OpenOffice.org Menus: Document Creation & Formatting

OpenOffice.org Menus: Navigating Document Creation and Formatting

OpenOffice.org, a free and open-source office suite, provides users with a wealth of features accessible through its menus. These menus, which are consistent across most OpenOffice.org applications, help you manage files, edit documents, adjust views, and format content. Let's delve into each menu in turn to better understand their functions.

File Menu

The File menu, as its name suggests, is where you'll find commands related to opening, saving, closing, and managing files. You'll encounter the following options:

1. New: Create a new document of the selected type (e.g. writer document, calc spreadsheet, or draw diagram).
2. Open: Navigate to and open an existing document.
3. Save: Save your current document.
4. Save As...: Save your document with a different name or in a different format.
5. Save a Copy: Save a copy of your document with a different name.
6. Close Document: Close the currently open document.
7. Print: Print your document.
8. Print Preview: Preview your document before printing.
9. Export as PDF: Export your document as a PDF.
10. Export: Export your document to other formats, such as Microsoft Word or HTML.
11. Document Properties: View or change properties specific to the document type.
12. Exit: Quit OpenOffice.org.

Edit Menu

The Edit menu encompasses commands related to text, formatting, and selection tools. Here are some of the options:

1. Copy: Copy the selected content.
2. Cut: Cut the selected content.
3. Paste: Insert the copied or cut content at the cursor's location.
4. Paste Special: Paste the copied or cut content in various formats or styles.
5. Delete: Remove the selected content.
6. Select All: Select all the content in the document.
7. Find: Search for text or formatting within the document.
8. Find and Replace: Search for text or formatting within the document and replace it with new text or formatting.
9. Undo: Reverse the last action.
10. Redo: Reverse the undo action.
11. Go to Page: Navigate directly to a specific page number.

View Menu

The View menu provides options to manage the appearance and behavior of your document. Here are some of the available choices:

1. Zoom: Adjust the magnification level of the document.
2. Zoom to Page Width: Zoom the document to fit the screen width.
3. Show/Hide Navigator: Display or hide the Navigator toolbar.
4. Show/Hide Sidebar: Display or hide the Sidebar panel.
5. Show/Hide Toolbars: Display or hide the various toolbars.
6. Show/Hide Styles: Display or hide the Styles and Formatting toolbar.
7. Show/Hide Status Bar: Display or hide the Status Bar.
8. Show Grid: Display or hide the gridlines in Writer and Draw.
9. Snap to Grid: Align the cursor or selected content to the gridlines.
10. Full Screen: Enter full-screen mode for the selected document.
11. Normal: Exit full-screen mode and return to the normal view.

Format Menu

The Format menu allows you to adjust the formatting of your document elements. Here are some of the options:

1. Character: Adjust text formatting such as font, size, and style.
2. Paragraph: Adjust paragraph formatting such as alignment, line spacing, and indentation.
3. Tables: Manage tables, such as adding or deleting rows and columns, and adjusting size, borders, and cell formatting.
4. Cells: Adjust cell formatting, such as merging, splitting, and alignment.
5. Styles and Formatting: Apply or create document styles.

Insert Menu

The Insert menu provides options to add various elements to your document. Here are some of the available options:

1. Picture: Insert an image into your document.
2. Table: Insert a new table into your document.
3. Draw Object: Insert a shape or drawing into your document.
4. Object: Insert an object, such as a chart, equation, or database, into your document.
5. Text: Insert a text box into your document.
6. Field: Insert a field, such as a date or index, into your document.
7. AutoText: Insert an AutoText entry into your document.
8. Symbol: Insert a symbol into your document.
9. Footnote/Endnote: Insert a footnote or endnote into your document.
10. Link: Insert a link into your document.

These menus make up the primary navigation tools in OpenOffice.org, providing you with the means to create, edit, and format all types of documents with ease. As you become more familiar with the software, these menus will become second nature, and you'll find navigating and managing your documents more efficient and enjoyable.