Writer

For all your documents
- Microsoft Word Replacement

   

WRITER has everything you would expect from a modern, fully equipped word processor or desktop publisher.

It's simple enough for a quick memo, powerful enough to create complete books with contents, diagrams, indexes, etc. You're free to concentrate on your message - while WRITER makes it look great.

The Wizards takes all the hassle out of producing standard documents such as letters, faxes, agendas, minutes, or carrying out more complex tasks such as mail merges. You are of course free to create your own templates.

Styles and Formatting puts the power of style sheets into the hands of every user.

Trap typing mistakes on the fly with the AutoCorrect dictionary, which can check your spelling as you type.

Reduce typing effort with AutoComplete, which suggests common words and phrases to complete what you are typing.

AutoFormat takes care of the formatting as you write, leaving you free to concentrate on your message.

Text frames and linking give you the power to tackle desktop publishing tasks for newsletters, flyers, etc. laid out exactly the way you want them to be.

Increase the usefulness of your long, complex documents by generating a table of contents or indexing terms, bibliographical references, illustrations, tables, and other objects.

Email your documents - WRITER offers direct connection to email software.

Make your documents freely available with WRITER's HTML export to the web, or publish in Portable Document Format (.pdf) to guarantee that what you write is what your reader sees.

Save your documents in OpenDocument format, the new international standard for office documents. This XML based format means you're not tied in to WRITER. You can access your documents from any OpenDocument compliant software.

WRITER can of course read all your old Microsoft Word documents, or save your work in Microsoft Word format for sending to people who are still locked into Microsoft products.
 

Calc

The all-purpose spreadsheet
- Microsoft Excel Replacement

CALC is the spreadsheet program you've always wanted. Newcomers find it intuitive and easy to learn; professional data miners and number crunchers will appreciate the comprehensive range of advanced functions.

Advanced DataPilot technology makes it easy to pull in raw data from corporate databases; cross-tabulate, summarise, and convert it into meaningful information.

Natural language formulas let you create formulas using words (e.g. "sales - costs").

The Intelligent Sum Button inserts a sum function or a subtotal automatically, depending on context.

Wizards guides you through choosing and using a comprehensive range of advanced spreadsheet functions.

Styles and Formatting makes it easy to apply flexible cell formatting options, including freely rotating contents, templates, backgrounds, borders, and many more. You can be your own spreadsheet expert thanks to templates with built-in functions, allowing you to concentrate on your real work.

Scenario Manager allows "what if ..." analysis at the touch of a button - e.g. compare profitability for high / medium / low sales forecasts.

Hide or reveal Design Themes with a single click - use CALC's defaults or add your own.

Save your spreadsheets in OpenDocument format, the new international standard for office documents. This XML based format means you're not tied in to CALC. You can access your spreadsheets from any OpenDocument compliant software.

Of course, you are free to use your old Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, or save your work in Excel format for sending to people who are still locked into Microsoft products. If all they want to see is your results, then use Portable Document Format (.pdf) - no need to buy any extra software.
 

Impress

More power to your presentations
- Microsoft PowerPoint Replacement

IMPRESS is a truly outstanding tool for creating effective multimedia presentations. Your presentations will stand out with 2D and 3D clip art, special effects, animation, and high-impact drawing tools.

Master Pages simplify the task of preparing your materials.

A complete range of Views are supported: Drawing / Outline / Slides / Notes / Handouts to meet all the needs of presenters and audiences, plus an optional multi-pane view to put all the tools at your fingertips.

IMPRESS has a complete range of easy-to-use drawing and diagramming tools to spice up your presentation.

'Park' your most commonly used drawing tools around your screen ready for single-click access.

Slide show Animation and Effects bring your presentation to life. Fontworks provides stunning 2D and 3D images from text. Create lifelike 3D images with astounding speed and response.

Save your presentations in OpenDocument format, the new international standard for office documents. This XML based format means you're not tied in to IMPRESS. You can access your presentations from any OpenDocument compliant software.

Of course, you are free to use your old Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, or save your work in PowerPoint format for sending to people who are still locked into Microsoft products. Alternatively, use IMPRESS's built-in ability to create Flash (.swf) versions of your presentations.
 

Draw

The powerful graphics package
- Microsoft Visio Replacement

DRAW - from a quick sketch to a complex plan, DRAW gives you the tools to communicate with graphics and diagrams.

'Park' your most commonly used drawing tools around your screen ready for single-click access.

Use Styles and Formatting to put all your graphics styles at your finger tips.

Manipulate objects, rotate in two or three dimensions; the 3D controller puts spheres, rings, cubes, etc. at your disposal.

Arrange objects: group, ungroup, regroup, and edit objects while grouped. Sophisticated rendering let you create photorealistic images with your own texture, lighting effects, transparency, perspective, and so on.

Smart connectors make short work of flowcharts, organisation charts, network diagrams, etc. Define your own 'glue points' for connectors to 'stick' to.

Dimension lines automatically calculate and display linear dimensions as you draw.

Use the picture Gallery for clipart; create your own art and add it to the Gallery.

Save your graphics in OpenDocument format, the new international standard for office documents. This XML based format means you're not tied in to DRAW. You can access your graphics from any OpenDocument compliant software.
Import graphics from all common formats (including BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and WMF).

Use DRAW's free ability to create Flash (.swf) versions of your work.
 

Base

The new way to access databases
- Microsoft Access Replacement

New to Version 2, BASE enables you to manipulate database data seamlessly within OpenOffice.org. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, either using your own database or BASE’s own built-in HSQL database engine. BASE offers a choice of using Wizards, Design Views, or SQL Views for beginners, intermediate, and advanced users.

Maintaining your data

With BASE, you can:
Create new tables for your data - and also change them as your needs change
Maintain indexes on the tables to make data access faster
View a table in an editing grid and add, change, and delete records
Use the Report Wizard to produce impressive reports from your data
Use the Form Wizard to create 'instant' database applications
Using your data

Using BASE, you can not only browse your data, but also:
Perform simple (single column) or complex (multi-column) sorts
View subsets of your data with simple (one-click) or complex (logical query) filters
Create powerful queries to show your data in new ways, including summaries and multi-table views
Produce reports in a wide variety of formats using the Report AutoPilot
Technical footnotes
BASE includes a full version of the HSQL database engine, storing data in XML files. It can also access dBASE files natively for simple database work.

For more advanced requirements, BASE supports many popular databases database natively (Adabas D, ADO, Microsoft Access, MySQL), or any database through industry-standard ODBC and JDBC drivers. It also supports any LDAP compliant address book, as well as common formats such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows, and Mozilla.
 

Math

Equation Editor

Create equations and formulae for your documents
MATH is OpenOffice.org's component for mathematical equations. It is most commonly used as an equation editor for text documents, but it can also be used with other types of documents or stand-alone. When used inside WRITER, the equation is treated as an object inside the text document. Similarly, one can also insert these into other OpenOffice.org programs like CALC and IMPRESS.

Using MATH, there are three main ways of entering a formula:

Type markup in the equation editor.
Right-click on the equation editor and select the symbol from the context menu.
Select a symbol from the Selection toolbox.