Linux, Open Source & Ubuntu: New OpenOffice.org Suite Uninspiring but Adequate

New OpenOffice.org Suite Uninspiring but Adequate

by P. J. Connolly

Filters Fit to Data

When enabling a filter in OpenOffice.orgs 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.