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New OpenOffice.org Suite Uninspiring but Adequate
by P. J. Connolly
Filters Fit to Data
When enabling a filter in OpenOffice.org’s Calc spreadsheet, selections automatically fit to the data columns that are actually used.
Pick a Better Word
The thesaurus feature on OpenOffice.org has been reworked to make it more user-friendly; the context menu now has a sub-menu for synonyms, allowing on-the-fly replacement.
Better Document Protection
Password protection for Writer documents and Calc spreadsheets has been extended from merely locking unauthorized users out of a file to granting designated users the ability to make changes.
Set Date, Time and Duration Properties
New custom document properties are available in OpenOffice.org 3.3 that allow users to define values for date and time, and for duration.
Pop-up Filtering for Pivot Tables
The DataPilot pivot table tool now allows users to sort and filter with a convenient pop-up window.
New Slide-Handling Features
The Impress presentation editor now allows the automatic definition of content types and the creation of new slides with a predefined layout.
X-Axis Labels On-the-Fly
Charts in OpenOffice.org 3.3 can automatically generate labels for the x-axis from the data, whether stored in a spreadsheet or based on embedded data in a document or presentation.
Print with Integrated Preview
The print interface in OpenOffice.org 3.3 has been reworked to include an integrated preview of the document as it will be printed; settings can be refined within the dialog.
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Aside from the debates over community control, it’s difficult to come up with significant faults in the OpenOffice.org suite. It’s polished and rather user-friendly, runs on a wide range of platforms and is well-suited for any organization that doesn’t want to commit itself to Microsoft’s ecosystem. The improvements in OpenOffice.org 3.3 range from the mundane (as in the new search toolbar and overhauled print interface) to the exotic (such as the added locale options and developer features that include new grid-control types and the ability to extend database drivers). OpenOffice.org 3.3 is certainly adequate for most tasks; the challenge ahead for its supporters will be to find ways to make the suite stand out from its fraternal twin. In some ways, this may be impossible; The Document Foundation seems to have captured for LibreOffice most of the intellectual capital and coding talent that formerly contributed to OpenOffice.org, and replacing those will present a formidable obstacle.