How to create list for LibreOffice Calc cell (video)

Spreadsheet is a convenient tool to make calculations. But that's the not the only use the spreadsheets have now.

Many people use spreadsheets as a tool to exchange information. For example, you can get a spreadsheet from your supplier with request to list your order details there. On another side, you can create a similar spreadsheet to your customer, or even for household needs: keeping budget, or inviting friends to the party. The range of spreadsheets' use is large.

There are many cases when you want to help either yourself or another people with working with the spreadsheet you composed. For example, you want to advise that certain cells can only contain a pre-defined set of values and nothing else. The best way to do so is to give users a drop-down list to choose from.

Working with Pivot Tables in LibreOffice Calc

Pivot tables is a very powerful tool in spreadsheets that allow you to analyse big massive of data in flexible dimensions.

LibreOffice Calc gives you an option to build your own Pivot tables using the built-in tools.

Please watch a how-to video showing you details of working with Pivot tables in LibreOffice Calc.

You can also follow this link to watch directly on YouTube.

By the way, if you use OpenOffice Calc, this tutorial may help you too.

What would be my own ideal Linux distribution?

There was a question addressed to me recently, after publishing the "Divergence in the distros" article. The person asked me

You tested many distros so you maybe have some pros/cons seen on distros to share.

That made me think about the most perfect distribution I'd like to get, ever. Let me share these thoughts with you.

OpenOffice Writer English Grammar Checkers

If you wish there was an English grammar checker for OpenOffice Writer, you’re in luck. Two popular extensions let you add an English grammar check to OpenOffice for free.

Top 5 Free Suites to Replace Microsoft Office

Rarely do small business and home users need all of the features that are included in the powerful Microsoft Office suite of products. Microsoft Office is the industry leader in office productivity software, but many free alternatives exist that will satisfy the needs of most small business and home users. This gives cost-conscious business owners a way to save money while maintaining productivity.

Open source office products will include many of the features of costly programs and support all of the major file type, including Microsoft file types. The free suites will include the word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software that businesses need. Many also include other programs like drawing applications and database tools.

If you need to cut costs, here are five feature rich office programs that you might try.

How to make page numbering start on a certain page in OpenOffice.org or LibreOffice Writer

About a year ago I published a blog post and then a video showing you how to insert page numbers into an OpenOffice.org document.

The video became very popular, and I got some additional questions about the functionality. The question I got recently persuaded me to write this post.
So, what is the question?
Say you write a novel. This is a lengthy document which has a title page, table of contents and some chapters. You want to make page numbering start from a certain page and not include first pages like front page and table of contents. How to achieve this?

Three simple steps to change page numbering style in OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice Writer.

Some time ago I wrote an article, and then even recorded how-to videos about page numbering in different open source office text editors: OpenOffice Writer, KWord and AbiWord.
And recently I received a comment on one of the videos, which persuaded me to come back to the theme.
The question was about page numbering style. Most of us are used to seeing page numbers as Arabic numbers like 1-2-3-...-10-11-12 and so on. But what if you wanted to see numbering in Roman style: I-II-III-...-X-XI-XII? Is there any option?
Honestly, I have not explored all three office suites, because the question was specifically about OpenOffice. However, LibreOffice is very close in functionality, so the advice below will work equally for this tool too.
So, how to switch page numbering style in LibreOffice or OpenOffice.org Writer?

How To Create an Ebook with OpenOffice.org

Do you want to see your name on the front page of a book? It’s easier than you might think. First, write the book. Next, follow these simple steps to prepare an ebook using the free OpenOffice.org or LibreOffice desktop publishing application.

Another Guest Post

If you follow this blog for some time, you should have noticed that I make guest postings from time to time on selected resources.
Today my guest post was published at Wazi.
Please follow the link to learn How To Create an Ebook with OpenOffice.org.

VIDEO How To: Page Numbering in Open Source Text Processors

The thing which you have never seen before!

I have recently published a post regarding page numbering in Open Source Office applications.
This time I will repeat the same post in slightly different manner. There are video lessons showing process of document editing.
All three lessons use same .odt file with content of my guest posting.

Let's start with OpenOffice.org Writer.


Second exercise will be with KWord from KOffice (Calligra Suite).

And finally we do same lesson using AbiWord from GNOME Office.

How do you like it? Are these videos useful? Should there be more video tutorials for you in this blog? Please leave your thoughts and ideas in comments to this post.

And, by the way... Do you like my voice?

How To: Page Numbering in Open Source Text Processors

Some time ago I made guest posting on Go2Linux.org site comparing Open Source Office applications. That time I complained that it was not obvious for me how to automatically number pages in the document using some of text processors reviewed there. Have you ever faced this issue? Hope this time I will open the secrets of three different packages and show you how to solve this issue.

Guests and Visits

Do you like visits? Do you like guests? What do you like more?
Personally, I enjoy both.
And not only in my house.

My blog also likes guests. Do you want to be my guest author? If yes, you are welcome to contact me, either in comments or by e-mail.
But for the beginning I made a visit to another blog and left a note there. Quite lengthy post, I should admit.
So, let me introduce my guest posting at Go2Linux blog: Where 3 times 3 is 8.