Chapter 3. The OpenOffice.org Office Suite / 3.3. Using Spreadsheets with Calc
	3.2. Word Processing with Writer		3.4. Using Presentations with Impress

Using Spreadsheets with Calc

Calc is the OpenOffice.org spreadsheet application. Create a new spreadsheet with File+New+Spreadsheet or open one with File+Open. Calc can read and save in Microsoft Excel's format, so it is easy to exchange spreadsheets with Excel users.

	Note
Calc can process many VBA macros in Excel documents; however, support for VBA macros is not yet complete. When opening an Excel spreadsheet that makes heavy use of macros, you might discover that some do not work.

In the spreadsheet cells, enter fixed data or formulas. A formula can manipulate data from other cells to generate a value for the cell in which it is inserted. You can also create charts from cell values.

Using Formatting and Styles in Calc

Calc comes with a few built-in cell and page styles to improve the appearance of your spreadsheets and reports. Although these built-in styles are adequate for many uses, you will probably find it useful to create styles for your own frequently used formatting preferences.

Creating a Style

Click Format+Styles and Formatting.
In the Formatting and Styles window, click either the Cell Styles or the Page Styles icon.
Right-click in the Formatting and Styles window, then click New.
Specify a name for your style and use the various tabs to set the desired formatting options.
Click OK.

Modifying a Style

Click Format+Styles and Formatting.
In the Formatting and Styles window, click either the Cell Styles or the Page Styles icon.
Right-click the name of the style you want to change, then click Modify.
Change the desired formatting options.
Click OK.

Using Templates in Calc

If you use different styles for different types of spreadsheets, you can use templates to save your styles for each spreadsheet type. Then, when you create a particular type of spreadsheet, use the applicable template and the styles you need for that template are available in the Formatting and Styles window.

A detailed explanation of templates is beyond the scope of this section. However, more information is found in the help system and detailed how-tos are found at the OpenOffice.org Documentation page, see http://documentation.openoffice.org/HOW_TO/index.html.

Creating a Template

A Calc template is a spreadsheet that contains styles and content that you want to appear in every spreadsheet created with that template, such as headings or other cell styles. When a spreadsheet is created or opened with the template, the styles are automatically applied to that spreadsheet.

To create a template:

Click File+New+Spreadsheet.
Create the styles and content that you want to use in any spreadsheet that uses this template.
Click File+Templates+Save.
Specify a name for the template.
In the Categories box, click the category you want to place the template in.
The category is the folder where the template is stored.
Click OK.