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Posted to users@openoffice.apache.org by Joel Ikenberry <jo...@live.com> on 2013/02/06 13:50:16 UTC
Transition to OpenOffice Writer
To Whom It May Concern:
I have been adjusting to OpenOffice Writer for a few weeks after losing my Microsoft Word application, and I hope you can imagine how frustrated and confused I am with this new software. As Microsoft Word is what I know, I naturally approached Writer like I would Word. However, there are stark and considerable differences between Writer and Word that I have inevitably encountered. For example, there is apparently no "vertical paragraph alignment" option in Writer, but there is in Word. As a writer, there are many essential tools and options that I need from my word processor that I am not finding or having trouble finding. I do refer to OpenOffice Wiki and the Help Tool, however, there are many things the Wiki and the Help Tool do not explain. For example, they do not explain how to apply a certain page-style. I only stumbled across the fact that a page-style can only be applied by inserting a manual page break.
I am struggling with how to format my documents to display various page-numbers. I am a novelist and any guides I discover only pertain their information to technical and business-style document formats. For example, the guides on "headers" always go into great detail about customizing your header and skip over the essential "simple" how-to-make a normal, average everyday header that is not going to be viewed by a company CEO or graded by a business education instructor. I am simply a writer writing a novel, and I need my word processor to apply to me specifically.
Here is what I need to know how to do:
1. Format different page numbers- Title Page (no number)- Dedication Page (no number)- Table of Contents (roman numerals)- Preface (roman numerals)- Prologue through all chapters ( starting at page 1)- Acknowledgments (continuing page numbers)- Appendices/Index (continuing page numbers)2. Create a traditional Table of Contents (like in any other novel, no business topics or sections and complete with a leader)3. Design headers to display book name on one page, chapter title on the next, continuously4. Vertically align a paragraph
Any information regarding these issues would be most certainly appreciated and duly acknowledged. I am new to OpenOffice Writer, but I know I will be just fine with it once I get my bearings. I also have another question concerning file format and extensions. As a writer, I will have to eventually electronically submit part or all of my manuscript to a Literary Agent and or Publisher at some point and so the file extension will need to be in a format usable by these organizations' software (most likely Word). Is the ODT file format compatible with Word or do I need to save my documents under a different format? This, above all else, is perhaps the most important question because the others are useless without the file being able to proceed. I thank you very much for your time, consideration, all manners of things and especially for the development and availability of this software to simple people like myself. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Joel S. Ikenberry
Re: Transition to OpenOffice Writer
Posted by Brian Barker <b....@btinternet.com>.
At 06:50 06/02/2013 -0600, Joel Ikenberry wrote:
>... there are stark and considerable differences between Writer and
>Word that I have inevitably encountered. For example, there is
>apparently no "vertical paragraph alignment" option in Writer, but
>there is in Word.
o Put your paragraph into a frame.
o Anchor the frame to the page.
o On the Type tab of the Frame dialogue, under Position, for Vertical
select Center and then to "Entire page" or "Page text area" as preferred.
>... there are many things the Wiki and the Help Tool do not explain.
>For example, they do not explain how to apply a certain page-style.
>I only stumbled across the fact that a page-style can only be
>applied by inserting a manual page break.
You can apply a page style in various ways. You can change page
styles within a document at a manual page break, but this is not the
only way. You can set a Next Style on the Organizer tab of a page
style; this will cause a page style change when text flows naturally
to the following page.
>I am struggling with how to format my documents to display various
>page-numbers. [...]
>Here is what I need to know how to do:
>1. Format different page numbers- Title Page (no number)- Dedication
>Page (no number)- Table of Contents (roman numerals)- Preface (roman
>numerals)- Prologue through all chapters ( starting at page 1)-
>Acknowledgments (continuing page numbers)- Appendices/Index
>(continuing page numbers)
Proper page numbering is a property of headers or footers. These are
a property of page styles, so you will need to use separate page
styles for each separately numbered section. You can use built-in
styles or create your own. In this case, you will want to change
page styles at manual page breaks, as you suggest. You will notice
that there is a facility to reset the page counter when inserting
manual page breaks; you will want to do this so that your table of
contents and main body start at i and 1 respectively, not at their
true page numbers.
>2. Create a traditional Table of Contents (like in any other novel,
>no business topics or sections and complete with a leader)
Go to Insert | Indexes and Tables | Indexes and Tables... and choose
Table of Contents.
>3. Design headers to display book name on one page, chapter title on
>the next, continuously
I think you will need separate page styles for rectos and
versos. The built-in Left Page and Right Page page styles may
suffice, but with each set to have the other as Next Page. (There
may be other ways of doing this.) You can use fields to insert such
information as chapter titles, much as you would page numbers.
>4. Vertically align a paragraph
Either use Spacing on the Indents & Spacing tab of the paragraph or
paragraph style dialogue, or use a frame, as above.
>I also have another question concerning file format and extensions.
>As a writer, I will have to eventually electronically submit part or
>all of my manuscript to a Literary Agent and or Publisher at some
>point and so the file extension will need to be in a format usable
>by these organizations' software (most likely Word). Is the ODT file
>format compatible with Word or do I need to save my documents under
>a different format?
The first answer to that question is to keep your text documents in
OpenOffice's native .odt format and go back to those when you need to
edit further. Convert to other formats only when you need to send a
copy to others. I'll leave others to answer the main part of this
question, though the answer may be simply to ask the literary agent
or publisher what they need. The literary agent will likely be able
to advise you what a publisher would need.
I trust this helps.
Brian Barker
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Re: Transition to OpenOffice Writer
Posted by Dan Lewis <el...@gmail.com>.
On 02/06/2013 07:50 AM, Joel Ikenberry wrote:
> To Whom It May Concern:
> I have been adjusting to OpenOffice Writer for a few weeks after losing my Microsoft Word application, and I hope you can imagine how frustrated and confused I am with this new software. As Microsoft Word is what I know, I naturally approached Writer like I would Word. However, there are stark and considerable differences between Writer and Word that I have inevitably encountered. For example, there is apparently no "vertical paragraph alignment" option in Writer, but there is in Word. As a writer, there are many essential tools and options that I need from my word processor that I am not finding or having trouble finding. I do refer to OpenOffice Wiki and the Help Tool, however, there are many things the Wiki and the Help Tool do not explain. For example, they do not explain how to apply a certain page-style. I only stumbled across the fact that a page-style can only be applied by inserting a manual page break.
> I am struggling with how to format my documents to display various page-numbers. I am a novelist and any guides I discover only pertain their information to technical and business-style document formats. For example, the guides on "headers" always go into great detail about customizing your header and skip over the essential "simple" how-to-make a normal, average everyday header that is not going to be viewed by a company CEO or graded by a business education instructor. I am simply a writer writing a novel, and I need my word processor to apply to me specifically.
> Here is what I need to know how to do:
> 1. Format different page numbers- Title Page (no number)- Dedication Page (no number)- Table of Contents (roman numerals)- Preface (roman numerals)- Prologue through all chapters ( starting at page 1)- Acknowledgments (continuing page numbers)- Appendices/Index (continuing page numbers)2. Create a traditional Table of Contents (like in any other novel, no business topics or sections and complete with a leader)3. Design headers to display book name on one page, chapter title on the next, continuously4. Vertically align a paragraph
> Any information regarding these issues would be most certainly appreciated and duly acknowledged. I am new to OpenOffice Writer, but I know I will be just fine with it once I get my bearings. I also have another question concerning file format and extensions. As a writer, I will have to eventually electronically submit part or all of my manuscript to a Literary Agent and or Publisher at some point and so the file extension will need to be in a format usable by these organizations' software (most likely Word). Is the ODT file format compatible with Word or do I need to save my documents under a different format? This, above all else, is perhaps the most important question because the others are useless without the file being able to proceed. I thank you very much for your time, consideration, all manners of things and especially for the development and availability of this software to simple people like myself. Thank you.
> Sincerely,
> Joel S. Ikenberry
http://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/OOo3_User_Guides/OOo3.3_User_Guide_Chapters
This is a link to the User Guides for Apache OpenOffice. From
here you can download individual chapters or the entire guide. From the
Getting Started Guide, I recommend downloading chapters 2 and 3. I also
recommend downloading the entire Writer Guide (Full Book choice) given
for what you are now using Apache Office.
The two chapters on styles in the Writer Guide are very important.
Vertical alignment of text is a property of the paragraph styles.
Changing page styles is discussed in detail. This includes telling you
when you need a page break to change page styles and when you don't.
--Dan
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Re: Transition to OpenOffice Writer
Posted by johnny smith <ka...@krovatka.su>.
On Wednesday, 6 February 2013, at 13:30:50, Joel Ikenberry <jo...@live.com> wrote:
> Here is what I need to know how to do:
> 1. Format different page numbers- Title Page (no number)- Dedication Page (no number)- Table of Contents (roman numerals)- Preface (roman numerals)- Prologue through all chapters ( starting at page 1)- Acknowledgments (continuing page numbers)- Appendices/Index (continuing page numbers)
> 2. Create a traditional Table of Contents (like in any other novel, no business topics or sections and complete with a leader)
> 3. Design headers to display book name on one page, chapter title on the next, continuously
> 4. Vertically align a paragraph
the attached file is an example of handling points 1--3 (i really hope the attachment would reach at least the poster himself, if not the list). every paragraph, except placeholders in parentheses, has been assigned a custom style (see 'format/styles and formatting' and choose 'custom styles' from the drop-down list), and so have been the pages.
Re: Transition to OpenOffice Writer
Posted by Rory O'Farrell <of...@iol.ie>.
On Wed, 6 Feb 2013 06:50:16 -0600
Joel Ikenberry <jo...@live.com> wrote:
>
> To Whom It May Concern:
> I have been adjusting to OpenOffice Writer for a few weeks after losing my Microsoft Word application, and I hope you can imagine how frustrated and confused I am with this new software. As Microsoft Word is what I know, I naturally approached Writer like I would Word. However, there are stark and considerable differences between Writer and Word that I have inevitably encountered. For example, there is apparently no "vertical paragraph alignment" option in Writer, but there is in Word. As a writer, there are many essential tools and options that I need from my word processor that I am not finding or having trouble finding. I do refer to OpenOffice Wiki and the Help Tool, however, there are many things the Wiki and the Help Tool do not explain. For example, they do not explain how to apply a certain page-style. I only stumbled across the fact that a page-style can only be applied by inserting a manual page break.
> I am struggling with how to format my documents to display various page-numbers. I am a novelist and any guides I discover only pertain their information to technical and business-style document formats. For example, the guides on "headers" always go into great detail about customizing your header and skip over the essential "simple" how-to-make a normal, average everyday header that is not going to be viewed by a company CEO or graded by a business education instructor. I am simply a writer writing a novel, and I need my word processor to apply to me specifically.
> Here is what I need to know how to do:
> 1. Format different page numbers- Title Page (no number)- Dedication Page (no number)- Table of Contents (roman numerals)- Preface (roman numerals)- Prologue through all chapters ( starting at page 1)- Acknowledgments (continuing page numbers)- Appendices/Index (continuing page numbers)2. Create a traditional Table of Contents (like in any other novel, no business topics or sections and complete with a leader)3. Design headers to display book name on one page, chapter title on the next, continuously4. Vertically align a paragraph
> Any information regarding these issues would be most certainly appreciated and duly acknowledged. I am new to OpenOffice Writer, but I know I will be just fine with it once I get my bearings. I also have another question concerning file format and extensions. As a writer, I will have to eventually electronically submit part or all of my manuscript to a Literary Agent and or Publisher at some point and so the file extension will need to be in a format usable by these organizations' software (most likely Word). Is the ODT file format compatible with Word or do I need to save my documents under a different format? This, above all else, is perhaps the most important question because the others are useless without the file being able to proceed. I thank you very much for your time, consideration, all manners of things and especially for the development and availability of this software to simple people like myself. Thank you.
> Sincerely,
> Joel S. Ikenberry
A useful tutorial on Page Numbering is at
http://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=1221
with another on Page styles and Headers/footers
http://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=44607
If you are used to MS Word and wish to continue to work using that method, seriously consider reverting to MS Word. To work in OpenOffice requires a paradigm shift in method, but it works extremely well, when you use its facilities and forget about MS Word.
You can bring any problems in using OpenOffice to the user forum at
http://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/
where they will be answered by a knowledgeable Volunteer force.
But remember, OpenOffice is NOT MS Office. It works differently, and so must you.
--
Rory O'Farrell <of...@iol.ie>
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RE: Transition to OpenOffice Writer
Posted by Doug Hovelson <do...@msn.com>.
Yes I too am interested in this topic. Headers and footers are a major OpenOffice weakness. I gave up and subscribed to the Microsoft Office online service for Word but I'm willing to learn new OpenOffice tricks too.
Doug Hovelson
> From: joel_ikenberry@live.com
> To: users@openoffice.apache.org
> Subject: Transition to OpenOffice Writer
> Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2013 06:50:16 -0600
>
>
> To Whom It May Concern:
> I have been adjusting to OpenOffice Writer for a few weeks after losing my Microsoft Word application, and I hope you can imagine how frustrated and confused I am with this new software. As Microsoft Word is what I know, I naturally approached Writer like I would Word. However, there are stark and considerable differences between Writer and Word that I have inevitably encountered. For example, there is apparently no "vertical paragraph alignment" option in Writer, but there is in Word. As a writer, there are many essential tools and options that I need from my word processor that I am not finding or having trouble finding. I do refer to OpenOffice Wiki and the Help Tool, however, there are many things the Wiki and the Help Tool do not explain. For example, they do not explain how to apply a certain page-style. I only stumbled across the fact that a page-style can only be applied by inserting a manual page break.
> I am struggling with how to format my documents to display various page-numbers. I am a novelist and any guides I discover only pertain their information to technical and business-style document formats. For example, the guides on "headers" always go into great detail about customizing your header and skip over the essential "simple" how-to-make a normal, average everyday header that is not going to be viewed by a company CEO or graded by a business education instructor. I am simply a writer writing a novel, and I need my word processor to apply to me specifically.
> Here is what I need to know how to do:
> 1. Format different page numbers- Title Page (no number)- Dedication Page (no number)- Table of Contents (roman numerals)- Preface (roman numerals)- Prologue through all chapters ( starting at page 1)- Acknowledgments (continuing page numbers)- Appendices/Index (continuing page numbers)2. Create a traditional Table of Contents (like in any other novel, no business topics or sections and complete with a leader)3. Design headers to display book name on one page, chapter title on the next, continuously4. Vertically align a paragraph
> Any information regarding these issues would be most certainly appreciated and duly acknowledged. I am new to OpenOffice Writer, but I know I will be just fine with it once I get my bearings. I also have another question concerning file format and extensions. As a writer, I will have to eventually electronically submit part or all of my manuscript to a Literary Agent and or Publisher at some point and so the file extension will need to be in a format usable by these organizations' software (most likely Word). Is the ODT file format compatible with Word or do I need to save my documents under a different format? This, above all else, is perhaps the most important question because the others are useless without the file being able to proceed. I thank you very much for your time, consideration, all manners of things and especially for the development and availability of this software to simple people like myself. Thank you.
> Sincerely,
> Joel S. Ikenberry