OPEN OFFICE is a free suite of applications suitable for a variety of operating systems such as Linux, Microsoft Windows, Solaris, OpenVMS, IRIX & Mac OS X(1). Open Office supports the open document standard for data interchange.Open office suite is an open source code application, which has been developed by Tetra Information Services as per their client needs. Open office source code was released in July 2000 with an aim to reduce the dominant market share of Microsoft and is available under GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). It is basically a programming language similar to Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). It is available in the Writer and Calc applications. It is written in functions called subroutines or macros, with each macro performing a different task, such as counting the words in a paragraph and is especially useful in doing repetitive tasks that have not been integrated in the program Open Office packages are similar in look and feel, very easy to use and offer some amazing benefits. Common tools are used across the suite, you therefore do not have to remember, which application or tool was used to create a particular file. A ‘File Open’ command on Open Office from anywhere and can launch the correct application. Most of the documents are saved in OpenDocument format, which is the new international standard data from the OpenDocument compliant software.Open Office is a collection of applications that work together closely to provide features expected from a modern office suite. Many of the components are designed to mirror those available in Microsoft Office. The components available include: WORDWord processor similar in look and feel to Microsoft Word and offers a comparable range of functions and tools. It also includes the ability to export Portable Document Format (PDF) files with no additional software, and can also function as a WYSIWYG editor for creating and editing web pages. One important difference between Writer and Microsoft Word is that in Writer, many functions and number formats from Calc (below) are available in Writer's tables.CALCSpreadsheet is similar to Microsoft Excel with a roughly equivalent range of features. Calc provides a number of features not present in Excel, including a system which automatically defines series for graphing, based on the layout of the user's data. Calc is also capable of writing spreadsheets directly as a PDF file. IMPRESSIt is similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. It can export presentations to Adobe Flash (SWF) files & allow them to be played on any computer with installed Flash player. It also includes the ability to create PDF files. Impress suffers from a lack of ready-made presentation designs. However, templates are readily available on the Internet.BASEIt is a Database program similar to Microsoft Access. Base allows creation and manipulation of databases and building of forms and reports to provide easy data access to end users. As with Access, Base is able to work as a front-end to a number of different database systems, including Access databases (JET), ODBC data sources and MySQL/PostgreSQL. Base became part of the suite starting with version 2.0.DRAWDraw is a vector graphics editor comparable in features to CorelDraw. It features versatile "connectors" between shapes, which are available in a range of line styles and facilitate building drawings such as flowcharts. It has similar features to Desktop publishing software such as Scribus and Microsoft Publisher. MATHIs a tool for creating and editing mathematical formulae, similar to Microsoft Equation Editor... Formulae can be embedded inside other Open Office documents, such as those created by Writer. It supports multiple fonts and can export to PDF.QUICK STARTERThough a small program for Windows and Linux that & runs when the computer starts for the first time. It loads the core files and libraries for Open Office during computer startup and allows the suite applications to start more quickly when selected later. The amount of time it takes to open “Open Office” applications was a common complaint in version 1.0 of the suite however Quickstarter was a solution of sorts. Substantial improvements were made in this area for version 2.2. MACRO RECORDERMacro Recorder is used to record user actions and replay them later to help with automating tasks, using OOoBasic.
DRAW
What is Draw?
Draw is a vector graphics drawing tool, although it can perform some operations on raster graphics (pixels). It offers a series of powerful tools that enable you to quickly create a wide variety of graphicalimages.
Vector graphics store and display a picture as simple geometric elements (lines, circles, polygons, etc) rather than as a collection of pixels (points on the screen). This permits simpler storage and supports precise scaling of the picture elements.
Draw is fully integrated into the OpenOffice.org suite, and this makes exchanging graphics with all components of the suite very easy. For example, if you create an image in Draw, reusing it in a Writer document is as simple as copy and paste. You can also work with drawings directly from within Writer or Impress, using a subset of the functions and tools from Draw.
Draw’s functionality is extensive and even though it was not designed to rival high-end graphics applications, it possesses significantly more functionality than the drawing tools that are generally integrated with office productivity suites.
A few examples of the drawing functions are: layer management, magnetic grid-point system, dimensions and measurement display, connectors for making organization charts, 3D functions enabling small three-dimensional drawings to be created (with texture and lighting effects), drawing and page style integration, and Bézier curves.
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