COMPUTER TRAINING: Linux Office Applications

Linux Office Applications (openoffice.org)

Introduction

The Desktop provides a useful metaphor for a modern office work environment. So on the Desktop we find that the applications that we want to run can easily be started or launched and the information and data that we need can easily be located.

Applications that we can run from the Desktop are to be found either from the Main Menu (and sub-menus therein), or as icons on the Panel and the Desktop itself. To run an application from the Main Menu, open up the menu (or sub-menu) and click on the application listed in the menu bar.

To run an application from the Panel, click once on the icon representing the application. To run an application from the Desktop itself, double-click on the icon representing the application. Sometimes it is more handy to have the application as an icon on the Panel or Desktop where you can launch it more easily by just clicking on it, rather than in the Main Menu, especially if it is buried deep within several sub-menus.

To achieve this open the Main Menu and select the application item listed in it by clicking with the rightmouse button. Click on the selection "Add this launcher to panel" and a copy of the application icon will be placed on the Panel.

To make a copy of this on the Desktop, you can drag the icon from the Panel over to the Desktop. To delete an application icon from the Panel right-click on it and select the “Remove from Panel” option.

To delete an application icon from the Desktop, right-click on it and select the "Move to Trash" option.

Linux Office Applications (openoffice.org)

Using Word Processor

Core Fedora and almost all Linux distributions come bundled software and all of them are free. You don't need to spend a paisa for that. Fedora Core 6 come with around 1500 software, and they are from all walk i.e. Free Internet Applications, Graphics applications, Office Package, Imagine situation, Multimedia Applications, System Configuration, name a few. Huh! And you are not using any pirated software and not loosing your privacy with the big brother (Microsoft) and not paying for any software. Isn't it great.

Linux come with pre-installed office packages(actually you have to select these package at install time or you can install them later), such as KOffice, Gnome office suit and OpenOffice.org office package. Here I will show you how to get started OpenOffice.org office package.

OpenOffice.org's Word processor is known as OpenOffice.org Writer.

Starting OpenOffice.org write

Follow these steps to start OpenOffice.org Writer :

* Click on Applications menu and select Office from the menu

* From the office sub-menu select Word Processor

• OpenOffice.org Writer interface is similar to the Microsoft Word interface.

This is OpenOffice.org Writer application window and as you seen on the screen it's look is similar to Microsoft Word and it has all the menu that Word has.

Creating and Saving a Document

Creating a new Document

To create a new document click on File menu and from the drop down menu select New option from the drop down menu.

From the New sub menu select the type of document you want to create such Text Document or XML Form Document .

Note: If you wish your document to be MS Word compatible then select XML Form Document instead of Master Document or Text Document , because you can save an XML Form Document in doc format.

Make the changes you want to make to your document and click on Save button on the toolbar to save the document.

In the Save dialog box type the name of the file and select the location of the file from Save in box or click on Browse for Folder button to select a custom location.

After selecting the location click on File type button to specify the format document should be saved in. By default OpenOffice.org Writer uses odt (Open Document Template) format that is not supported by MS Word and if you wish to open this document on windows then select windows compatible format.

Now click on Save button to save the file.

Your file My_document.doc has been saved on Desktop.

Linux Office Applications (openoffice.org)

Spreadsheets and Presentation Applications

Like Word processor Linux also come with bundled Spreadsheet applications such as GNU Gnumeric, KDE Kspreadsheet and OpenOffice.org's Calc; and Presentation application such as OpenOffice.org Impress etc.

Starting Spreadsheet

Follow these steps to start OpenOffice.org Calc :

* Click on Applications menu and select Office from the menu

* From the Office sub menu select Spreadsheet to start it

OpenOffice.org Calc user interface is similar to MS Excel

You can do everything(almost) with Calc that you can do with Excel.

Starting Presentation application

Follow these steps to start OpenOffice.org Impress :

* Click on Applications menu and select Office from the menu

Select Presentation from the Office sub menu

this is OpenOffice.org Impress used to create multimedia enable presentation.

Linux Office Applications (openoffice.org)

Creating PDF

One of the most exciting feature of OpenOffice.org is its PDF creation capability. You can export your Writer, Calc and Impress document as PDF directly from within the application, you don't need any external application to do that. Excited! So lets create a PDF from a Writer Document.

Steps to create a PDF:

* Open the file that you want to convert to PDF (this should be a Writer, Calc or Impress file)

* Click on File menu and from the File sub menu select Export as PDF option.

*From the Export dialog box type the name of pdf file in Name field and select the location where you want to save the PDF file and click on Save button