Identify Basic Parts of the OpenOffice.org Calc Window

The Basics of the OpenOffice.org Window

Many items you see on the Calc screen are standard features in most other OpenOffice.org software programs like OpenOffice.org Writer (text document), OpenOffice.org Impress (presentation), and OpenOffice.org Draw (drawing). Some elements are specific to Calc.


Let's briefly review the basic components of the OpenOffice.org window before we move onto the Calc spreadsheet.

Shown below is the OpenOffice.org default window. When you launch Calc, a new, blank document, or default window, opens in Print Layout view. Here is a brief explanation of the Calc window.

Workbook

Also called a spreadsheet, the Workbook is a unique file created by Calc.

 

Menu Bar

 

The Menu bar displays all the menus that are available in Calc. The contents of any menu can be displayed by clicking on the menu name with the left mouse button.

Toolbar

The Toolbar contains commands that have pictures or icons associated with them. These pictures may also appear as shortcuts in the Toolbar.

Column Headings

Each OpenOffice.org Calc spreadsheet contains 256 columns. Each column is named by a letter or combination of letters.

Row Headings

Each spreadsheet contains 65,536 rows. Each row is named by a number.

Name Box

The Name Box shows the address of the current selection or active cell.

Formula Bar

The Formula Bar contains information that you have entered or that you are currently entering as you type in the current or active cell. The contents of a cell can also be edited in the Formula bar.

Cell

A cell is an intersection of a column and row. Each cell has a unique cell address. In the picture above, the cell address of the selected cell is B3. The heavy border around the selected cell is called the cell pointer.

Navigation Buttons and Sheet Tabs

Navigation buttons allow you to move from one worksheet to another in an OpenOffice.org Calc workbook. The navigation buttons display the first, previous, next, or last worksheets in the workbook.
Sheet tabs separate a workbook into specific worksheets. A workbook defaults to three worksheets. A workbook must contain at least one worksheet.

 

Workbooks and Worksheets

A workbook automatically shows in the workspace when you open a Calc spreadsheet. Each workbook contains three worksheets. A worksheet is a grid of cells, consisting of 32,000 rows by 230 columns. You can enter a variety of information, including text, numbers, or mathematical formulas into these different cells.

Column headings are referenced by alphabetic characters in the gray boxes that run across the screen, beginning with the Column A and ending with Column IV.
Rows are referenced by numbers that appear on the left and then run down the screen. The first row is named Row 1 and the last row is named 65,536.

Important Terms

• A workbook is made up of three worksheets.
• Worksheets are labeled Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3.
• Each worksheet is made up of columns and rows.
• In order to access a worksheet, click on the tab that says Sheet1, Sheet2, or Sheet3.

The Cell

A Calc worksheet is made up of columns and rows. The area where these columns and rows intersect are called cells. Each cell has a name that is comprised of two parts: the column letter and the row number. The active cell, or the area that is currently selected for either data entry or editting, is outlined by a dark border. All of the other cells have a light gray border.

In the following picture, cell C3, which is formed by the intersection of column C and row 3, contains the dark border. It is the active cell.

 

 

 

Important Terms

• Each cell has a unique cell address composed of a cell's column and row.
• The active cell is the cell that you select to enter data or other commands you give it.
• A darkened border, called the cell pointer, identifies the active cell.

Working Calc in Full-Screen View

To help you stay organized as you work, Calc offers a Full Screen view to display only the document that you are working on. All of the other pieces of the Calc window are removed except for one button that allows you to turn the Full-Screen view Off.

To display a full-screen view:

• Choose View Full Screen on the menu bar.
  

• All toolbars, except the main toolbar, are removed from the screen and replaced by only row headings, column headings, and cells.
  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Displaying Calc Toolbars

Calc allows you to turn on and off any of the five different toolbars: Function Bar, Object Bar, Main Toolbar, Hyperlink Bar, and the Formula Bar.

To change the toolbars view:

• Choose View Toolbars on the menu bar to display a complete list of Calc toolbars. The checkmarks indicate the toolbars that you are currently using in the view.

• Choose Function Bar to turn the function bar on or off.
  

• Choose Object Bar to turn the object bar on or off.
  

• Choose Main Toolbar to turn the main toolbar on or off.
  

• Choose Hyperlink Bar to turn the hyperlink bar on or off.
  

• Choose Formula Bar to turn the formula bar on or off.
  

Moving around the worksheet

You can move around the spreadsheet in several different ways.

To move the cell pointer:

• To activate any cell, point to a cell with the mouse and click.
• To move the pointer one cell to the left, right, up, or down, use the keyboard arrow keys.

To scroll through the worksheet:

 

 

 

To move up and down the spreadsheet, use the vertical scroll bar located along the right edge of the screen. To move left or right, use the horizontal scroll bar, located at the bottom of the screen.

Use the PageUp and PageDown keys on the keyboard to move the cursor up or down one screen at a time. You can also use the Home key to move the active cell to the first column on the current row, and Ctrl+Home to move the cursor to the top left corner of the spreadsheet or cell A1.

To move between worksheets:

As mentioned, each workbook defaults to three worksheets. These worksheets are represented by tabs -- named Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3 -- that appear at the bottom of the spreadsheet window.

• Click on the sheet tab (Sheet1, Sheet2 or Sheet 3) that you want to display
  

Using the Pull-Down Menus

Each OpenOffice.org program features a menu bar. The menu bar is made up of many different menus. Each menu contains commands that enable you to work within the program. Calc uses pull-down menus to display commands that users often need.
Pull-down menus include the following components:

• File
• Edit
• View
• Insert
• Format
• Tools
• Window
• Help

To open a menu:

• Click on a menu name on the menu bar to display the commands that pertain to the menu that you've selected.
• View the commands listed under the pull-down menu.
• With the menu open, drag the mouse pointer to a command and click on it to select the command. (As you drag your mouse pointer over the commands, you will highlight each command in light blue.)
  

• If there is a small, black triangle next to a command, hover the mouse pointer over the command with the triangle and a cascading menu with additional options will appear. Point and click to make a selection from the cascading menu.