Point & Click OpenOffice.org!

Point & Click OpenOffice.org!

by Robin ‘Roblimo’ Miller
Released November 2005
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780131879928

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Book description

“Robin’s book comes at the perfect time. With the extremely popular 2.0 release, more people will discover OpenOffice.org’s incredible value. A book like Robin’s is important because it helps people master the OpenOffice.org tools they need to get things done.”

—Jeffrey Bates, VP Editorial Operations, cofounder Slashdot.org

  

OpenOffice.org 2.0 made easy...incredibly easy!

Tired of Microsoft Office hassles, upgrades, and cost? Try OpenOffice.org 2.0!

OpenOffice.org 2.0 is all the office productivity software you’ll ever need for your Windows or Linux computer: word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawing, even databases... and it’s free! Not sure it’s up to the job? It is. Not sure you can switch from Microsoft Office? You can. Just let OpenOffice.org expert and Open Source Technology Group (OSTG) editor-in-chief Robin ‘Roblimo’ Miller teach you OpenOffice.org the easy way—using the skills you already have!

Robin will help you become productive in minutes—and you don’t need to be a computer expert! His easy, visual instructions walk you through every step of every task you need to know... plus, you’ll find twenty how-to videos on CD! You’ll master everything from formatting text documents to creating presentation slide shows and building “what-if” projections to designing flowcharts. There’s even bonus coverage of Firefox and Thunderbird, the fast, safe, free software for Web browsing and e-mail!

• Master OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Base.

• Create Microsoft Office-compatible documents anyone can read and use.

• Analyze, manage, and manipulate business information with Calc.

• Design attractive charts and other visuals.

• Use mail merge to create great form letters or e-mails.

• Create and manipulate sophisticated databases—even if you have no previous database experience.

• Start using Firefox—the safest, most secure Web browser available for Windows!

• Filter out junk mail with Thunderbird and say goodbye to Outlook Express.

• Do things you can’t do with Microsoft Office—such as creating Flash slide shows for the Web!

TWO CD-ROMS INCLUDED

The first CD-ROM features OpenOffice 2.0 for Windows and Linux, plus the Windows versions of the latest Firefox Web browser and Thunderbird e-mail software...  just install and run!

The second CD-ROM features ‘Roblimo’ showing you how to perform twenty essential OpenOffice.org tasks in easy, bite-sized video tutorials...  just watch, and do!

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Foreword
  3. About the Authors
  4. Introduction
    1. Not Just Friendly But Practical
    2. Bonus Chapters
  5. I. OpenOffice.org Basics
    1. 1. First Things First
      1. Installing OpenOffice.org
      2. Setting up OpenOffice.org
      3. Seeing Some Action
      4. Buttoning up—35 Times
      5. File Format Confusion
    2. 2. OOo Writer: Text Documents with Pizazz
      1. Entering Text
      2. Jazzing It Up
      3. Adding an Image
      4. Saving the Document
      5. Printing It for All to See
    3. 3. OOo Impress: Slide Shows That Will Impress Almost Anyone
      1. Creating a Slide Show from OOo’s Built-in Templates
      2. Making Your Own Slide Patterns from Scratch
      3. Using the OOo Impress Auto Layout Feature
      4. Adding Graphics to Your Slides
      5. Saving Your Slide Show
      6. Importing and Editing PowerPoint Slide Shows
      7. Exporting Slide Shows to PowerPoint Format
      8. Exporting Slide Shows as Flash for Web Viewing
      9. Overcoming (Most) Format Incompatibilities
      10. The Real Secret to Good-Looking Presentations
    4. 4. OOo Draw: Documents with Imagination
      1. Making (or Altering) Pictures with OOo Draw Drawing Tools
      2. Adding Text to Drawings
      3. Saving Image Files
    5. 5. OOo Calc: Spreadsheets and More
      1. Starting Simply
      2. Formatting for Fun
      3. Saving and Doing More
      4. Reviewing Useful Buttons
      5. Recognizing OOo Calc’s Limitations
  6. II. Advanced OpenOffice.org
    1. 6. Slick OpenOffice.org Writer Tricks
      1. Wizards: Create a Layout Once; Use It a Million Times
      2. Creating a Sample Document
      3. Modifying Styles
      4. Working Faster with AutoCorrect
        1. Use Word Completion (or Not)
        2. Configure Other Autocorrect Options
      5. Automating Footers and Page Numbers
      6. Adding Footnotes However and Wherever You Want Them
      7. Simplifying Complexity in Special-Purpose Documents
      8. Generating a Table of Contents and Index
      9. Downloading and Using Templates Made by Others
        1. Installing a Template
        2. Using the Template in a New Document
    2. 7. Draw: Not Your Father’s Drawing Board
      1. Grouping Objects
      2. Creating Flowcharts and Organizational Charts
      3. Shaping Cool Effects
      4. Converting a Shape to 3D
      5. Creating a 3D Logo from Font Characters
      6. Casting Shadows
      7. Modifying Transparency
      8. Advancing to Specific Needs
        1. Duplicating a Shape
        2. Cross-Fading Objects in a Transition
      9. Exchanging Objects with Other Programs
      10. Going with The Gimp
    3. 8. OOo Impress: Smooth, Sophisticated Slide Shows
      1. Getting from Slide to Slide with Transitions
      2. Bringing Life to Your Show with Object Animations
      3. Using Normal Mode for Most Work
        1. Normal Mode
        2. Outline Mode
        3. Handout Mode
        4. Notes Mode
      4. Jazzing up Your Text
      5. Customizing Graphics
      6. Stepping up Your Productivity
        1. Create a Master Slide
        2. Add a Background Image
        3. Back up Your Slides with Transparencies
      7. Slide Shows Are Only Part of Public Speaking
    4. 9. Make Calc Spreadsheets Dance for You
      1. Creating “Natural-Language” Formulas
      2. Using the “Intelligent Sum” Button
      3. Working with Stylist and Autoformat in Calc
      4. Letting Scenario Manager Help with What-If Projections
      5. Using and Creating Spreadsheet Themes
      6. Using DataPilot to Import and Manipulate Information from Databases Created with Other Software
      7. Mail Merging with OOo Writer Documents and Calc Data
      8. Summing Up
    5. 10. OOo Database “Front End”: Your Free Pass
      1. Connecting to OpenOffice.org’s Data Sources
      2. Accessing a Data Source in Writer or Calc
      3. Formulating SQL Queries—Even if You Know Nothing About Databases
      4. Making Elegant, Printable Reports from Your Database
      5. Creating Forms for Simplified Data Input—Even if You’re Not a Programmer
      6. Wrapping Up
    6. 11. Sharing Files Between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office
      1. Preparing for Sharing—Files, That Is
      2. Preparing to Share Files Between Writer and Word
      3. Sharing Files Between Writer and Word
      4. Sharing Files Between Calc and Excel
      5. Sharing Files Between Impress and PowerPoint
      6. Sharing Draw Files
      7. Conclusion
    7. 12. OpenOffice.org as a Community Effort
      1. Open Source Magic
      2. Free Tech Support
      3. What Does Sun Microsystems Get by Giving Away OpenOffice.org?
      4. Getting Hooked on Open Source Software
  7. III. Bonus Chapters
    1. 13. About Firefox and Thunderbird
    2. 14. Light up the World Wide Web with Firefox
      1. Installing Firefox
      2. Importing Explorer Settings
      3. Privacy and Other Options
      4. Saving the Best for Last: Tabbed Browsing
      5. Firefox Help, Extensions, Themes, and Other Goodies
    3. 15. Thunderbird Saves the Email Day
      1. Installing Thunderbird
      2. Configuring Thunderbird
      3. Setting up the Thunderbird Junk Email Filter
      4. Some Final Notes
  8. I. About the CDs
    1. The Program CD
      1. Note for Linux Users
      2. Note for Mac Users
      3. Java Note
      4. Software Licenses and Source Code
    2. The Video CD
  9. II. OpenOffice.org Resources

Product information

  • Title: Point & Click OpenOffice.org!
  • Author(s): Robin ‘Roblimo’ Miller
  • Release date: November 2005
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780131879928