What is the software package often referred to simply as Open Office? This office is a freely available software package created on the basis of the Star Office package, in turn developed by one of the divisions of the Sun Microsystems organization. This software package includes a set of all necessary “office” components, such as: editor text information Writer, application for creating and managing databases - Base, application for preparing and editing presentations - Impress, mathematical formula editor - Math, editor graphic information- Draw, as well as spreadsheets - Calc.

The base of file formats of the OpenOffice software package is the free Open Document format (ODF), which in turn is an international ISO/IEC standard. Besides, this standard for operations with information has been adopted in many countries at the state level.

The main differences between OpenOffice and Microsoft Office

The first and most obvious difference that can be noticed at the stage of purchasing a software package is the distribution method. Programs from OpenOffice are freely implemented, which means that the software package with all the elements included in it can be purchased absolutely free, including all necessary updates. As for Microsoft products, the software package is subject to licensing for each single installed copy, and in the case of use on a terminal server, an individual license for each employee using the software package.

The second difference that catches your eye is the speed of loading and the complete readiness of the document for work. Today, the applications included in OpenOffice are slightly inferior to their competitor from Microsoft. Although if we consider the special case of opening an Open Document format file with a free package and an OpenXML file using Microsoft Office 2007, then almost the same amount of time will be needed. However, there is a way to reduce the need to wait for opening documents to almost a minimum by allocating RAM for this - OpenOffice has a function quick launch, which is located in the tray and can quickly open the required document type. In general, the speed with which files are opened is an additional “plus” for organizations to switch to using Open Document format files. The OpenOffice software package is characterized by fast opening of “native” files, which is especially noticeable in cases of large documents.

Applications included in the free package for creating and editing text information and spreadsheets, aka Writer and Calc, are more similar to competitors Word and Excel. However, we must not forget about the differences in the interface, especially in comparison with the latest versions of Microsoft Office. For example, the text editor Ms Word 2007 has a standard function for numbering document pages, without taking into account the numbering on the first page. In the case of the Writer editor, this function integrated into general global document layout systems, which does not always satisfy consumers. In addition, the spreadsheet application Calc has a structure based on the syntax of standardized mathematical expressions, which differs from Excel, which has a structure built on the basis of self-developed templates.

Applications for working with presentations, drawings and databases, also known as Impress, Draw and Base, are currently not superior in their characteristics to similar programs from Microsoft, namely PowerPoint, Visio and Access. As for the Math element of the software package, in this case we can talk about parity with its competitor Equation Editor, not to mention the large number of positive reviews in favor of the first, thanks to its TeX syntax support function.

It should be taken into account that objective comparison is significantly different from comparison in practice, since each of the constituent elements of software packages has both strengths and weaknesses. It can often happen that, under certain conditions, the Draw and Base applications turn out to be much more useful and convenient than their expensive counterparts.

It is worth saying that the OpenOffice software package does not have an application similar Outlook program, therefore such a user information manager and at the same time mail client you will have to choose additionally. In fact, this is not a problem, since there is plenty to choose from. For those organizations that give priority to MS Exchange, the most optimal way would be to use the Evolution package. In the same case, when there is no need to conduct activities using the native Exchange protocol, you should take a closer look at Mozilla Thunderbird with the Lightning add-on, which is integrated in the latest versions and does not require additional installation. It turns out that the absence of the Outlook application in the free OpenOffice software package is not a big problem.

In what cases is OpenOffice the optimal solution?

File handling ability open format Open Document creates a great advantage for the OpenOffice package, since if you need to organize quick access to any of the necessary documents at any time, especially over a long period, for example, several years, this is the best option. Today, there are several software packages that correctly import and work with Open Document format documents. There is a clear trend towards their increase in the future, as well as an increase in the number of document management systems that accept this document format. This creates the possibility that an organization's documents can be used and printed without problems decades after their creation, and even when the producing organization software will no longer exist.

In addition, the OpenOffice software package is the best option in the event that an organization is transferring its IT structure to “alternative operating systems,” such as Linux, or predicts such a decision in the future.

When making a serious decision to switch to using the OpenOffice software package, any organization faces the need for a thorough analysis of its own activities and the structure of the company’s organizational processes. A number of questions arise that need to be answered before switching to a new software package. These questions allow you to systematize information about the use of office programs in an organization, and what requirements are set for it:

1. How outdated is the technical base of the enterprise?
2. Do you use the Microsft Access application?
3. How complex are the files generated, and do they have macros in their structure? Is Microsoft PowerPoint functionality used?
4. Is the software generally used to create documents in Microsoft Office format?
5. Do you exchange MS Office documents with third parties? Is it necessary to send files of this exact format to other companies?

In the case of a detailed consideration of each question, the approving answer, of course, does not favor the organization's use of the OpenOffice software package. But even if affirmative answers were received to all questions, this does not mean that the organization’s use of OpenOffice programs is excluded. Let's look at this situation in more detail.

The outdated technical base has its own specifics when using software. In order for the OpenOffice software package to work properly, you must have at least the volume random access memory 256 megabytes in size, and a fairly powerful processor. If you have older equipment, it is best to use OpenOffice in terminal mode, launched from a more powerful server in terms of performance, or consider purchasing a more advanced computer.

In cases where a company's business process is directly related to an information system built on Microsoft Access, an easy transition to using the OpenOffice package will not be possible. However, the following options exist: firstly, it is necessary to assume a change in the existing information system to a similar analogue that reproduces the same functions, but is capable of compatible work with OpenOffice. If this option is not possible, you can order a similar analogue, or allocate resources for its independent development. Such an information system can be created, for example, based on OpenOffice.org Base, or using 1C, if this program not yet applied in the organization's activities. In addition, it is possible to create an information system as an isolated independent application capable of exchanging information with the OpenOffice package.

In the event that an organization uses Microsoft product Office for creating and editing presentations, namely Power Point, the situation is easily resolved thanks to simple testing of the OpenOffice software package on standard files and organizational tasks. It is quite enough to create and check the quality of the exchange, for example, a set of ten documents, which will include both the simplest and most complex files in structure. For example, documents that contain tables, text with a non-standard direction of arrangement, various formulas, a large amount of information on many pages, as well as standard presentations created in Power Point, if any are used in the activity at all. At first glance, it will be easy to determine whether OpenOffice is ready to work with documents created in the enterprise. As for macros, quite often they, like formulas from MS Excel, can be used in Calc; in such cases, the OpenOffice.org assembly must support macros from Excel.

If we talk about software that needs Microsoft installation Office for creating documentation, then similar methods can be used, as is the case with MS Access. In addition, there are attempts to create a custom interconnection bridge between MS Office and OpenOffice. One example of such a solution is Uni Office @ Etersoft, under whose auspices a call translator is being created Microsoft elements Office has the same calls for OpenOffice.

File sharing with other companies is the most difficult to control. There is no definitively correct solution in this case. Of course the best option is the use and transfer of Open Document format files by third parties. This option is the most optimal, since it makes it possible to exchange information without being tied to software. TO this option must strive, because at the moment there is a situation where an organization switches to using, for example, Microsoft Office 2007, and is forced to exchange data with third-party organizations that have to suffer because they use MS Office XP or 2003. In that case However, if an Open Document format document had been used, such problems could have been avoided.

In terms of compatibility, OpenOffice does a good job of importing and exporting Microsoft product format files such as Word with the extension doc files, docx and Excel - xls, xlsx. For more complex cases, you can use free software applications Microsoft companies, which make it possible to edit and print MsOffice files. Similar programs can be found for applications such as Word and Excel, as well as for the Power Point presentation editor.

As a result of the analysis, we can conclude that it is possible for an organization to switch to using the OpenOffice software package. In this case, the transition can be complete, which will be used by all employees, with the exception of one backup copy MS Office, which exists in case it becomes possible to convert any received documents or documents for distribution. The second option is the transition to the new software only by some departments where there is no need to use the Microsoft Office package.

When switching to new software, both company employees and management may have different attitudes towards it. Attitudes can vary from welcoming innovation to complete sabotage work activity. A big role, of course, is assigned to the reaction to change by management personnel. These employees should be the first to fully embrace OpenOffice when complete transition organizations for him. Because, otherwise, an erroneous opinion may be formed based on the perception of free products - management uses “good software” and saves on the team. If management starts using this software package, it will serve as an excellent example for others, which will lead to a smooth development of the new software. Of course, it is important to let employees understand that the introduction of the free OpenOffice software package into the work process is not just a way to save money by abandoning Microsoft products, but a rational decision, justified by the foresight of management personnel. When deciding on a complete transition to a new office, you must be strict about the implementation this process, since otherwise difficulties may arise with document flow from using MS Office, which does not accept the Open Document format.

Of course, the process of an organization transitioning to using a new software package is a real implementation. In this regard, it is necessary to properly organize the process, familiarize staff with the proposed functionality, and also provide the necessary consultations if various difficulties arise during the work process. If the process of implementing a new software package is handled by a third-party company, the managers of the organization making the transition to new programs are recommended to carefully consider the retraining of their own employees.

Differences in OpenOffice packages

When organizational issues have been resolved, it is necessary to address issues directly related to the OpenOffice software package itself. Assemblies of this program can be different, ranging from those intended for installation on the Linux operating system, or a set of programs from Ru.OpenOffice.org, Novell, or an assembly from Go-OO. In addition, you can use both the Infra-Resource software package - OpenOffice.org Pro, and your own.

As for the packaging of programs for Linux, the software package is usually developed specifically for the operating system, but such an assembly can be more productive than third-party external ones.

The Ru.OpenOffice.org software package is an officially localized package of the OpenOffice.org software package. There is nothing special to report about them, except that such kits exist.

As for the OpenOffice Novell build, it can please users with specific innovations for this package, such as the execution of Excel macros, the OpenXML format filter system, as well as licensed excellent fonts for working in text editors. In addition, such a kit, when installed in combination with Linux Enterprise Desktop makes it possible to get an analogue of Outlook - a user information manager and at the same time an Evolution mail client.

The Go-OO project was carried out by creators who disagreed with Sun Microsystems Corporation's official strategy regarding the code composition of OpenOffice.org. The result was some interesting changes that were not included in the standard OpenOffice.org coding for a long time. For example, a software package may contain specific features of the Novell package aimed at speeding up the launch of files, and at the same time many other changes. As a rule, practice shows that such changes often entail a violation of the stability of the program's actions.

Lastly, let's look at the OpenOffice.org Pro software suite. We can say that in this case there are cardinal differences. Firstly, this software package is most adapted for documents in Russian of various versions from MS Office. This advantage is fully noticeable when working with MS Excel files created using 1C: Enterprise 7.x. In addition, such a kit has a large number of adaptive capabilities for “national document flow”, since it contains both GOST standards for design and many unified document templates of the Russian Federation standard.

In case none of the existing OpenOffice software packages appeal to you, then it is possible to create your own assembly.

For situations where work computers run the Linux operating system, optimal solution will be the use of a set of programs specifically for Linux, which will entail good speed and application productivity.

Bottom line

Ultimately, we can say that today most business organizations carry out their activities using office software packages. As for the use of OpenOffice, practice shows that this is quite possible and often absolutely justified. An example would be any organization whose accounting is outsourced - in this case, the process of switching to new software is seamless and not complicated in any way. The main thing that should not be forgotten is that it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the implementation of a new software package, training and supporting the organization’s staff.

Typically, computer users use Microsoft Office applications to work with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. These are programs such as Word, Excel, Access, Power Point. But besides them there are other options. One of them is the OpenOffice suite, which is practically in no way inferior to MS Office, both externally and internally.

OpenOffice is a free office software package. Can both open and create/edit Microsoft Office files. It also has a similar interface: arrangement of elements, buttons, etc.

What programs are included in OpenOffice:

• Writer is a text editor, an alternative to MS Word.
• Calc is a table creation program, an alternative to MS Excel.
• Draw - vector graphics editor(analogous to Paint).
• Impress - presentation creation, alternative to MS PowerPoint.
• Base - working with databases (DBMS), instead of MS Access.
• Math - editor of mathematical formulas.

And this is what Calc looks like (analogous to Excel):

How to use

1. Download the installation file.
2. Open it and install it (see Installing OpenOffice).
3. A shortcut appears on the Desktop.
4. We launch it and select the file type that we want to create: Text document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Drawing, Database or Formula.

Immediately after this, the desired program will open.

On a note . All MS Office files will be launched by default in the appropriate program from the OpenOffice suite. Documents created in Word will open in Writer, Excel files in Calc, presentations in Impress.

Installing OpenOffice

For clarity, all stages are shown in pictures. To enlarge an image, simply click on it and use the arrows to move to the next step.

How to save a file created in the program

A file created in an office program from the OpenOffice suite is saved in a specific format by default. Of course, you can then work with it on your computer, but on another computer that does not have such a package, it may not even open.

1 . Click on the “File” button at the top left and select “Save As...”.

2. At the bottom of the save window, click on the “File type” part and from the list select the item where it says Microsoft and at the end 97/2000/XP.

OpenOffice.org Writer is free analogue himself popular editor Microsoft Word.

You can download the latest version of the package at , it includes Writer (analogous to MS Word), Calc (analogous to MS Excel) and a number of other products.

The main functions of the Writer editor are similar to Word; editing plain text is almost completely identical.

But sometimes more complex steps are required than just typing text, aligning it in width, making a bold title and printing.

For example, often when creating a text document, for the most convenient and visual display of any information, you need to insert a table.

Tabular data facilitates general understanding.

Open Office Writer offers the essential tools for creating and working with tables.

To insert a table into a specific area of ​​the document, you must insert the cursor in the desired location.

Insertion is done using the "Tables" icon located on the standard toolbar.

After clicking on the icon itself, the “Insert Table” window opens, where you are asked to enter the name of the table, assign the number of columns and rows, turn on or off the framing and display of the table header, and also select the proposed auto-format option.

When you click on the arrow located to the right of the "Tables" icon, the number of columns and rows is determined by moving the mouse.

After left-clicking, a table appears in the document.

If for some reason the selected number of rows and columns does not match the required number, do not worry because rows and columns can always be added as you work with the table.

After the table appears in a text document, the moving “Table” panel of the same name appears in the upper left part of the working field under the standard toolbar, which includes formatting tools.

It can be freely moved from one area of ​​the Open Office Writer window to another.

It is worth noting that the panel appears only when the cursor is inside the table.

When the cursor moves into the text area, the Table panel disappears.

Use the tools in the Table panel to create and format tables.

You can format both the entire table and its individual elements, for example, columns, rows or cells.

To select the area you want to format, insert the cursor and move the mouse while holding the left button.

To format an entire table, you must select the entire table.

You can adjust the width and height of table cells in Open Office Writer by moving their outline.

Hover your mouse over the border of a row or column, wait until a cross with two arrows appears and move the border in the desired direction.

The "Line Style" icon allows you to select how the lines of table cells are displayed.

It could be a double line, a thick line, or no line at all, and so on.

The "Border" tool - adjusts the outline for table cells.

It can be used to remove some unwanted cell borders.

Using the Split Cells, Merge Cells, and AutoFit tools, you can split and rejoin cells and adjust column widths and row heights.

The Insert Rows, Insert Columns, Delete Rows, and Delete Columns tools allow you to delete or add additional cells.

To delete a column or row, you need to stand on it.

Adding a line is carried out under the line with the cursor.

A new column is added to the right of the column where the cursor is located.

The AutoFormat tool offers several table template options in different colors.

Here you can insert and use your own auto-format by loading it from your computer.

In the window that opens, click "Add" and upload the template from your computer.

The Table Properties icon opens up more options for formatting your table.

In the "Table" tab of the window that opens, you can give the table a name, align its position relative to the page, and select dimensions.

In the "On Page" window tab you can configure appearance tables when moving, align text relative to cell boundaries, and so on.

In the "Columns" tab you can configure column parameters.

In the “Framing” and “Background” tabs, you can adjust the table outline, fill the background of table cells, and position the shadow to create a three-dimensional image of the table.

You can use table formatting tools through the "Table" tab in top panel tools.

Using them, you can also delete and add rows and columns, select a table or sections of it, split, merge, or protect cells from formatting, select an auto-format for the table and auto-size columns and rows, insert formulas into cells, select table properties, and so on.

If a table spans more than one page in an Open Office Writer text document, to repeat its column headings on each page, you must check the Repeat Column Headings checkbox in the Table tab of the top toolbar.

Quick access to tools for formatting tables and table text is in the menu that drops down when you right-click.
To make it easier to work with tables, Open Office Writer has a feature called “Number Recognition.”

With its help, numeric table data is recognized in a given format. In the application, number recognition is set by default.

You can enable or disable the number recognition function through the "Tools" tab, "Options" item, "Open Office Writer" sub-item and "Tables".

On the right in the settings, you need to check or uncheck the boxes next to the “Number recognition” and “Number format recognition” items.

The format is set manually through the "Table" tab of the top toolbar. Go to the tab and select "Number Format".

Or in the right-click menu, where there is also a “Number Format” item.

In the window that opens, select a category, number recognition format option, and some parameters if necessary, then click “OK.”

Inserting tables into a text document is a fairly simple task if you use text editor Open Office Writer!

To create a table in OpenOffice Writer or OpenOffice Calc, you need to decide on its structure. After this you can start “drawing”.

How to make a table in OpenOffice Calc

Open Office Calc, in itself, is spreadsheet document. It has no borders, the outlines of the cells are not drawn, but, in essence, it is a table. If you need to draw a table and its boundaries in order to then print it, you should follow the steps described below.

Simple table - all cells are the same size

A simple table with cells of equal width and height can be created in a couple of clicks. Let this be a table of store income and expenses for 2018. Hover your mouse over any empty cell. Click and hold the left mouse button (LMB). Now, by dragging the cursor down you set the number of rows, and to the right the number of columns. The selection will be highlighted in blue. It should look like the screenshot:

All that remains is to title the columns, rows and fill the cells with data.

Drawing a simple table in OpenOffice Calc turned out to be not difficult. Let's try to complicate the task.

Table with design elements

What are the design elements of a table? Title, font, text direction in a cell, etc.
We will use the same table as a sample. Let's title it first. To do this, we need to insert one more line above all the others. For this:

1. Click the right mouse button (RMB) on the number “1” indicating the first line of the document.
2. From the menu, select Insert Rows.

Next, you need to make sure that the title covers and is located above all the cells. If you enter a test into any of the newly appeared cells, it will be located only above one column. In order for the title text to appear above all columns, you should merge the cells into one.

1. Select the top 4 cells (LMB on cell A1 and hold and drag to the right)
2. Use the Merge Cells tool

Let's come up with and enter a name into the merged cell, and then align the text to the center. For this:

1. Enter the text in the header of the table.
2. Click on the "Align Horizontally Center" tool or the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+E.

Now let's change the title font and make it bold. To do this, click on the cell with the table title and select the "Bold" font style. You will get the following:

I had to expand column D a little and increase its width. The title text no longer fits.

Let's look at another task - how to change the direction of text in an Open Office table. Let's say we need the text of the title of the first column - "Month" - to have a different direction. Let's rotate the text 90 degrees. To do this, right-click on this cell and then select the submenu "Format Cells..."

In the window that appears, in the "Alignment" - "Text Direction" section, set the value to "Tilt, deg." equal to 90 and then confirm "OK". The text will change its direction. You can also align the text in a cell so that it is centered. This is done in the same place in the "Format Cells..." menu. I think there will be no difficulties with this.

Table with colored columns

Now let's add different colors to the table for clarity. To color one cell you need to select it and use the Background Color tool. Let's recolor the cell with the table title.

You can paint the entire table in the same way. This way the information will be presented clearly and in an orderly manner. You can select several cells at once by dragging, and then change the color with one click.

Now cells with values, row and column headings have their own color. This table looks easier to understand.

Table with fixed top row

If the table extends beyond one sheet, then it is reasonable to make it with a fixed top row. So, when scrolling, you can always see the column names. This technique is often used when creating a price list with a large number of products.

We will not repeat how to fix the top row of the table. This has been written about in detail, but it looks like this:

Summary table

Let's title the pivot table "Total" and place it below the table with the data. We will enter values ​​into each cell of the new table by summing the data in the corresponding column.

Editing a table in OpenOffice

Let's say an error has crept into the table structure. Or an incorrect value was entered into the cell. Editing an Open Office table will not be difficult.

To change the value or text in a cell, just select it with the cursor and enter new data.

What to do if you need to add cells (row or column)?

1. Select with the cursor the line where you want to add new cells and press RMB (right mouse button).
2. Select "Insert Rows" from the drop-down menu.

It should look like this:

How to print a table in OpenOffice

To print the table along with the rest of the data on the sheet, go to the "File" menu on the menu bar. Select the submenu "Print..."

Having selected the necessary parameters, click on the “Print” button and the table will print.

If you need to print only a table or even a fragment of a table, then you need to do this.

Select the cells you want to print.

Again go to “File” - “Print...” and select the “Selected Cells” value.

All that remains is to click on the “Print” button.

This way you can print an OpenOffice table either separately from the entire sheet or together with other information on the sheet.

How to make a table in OpenOffice Writer

You can also create a table in OpenOffice Writer without any problems. Functionally, it will differ from the OpenOffice Calc table, but it will also allow you to present the data in a structured form.

How to draw a table in an OpenOffice Writer document

To draw a table, use the “Insert” - “Table” tool in the “Table” menu on the main panel. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F12.

In the pop-up window we write:

1. Table name - the name of the table template. Let it be "Table1".
2. Table size - you must enter the number of rows and columns. For our table from the first part of the article, the following values ​​are valid: 4 columns and 15 rows, including the header.
3. Options. Here, check the box if the table has a title (in our case it does). The "Repeat title" option is used to duplicate the table title on all pages of the document if the table occupies more than one sheet. Let's leave it on.
4. First "n" lines. The number of rows that should be considered the table header. They will be repeated on each page of the document. In our case, the title can be considered the first two lines of the table.
5. Don't split the table. If the box is checked, the table will not be transferred to the next page.
6. Framing. Table outlines - hide or show when printing. Let's check the box.
7. AutoFormat... Here are some table templates. You can choose an interesting design to suit your purposes.
   The window settings, in our case, will look like this:

A table with identical cells appears. Let's combine the cells of the first row to enter the title. To do this, select the cells of the first row and click the “Merge Cells” button on the table toolbar that appears.

Enter the title and fill in the remaining cells.

There is also a tool for filling cells with color and you can set the direction of the text. It’s not difficult to figure it out, so we won’t dwell on this in detail.

There is another way to draw a table - use the Table tool on the toolbar.

Simply move your cursor down and to the right to set the number of rows and columns. This fast decision to get a simple table.

How to convert text to table

OpenOffice Writer has an interesting feature - converting text into a table. Sometimes product suppliers may provide a price list in an unreadable form. For example, in Notepad from Windows. It is difficult to read such information in the form of continuous text, so it is better to display it in the form of a table.

To convert text into a table, it must be formatted correctly. Each line of such text is a new line in the table. Columns are created like this: from left to right, write the data of the first cell of the row, then there should be a separator character and, after it, the data of the second cell, and so on. It is better to use a separator character that is rarely found in the text. For example, the tilde sign "~". Look how it looks in our case.

When the text is prepared, you need to select it and follow the route: “Table” - “Convert” - “Text to table...”.

In the pop-up window, select “Other” as a text separator and enter the tilde sign “~” in the window. In the "Parameters" section we will repeat the settings as in the previous chapter.

After confirming the selection of transformation parameters, the text will become a table. All that remains is to combine the cells in the first row to make the header look nice.

Editing a table

To insert a column or row into a table, use the toolbar. Place the cursor in a cell, click on "Insert Rows" or "Insert Columns". A new empty row or column appears in the table.

Sometimes you need to delete a table in OpenOffice Writer. This can be done by placing the cursor in any cell, and then selecting “Table” along the “Table” - “Delete” route. The table will disappear.

Video on "Creating tables in OpenOfiice Writer"

For those who perceive information better visually, we recommend a video about creating tables in OpenOffice Writer.

Now there should be no problems with how to make a table in OpenOffice. The article describes in detail, down to the subtleties, working with tables. I hope the material was useful.

If you have any questions, write in the comments.

Introduction

Undoubtedly, many users modern computers They know that Microsoft Office, like Windows, are paid products for which you need to pay a lot of money. However, domestic users still rarely think about the fact that the software that comes with their PC costs more than the PC itself. However, this does not apply to enterprises, because if it is discovered that they are using unlicensed software, they can be sued. So you either have to pay quite a lot of money for legal software, or use a free alternative.

Until relatively recently, if you chose the latter option, you had to look for an application whose capabilities would be sufficient to perform certain tasks. However, it is not always convenient to use one from one developer and a spreadsheet from another. Sometimes it is necessary to integrate part of the functions of the latter into a text document (which, for example, in Microsoft Word is done by inserting Excel tables into the document). Moreover, in comparison with the same Microsoft Office, such alternatives often do not satisfy many requirements.

However, everything changed with the release of OpenOffice. This set of applications has its origins in a development known as StarOffice. StarOffice is an alternative to Microsoft Office package, created by Sun Microsystems. From the very beginning it was free, then a paid version was released with some additional functions. After this, it was decided to separate free version into an independent project, which was called OpenOffice.

The first version of OpenOffice was a very good alternative to Microsoft Office. However, it had quite a large number of defects, as well as quite limited functionality regarding the solution from Microsoft. In this regard, it did not receive distribution corresponding to its possibilities. However, development continued further, and around the time of the release of version 1.1, an alpha version of OpenOffice Second Edition, or 2.0, became available.

OpenOffice 2.0 appealed to a much larger number of users. It offered much broader functionality and high stability, as well as compatibility with other formats (in particular, Microsoft Office documents are supported very well). This is exactly what this article will be about. Next we will look at the installation process and initial setup OpenOffice 2.0 package, and in the next article we will look in more detail at the most popular applications for working with text documents and spreadsheets.

Composition of OpenOffice

As you can understand from the above text, OpenOffice, by analogy with Microsoft Office, consists of several programs that make up the package. However, while Microsoft's product comes in many flavors (Standard, Professional, Enterprise, etc.), OpenOffice is only available in one version. The first one is paid solution, and not all users need all the features it offers. For this reason, such a division was made so that the user could choose for himself which functions he agrees to pay for.

The most famous Microsoft Office applications are the following:

• Word (text editor);
• Excel (spreadsheets);
• Access (database);
• PowerPoint ( electronic presentations);
• Outlook (mail client, organizer).

They are exactly what is duplicated in OpenOffice. Naturally, their names have been changed:

• Writer(text);
• Calc (spreadsheets);
• Base (database);
• Impress (electronic presentations).

As you can see, only Outlook has no analogue in OpenOffice. Along with the software package in question, applications called Draw and Math are supplied. From their names it is not difficult to guess that the purpose of the first is to create images (extremely simple, by the way), and the second is to create various formulas. By and large, Draw contains all those functions that are evenly distributed in other OpenOffice components. For example, here you can draw some simple objects using the tools vector graphics and also make diagrams.

As for Math, a similar tool from Microsoft Office is called Microsoft Equation. We will briefly look at its functionality later in the second article along with a review of Writer (Math will be most useful as an application to a text editor). Now let's move on to describing the OpenOffice installation process.

Installation

The main advantage of OpenOffice over Microsoft Office is its cross-platform nature. This package works on all popular platforms, in particular Windows, Linux and MacOS. Some may argue that Microsoft's product is also available for MacOS, to which we will answer that Office is being developed separately for PC and Mac. This proves at least that the most latest version Microsoft Office for Apple's OS carries the index 2004, while the modification for Windows is “one” less: 2003.

This flexibility of OpenOffice was achieved through the use of the cross-platform Qt library. However, this leads to one rather serious drawback of this solution: some “slowness” of its interface, as well as its rather significant “weight” in the computer’s RAM during operation.

Before you start installing OpenOffice, you need to download it from the official project website: www.openoffice.org. There you can find not only the original English version, but also a large number of localized ones. In addition, it also contains special modules for checking in other languages ​​(the number of which, by the way, is several dozen) - we will return to them a little later. As for this article, the most recent modification of the Russian version was chosen for the description, which by the time the material was prepared had reached index 2.0.2.

It is worth noting that to use absolutely all OpenOffice functions you will need to install Java system Runtime Environment. Recently, the software package in question comes with an integrated Java environment. There is also a version without it, which takes up about 15 MB of space less.

The installation process itself is incredibly simple and even simpler than that of Microsoft Office.

When you click the button, a window will appear asking you to read and accept the LGPL license agreement.

The next step will be to enter user data, as well as select access rights: for all users of the computer or only for the one who is currently performing the installation.

In the fourth step, you will need to specify the installation type: full or custom. We'll focus on the second one to take a closer look at all the components that come with OpenOffice.

If you compare the variety of packages supplied with OpenOffice and Microsoft Office, the comparison will be in favor of the latter. This, however, is quite predictable. However, looking ahead, we note that in most cases there will be no shortage of OpenOffice functionality.

In the penultimate step, you will be asked to select the Microsoft Office file formats that you would like to be opened in OpenOffice. By default, none are selected. If you just want to “see” what a free “office” is, then we recommend leaving everything here without any changes. After that, click “Next” and go directly to the installation itself.

Before moving on to the settings, we need to mention the need to re-accept license agreement. You will be asked to do this the first time you launch any application included with OpenOffice.

All settings are grouped in the now fashionable “tree” structure, which is located on the left. Let's dwell only on the most important settings from our point of view.

Memory usage settings can be adjusted in the item of the same name on the left. You can leave the cache settings unchanged, but sometimes it makes sense to disable the “Start OpenOffice.org during system boot” checkbox. As we mentioned above, the OpenOffice interface is written using the Qt library, which is quite slow due to its versatility. Therefore the change this parameter can reduce system RAM consumption by several megabytes or, conversely, speed up the initial launch of OpenOffice programs several times.

On the “View” tab, perhaps the most interesting group of checkboxes is “3D Image”. Yes, OpenOffice uses OpenGL to render some objects. This graphics library can be used when drawing or when constructing diagrams.

A very interesting feature of OpenOffice is automatic replacement fonts not available on the system. It may be most relevant to users operating systems Linux, where there can usually be some issues with fonts in terms of their availability.

All documents created in OpenOffice can be password protected. Naturally, similar function is also contained in Microsoft Office. However, it is worth noting that there are a large number of programs designed to hack documents in MS Office format. As for the software package in question, saving it in one native format can serve as good protection, since OpenOffice is not installed everywhere.

In the “Load/Save” group, the sections “VBA and Microsoft Office Properties” are of greatest interest. They are responsible for compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. The first item is used to configure the conversion parameters of macros written in Visual Basic (in total, OpenOffice supports four languages ​​for creating macros: OpenOffice Basic, Python, BeanShell and JavaScript), and the second is intended to set automatic conversion parameters, which is one of the workflow automation functions. In particular, for example, you can set to save all MS Word documents in the Writer format or, vice versa, convert from Writer to the Word format.

The “Linguistics” item from the “Language Settings” group is responsible for checking spelling. Here you can specify which languages ​​to check, as well as which ones to use. In addition, given the specifics of documents typed by Russian-speaking users, it would be a good idea to check the “Check in all languages” checkbox. In this case, if the text contains, for example, Russian (main text) and English (some inserts) words, then they will all be checked separately in accordance with the language in which they are printed, and not recognized as monolingual text.

It is worth noting that along with the Russian version of OpenOffice, a corresponding module for checking Russian spelling is supplied. However, if you need support for another language, or if you suddenly decide to install the English version, you will have to add the verification language manually. This is not as easy to do as in Microsoft Office.

First, you need to download the language module from the appropriate page on the Internet.

Then you need to find the location of the dictionary.lst file. By default it is located in /share/dict/ooo. It must be opened in any text editor like standard notepad. Next, you need to enter two lines with the following content at the end of the file:

HYPH ru RU hyph_ru_RU
DICT ru RU ru_RU_ie

The first is used to indicate a dictionary of synonyms, and the second is used to check spelling. It is worth noting that hyph_ru_RU and ru_RU_ie are real file names, listed here without an extension and located in the folder along with the dictionary.lst file. So unpack the downloaded language module into /share/dict/ooo.

Before finishing the story about the basic settings of OpenOffice, it is worth mentioning the section responsible for connecting to the Internet. It can be useful if you need to access any program from the package on the World Wide Web. If you access it through a proxy server, you can set its parameters for OpenOffice in the “Internet” group.

We briefly described the main components of the OpenOffice package, and also went over the most important global settings. We can only note that among the latter there are several interesting parameters that are not available in Microsoft Office, but because of them there is no need to change it to a free alternative.

OO Writer and MS Word

Now let's get down to business, and we'll start with what lies on the surface - the interface of the Writer main window.

If you download the OO Writer and MS Word programs, several differences immediately catch your eye. Firstly, this is the absence of an additional panel (called in Russian Word versions"Task pane"), where you can get fast access to various functions.

Secondly, in Writer, conventional lines show the page layout (can be removed via the “View->Text Borders” menu). Well, thirdly, the toolbar and status bar are different. It is noteworthy that the number of menu items is absolutely the same and even their order is almost identical.

The functionality of the document opening windows in Writer and Word is almost completely identical, with the only exception that for latest program it is slightly expanded. In particular, there is extra menu"Service" that allows you to connect network drive, view the properties of the selected folder or file, and so on.

Much more significant differences can be found by expanding the drop-down list with supported file types. If with MS Word everything is more or less clear (it is possible to open documents created in Word, WordPerfect, as well as HTML pages), then the OpenOffice developers took a different path.

You can immediately notice that the number of supported formats is very large. This, however, is not surprising - to the already familiar “docs” (.doc), its own formats are added, as well as support for StarOffice files, from which, let us recall, OpenOffice grew. In addition, there is support for documents from more exotic programs, which in our area are not very often found on a regular office or home computer.

If you scroll down this huge list, then text formats spreadsheets, presentations, and so on will follow. This is one of the fundamental differences between MS Office and OpenOffice: the ability to create and open any documents from any application in the package.

Indeed, if you open the “File->New” menu in OpenOffice, the selection will not be limited to documents, for example, of only one Writer. If you select a spreadsheet, Calc will load, if you select a presentation, Impress will load, and so on.

When working with text, styles are of great importance. The corresponding item is located in the “Format” menu (as, indeed, in MS Word). The window for editing styles looks extremely simple: at the top there is a small toolbar (you can select styles for a paragraph, for characters, for a page, frames and lists of various types), then there is a list of available styles, and at the very bottom there is a drop-down list that groups styles according to some characteristic.

In the case of MS Word, everything is generally identical, with the only exception that there is no such obvious division of styles for paragraphs, pages, and so on. In addition, the panel immediately shows what text formatting will happen when you select a style, whereas in OpenOffice you have to apply it first.

Creating and editing styles in OpenOffice and MS Office follows slightly different principles. If in the first case all settings are proposed to be made in a window with a large number of tabs, then in the second case all parameters are accessed from one window.

By the way, it is worth noting that if you change the settings of the main styles in OO Writer, they will still not be written to the default template. So that when creating a new document, the necessary design is immediately available to you, you need to do the following: first, set the parameters that you want to apply when creating a new file, that is, you just need to specify the font, its size, indentation from the edges, background color, text and so on. But at the same time, you should not print anything in the document, since the typed text will be loaded along with the rest of the settings.

The next step is to set the created template as the default for all documents. In the window from the menu “File->Templates->Manage” in the list on the left, expand the “My templates” folder, select yours and right-click to call context menu, where the item you need is located, which will allow you to select the created default template.

Now it remains to consider the implementation of basic functions, such as creating tables, inserting various objects, a print window, spell checking and others.

It must be said that working with tables in OpenOffice is generally more convenient than in MS Word. There are four ways to insert a table into a page: through the Insert menu, through the Table menu, using a keyboard shortcut, and through the toolbar. The last point is worth noting separately.

As you can see from the screenshots, for Word, when creating a table through the toolbar, there is a limit on the number of rows and columns. In Writer, this number is limited by the resolution of your screen - as you move your mouse cursor to the right and down, the area will increase.

Inserting a table through the menu opens a corresponding window where you can set the number of rows and columns, as well as the display of the header (the “Header” checkbox). The last parameter means that a special style will be applied to the first row of the table, making it stand out from the rest. In addition, you can set the title to repeat on each page if the table does not fit on one. You can also set a name for the table so that you can later make a link to it.

There are also standard table design templates:

The possibilities for editing tables in OO Writer are also wider than in MS Word. In particular, in the first program you can very simply insert a row or column, practically without disturbing the formatting of everything else, just as there is a more flexible system for splitting cells into parts. Although, on the other hand, inserting a table from Calc (spreadsheets) into Writer, as is possible in Word (inserting an Excel table), occurs somewhat differently.

First you need to select the desired range of cells in Calc, then copy it to the clipboard and paste it into Writer.

After that, by double-clicking it, editing it will become possible as if you were in Calc.

Inserting a mathematical formula into an OO Writer document also requires less manipulation. You just need to go to the “Insert->Object” menu and select “Formula”, whereas in Word you have to insert a Microsoft Equation program object into the page, which can be a little confusing for a beginner.

As for the editor itself, it is more convenient in the Microsoft product, as it is more visual. In OpenOffice, a separate field appears at the bottom, where one or another mathematical operation is conventionally designated.

Drawing in Writer also follows a slightly different principle. If a special area is created in Word where any pictures are placed, then in open editor The “canvas” is the entire document. The drawn object can be tied to either a paragraph or a character, or even made “free”.

It's worth saying a few words about checking grammar. If you configured it correctly, the program will only be able to check spelling. You will have to monitor the punctuation personally. In addition, if any word is underlined as incorrect, then if you need to add it to the dictionary, you will be asked to choose one of three. Why this was done is not entirely clear. You can add to any - the word will no longer be underlined.

Preview is also not much different from the “Word” version.

But the possibilities for setting up printing in MS Word are wider than in Writer. Thus, the latter does not have the function of scaling several pages on one, and you cannot set two-sided printing.

On the other hand, searching and replacing a string in a document is not implemented as conveniently as in Word. Although the capabilities are the same in both, in Writer they are all grouped in one window, and in the Microsoft editor they are organized into tabs. In addition, in Word it is more convenient to set special search parameters, such as “search only bold text.”

By and large, we have reviewed the main functions of the Writer program from the OpenOffice package. We can only mention some unique features, such as support for exporting a document to PDF format(which in some cases can be very useful), as well as comparisons of two documents:

In addition, I would like to note that there is no review function in Writer. And although if you open a MS Word document with a review, the changes will be visible, but it is not displayed as conveniently as in the original editor:

Overall, however, Writer's compatibility with MS Word documents is excellent. Of course, very complex formatting will be too much for him, but the vast majority of files will be displayed correctly. In addition, it is very pleasant to note that this statement is also true for the opposite: Writer perfectly saves to MS Word format. Documents look almost the same in both editors.

And we move on to consider the program for working with spreadsheets OpenOffice Calc.

OO Calc and MS Excel

As in the case of Writer, we will begin the description of Calc with the interface of the main window.

We believe that we will surprise few people with the statement that the interfaces of Calc and Excel are very similar in many ways. At the top of the window there is a menu, below it there are toolbars, in the center there are the tables themselves, and at the bottom there is a similar status bar with sheet tabs. Excel just added a “Task Pane”, like any other MS Office application.

However, if you go deeper, the differences become more noticeable. Let's take the same styles for example. Editing and creating them in Calc is done in much the same way as in Writer, while in Excel these operations are performed completely differently.

One of the most important tasks of spreadsheets is calculating values ​​using some formulas and functions. Inserting a function in Calc is almost the same as in Excel. True, it is worth noting one very important point: The functions in the first program are named English language in any localized version, whereas in a product from Microsoft - in Russian in the Russian-language version and in English in the English-language version.

We tend to believe that the Calc developers' choice is preferable. Think for yourself, if suddenly for some reason you have to change Russian Excel version into English, then there will be a need to re-learn some functions, or rather, search for their analogues in another language. Agree, this is very inconvenient.

The implementation of the autofilter function in Calc is practically no different from that in Excel, however, the latter has the ability to select all empty and filled cells. In addition, there are some differences in creating a filter condition:

As you can see, in spreadsheets from OpenOffice you can set three conditions for the filter, as well as specify parameters such as case sensitivity, input regular expression, search without repetitions (grouping).

Working with diagrams is implemented in a very interesting way. First, despite excellent compatibility with many MS Office documents, Calc does not display charts and graphs created in Excel correctly. Here good example:

As for the native charting functions, they have both unique properties and do not offer some often needed capabilities. The process of creating a diagram begins by selecting the appropriate item from the Insert menu or button on the toolbar. You immediately have to set the size of the chart yourself, while Excel by default sets the standard width and height.

The order in which the chart itself is constructed differs quite significantly between Calc and Excel. In the first case, you are first asked to specify the exact range, as well as some other parameters, and in the second, you are asked to select the chart type.

In the second step, it’s the other way around – Calc offers to select the type of chart (and then immediately one of its available subtypes or options), and Excel – the range of cells from which the data will be taken.

As a result, the result is approximately the same, even the default colors are the same. However, some editing options are not available. This particularly applies to filling. For the chart stripes themselves, you can set the filling with a solid color, a gradient, shading, or some kind of pattern. But what’s surprising is that the gradient can only be selected from those provided by the developers, and for some reason it’s not possible to set the colors yourself:

It must be said that this is a rather serious flaw that can quite significantly limit the use of Calc. And, the strangest thing is, the OpenOffice developers are not even planning improvements in this regard. In any case, editing diagrams has remained unchanged since the first alpha versions of OpenOffice 2.0. But, on the other hand, you can turn on transparency and shadows for graphs. In addition, you can create three-dimensional charts, where you can set any angle of inclination and even calculate the lighting for each strip of the graph:

If Excel saves to CSV files as best it can, Calc offers to set the encoding in which the file, field separator, and text separator will be written.

What's especially noteworthy is the ability to set special parameters for opening CSV files, which is done in case Calc does not recognize the data correctly. Again, you can select the field and text separator, as well as the encoding. A preview of the table will be shown below. Excel just opens without asking anything.

Perhaps this is where we will finish the story about OpenOffice Calc. Some of its functions were announced in the section about Writer (for example, preview, print window, spell check), but some do not deserve such close attention. Therefore, we now move directly to the conclusions regarding the considered package.

conclusions

Although we've only looked at two of the main OpenOffice programs, they are the most popular of them all. So, Writer. This application, in our opinion, is a very good alternative to Microsoft Word. They are offered almost no less functionality(basic ones, anyway), and Writer, like all of OpenOffice, is absolutely free. And although some things are implemented not so conveniently (and some, on the contrary, are more convenient), in general, this program is more than enough to perform the vast majority of tasks.

As for OpenOffice Calc, this is essentially enough unique product On the market. While there are many alternative text editors, there are far fewer spreadsheets. And Calc showed itself to be very worthy in this regard. In general, if you compare it with Excel, the latter is more convenient and faster to work with, but if you remember that Calc is free, then most of the complaints should disappear. Although the described shortcomings in the design of diagrams, we believe, would need to be corrected.

By the way, it would not be out of place to note some “slowness” of OpenOffice programs when saving large documents. Our attempts to understand this led to the following conclusion: the culprit is the file format of this package. All of them are saved as XML, packed in a ZIP archive (!). It’s the transformation and packaging that takes up enough for a long time. Try to open it yourself somehow file manager or archive any file from any OpenOffice application and verify the accuracy of these statements.

As a result, we can draw the following conclusion: it makes sense to try OpenOffice if you have the time (even a little) and the desire (even a little). You may like it, and you won’t have to go back to Microsoft Office (or any other package).

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