OpenOffice.org Writer
Encyclopedia
OpenOffice.org Writer is the word processor
component of the OpenOffice.org
software package
. Writer is a word processor similar to Microsoft Word
and Corel's WordPerfect
, with some of their features.
As with the entire OpenOffice.org suite, Writer can be used across a variety of platforms, including Microsoft Windows
, Linux
, FreeBSD
, Irix
and Solaris
. Released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public Licence, Writer is free software
.
(its default format), Microsoft Word
's DOC, DOCX, RTF
and XHTML
.
Writer provides a number of features not present in Word out of the box, including a word completion
mechanism for predictive writing that is not available in Microsoft Word as of September, 2009.. It has ability to export to the PDF format natively similar to that in Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft Word 2007 .
Features include:
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
component of the OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org, commonly known as OOo or OpenOffice, is an open-source application suite whose main components are for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and databases. OpenOffice is available for a number of different computer operating systems, is distributed as free software...
software package
Software package (installation)
In package management systems, which are commonly used with Linux-based operating systems, a package is a specific piece of software which the system can install and uninstall....
. Writer is a word processor similar to Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
and Corel's WordPerfect
WordPerfect
WordPerfect is a word processing application, now owned by Corel.Bruce Bastian, a Brigham Young University graduate student, and BYU computer science professor Dr. Alan Ashton joined forces to design a word processing system for the city of Orem's Data General Corp. minicomputer system in 1979...
, with some of their features.
As with the entire OpenOffice.org suite, Writer can be used across a variety of platforms, including Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
, Irix
IRIX
IRIX is a computer operating system developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. to run natively on their 32- and 64-bit MIPS architecture workstations and servers. It was based on UNIX System V with BSD extensions. IRIX was the first operating system to include the XFS file system.The last major version...
and Solaris
Solaris Operating System
Solaris is a Unix operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems. It superseded their earlier SunOS in 1993. Oracle Solaris, as it is now known, has been owned by Oracle Corporation since Oracle's acquisition of Sun in January 2010....
. Released under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public Licence, Writer is free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
.
Features
Writer is capable of opening and saving documents in a number of formats, including the OASIS Open Document Format 1.1OpenDocument
The Open Document Format for Office Applications is an XML-based file format for representing electronic documents such as spreadsheets, charts, presentations and word processing documents....
(its default format), Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
's DOC, DOCX, RTF
Rich Text Format
The Rich Text Format is a proprietary document file format with published specification developed by Microsoft Corporation since 1987 for Microsoft products and for cross-platform document interchange....
and XHTML
XHTML
XHTML is a family of XML markup languages that mirror or extend versions of the widely-used Hypertext Markup Language , the language in which web pages are written....
.
Writer provides a number of features not present in Word out of the box, including a word completion
Word completion
Word completion is a common feature in web browsers and similar text entry contexts. When a user begins the entry of a frequently-used word, the computer automatically completes it, or proposes a list of choices....
mechanism for predictive writing that is not available in Microsoft Word as of September, 2009.. It has ability to export to the PDF format natively similar to that in Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft Word 2007 .
Features include:
- Templates and styles
- Page-layout methods, including frames, columns, and tables
- Embedding or linking of graphics, spreadsheets, and other objects
- Built-in drawing tools
- Master documents—to group a collection of documents into a single document
- Change tracking during revisions
- Database integration, including a bibliography database
- Export to PDF, including bookmarks
- MailMerge
- Equation editor (OpenOffice.org MathOpenOffice.org MathOpenOffice.org Math is a tool for creating and editing mathematical notation, similar to Microsoft Equation Editor and is part of the OpenOffice.org office suite. The created formulae can then be embedded inside other OpenOffice.org documents, such as those created by Writer...
) - Scriptable and Remote Controllable via the UNO APIUniversal Network ObjectsIn computing, Universal Network Objects is the component model used in the OpenOffice.org application suite of programs. It is interface-based and designed to offer interoperability between different programming languages, object models and machine architectures, on a single machine, within a LAN...
- Indexing
- AutoCorrect
- AutoComplete
Limitations
- Grammar checking requires the installation of an extension. Document templates are also available as extensions for OpenOffice.org.
- Writer lacks a "normal" or "draft view" found in most other word processors, where paper margins and some aspects of the layout are hidden in order to let the user focus on text editing rather than layout. This is one of the most voted for feature requests on the OpenOffice web site.
- Cannot have a single document viewable in a split window view (either horizontally or vertically split), whereby you can view two different locations in the document at once (for comparison, editing, copy or cut and paste operations, etc.).
- Cannot open multiple documents in one task window (either horizontally or vertically split, or tiled with one another) and keep each document visible at the same time (for comparison, editing, copy or cut and paste operations, et al.) rather than having only a single document viewable at a time.
- Its outline numbering options (outline level designations or labeling, degree of indenting) are not nearly as flexible as other word processors such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect, nor customizable.
See also
- Comparison of office suites
- Comparison of word processorsComparison of word processors-General information:This table provides general information about selected word processors.-Characteristics:This table gives characteristics of each word processor.-Operating System Compatibility:...
- List of word processors