How to Use OpenOffice Writer Word-Processing Software

OpenOffice Writer is the word-processing component of the OpenOffice suite of office software. Because it is free to use, this open-source software package can be an excellent alternative to pricey office suites like Microsoft Office. OpenOffice Writer is compatible with Microsoft Word, and if you're familiar with Word or any other modern word-processing software, you will find Writer easy to use.

Instructions

1. Download OpenOffice from OpenOffice.org. You can download a word processor, a spreadsheet program, presentation software and more. These are OpenOffice's equivalent of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint. Once your download completes, follow onscreen instructions to install the software.

2. Open the OpenOffice Writer software and observe the interface. Click the various drop-down menus at the top of the window and look at the options under each. Notice that most commands are similar to Microsoft Word commands, and commands in other modern word-processing programs.

3. Type some text and experiment with making changes and applying formatting. Notice that some controls are different from those in Microsoft Word. For example, simultaneously pressing "Control" and "2" in Word double-spaces your document, while in OpenOffice this key combination converts your text into the default font for a heading style. You may with to refrain from using keyboard shortcuts like these because they are not the same as they are in Microsoft Word, or you may choose to train yourself as soon as possible to use shortcuts.

4. Enable the spell-check feature by choosing one of the options from the toolbar at the top of the screen. The first option is a picture of the letters "ABC" with a check mark. Click this to perform a spell check now, going through the document with a spell-check dialog box. Click the icon with the letters "ABC" and a red squiggly line and a red line will appear under any misspelled words in the document.

5. Save your document as a .doc file or an .odt file. The latter is the native OpenOffice Writer file format. If you choose to save in .odt, you can make use of more of Writer's features. However, if you save as a .doc file, Microsoft Word will be able to read the file, and, because many people use Word as their word processing software, it will be easier to share the file.

6. Read through OpenOffice Writer documentation. Use tutorials, instruction online and third-party books to learn how to take advantage of this powerful, flexible, full-featured program.

7. Open your OpenOffice document with Microsoft Word, if you have access to a computer with Word installed, and observe any differences. Some things, like line spacing and the placement of your page number may have changed, but overall your document should be the same.

References

• OpenOffice.org: Writer

Resources

• Tutorials for Open Office