Launching Applications/Using OpenOffice.org (OOo) Writer
From ArkWiki
We've managed to get past the setup wizard and customized our computer to our liking. Now it's time to learn how to do the one of the most important tasks: Launch a program, type a document, and save that document.
In this example, we use OpenOffice.org Writer. It is the equivalent to Microsoft Word (in Windows) and the word processor in clarisWorks/Apple Works in Macintosh. It is called Writer because it is used to write (ok, technically it's typing) documents, such as letters, research papers, and every other sort of thing that you'll need to put into a document.
If you're used to Microsoft Windows, you might be wandering, "Where's my Start Menu? How am I supposed to launch this OpenOffice thing without it?" Macintosh users would be wandering, "How am I supposed to launch programs if i don't see my Apple menu?"
Using the default settings on the setup wizard (or by using the KDE or Windows setting), the Start or Apple menu will be at the lower left of the screen, and has a "K" on it. Using the Macintosh setting, it will be on the upper left of the screen where the Apple menu would normally be, and again, it has a "K" on it. This is called the Kmenu, called as such because of the "K". This is where you will launch most of your applications (also called programs).
You don't necessarily have to use the Kmenu to launch applications. Notice how, in the following snapshot, the arrow is pointing to OpenOffice.org Writer:
To launch OpenOffice.org Writer, simply click it. Or, to use the Kmenu, click on it, move your arrow up to (and point at) Office on the resulting menu, then move your arrow over and point at OpenOffice.org Writer:
OpenOffice.org Writer will launch and we will see what is called the splase screen (a splash screen is a picture of something that shows while a program is loading):
Next, we will see a blank document appear. Now we can type something:
You can type whatever you want, but for this example, I will type a short blurb on Linux and it's history:
Don't worry about finishing your document now, we can save our document to continue it later (or in case the power goes out, so we don't lose our work). To save, go up to File with the mouse, click it, and click Save As. Since this is a new document that we never saved before, clicking Save As would be the proper option, though Save will function the same as Save As for now. We now see the Save As dialog box (a dialog box is used for "talking with text" to the user). Type in a descriptive (but short) name that you can remember easily, then click OK:
Notice how in the title bar (the bar at the top of any window that tells you what program you're using) now says the name of your document. Now that our document is saved, we can close our document. Move your arrow to the upper right corner of the OpenOffice.org Writer window and click the X button. The document will disappear off the screen, and we now see our desktop again.
Now click your Kmenu again. Notice at the top of it that we now see OpenOffice.org Writer. The Kmenu remembers the five most frequently used programs and places them at the top of itself to make it easier for you to find them. Click OpenOffice.org Writer. Notice how, even though we had it open before, it still displays its splash screen again because it is no longer open and needs to load again.
To get back to your file, click File, then click Open. You will see the Open File dialog box. Click on your document, and it will put your document into the Location box:
Now click OK. Your file will open and display on your screen as if it were never closed to begin with, and we can add on to our document:
Now click File and select Save (Save is the proper option now that we've already saved it once before--unless we want to rename the file).
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