microsoft Word and their
equivalents in OpenOffice.org Writer. Functions without built-in keyboard shortcuts can be performed using toolbar icons, or you could assign your own key combinations.
Usability wise OpenOffice Writer is not difficult in comparison to Microsoft Word. But as many have learnt computing through a Windows perspective, they generally face the problems in terminology and “where to find what” kind of annoyance. Little bit of intuition will help the users be familiar with OO Writer.
Terminology
Most functions and controls have the same or similar names in Microsoft Word and OpenOffice.org Writer, but a few are different. This table compares some common terms in the two programs.
| Microsoft Word | OpenOffice.org Writer |
| Office Assistant | Help Agent |
| ScreenTips or ToolTips | Tips |
| Wildcards | Regular expressions |
| (no equivalent) | Long-click (click and hold on an icon to display a tear-off toolbar) |
| Smart tags | Do not exist in OOo |
Set up the program to work your way
Most functions are found in similar places in both programs, but a few are slightly different, and the degree of control varies. This table summarizes where to find the setup choices.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Turn off Office Assistant (Help Agent) | Help > Microsoft Word Help > Options | Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > General |
| Turn off autocompletion | Tools > AutoCorrect/AutoFormat > Word Completion tab, deselect Enable Word Completion. | |
| Set up document window (rulers, status bar, default toolbars, etc) | View > select required items | View > select required items |
| Change measurement system | Tools > Options... > General | Tools > Options... > Text Document > General |
| Customize toolbars | Tools > Customize | View > Toolbars > Customize (or) Tools > Configure (or) Right-click on toolbar > Customize or Configure |
| Customize menus | Tools > Customize | Tools > Configure |
| Display font names in their font (in toolbar drop-down font list) | Tools > Customize > Options | Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > View, select Preview in fonts lists |
| Always show full menus (include unavailable and little-used items) | Tools > Customize > Options | Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > View, select Inactive menu items |
| Show/hide ScreenTips (ToolTips) on toolbars | Tools > Customize > Options | Help > Tips, uncheck |
| Always create backup copy | Tools > Options > Save | Tools > Options > Load/Save > General |
| Autosave every x minutes | Tools > Options > Save | Tools > Options > Load/Save > General |
| Show paragraph marks, tabs, etc. | Tools > Options > View | Tools > Options > Text Document > Formatting Aids |
| Change file locations | Tools > Options > File Locations | Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths |
| Change user information | Tools > Options > User Information | Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > User Data |
| Set up AutoCorrect and AutoFormat options | Tools > AutoCorrect Options | Tools > AutoCorrect/AutoFormat > Options tab |
Write, edit, and review documents
Most writing, editing, and reviewing techniques in OOoWriter are similar to those in Microsoft Word, but the details often vary.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Jump quickly to other parts of a document | Edit > Go to (or) Outline view | Edit > Navigator (or F11), double-click on required heading, figure, table, etc. |
| Choose language for spelling checker | Tools > Language > Set Language | Tools > Options > Language Settings > Language. (Note: OpenOffice.org has no grammar checker.) |
| Ignore some text when checking spelling | Select text; Tools > Language > Set Language > Do not check (or) Format > Style > Modify> Format > Language | Select text; right-click > Character > Font > Language = [None] or the real language of the selected text, if that is foreign. |
| Recheck spelling | Tools > Spelling & Grammar > Recheck Document | Always rechecks |
| Find and replace text, formatting, and styles | Edit > Replace > More; choices as needed | Edit > Find&Replace; details are a bit different |
| Use wildcards (regular expressions) in find and replace | Edit > Replace > More > select Use Wildcards checkbox | Edit > Find&Replace; select Regular Expressions checkbox. Wildcards differ from those in MSWord. |
| Choose, create, or edit a custom dictionary | Tools > Options > Spelling & Grammar > Custom Dictionaries | Tools > Options > Language Settings > Writing Aids |
| Create exception (exclude) dictionary | File > New, type words, Save As > text only, file extension .EXC | As for custom dictionary, but select Exception [-] checkbox |
| Track changes (choose options) | Tools > Options > Track Changes | Tools > Options > Text Document > Changes |
| Protect document for editing | Tools > Protect Document | Edit > Changes > Protect Records |
| Mark and track changes | (Word 2000) Tools > Track Changes > Highlight Changes | Edit > Changes > Record |
| Insert comments associated with a change | Highlight text; Insert > Comment | Edit > Changes > Comment |
| Insert notes (comments not associated with a change) | Highlight text; Insert > Comment | Insert > Note |
| Show changes as pop-up text | Options > View > Screentips | Help > Tips (and) Help > Extended Tips |
| Merge documents | Tools > Merge Documents | Edit > Changes > Merge Document |
| Accept or reject changes | View > Toolbars > Reviewing | Edit > Changes > Accept or Reject |
| Change document properties | File > Properties | File > Properties |
| Get a word count | Tools > Word Count (can get word count for selection) | File > Properties > Statistics tab. (Cannot get word count for selection without using add-in macro.) |
| Create AutoText entry | Select text; Insert > AutoText > New | Select text; Edit > AutoText (or) CTRL+F3 |
| Insert AutoText | Type shortcut and press F3 | Type shortcut and press F3 (or) type Name of AutoText entry and press Enter. OOo distinguishes between the “name” and the “shortcut” of an AutoTextentry; Word does not. |
Control page layout
This section covers such things as margins, headers and footers, columns, and frames. OOoWriter controls basic page setup somewhat differently than Word does.
Microsoft Word page setup
Page setup (paper size, orientation, margins, and so on) is a property of the document as a whole. To change the setup for a page, you need to define a separate section with the changed
setup. For example, if you specify headers and footers, they apply to the entire document, unless you change them in specific sections.
OpenOffice.org Writer page setup
Page setup is a property of the page style. You can define many page styles—for example, First Page, Left Page, Index Page, and Default. If you change the page layout for one page style, only that style will be affected. When you set up a page style, you can specify which page style applies to the next page, so when text flows from one page to the next, the correct page style will automatically apply to the following pages. For example, you could specify a First Page style to be followed by a Left Page style, to be followed by a Right Page style, to be followed by a Left Page style—a common setup in books.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Define margins | File > Page Setup > Margins | Format > Page >Page |
| Specify different headers and footers on first, odd, and even pages | File > Page Setup > Layout > Headers and Footers section | Define different page styles for First, Left (even), and Right (odd) pages, using Header and Footer tabs |
| Edit headers and footers | View > Headers and Footers, then type or insert fields; can also double-click in existing header or footer regions | After you have specified Header and Footer areas for a page, they are always active. Single-click to type or insert fields |
| Change from roman to arabic page numbers in the footer of a page | Insert a section break, deselect “Same as Previous” in the second section, define a new footer with page numbers restarting at 1 in arabic numerals | Insert a manual page break and apply a different page style |
| Use paragraph styles for page layout | Can define paragraph styles with offset from left margin, with heading styles aligned left or right | Can define paragraph styles with offset from left margin, with heading styles aligned left or right |
| Use columns for page layout | Insert continuous sections to switch from single to multiple columns on one page | Format > Page > Columns (or) Insert/Format > Section > Columns (or) other methods |
| Use frames or text boxes for page layout | Frames are used in Word 97 but mostly replaced by text boxes in Word2000 and 2002; can be linked to flow text from one to next, as in a newsletter | Insert > Frame (can link frames to flow text from one to next, as in a newsletter); “text boxes” are fields, not positioning devices |
| Use tables for page layout | Table > Insert > Table (use dialog to format) | Insert > Table (use dialog to format) |
| Put portrait headers on landscape pages | Use rotated text box linked to header | Use rotated text in a frame |
| Set first page number to greater than 1 | Insert > Page Numbers > Format | In first paragraph on first page, Format > Paragraph > Text Flow > Breaks, select Enable and With Page Style, choose the page style, specify the page number. |
| View and edit facing pages | File > Print Preview; click Zoom button to enable editing | File > Page Preview shows pages on wrong sides of screen, so you may want to insert a blank page before the first page while writing a draft. You cannot edit in page preview mode. |
Use templates and styles
A full discussion of the similarities and differences in the use of templates and styles would take too long for this summary document, but the following table should get you started.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Find which template is associated with a document | Tools > Templates and Add-ins | File > Document Properties > General tab. |
| Specify default template | "Normal" template is default | File > Templates > Organize, choose any template to be the default |
| Create a new template | File > Save As, set type to Document Template (.DOT) | File > Templates > Save |
| Edit a template | File > Open, choose template | File > Templates > Edit |
| Copy styles between templates | Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Organizer | File > Templates > Organize. Copy styles with Ctrl + drag and drop between templates and documents |
| Create a new document from a template | File > New (opens a list of templates) | File > New > Templates and Documents |
| Apply a different template to a document | Tools > Templates and Add-ins > Attach, select template, Open | Start a new document based on the different template; copy contents of old document into new document. |
| Apply a style to text | (Word 2000) Select from Style List or Style dialog (XP) Can also use task pane. | Format > Styles (or press F11), double-click style in list; after one use, paragraph styles appear in Apply Style list on Formatting object bar. |
| Change a style definition | (Word 2000) Format > Style > Modify; (XP) can also select in task pane and click Modify | Select style in Stylist, right-click, choose Modify; or Format > Styles > Catalog, select style, click Modify. |
| Create a new style | Format > Style > New | Format > Styles > Catalog, click New. |
| Use outline numbering | Format > Style, select style > Format > Numbering | Tools > Outline Numbering |
Use fields
A full discussion of the similarities and differences in the use of fields would take too long for this
summary document, but the following table should get your started. Major differences exist in the use of cross-references.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Insert a field | Insert > Field (or) CTRL+F9 for blank field | Insert > Fields |
| Define a number range field | Insert > Field, use SEQ (sequence) | Insert > Fields > Other > Variables > Number range |
| Insert a bookmark | Select text; Insert > Bookmark | Select text; Insert > Bookmark |
| Insert a cross-reference to a bookmark | Insert > Cross Reference, choose Bookmark as type | Insert > Cross Reference > Bookmark |
| Insert a cross-reference to a heading | Insert > Cross Reference, choose Heading as type | Either bookmark the heading or use Insert > Cross Reference > Set Reference to mark the heading, then Insert > Cross Reference > Insert Reference |
| Insert a cross-reference to a figure or table | Insert > Cross Reference, choose type | Insert > Cross Reference > Insert Reference > Figure (or Table) |
| Insert a cross-reference from document A to an item in document B | Use Includetext fields | Keep a manual list of cross-reference names (case sensitive) when you set them in document B. When you insert the cross-reference in document A, you must type the name of the item (in document B) in the Name box on the Fields dialog instead of selecting the name from the Selection list. |
| Use conditional content | Use IF or other fields, or styles (all workarounds) | Insert > Fields > Other > Variables (among other ways) |
Work with large or complex documents
A full discussion of the similarities and differences in working with large or complex documents would take too long for this summary document, but the following table should get your started.
Major differences exist in the use of master documents. The table does not attempt to summarize all these differences. Other how-to documents are being written to describe the use of master documents in detail.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Create a table of contents, list of figures, or an alphabetic index | Insert > Index and Tables | Insert > Indexes and Tables > Indexes and Tables |
| Insert index entries | ALT+SHIFT+X | Insert > Indexes and Tables > Entry (or) click Insert Index Marker icon |
| Create a bibliographic database | Use database, e.g. Microsoft Access | Tools > Bibliography Database |
| Insert bibliographic references into text | Link to field in database | Insert > Indexes and Tables > Bibliographic Entry |
| Insert footnotes and endnotes | Insert > Footnote | Insert > Footnote (or) click Insert Footnote Directly icon |
| Insert other files | Insert > File, choose Insert or As Link | Insert > File |
| Cross-reference between documents | Use Includetext fields | Keep a manual list of cross-reference names (case sensitive) when you set them in document A. To insert a cross-reference from document A to an item in document B, you must type the name of the item in the Name box instead of selecting it from the Selection list. |
| Use master documents | Not recommended | File > Send > Create Master Document; use Navigator to insert subdocuments |
Work with graphics
Most graphics work should be done outside Word or Writer, with the graphic files embedded or linked to the Word or Writer file. However, you can do some simple graphics using the drawing tools in Word or Writer. This table covers the basics.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Create Drawing objects | (Word 2000) View > Toolbars > Drawing; (XP) Insert > Picture > New Drawing | Click Show Draw Functions icon |
| Combine graphics objects and drawing objects | (Word 2000) Edit > Picture > Reset Picture Boundary; (XP) Use drawing canvas | Place all objects in a frame |
| Insert graphics files into a text document (embed or link) | Insert > Picture > From File, choose Insert or As Link | Insert > Graphics > From File |
| Anchor graphics | Format > Picture > Layout > Advanced > Picture Position | Use icons on Graphics object bar, or right-click and choose from pop-up menu, or click Format > Graphics |
| Wrap text around graphics | Format > Picture (or Object) > Layout | Use icons on Graphics object bar, or right-click and choose from pop-up menu, or click Format > Graphics > Wrap |
| Crop graphics | Format > Picture > Crop, (or) click Crop tool on Picture toolbar | Format > Graphics > Crop |
| Create captions for graphics | Select graphic; Insert > Reference > Caption | Select graphic; Insert > Caption |
| Annotate graphics | Use drawing objects; group, or place in frame or on drawing canvas (XP) | Place all objects in a frame |
| Insert watermark | Format > Background > Printed Watermark > Picture (or Text) Watermark | Format > Page Style > Background (or) create drawing object, Arrange > To Background, Anchor > To Page |
Use keyboard shortcuts
This table summarizes some of the built-in keyboard shortcuts used in Microsoft Word and their
equivalents in OpenOffice.org Writer. Functions without built-in keyboard shortcuts can be performed using toolbar icons, or you could assign your own key combinations.
| To do this... | in Microsoft Word... | in OpenOffice.org Writer... |
| Underline words not spaces | Control + Shift + W | No equivalent |
| Change font size | Control + Shift + P | No standard equivalent |
| Thesaurus | Shift + F7 | Control + F7 |
| Show/hide non-printing characters | Control + Shift + * | Control + F10 |
| Hanging Indent | Control + T | No standard equivalent |
| “Unhang” Indent | Control + Shift + T | No standard equivalent |
| Indent | Control + M | No standard equivalent |
| “UnIndent” | Control + Shift + M | No standard equivalent |
| Superscript | Control + Shift = | Control+Shift+P |
| Subscript | Control + = | Control + Shift + B |
| Remove character formatting | Control + Spacebar | Right click > Default |
| Remove paragraph formatting | Control + Q | No equivalent |
| Jump to previous edit point | Shift + F5 | Need to use the reminders on the Navigator |
3 comments:
great resource. a must have post for every linux user.
would you please elaborate on the OOo features for powerusers?
this posting is not quite readable for its layout. please look into the matter.
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