How to work in a spreadsheet with Liber Office. LibreOffice: Page Options in the File menu

LibreOffice Writer is part of the LibreOffice office suite. The main purpose of the program is to work with text, which may contain inserts in the form of tables or graphics. LibreOffice Writer allows you to customize the formatting of the text itself, as well as the document as a whole.

Creating a text document in LibreOffice Writer consists of several steps:

• Writing the text of the document and inserting additional content elements - tables, illustrations, footnotes.
• Text formatting - setting fonts, line spacing, indents.
• Document formatting - setting page numbering, creating a table of contents, title page.
• Saving in one or more formats, taking into account the purpose of the document.

The sequence of these steps suggested below allows you to perform each action only once, so as not to return to it after making other changes. But, of course, this sequence can be changed according to your own preferences.

Selecting Page Options

Just as when you handwrite a document, you first need to prepare a piece of paper, before you start typing in LibreOffice Writer, you need to adjust the page settings.

Page size and orientation are configured via the global menu item Format -> Page which opens a window Page style. By default, the program uses A4 page in portrait orientation. If the size needs to be changed, do it right away. In addition, here you can customize the margins and include a header and footer (usually the page number, sometimes other supporting information) if the default settings are not suitable.

You should also decide whether to use columns (like in a newspaper) or whether the text will be spread across the entire width of the page. And indicate this in the far right tab Columns page settings windows.

Tip: to customize the appearance of the document on the monitor screen, you can use the menu item View -> Scale. But much more convenient is the slider specially designed for this in the lower right part of the LibreOffice Writer window.

The page orientation selection made above affects the entire document. But sometimes it is necessary to change this. For example, text in a document typically appears on a page in portrait orientation, but one or more wide tables require a page in landscape orientation.

This is possible. To do this you need in the menu Format -> Page, as in the previous example, open a window Page style, and in it a tab Control, then indicate Next style -> Landscape.

This will change the orientation for the page on which the cursor is located and for all subsequent ones. In other words, the new style will be applied until the end of the document. If after a certain number of pages you need to return to portrait orientation, then the procedure should be repeated indicating Next style -> Regular.

Document text

It is convenient to compose preliminary document text directly in LibreOffice Writer. Now you can ignore its formatting and focus on the content. As you type, text will appear on the screen according to the program's default settings. In the future, you can change the font type, color and size, alignment on the page, spacing between lines and paragraphs, letter spacing, first line indentation, designate headings, and much more.

Tip: Do not use the Spacebar or Tab key to shift text or individual words, for example, at the beginning of a line. Instead, you need to specify the desired values ​​in the menu Format -> Paragraph(having previously selected the desired fragment) - see below for more details.

Often in a document you have to insert text from other sources, for example, from an email or from a website page. In this case, the inserted fragments may have different font types and sizes. But at this step you can ignore this.

The definition of “throwing out a document” fits the whole process well. The result should be a preliminary version that is close in meaning and scope to the final one.

Pre-formatting

Once the text is typed, you can begin formatting it. All changes are applied only to the selected text. If you remove the selection, the changes will no longer be applied. If you need to specify some characteristic of a part of the text, you can select it with the mouse. To select the entire text, it is convenient to use the key combination Ctrl+A.

All formatting tools are located in the main menu item Format. Some of them are duplicated by buttons on the toolbar.

As a rule, the entire document should have a uniform appearance. Therefore, first of all you need to configure font type, style and size. The selection is made in accordance with any rules relevant to the document, for example, an organization standard. To set the font in the main menu Format there is a special item Symbols. But it’s easier to use the appropriate tools on the panel. Here you need to set the position of the line on the page to its entire width (other options are right, left, center). Then change these parameters for the text in the required places based on the context, for example, the title can be placed in the center, individual words can be highlighted in bold or underlined.

If the document consists of several sections that have their own headers, then it is recommended to assign them (and the main heading too) the type Heading. This will allow you to automatically obtain the table of contents of the document in the future. The title number determines its significance. The higher the number, the lower the heading is in the hierarchy. The general document header is usually of the type Heading 1.

Line spacing, distance before and after paragraphs, first line indentation and other similar parameters also generally apply to the entire document. Access to their settings is in the menu Format -> Paragraph.

Document and table header

Some documents have a so-called "header". This is typical, for example, for memos and letters. The header consists of two blocks of text shifted to the right. Usually it's "to" and "from". A similar situation arises when it is necessary to prepare a place for signing a document by two equal parties, for example when drawing up a contract. In order to ensure the exact location of text blocks on the page, it is convenient to use table. In the right place, insert a table of 2 columns by 2 rows and fill in the required cells. Of course, if necessary, you can specify any other number of columns and rows. The cell frame is set to position Remove frame in the window Table properties, which allows you to see the lines that form the table, but not on the screen, but not on the printed document. In order to open this window, the table must first be selected.

The lines separating columns and rows can be moved with the mouse to fine-tune the sizes.

The text inside the table can be formatted in the same way as anywhere else in the document - customize the font, paragraphs, etc.

Tables are also convenient in many other cases, so they are often used. To confidently manage table properties, it makes sense to understand the settings that can be made in the window Table properties. For example, there is a very useful tab On the page. With its help, you can enable or disable the splitting of a table or its rows between pages. You can also repeat the heading (the first line or first few lines) on each page. These settings are useful for multi-page tables.

On click right By clicking on the selected table, a menu appears that allows you to add rows and columns to the table, delete rows and columns, merge and split cells, and do much more.

To delete an entire table, select it and click on it right mouse button, then select the item in the menu that appears Rows -> Delete.

Page numbering and title page

Multi-page documents may have front page and be supplied page numbering.

To enable automatic page numbering, select the global menu item Insert -> Fields and then press Page number. There are other options there besides the page number. The required field will immediately appear in the place of the text where the cursor is currently located. The page number is usually placed in the header or footer, so the cursor must be there and the footer must be enabled before numbering can occur. The inserted field is affected by the position settings on the page - right, left, center.

As a rule, the title page has the number 1 (or starting from 1 onwards, if it takes up more than one page), but the number itself is not affixed to it. You can disable the title page number in the window Cover pages global menu item Format -> Cover Page. The illustration shows settings for disabling numbering on the only title page, which is located at the beginning of the document, as is the case in most cases.

Lists

An example of such an object is the simple unnumbered list at the very beginning of this section. In addition, lists can be numbered. Lists can also be nested, where the list items are themselves made up of lists.

Work with this type of objects is automated. In order to turn regular text into a list, you need to select it and click on the selection right mouse button. A menu will appear in which you need to select Bullets and numbering, after which the window of the same name will appear. In this window you can configure all the necessary parameters - list type (bulleted or numbered), bullet or numbering type, structure, indents. After pressing the button OK Each paragraph of the selected piece of text will become a list item.

For the reverse operation, translating the list into plain text, you need to select it, then click on it in the list that appears right select menu with mouse button Bullets and numbering and press the button Delete.

Often you need to create a numbered hierarchical list of section headings only, but the main text should not be part of it. In other words, only the headings need to be numbered. In the window Bullets and numbering on the tab Settings There is such a possibility, but it is not always possible to achieve the desired effect. A simpler and more logical way is to select only the headings in the entire document (holding down the Ctrl key). After this, a numbered list for the selection made is created as usual.

Inserting Images

A text document can contain drawings, photos, scanned images that have been previously prepared and are stored on the computer as a file. Preparation consists of obtaining the desired size and type of image. This issue is discussed in the chapter Image Processing and Creation. It makes sense to use common sense here. For example, a photo taken with a professional camera may have an image size of more than 10 megapixels and a file size of more than 20 MB. Although such an image can be inserted into a text document, it would be wasteful. It will become difficult to work with it, and when printed on regular office paper, the quality will still be “office quality”. It is clear that the photo file needs to be converted into a more compact form. It is recommended to use files up to 100-150 kb unless there are any special requirements for the image.

Inserting images is done using the main menu item Insert -> Image -> From File.

When inserted, the image is located at the location where the cursor is located and is centered horizontally. The selected image can be moved simply by dragging it with the mouse, and resized by moving the green squares in the corners and on the sides. You can change the centering using the same tools on the panel that are designed for working with text.

When clicked right By clicking on the inserted image, a menu appears that allows you to open additional settings windows.

Here you can specify a caption under the image, assign automatic numbering of all images in the text, specify the type of text wrapping around the image, create a frame, define indents from the text and background, make the image a hyperlink, and more.

To delete an image, you need to select it, then click on it in the window that appears. right select menu with mouse button Cut.

Footnotes

Sometimes it becomes necessary to supplement the main text with some auxiliary content, but at the same time it is undesirable to disrupt the general flow of presentation. In such cases, it is convenient to make a footnote (note) at the bottom of the page.

To add a footnote you need to use the global menu item Insert -> Footnote.

The footnote is located in the footer of the page and is separated from the main text by a horizontal line. By default, footnotes use a smaller font size. All notes are automatically numbered and this numbering is also automatically updated when new notes are inserted.

A footnote is inserted at the point in the text where the cursor is located. At the same time, its number appears in the footer of the page. The footnote text itself is written like any other text. It can be edited and formatted as usual.

During any manipulations with documents, the text of the footnote will always remain on the same page where the main text in which it was inserted is located.

Automatic creation of table of contents

For a complex, multi-page document that contains titled sections, it can be helpful to create a table of contents. This process is fully automated if the section headings are given the type Heading, as recommended above.

When a document is changed, the table of contents is not automatically updated; this must be done manually. Sometimes you need to change the font of the table of contents or something else. For these purposes, there is a private menu that appears when you click right mouse button on the table of contents and allows you to update, edit or delete it.

Saving documents

While working on a document, and even more so before printing it on a printer or sending it to the recipient by e-mail, it is recommended to check the text for errors. The built-in spell checker helps correct typing errors, but it doesn't check for correct cases, tenses, or other text features. There is no punctuation check.

Saving the created document in the "native" LibreOffice format ODF provides the most reliable result. Therefore, it is recommended to use it for storage or transfer; the file will receive the odt extension.

For document exchange (but not for storage), the file can be saved as doc (Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP/2003) or docx (Microsoft Word 2007/2010 XML). The docx file format is still less preferred as it may not open on older computers. Both formats can only be recommended for situations where the recipient does not have the LibreOffice office suite.

Other formats for saving text documents need to be used much less frequently.

Any LibreOffice document can be saved in PDF format. This is often required in cases where its subsequent editing is undesirable and/or you need to be sure that when printed on paper the document will have exactly the same appearance as on the monitor screen. To save in PDF format, you need to export the document using the main menu item File -> Export to PDF. In the window PDF Options There are quite a few settings, but you can usually leave them unchanged because the default settings are suitable for most situations. Nevertheless, it makes sense to study them. For example, on the tab Safety It is possible to set a password to open a document.

A spreadsheet is a rectangular matrix consisting of cells, each of which has its own number.

LibreOffice Calc is designed to work with data tables, primarily numeric.
Creating workbooks
LibreOffice Calc window

The LibreOffice Calc working window is shown in Fig. 1.

Rice. 1. LibreOffice Calc working window

The default LibreOffice Calc document is named "Untitled 1". Consists of several sheets (3 by default) with a standard ODS extension. At the user's request, the number of sheets can be increased.
The worksheet consists of rows and columns. Columns are numbered from A to AMG, and rows from 1 to 1048576. Cell addresses are formed from the column number and row number (for example, A1). Cells are accessed by their addresses.
Operations with sheets:

• renaming – double click on the sheet name on its label or “Rename” in the shortcut context menu;
• deletion – menu “Edit” → “Sheet” → “Delete sheet” or “Delete” of the shortcut context menu;
• moving or copying – menu “Edit” → “Sheet” → “Move / copy sheet” or the corresponding item in the shortcut context menu. To copy, you need to check the “Copy” checkbox in the “Move / copy sheet” window;
• adding - click on the shortcut of the sheet in front of which a new sheet is inserted, in the context menu of the shortcut select the item “Add sheets” (Fig. 2)

Rice. 2. Insert Sheet Dialog Box
In this dialog box, specify the position, name of the sheet, quantity and click the “OK” button. The Insert Sheet dialog box can also be accessed from the Insert → Sheet menu.
If the book consists of a large number of sheets and all the labels are not visible, then you should use the arrows located to the left of the labels.
Selecting cells and ranges(+ arrows or left mouse button; – different areas). All cells in a row or column can be selected by clicking on the row or column header. To select a worksheet in the current workbook, you need to click on the worksheet tab. To select all the cells of a worksheet, you need to click on the button for selecting the entire sheet (the rectangle at the intersection of the row and column headings) or press the keyboard shortcut.
Entering data into a worksheet
Worksheet cells can contain text, constants, and formulas. You cannot perform mathematical calculations on text data. By default, numeric data is right-aligned and text is left-aligned. If the category name does not fit in width, then the right cell (if it is not empty) overlaps the next one. The width of columns can be changed using the Format → Column → Width menu (you can use the Optimum Width command) or manually by dragging the borders in the column header row. If data has been typed but not yet entered, corrections can be made directly in the cell and in the formula bar.
After the data has been entered, to correct it you need to go to editing mode. To do this, double-click on the desired cell. A insertion pointer appears in the cell. After editing is completed, the entry of new data must be confirmed by pressing a key. Clicking cancels the changes made.
Data types.
The type determines the amount of memory allocated for data and possible operations with it. Let's describe the main data types of LibreOffice Calc.
Integers– these are numbers that are divisible by one without a remainder: 4; -235. Numbers in parentheses are treated as negative.
Real number or whatever they call it real number is any positive number, negative number or zero. For example, 24.45 (separator is comma).
Fractions: 7/8; 4/123.
To enter percentages, type the % symbol after the number. If the entered number is a monetary value, then rubles are typed at the end. (rubles).
If the entered numeric constant does not fit the width of the cell, it is displayed on the screen as ####. In this case, the column width must be increased.
Date and time. You can enter a date, for example, September 21, 2011, by typing 09/21/11 on the keyboard.
The time is entered as 13:21 or 14:15:00.
Formulas. All formulas in LibreOffice Calc must begin with the symbol = . To capture your input, the formula appears in the cell and in the formula bar. After pressing the key, the value calculated by the formula will appear in the cell, and the input line will be cleared.
When calculating a value using a formula, the expressions inside the parentheses are evaluated first. If there are no parentheses, the operations are as follows:

• function values ​​are calculated;
• operation of exponentiation (operation sign ^);
• multiplication and division operations (operation signs *, /);
• operations of addition and subtraction (operation signs +, -).

The formula can contain numbers, links (cell addresses), and functions as operands.
Examples of formulas: = 4*8^4-12; B2+SIN (1.576).
The value of a formula depends on the contents of the referenced cells, and it changes when the contents of those cells change.
For view formula argument values On the worksheet, you need to double-click the left mouse button on the cell with the formula. In this case, the arguments in the formula and the corresponding values ​​on the worksheet are highlighted in the same color (Fig. 3)


Rice. 3. View formula argument values
Operations at the same level are performed from left to right. In addition to these operations, communication operations are used in arithmetic expressions:
: range;
; association;
! intersection.
The & sign (ampersant) is used to combine texts.
Function is a predetermined formula. A function has a name and arguments enclosed in parentheses. Arguments are separated from each other by the symbol “;”. You can use other functions (if they operate on the same data type), constants, cell addresses, and cell ranges as arguments.
A range is a group of cells that form a rectangle. A range is indicated by a cell in the upper left corner of the rectangle and a cell in the lower right corner of the rectangle. For example, the designation C5:F9 describes the range of cells located at the intersection of rows numbered 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and columns C, D, E, F.
For example, SUM(A3;E1:E4) – this function has two arguments. The first is A3, the second is E1:E4. The numbers in cells A3, E1, E2, E3, E4 are summed.
Formula bar after selecting the “Function” operator (sign “ = " on the formula bar) contains the following elements: a drop-down list of recently used functions, a "Function Wizard" button, a "Cancel" button, an "Apply" button and an input line (Fig. 4).


Rice. 4. Formula bar
Entering formulas. Formulas can be entered in several ways: using icons, entering from the keyboard, or both methods at the same time.
1. Click the cell where you want to paste the formula.
2. Click the Function icon (the " sign = ") in the formula bar. An equal sign will appear in the input line, and you can now enter the formula. The formula can be entered using the “Function Wizard”, selecting the necessary operators from the drop-down list and entering actions from the keyboard.
3. After entering the desired values, press the key or the Accept button to paste the result into the current cell. If you need to clear the input line, press the key or the Cancel button.
You can enter values ​​and formulas directly into cells, even if the input cursor is not visible. All formulas must begin with an equal sign.
You can also press the “+” or “-” key on the numeric keypad to start entering a formula. NumLock mode must be on. For example, press the following keys in sequence: +50 - 8 .
The cell displays the result 42. The cell contains the formula =+50-8.
Set of functions using the "Function Wizard". Button " Function Wizard" on the toolbar looks like f ( x ) .
Built-in functions allow you to perform the necessary calculations quickly and easily. LibreOffice Calc has over 350 functions. In the event that none of the built-in functions are suitable for solving the task at hand, the user has the opportunity to create his own (custom) function.
For ease of use, functions are grouped into categories: database; date/time; financial; information; logical; mathematical; arrays; statistical; spreadsheets; text; additional.
When you click this button, the wizard starts working. You can select a function from the category you need. For example, to calculate the hyperbolic arc cosine of a number, select cell E41, click on the “Function Wizard” button, select the “Mathematical” category, and the “ACOSH” function. On the right side of the dialog box, a description of this function is provided (Fig. 5).


Rice. 5. Function Wizard Dialog Box
To use this function, you must click the “Next” button or double-click the “ACOSH” function on the left side of the dialog box. You can also manually enter a formula in the input line according to the example given after the function name on the right side of the dialog box.
After clicking the “Next” button or double-clicking on the “ACOSH” function, the dialog box will look like this (Fig. 6)


Rice. 6. Selecting the “ACOSH” function
In this window, you can enter a number from the keyboard in the “Number” field. At the top it is indicated what value this number can take. When you click on the “Select” button, an input line appears (Fig. 7), into which you can enter the name of the cell that contains the number to be calculated (the cell can also be selected directly on the worksheet by selecting it with the left mouse button).

Rice. 7. Number selection
After selecting the required cell, you must click on the button
In this case, we return to our dialog box, where the result is already displayed (Fig. 8)


Rice. 8. “Function Wizard” after selecting a cell containing a number
In the “Structure” tab, the “Function Wizard” shows us the structure of this operation, the degree of nesting (Fig. 9)


Rice. 9. Tab "Structure"
We press the button. The result of this function is written to cell E41 (Fig. 10).


Rice. 10. Result of the function
LibreOffice Calc can work with both individual cells and data arrays.
Addressing
LibreOffice Calc distinguishes between two types of cell addressing: absolute and relative. Both types can be used in one link and create a mixed link.
Relative reference is perceived by the program as indicating a route to the addressed cell from the cell containing the formula. When copying a formula, the relative links will be changed so that the route is preserved. Relative links are used by default in Calc.
Absolute link specifies the absolute coordinates of the cell. When you copy a formula, the absolute cell reference will not change. An absolute reference is specified by specifying a dollar sign before the row and column number, for example $A$1.
A mixed reference is a combination of absolute and relative references where different addressing methods are used for the row and column, for example $A4, B$3. When you copy a formula, the absolute part of the link does not change.
You can set a link when entering a formula directly by entering from the keyboard or by pointing (mouse clicking on the desired cell).
Often in formulas you need to specify references to a range of cells. Calc uses three address operators to specify a range:
range operator (colon): the reference addresses all cells located between two specified cells, for example, =SUM(A1:B2) - returns the sum of the values ​​of cells A1, A2, B1 and B2;
range join operator (semicolon): the reference spans the cells of the specified individual ranges, for example, =SUM(A3;E1:E4) - returns the sum of cells A3, E1, E2, E3, E4;
range intersection operator (exclamation mark): the reference covers the cells included in each of the specified ranges, for example, =SUM(B2:D2!C1:D3) - returns the sum of cells C2 and D2.
Creating Rows
Scheme for entering the same value or formula into part of a column or row:
1. enter a value or formula into a cell and click;
2. Place the mouse pointer on the cell fill marker and drag it in the desired direction while holding down the left key.
The cell fill marker is a small rectangle in the lower right corner of the cell:

Scheme for entering numerical values ​​by regression type:
1. enter the first two elements of the progression into two adjacent cells;
2. select these cells;
3. Place the mouse pointer on the fill marker of the selected cells and drag it in the desired direction while holding down the left mouse button.

Formatting
Data stored in cells can be displayed in one of several formats. You can select the data presentation format and cell design method in the “Format Cells” dialog box (Fig. 11). You can call it by pressing a keyboard shortcut, selecting the “Cells...” item in the “Format” menu or the “Format Cells...” item after right-clicking on a cell (calling up the context menu).
Formatting includes the following elements:
- setting the number format;
- choice of fonts;
- drawing frames;
- filling cells with color and pattern;
- data alignment;
- data protection.


Rice. 11. Format Cells Dialog Box
The “Format Cells” window contains several tabs, which you can navigate between by clicking on the tab tab. Brief description of the tabs:
Numbers– allows you to select one of the ways of presenting data with the ability to refine it (right). For example, for the Numeric format, you can specify the number of decimal places. In this case, an example of the selected data representation is displayed in the field on the right.
Font– the tab controls the choice of font (style, style, size, language).
Font effects– allows you to set the color, overline, underline, relief, outline, shadow of the font.
Alignment– a bookmark allows you to control the way text is placed in a cell, text rotation in a cell, and word wrapping in a cell.
Framing– the tab allows you to create a frame around cells using borders of different styles and thicknesses.
Background– the tab controls the cell fill color.
Cell protection– the tab controls the protection of cells from changes.

Error values ​​when calculating using formulas

Tracking cell relationships.
In large spreadsheets, it can be difficult to determine which cells are used for complex formula calculations, or which cell formulas a given cell participates in.
LibreOffice Calc allows you to use a visual graphical representation of the relationships between cells. The cells that are used for formula calculations are called “influencing cells.” Cells that use the active cell in their formulas are called "dependent cells."
To trace influencing and dependent cells, you can use the menu command “Tools” → “Dependencies”. The menu of this service is shown in Fig. 12.

Rice. 12. Dependencies menu
Influential cells. This function displays relationships between the current cell that contains a formula and the cells used in that formula. For example, the operation of adding two cells (A1 and A3). The result of the addition (formula “=A1+A3”) is written in cell C2. To view the cells that influence C2, select this cell and use the “Influencing Cells” service. At the same time, LibreOffice Calc will use arrows to indicate the cells that affect cell C2 (Fig. 13)

Rice. 13. Influential cells
Remove arrows to influencing cells. Removes one level of arrows to influence cells inserted using the Influence Cells command.
Dependent cells. This command draws arrows to the active cell from formulas that depend on the values ​​in the active cell. Let's use the previous example, but now select cell A1 and see that cell C2 depends on cell A1 (Fig. 14)

Rice. 14. Dependent cells
Remove arrows from dependent cells. Removes one level of arrows from dependent cells inserted using the Dependent Cells command.
Remove all arrows. Removes all dependency arrows contained in the spreadsheet.
Source of error. This command draws arrows to all influencing cells that cause an error in the selected cell.
Circle the incorrect information. When you call this command, all cells in the worksheet that contain values ​​that do not meet the validation rules are marked.
Update arrows. This command causes all arrows on the sheet to be regenerated, taking into account changes in formulas since the last time the dependencies were placed.
Update automatically. Automatically updates all dependencies in a worksheet whenever the formula changes.
Fill mode. This command enables dependency filling mode. The mouse cursor turns into a special symbol and can be used to click on any cell to view the dependencies of the influencing cells. To exit this mode, press the key or click the Exit Fill Mode command in the context menu.
Merging cells – To merge two or more cells, you need to select the cells and click the button on the Formatting panel “Merge and Center Cells” or use the menu “Format” → “Merge Cells”. These operators can also be used when splitting cells.

Creating Charts
LibreOffice allows you to graphically display data in the form of a chart to visually compare data series and see their trends. Charts can be inserted into spreadsheets, text documents, drawings, and presentations.
Charts in LibreOffice Calc are created using the Chart Wizard. Before activating it, it is advisable to select the data that will be used in the chart, although this can be done during the construction of the chart.
The selected area should contain cells with the names of rows and columns that will be used as category names and legend text. You can use data in non-contiguous areas to build a chart. Data series can be added to the source table, and the table itself can be placed in the chart area. The “Chart Wizard” is called from the main menu using the command “Insert” → “Diagram” (Fig. 15) or the button on the toolbar.


Rice. 15. "Chart Wizard"

Working with the Chart Wizard requires sequential completion of four steps:
1. Selecting the type and type of charts (histogram, bar, pie, area, line, XY chart, bubble, grid, stock, column and line).
2. Specifying the range of data to be displayed on the chart and choosing the orientation of the data (data series are defined in the rows or columns of the table); chart preview.
3. Set up data ranges for each series.
4. Chart design: adding a legend, naming the chart and axes, applying markings.

Editing charts
Once the diagram is created, it can be modified. The changes concern both the type of diagrams and its individual elements. Range of chart editing options:
1. Click on the diagram to change the properties of objects: size and position on the current page; alignment, dough transfer, outer boundaries, etc.
2. To switch to the chart editing mode, double-click on the chart with the left mouse button: chart data values ​​(for charts with their own data); chart type, axes, titles, walls, grid, etc.
3. Double-click a chart element in chart editing mode: To change the scale, type, color, and other settings, double-click an axis.
Double-click a data point to select and change the data rad that the point belongs to.
Select a data series, click it, and then double-click a data point to change the properties of that point (for example, a single value in a histogram).
Double-click the legend to select and edit it. Click and then double-click a symbol in the selected legend to change the corresponding data series.
To change properties, double-click any other chart element, or click the element and open the Format menu.
4. To exit the current editing mode, click outside the diagram.
Also, to select chart elements, you can use the “Chart Formatting” toolbar, which appears after double-clicking on the chart (Fig. 16)


Rice. 16. Chart Formatting Toolbar
Using this panel, you can select chart elements in the drop-down list, view the format of the selected element (the “Selection Format” button) and make the necessary changes. This panel also contains the following buttons:

To add elements to the diagram, you must use the “Insert” menu (Fig. 17) and select the required element (you must first select the diagram by double-clicking the left mouse button).

Rice. 17. Insert menu
“Headings” – you can add or change the title of the title, subtitle, the name of the X, Y, Z axes, and additional axes. To move an element, you need to select it and drag it to the desired location. You can also delete a selected title using the Legend key. The legend displays the labels from the first row or column, or from the range that was specified in the Data Series dialog box. If the chart does not contain a label, the legend will display text as "Row 1, Row 2..." or "Column A, Column B..." according to the row number or column letter of the chart data. It is not possible to enter text directly; it is generated automatically based on the name of the cell range. Using the “Insert” → “Legend” menu, you can change its location or hide it. “Axes” tab. Makes it possible to add missing axes to the diagram. “Grid” – provides the insertion of a grid into the diagram, which improves perception. Removing grid lines is ensured by unchecking the corresponding checkboxes. Formatting the diagram area is reduced to changing the appearance (frame and fill) (Fig. 18).

Rice. 18. Chart Area Dialog Box

Managing the 3D view of charts. To control the three-dimensional appearance of diagrams, LibreOffice Calc provides the ability to change the viewing angle of the diagram by changing three special parameters: perspective, appearance and lighting (Fig. 19)

Rice. 19. 3D view
This feature is included in the “Format” → “3D Image” command.
Sorting lists and ranges
LibreOffice Calc introduces different types of data sorting. You can sort rows or columns in ascending or descending order (text data in alphabetical or reverse alphabetical order). In addition, LibreOffice Calc allows you to create your own sort order. The “Sorting” dialog box (Fig. 20) is called up using the “Data” → “Sorting” menu. In this case, you must first select the columns, rows, or simply the data that needs to be sorted.

Rice. 20. Sort Dialog Box
You can also sort data using the buttons on the Standard toolbar.

Applying filters to analyze lists. Filters allow you to place the results of queries based on criteria into a separate table, which can be used for further processing. To filter a list means to hide list rows except those that meet the specified selection criteria.
Using AutoFilter. Before using an autofilter, you need to select the data (maybe the entire header row) that you want to filter. Menu “Data” → “Filter” → “Autofilter”. For each column header, LibreOffice Calc will set an autofilter in the form of an arrow button. As a result of the autofilter, LibreOffice Calc displays the filtered rows.
Using a standard filter. It is also very convenient to use the standard filter, which makes it possible to use a variety of criteria associated with the logical functions AND or OR. Calling a standard filter – menu “Data” → “Filter” → “Standard filter” (Fig. 21)


Rice. 21. Standard Filter Dialog Box
The standard filter can also be used when the AutoFilter is applied.

Using the advanced filter(Data" → "Filter" → "Advanced filter"). Select a named area or enter a range of cells that contains the filter criteria you want to use.
Data forms. When performing database-specific operations such as searching, sorting, summarizing, LibreOffice Calc automatically treats the table as a database. When viewing, changing, deleting a record in the database, as well as when searching for records by a specific criterion, it is convenient to use data forms. When you use the Data → Form command, LibreOffice Calc reads the data and creates a data form dialog box (Figure 22).

Rice. 22. Data Form Dialog Box
In the data form, one record is displayed on the screen, it is possible to view subsequent records and create a new one. When you enter or change data in the fields of this window, the contents of the corresponding database cells change (after entering new data, you must press a key).
Selection of parameter. In the case of the parameter selection function, we are talking about a simple form of data analysis of the “what if” type, that is, it is necessary to select a value of the argument at which the function takes the specified value. In particular, the fit function can be used to find the root of a nonlinear equation. The target cell's value is the result of the formula. This formula refers directly or indirectly to one or more influencing cells. The fit function changes the value of the influencing cell so as to obtain the specified value in the target cell. The influencing cell itself can also contain a formula.
To use the parameter selection function, you need to select the cell with the target value and select the “Tools” → “Parameter selection” command (Fig. 23).


Rice. 23. Dialog box “Parameter Selection”

Target Cell—In the cell containing the formula, enter a reference to the cell containing the formula. It contains a link to the current cell. In the case presented in Fig. 12, the target cell contains the squaring formula. Click another cell on the worksheet to link it to the text box.
Target value– here you indicate the value that you want to obtain as a new result. Let's say we need to figure out what number needs to be squared to get the value 121. Accordingly, we enter “121” as the target value.
Changing a cell - here you specify a link to the cell containing the value that you want to adjust to select the value.
After entering the settings, click “OK” and LibreOffice Calc offers us an option for replacing the cell (Fig. 24). The result of our actions is the number 11.

As usual, I didn’t want to write articles today or go near the computer at all, but “I just checked my email.” I probably have graphomania, since I looked away from such an entertaining reading of O. Spengler’s The Decline of the Western World.

In fact, I was simply overcome with indignation. On one of the forums they complained about the LibreOffice interface. They say the LibreOffice interface is bad, since the page parameters are not located in the menu File(like MS Office), and in the menu Format.

What offended me was not the attack on LibreOffice, but the attitude that if something does not correspond to the user’s habits, it automatically becomes bad. At the same time, users do not allow the idea that everything can be customized in accordance with their individual needs and wishes.

I will discuss habits, bad and not so bad, as well as evaluation criteria in another article. Here I will return to the topic stated in the title.

So. One of the most common problems for users who have just gotten off the MS Office needle or are trying to do so is finding page parameters. In MS Office they are in the menu File. I propose two (but there are more) ways to solve this issue.

Give up habits and appeal to logic

LibreOffice's interface is logical. When we work with a document, we are engaged in its formatting. Everyone has heard the expression “format a document.” The word itself comes from the word “format”, that is, giving a certain appearance to a document.

Let's imagine the situation. Let's say we need to change the vertical indents before and after a paragraph (Scientifically, this is called the interval before/after a paragraph. Usually, indentation refers to a horizontal value).

In other words, we need to give a certain look to the paragraph, or format it in another way. We look up at the menu bar and see a tab with a flashy name Format. Click on it and see the item Paragraph. A dialog opens in front of us in which you can configure all the parameters of the paragraph.

The situation is similar with pages. Page Format refers to the “format document” action, since page settings directly affect the appearance (format) of the document.

And therefore, based on logic, the page parameters should be in the menu Format. Shall we check?

But there is another way.

Customize the interface to suit your individual preferences

Yes, that is the beauty of Free Software. It is impossible to create an interface that will please all users without exception. We all know the sayings about the number of opinions equal to the number of people, and that all markers taste different.

Let me remind you, one of the 4 freedoms of open source software: “Freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs(freedom 1)".

So, I suggest creating in the menu File LibreOffice item Page Options.

Chapter Page Options added to menu File.

So, the LibreOffice installation package was received from the official website and successfully installed. Using the usual “Start” button, launch the program LibreOffice Writer. What can you do here?

First impression - everything is very similar to MS Word 2003 model. A top drop-down menu that does not have a hard-wired “ribbon.” Dynamic sections of this menu can be grabbed with the mouse and moved from one place on the screen to another. The ruler, scaling, status bar - everything is simple and so familiar that it even evokes emotion. And the first opinion that may appear: LibreOffice Writer may be more powerful than Notepad, but it is clearly weaker than the universally recognized Word.

Rice. 1 First impression of LibreOffice Writer

Let's continue our acquaintance

When launched, LibreOffice Writer creates a blank document on the screen by default. Let's try to type some text on this blank sheet of paper, and then compare the capabilities of the free and paid packages.

We see that the default settings are: Liberation Serif 12 point. Without changing anything, we type the text:

Rice. 2. First text

Everything is simple and clear. However, in most text editors, typing text is not difficult at all. Let's see what can be done with the typed text LibreOffice Writer.

Let's pay attention to two menus: "Standard" And "Format". They are active by default and are located at the top of the screen when you first launch the program.

Rice. 3. Menu "Standard" and "Formatting"

If these menus are not in place (unlikely, but possible), you should run the command View → Toolbar. And check the boxes Standard and Formatting.

Rice. 4. Turn on the necessary menus

Working with text

Having studied the menu at a glance, we find familiar buttons in the “Standard” menu:

• open
• save
• print
• copy
• insert
• cancel the action.

And no less familiar tools for working with text in the “Formatting” menu:

• bold
• italics
• underlining
• point size
• all types of alignment
• text and background color.

By using these buttons, we acknowledge that their action leads to the same results. There is only one difference: the "Background Color" button changes the color of the WHOLE paragraph in which the cursor was currently located.

Rice. 5. Rich text

If you tinker with the Formatting menu a little more, you can find all the fonts you need for your work. True, most of them only work if they are present in the operating system (however, as for Word). But the styles work great, and with a little work, you can bring the document to the following example:

Rice. 6. Working with styles. Setting headers

The “Save” and “Open” buttons work in the same way here, which record the finished text for long-term storage and open a previously saved file. The only thing worth dwelling on in a little more detail is that when saving a file, you can use several different formats. And the choice here is quite wide: from “native” ODF(default), to normal DOC And RTF(for Word). There are even formats TXT(Notepad) and HTML(browser).

Rice. 7. Save text using different formats

Inserting an image into the text

Just like in Word, LibreOffice Writer allows you to insert images into a text document. And in the same way, you can use several methods for this.

• Execute menu command: Insert → Image → from file(see picture)
• Upload a picture directly from the scanner (this does not exist in Word)
• Use the clipboard by copying the file directly from the directory and clicking on the “Paste” button.

All methods are familiar, and we will not dwell on them in detail.

Rice. 8. Inserting an image into text

It is only worth mentioning that in LibreOffice Writer There is a full set of tools for working with images, which allows you to change the location of the image (to the foreground and to the background), change the text wrapping (see Figure 9), and set various frames. And even link to images hyperlinks.

Rice. 9 Menu for image formatting

We continue to master LibreOffice Writer

It would seem that we could end here. What else does a wide range of users need from a text editor, besides typing text, formatting it (bold, italic, italic), the ability to work with images, as well as save, open and print a file? But the possibilities LibreOffice Writer much wider than the standard set of operations that a schoolchild or secretary needs to create simple text files.

Having traveled through the menu items (without going into specific details for now), you can find out that in LibreOffice Writer It is possible to create letters and faxes using the “Creation Wizard”. You can connect internal and external data sources that store information both in the program itself and in external files. You can create tables of any complexity and use simple counting formulas in them. You can create hyperlinks, which point to sections within a document or to external files that can be stored both on your local computer and on Internet servers.

In short, the user who chooses for his work LibreOffice Writer, will in no way feel disadvantaged in choosing tools to achieve their goal.

LibreOffice is a suite of office software that is free and open source. Since the first prototypes of computers were ordinary typewriters and abacus, their main functionality still remains focused on typing texts and performing various calculations.

LibreOfiice is actively used in government agencies in some countries (including the military). This office suite includes text, spreadsheet, vector editors, tools for creating presentations and working with databases. The functionality is not inferior to its commercial counterpart - MS Office, but at the same time it consumes significantly less computer resources.

Also, LibreOffice packages are regularly updated, so all the “new things” will become available sooner or later in any case.

General information

The first versions of LibreOffice appeared in the 2010s and were originally intended for Linux operating systems. However, versions soon appeared for Windows and Mac OS. Today, this office suite comes bundled with most popular Linux distributions.

Working with text documents

The program built into this package and responsible for working with text documents is called LibreOffice Writer. By default, all documents created in this program will be in ODT format. However, the editor can handle other popular text file formats, such as DOCX, TXT, etc., without any problems. True, sometimes “non-native” formats may open a little crookedly, that is, markup, fonts, etc. may move out, but this is quickly restored.

A notable feature of the program is the ability to immediately convert the created document into a PDF file. In Word, this requires installing a special plugin and program.

The top toolbar contains all the main editing tools available. Sometimes this is not very convenient, since you can spend a long time looking for the right tool. In Word, for example, all the tools are divided into categories and it’s easier to find them. Using additional plugins and add-ons, you can change the appearance of the top toolbar, add new elements, etc.

However, the LibreOffice Write toolbar has some advantages over Word. For example, it’s easy to change styles from there, since you just need to press a few buttons, while in Word you have to go into the style settings.

The typing area is unremarkable. The user can also customize the side toolbar. By default, in some versions it is not there at all, or there are very few elements.

At the bottom there are elements for counting pages, words and characters in the document, buttons for switching language and scale. There's not much to change there.

In general, LibreOffice Write has all the functions that the average user needs. The only problem may arise with automatic spell checking, since in earlier versions it is disabled by default and you have to enable it in the top toolbar yourself.

Working with tables

Here we are already talking about an analogue of Excel - Libre Office Calc. It also creates and works with documents in its own format - ODS, but at the same time supports working with other common tabular formats, for example, XHTML, XML, etc. It should be borne in mind that sometimes there may be minor glitches when working with foreign formats, but this is expressed mainly in minor cosmetic defects.

The main part of the interface is occupied by table cells, which you can edit and change at your discretion. At the top there is a toolbar similar to the one presented in Libre Office Write, although most of the tools are adapted for working with tables. Here you can create charts, perform various manipulations with cells, etc. From here you can immediately output the document to PDF format, send it to print, etc. Plus, there are functions for sorting table values ​​according to many parameters, for example, alphabetically, descending order, etc.

Some versions also have a sidebar with a small number of available tools. At the bottom of the window you can switch between sheets, change the scale, and view formulas.

When you right-click a cell, a context menu appears. It duplicates parts of the controls located on the top panel.

Any spreadsheet editor must have the ability to work with formulas. There are no special differences from Excel here. The input process and formulas are the same.

The only drawback of Libre Office Calc is the difficulty in formatting cells, since all the necessary tools must be found in special submenus.

Working with presentations

Presentations in Libre Office are handled by the Impress program, which does not cope with its tasks as well as Microsoft PowerPoint. In terms of functionality and interface, the latest version of Impress resembles something between PowerPoint 2003 and 2007. The main working file format is ODP. There is support for other formats, but only formats from older versions of PowerPoint work correctly.

There is not much functionality and animation in this program, but it is quite enough for developing simple presentations. You can create animation, add music, and various effects.

The main part of the interface is occupied by the work area with slides, and the other half by the area with slide settings. Basically, the side part of the interface is responsible for adding and processing effects and animations.

The top panel has several elements for quickly inserting into a slide, plus tools for processing the document itself (button for saving, exporting, searching for a document, etc.).

The functionality can be expanded with plugins and add-ons, but their installation is much more complicated than in PowerPoint, and their number is extremely limited.

Working with vector drawings

The standard Microsoft Office package does not contain any programs specifically designed for drawing and processing vector images. However, Libre Office Draw (this program in the package is responsible for working with vector graphics) is often compared to Paint. Their functionality is somewhat similar to each other, but that’s where the similarities end. Libre Office Draw works with the ODG format.

Here you can work in multitasking mode, while in Paint it is very inconvenient to work with several files at the same time.
The Libre Office Draw interface is conventionally divided into two main panels with tools and a panel from where you can manage the document and add various elements to the work area. On the right is a window with document properties and a small toolbar (in some versions it is not there).

This program makes it convenient to create flowcharts and work with 3D objects, while Paint is just introducing this functionality.

Working with formulas

The Libre Office package has a special program for carrying out precise calculations using formulas - Math. This software works with ODF format files. In the program, you can use both formulas prepared in advance and compose them using code. To perform calculations, computer algebra is used, based on the Mathematica system. This system is very often used in engineering, especially when it is necessary to perform accurate calculations.

The program interface includes windows for entering code, displaying formulas and selecting operations in the central part. All formulas are divided into sections, which simplifies working with them. Work in the code editor occurs using the MathML language. At the top there is a panel with document controls (save, print, etc.).

MS Office does not have a separate program for working with formulas, but simplified formula editors are built into Word and Excel. A separate professional mathematical formula editor will be primarily useful for engineers and mathematicians. Regular users could easily get by with the built-in editors in Writer and/or Calc.

The functionality of this program can be expanded with additional plugins from the Internet.

Working with databases

This office suite has its own analogue of MS Access - Libre Office Base. The working format is ODB, but it is possible to support other formats, although some of them may not be processed correctly.

The program has several modes for creating tables:

• Master mode;
• Designer mode;
• Presentation mode.

The program interface is divided into several main parts:

• Left panel. Here is a schematic diagram of the database structure. From here you can switch between queries, tables, forms, reports;
• The central part is divided into two windows – “Tasks” and “Tables”. In the first case, you can select a task for one of the segments of the database structure, and in the second, see the result in the form of tables;
• At the top there is a panel with the main tools for working with a document (save button, print, search for a document, etc.).

The database manager also supports working with MySQL and SQL languages. The process of creating some elements in this program may differ from that in MS Access. However, the interface of this program is much simpler than that of its Microsoft counterpart.

Conclusion

Based on all of the above, we can note the advantages and disadvantages of the Libre Office office suite.

Advantages

• The interface of almost all programs in the package is as simplified as possible, there is a detailed “Help”, making this package perfect for inexperienced PC users;
• It is a completely free and open source product;
• There is support for the Russian language;
• Supports work on many UNIX-compatible systems, such as MS Windows, Mac, Linux;
• Low requirements for computer hardware. It starts up without problems and will work even on very old machines.

Flaws

• The functionality of some programs from the package is inferior to the functionality of similar programs from the MS Office package;
• Some programs that are in MS Office have no analogues in this package.

Of course, in some aspects Libre Office is inferior to its competitor from Microsoft, but at the same time it has all the functionality necessary for work, is undemanding in terms of hardware and is easier to learn.