[PLUG] OpenOffice customization

["Arthur S. Alexion" <arthur@alexion.com>]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

I'm on a quest to customize OOo so that I can start using it as my 
primary ¨serious¨ word processor.  I've found that the OOo hosted mail 
lists are so crowded as to be impractical.

First hurdle -- conquering the document object model (DOM).  In my 
experience, the only way to really understand a word processor is to 
understand the DOM.  (For example, Word docs contain sections; sections 
contain paragraphs; and paragraphs contain characters.  Margins, 
columns, page numbering are stored in the following section marks; 
paragraph formatting and styles are contained in the following paragraph 
mark.  Macros, styles and auto text are stored first in the document 
template, and once the document has been created styles are stored in 
the document independent of the template.  Macros can be stored in 
documents, but auto text cannot. If a macro of the same name is stored 
in both the document template and also in the global template layer, the 
one in the document template will execute by default.)

I need to learn this kind of stuff about OOo to really work with it.  I 
haven't been able to find it in the help file or [easily] on the web 
site. Any recommendations of a good resource (in English, not German).

Second hurdle -- OO Basic.  I tried to build a dialog using the built in 
basic editor.  Forget it.  I can't convert my Word customizations if I 
can't build dialogs.

My frustration comes from my belief that OOo is up to the task -- now, 
already.  It's just that this stuff is not documented.

Has anyone had any success at really customizing OOo and can recommend 
resources?

- -- 

- --

_______________________________________
Art Alexion
Arthur S. Alexion LLC
arthur [at] alexion [dot] com
aim: aalexion
sms: 2679725536 [at] messaging [dot] sprintpcs [dot] com

GnuPG fingerprint
pub  1024D/ACC5BA7A 2004-01-30 Arthur S. Alexion (Art Alexion) <arthur@alexion.com>
    Key fingerprint = 52A4 B10C AA73 096F A661  92D2 3B65 8EAC ACC5 BA7A
sub  1024g/328F84E6 2004-01-30
________________________________________

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFAJoIQO2WOrKzFunoRAoJQAJ0bx7zkKw4XIgUQZx1rqBsmmpjGxgCgsfmb
rPbBpiHpZUaOsXYQKw2e1CU=
=12RZ
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

___________________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group         --        http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements - http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  --   http://lists.phillylinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug