Chapter11.Word Processing

Chapter 11. Word Processing

I think I can safely assume that you are acquainted with word processing. It's the most widely used application among computer users. Word processing is used to create documents as simple as a letter or as complex as a corporate report, a newsletter, or a legal document. The leading word processors are Microsoft Word and WordPerfect.

OpenOffice is an office suite, similar to Microsoft Office or WordPerfect Office. OpenOffice Writer is the word processor in OpenOffice. It has functionality equal to either of the leading word processors. It includes all the advanced features, such as spell checking, mail merge, storing graphics in the document, drawing in the document, and others.

Word processing applications store both the content of the document and the information needed for formatting the text. A word processing document file includes information about margins, text size, indents, font style and type, and many other things. Different word processing documents store the formatting information differently. Consequently, one word processing application can't open documents from another word processing program. However, most word processors provide features that allow the exchange of documents with major word processors. For instance, Word can convert WordPerfect files, and vice versa.

OpenOffice Writer can read Word files. In fact, it converts Word files more successfully than any other application. Word can't read OpenOffice Writer files in Writer format, but OpenOffice Writer can save documents in Word format, so that Word can open them. Writer also reads and writes documents in formats, such as HTML and RTF, that are general formats, allowing document exchange with other word processing applications. Read more about document formats in the section "Document File Formats."