Tag: OpenOffice.org

Keyboard shortcuts in OOo

I read an article today about different keyboard shortcuts in OpenOffice.org Writer that was very helpful. If you use Writer you can certainly take advantage of some of these. The author said that some of these will probably work in other programs. I tested a couple of these in my blog editor and can confirm some work here as well.

To start off, let me list some of the basic ones that everyone should know.

  • CTRL + C = copy
  • CTRL + V = paste
  • CTRL + X = cut
  • CTRL + P = print
  • CTRL + S = save

Here are three very useful ones he pointed out that I did not know.

  • CTRL + ALT + Up/Down Arrow = moves the current paragraph above or below the previous or next paragraph.
  • CTRL + Left/Right Arrow = moves the cursor to the next word either left or right.
  • SHIFT + Up/Down/Left/Right Arrow = selects the text appropriately. Just try it and you will understand how to use it.

Jump on over to the original article to see the many others he showed. Not all of them will be useful for everyone, but using keyboard shortcuts really are a better way to work once you learn them. Until you learn them and put them into practice it is hard to see their value.

Famous Friday: OpenOffice.org Training

I have been an OpenOffice.org fan since 2000. It has been better and worse as a product at different times in its history. There are forums in which I have participated and spewed as much knowledge as I can to other members. I have been somewhat of an OOo evangelist and have given presentations at different meetings (Linux enthusiast groups and corporate groups) as to why people should seriously consider OOo.

I started reading a blog a few months back that has helped me with some of the more detailed uses of OOo. Though I certainly don’t have as much heavy daily use for OOo as some people, I have enjoyed reading Solveig Haugland’s OpenOffice.org Training blog. She has some very detailed how-to articles at the site as well as some great articles on how to make the transition to OOo.

If you see an article that does not apply to you at the time, just skim over it and know that it is there. You might be surprised by how often you find yourself going back to the site to check out a how-to that you previously skimmed over. Solveig has a great way of simplifying a complex process.

There is a lot of good stuff in her archives. Be sure to search around for tutorials. I used to hit the forums when I needed help. Now, before I go to the forums, I check out Solveig’s site.