• A computer work station."Logitech Keyboard and Mouse" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: laffy4k (Chris Metcalf) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Types of Projects

• OpenOffice gives users the ability to work in a number of environments. The word processor is used to create the "Text Document" file type and is among OpenOffice's most useful features. Another project type is the Presentation, which combines text, images, sound and transitions to produce multimedia presentations similar to Microsoft's PowerPoint. OpenOffice also features a Spreadsheet project type, a Drawing program, and a Database tool. Each of these project types integrates with the others and contains a tutorial for new users.
  
  

Word Processor Basics

• The OpenOffice Text Document environment features a full range of text editing tools. Several templates are available, including a personal letter, a fax or an agenda. Text can be altered in terms of size, color and font. Text Documents can also contain hyperlinks and images. OpenOffice also includes many formatting options, including page formatting for changing margins and spacing, text formatting for using columns or grids and bullets and numbering for including and organizing lists.
  
  

Other Word Processor Functions

• Beyond the basic functions shared with most word processing programs, OpenOffice's Text Document interface gives users access to additional tools. One major difference between OpenOffice and programs such as Microsoft Word is the ability to export text documents in portable document format (PDF). This is useful for archiving text files or preparing them to be displayed on the Internet. OpenOffice also includes customizable templates for footnotes and page numbering, along with a spelling and grammar check program.
  
  

Presentations

• The Presentation and Spreadsheet project types allow OpenOffice to function as an office suite rather than simply a word processor. The Presentation function creates a slide show from user-created content that can be organized according to any number of slide templates. Full or partial text documents can be imported into a slide. Transitions, such as wipes and fades, are all available to move from one slide to the next. Animation, movie files and sound can also be added to Presentation slides.
  
  

Spreadsheet and Other Functions

• OpenOffice's Spreadsheet is fully customizable and resembles Microsoft Excel in many ways. It can incorporate text as well as images. The Spreadsheet interface also has shortcuts to a number of common commands such as adding the numbers in any column, computing percentages and color-coding different entries.
  
  OpenOffice also contains a Drawing program, which can perform basic image editing functions and is useful for preparing images for inclusion in a text document or presentation. The OpenOffice database is able to collate data in various forms. Finally, OpenOffice includes a Formula project type, which is useful for working with mathematical notation.