Tutorials for Apache OpenOffice (3.4.1 and later)

[MrProgrammer]

Hello again,

Will there be any tutorials for the Apache version of Open Office? The tutorials I 'm using now are form the 3.1? version and sometimes don't make a lot of sense. i.e., the first less on says that a graphic will appear on the screen, it didn't, but I put my own on anyway. The first tutorial is pretty straight forward. Also, when deleting text why do I have to use the 'delete' key on the keyboard? Can't I right or left click (can't recall which one works) and delete is one of the options. It's a pain to have to keep pulling my keyboard onto the desk to use the delete button.

Thank again. I'm sure I'll have hundreds of questions.

Maureen

[RoryOF]

There is obviously something wrong with your OpenOffice or Windows install, judging by this and your other query. Please do this:
Make a new OpenOffice Writer document.bar)
Click on the page, type DT and press F3 key
Do you get a paragraph of dummy text?
Now, can you move about that text with the mouse and does the insertion cursor (a bar) appear where you click?
Moving into the text, whether by mouse or by arrow keys, you should find Del key deletes characters on its right, BackSpace key deletes characters on its left.

Is the difficulty you reported with existing document(s)? Does such a document show "read only" in the top bar of the OO window?

[mamartinek]

Must be with the existing document because typing DT and hitting F3 did produce a paragraph of something. The cursor worked fine. Let me play with this somemore, I"m putting in a 30+ year old paper of mine done on an electric typewriter. Let me see how it goes. At least the new wireless keyboard is more my size than the one that came with this computer. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.

Maureen

[mamartinek]

RoryOF,

Are there more than one type of tutorial? Boy that sounds awkward. I guess I mean, did more than one person write tutorials or are there a few versions out there? Where did you learn to be so smart about this stuff. I wish I'd been born forty years ago and grown up with computers. As it was I was 30 when they began to become popularish and I didn't pay much attention, my to my dismay.

Maureen

[Bill]

You can find thousands of tutorials about OpenOffice on the Internet. A Google search for "OpenOffice tutorial" has over 14,000 hits. "OpenOffice how to" has over 28,000.

[mamartinek]

Thank you Bill,

Are there any that you would specifically recommend? 14000 would take me a long time to scan through. If you have any favorites I would appreciate it.

Thanks for answering my question.

Maureen

[RoryOF]

Look at
https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/OOo3.3_User_Guide_Chapters
specifically the Getting Started manual and the Writer manual. Although these are for v3.3 their information is almost entirely relevant.
In your case I think you need only concern yourself immediately with the Writer section. You must cease thinking OpenOffice is a typewriter; it is not, it is a Word Processor and needs a different philosophy. If you are the age you imply (I think I am older) you may recollect making the transition from a manual gearbox to an automatic gearbox in your car. The transition typewriter/word processor is as traumatic.

I suggest that generating a large (important) file exclusively may not be the best strategy for learning. If you need to work out a process, use a small (trivial) file to do so, until you are happy with the application of that process. You already know the technique of generating dummy text (type DT, then press F3 key) which aids the generation of simple trial files. Then you can revert to your important file and apply the process you have just become familiar with. It is my experience that it takes preparation of a number of non trivial documents to get to grips with the functionality of modern word processors (specifically OpenOffice), then they just do their job in the formatting one has chosen for them to use.

I have found that the writings, whether for Open- or Libre- Office, of Jean Hollis Weber or of Solveig Haugland, are extremely clear and to the point.

[Villeroy]

What do you intend to write? Letters, novels, academic work? I recommend http://openoffice-uni.org/ because it demonstrates what a word processor actually does.
Using word processors without any concept of templates and styles is an annoying waste of time. My observation on this forum is that many users have no concept of the tool they try to use. They type text into a word processor because this is what everybody seems to do.
Personally, I find word processors distracting. I use to write everything into plain text files using a text editor. This works with all computer devices including smart phones. When I need my writings in printable form, I paste my plain text snippets into a Writer template. I have templates for work contracts, business letters and offline documentation (quality managment).
Another interesting and practicable low-tech method is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown where you type your text, the intended formatting and structure in plain text. The resulting plain text is nicely readable as is while being convertible to html, office documents, pdf and many more.

[RoryOF]

The guide at http://openoffice-uni.org/ is excellent, Villeroy. I had forgotten about it - when I last saw it there was only the English version; there are now five language versions. I must note it for future replies to queries.

[Villeroy]

At the moment the Arabic version is availlable as PDF only. And then there is a Basic macro (sigh) which of course raises a macro warning. Simply ignore that warning. The macro does nothing valuable.

[ArthurC]

The guide at http://openoffice-uni.org/ is excellent, Villeroy. I had forgotten about it - when I last saw it there was only the English version; there are now five language versions. I must note it for future replies to queries.

For sure, great guide! Definitely, something I was also looking for.