Usability

StarOffice 9 offers a number of features that make the software much more intuitive, in particular to new users. The new Start Center offers all key initial tasks, like creating various document types or opening existing documents on one dialog. In addition, users are notified when new versions of StarOffice get released. Thus, users do not have to check manually whether something new is available or not. Also things like cropping images or assigning a spell-check language to just a paragraph are now easy and intuitive tasks. Other usability highlights are the text-to-column feature in Calc as well as the rectangular selection feature that allows selecting only the middle part of multi-column text blocks.

New, Fresh-Looking Icon Set

StarOffice 9 comes with a complete new set (> 4,000) of fresh-looking icons which makes StarOffice a lot more fun to work with. Other icon sets can be selected on the fly, without restart.

Start Center

When you open the application; you are now welcomed by a Start Center that allow you to chose which module you would like to use, or if you would prefer to open a document.

Improved Crop Feature in Draw and Impress

In the past, cropping images in StarOffice was not very intuitive. With StarOffice 9 cropping images now works exactly like in most of the other desktop applications, i.e. by dragging handles located at the edges and corners of an image. This new feature significantly improves the usability and productivity.

How to access

• Choose Format > Crop Picture

Online Update Including Extensions

On Windows it is possible to download direct from Online update. For Extensions, users can run the update mechanism from the Extension Manager without a manual download of the extension. A dialog will show available updates and the user will be able to choose which to install.

How to access

• Choose Tools > Extension Manager

More Feature Highlights

Autokerning

New documents have kerning enabled by default. Kerning means increasing or decreasing the amount of space between pairs of letters to improve the overall appearance of the text.

How to access

• Kerning is enabled in Format > Character > Position > Option 'Pair Kerning'

DejaVu Font

DejaVu font is now default instead of BitStream Vera font. DejaVu provides a wider range of characters and is suitable for more languages/localizations.

Homepage of the DejaVu font is here: http://dejavu.sourceforge.net/

Faster, Flicker-free Screen Refresh

While scrolling, zooming or moving content in your document, StarOffice now has a super-fast and flicker-free screen refresh which is especially helpful on remote systems.

How to access

• Scroll in a larger document

Language Selector in Writer Toolbar

Module: Writer

The new language selector tool in the Statusbar makes assigning a variety of languages to different paragraphs very simple. Thus, editing and spell checking documents that are written in more than just one language becomes very easy. The entire document language can also be changed with this control.

How to access

• Click right mouse button in Language Selector in the status bar

Language Guessing for Paragraphs

Module: Writer

The feature allows you to determine the language of a (selected) text. The algorithm works without using dictionary, so the language could be determined without having the dictionary installed for that language. The component uses a statistical approach to determine the language of a text. The algorithm needs a certain amount of text to work properly and does not work for single words.

How to access

• The language is suggested in the context menu of a misspelled word.

Pages Centered in Window

Module: Writer

Pages that are not wider than the width of the window, will be centered, not left-aligned anymore.

How to access

• Open a new Writer document

Import Custom Icons

Users can now select icons from a list of custom icons. They also can add icons to the icon collection by importing them into a user-icon list. Icons should be in PNG format and have a size of 16x16 or 26x26 pixels. The dialog has new buttons for Import and Delete.

How to access

• Choose Tools > Customize > Toolbars > Modify > Change icon

Transparent Cell Selection and Changed Column/Row Headers

Module: Calc

The selection visualization in spreadsheets is changed to be transparent. Furthermore, the column headers get a glass effect in selection color to improve visibility.

How to access

• Select some cells.

Convert Text to Columns

Module: Calc

With this feature CSV data inside cells can be transformed into columns directly. It uses the existing Text import dialog and transforms CSV data inside cells into multiple columns. Example: A1 holds '1,2,3,4". After using this feature, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are split over cells. Another example for using this features is splitting city and states such as "Los Angeles, California" or splitting last and first names (Smith, John).

How to access

• Choose Data > Text to Columns.

Columns and Rows in Spreadsheets Can Be Moved via Drag and Drop

Module: Calc

When moving or copying a marked cell range via Drag&Drop to a new row or column, by default the target cells are overwritten. An insert Drag&Drop mode can be activated by pressing the ALT key in addition to the SHIFT and CTRL keys before dropping. In this case, the source data are inserted at the new position, that means the target cells are shifted to the right or down.

How to access

• Highlight some cells.
• Drag the selected area.
• After you start dragging, press and hold the ALT key.
  Notice the dragged box has a thick black border only on one side. A thick border on the left indicates vertical insertion mode, and a thick border on the left indicates horizontal insertion mode.
• Drop by releasing the left mouse button.

Individual Zoom Level in Spreadsheets

Module: Calc

Each sheet in a spreadsheet document can now have its own zoom level. The zoom behavior can be configured. Calc synchronizes the zoom factor for all sheets by default. If un-checked, the zoom factor will be changed for the selected table(s).

How to access

• Choose Tools > Options > Calc > View > Synchronize sheets

Enhanced Formula Input

Module: Calc

Most professional spreadsheet users use the number pad for inputting data to save time. It makes sense to allow users to enter a formula not just by entering a "=" or hitting the Function button in the Formula tool bar. Therefore "+" and "-" can also be used to start entering a formula. This improves the usability and the speed when creating formulas in a spreadsheet. Furthermore this can be used as a little calculator.

How to access

• Start entering a formula with "+" or "-" at the beginning.

Improved Row-Wise Data Input

Module: Calc

In a row-wise data input the Tab key is used to jump to the next cell to the right. At the end of the row the Return key now works like a carriage return-line feed on a type writer and allows to return to the column where the input started, one row below the current row.

How to access

• Input data in the cell and press the Tab key to insert data in the next column.
• Pressing the Return key brings you back to the first column just one row below.

Improved Printing Default Values

Module: Calc

The Print dialog in Calc makes it easier to choose what part of the spreadsheet should be printed. The option 'print only selected sheets' is now in that dialog. Furthermore the 'Sort' option is defaulted to on. This makes it easier to print multiple copies of a document.

How to access

• Choose File > Print

Improved Print Preview

Module: Calc

The PgUp and PgDn keys scroll continuously through the print preview. Press Ctrl + PgUp/PgDn to scroll to top of next or previous page.

How to access

• Choose File > Page Preview

New Shortcuts

Module: Calc

The following new shortcuts are available:

• Ctrl-1 opens the dialog for cell formatting
• Ctrl+ inserts a cell and Ctrl- deletes a cell. Both work like the menu entries and can function for rows and columns also.
• Ctrl~ toggles between formula result and the actual formula for all cells on a sheet (English keyboard layouts only).

How to access

• Choose Ctrl-1, Ctrl+, Ctrl- and Ctrl~ as described

Improved AutoFilter Behavior

Module: Calc

The AutoFilter allows you to run a quick data analysis. There is now a clearer grouping of static filter choices. Furthermore if in one column a filter is set, the filters in the other columns only show the options that are available in the visible rows.

How to access

• Choose Data > Filter > AutoFilter

Extended Automatic Summation

Module: Calc

The capabilities to sum up cell values automatically are extended. You can select the cell range, and all values in the marked area are summed up column- and/or row-wise. The result is inserted automatically as a sum formula.

How to access

• Select the cell range and press the Sum button.

Behavior of Cut/Paste/Fill/Drag on Filtered Data Improved

Module: Calc

The user cannot accidentally overwrite the content of filtered rows by treating a filtered selection similar to a multi-selection of unfiltered rows. Operations which are not possible on a multi-selection like cut, fill, or merge are disabled.

How to access

• Choose Data > Filter and cut, paste, fill, or drag on filtered data

Mouse Pointer Behavior in Slideshow

Module: Impress

The mouse pointer now automatically hides on idle during a slideshow. Moving the mouse makes it visible again.

How to access

• Choose Slide Show > Slide Show or press F5 to start a presentation

Java GUI Installation Wizard on Linux

The Java GUI installation wizard is included in installations with JRE for easier installation on Linux.

How to access

• Start Setup on Linux

Quickstarter for Linux

A quickstarter is now available for Linux users as a GTK application. It preloads StarOffice into memory to make it start faster.

How to access

• See the GNOME or KDE System Tray.

Preview Documents in Web Browser

The new function Preview Document in Web Browser provides an easy way to display the current document as an HTML export in the system web browser.

How to access

• Choose File > Preview in Web Browser

Shortcut for 'Repeat'

Ctrl-Shift-Y is the new shortcut for the menu Edit > Repeat

How to access

• Press Ctrl-Shift-Y for repeating the last action

Persistent Styles and Formatting Window Filter Selection

Now the selection of a Styles and Formatting window is persistent. On a new session, the last selected filter is active. One selection for every application.

How to access

• Choose Format > Styles and Formatting or press F11
• Select a filter from the drop down list

Changed Behavior of Hyperlinks

The behavior of hyperlinks has changed. To follow a hyperlink, you must use Ctrl+click, except for Help pages. This behavior can be disabled.

How to access

• Toggle via Tools > Options > StarOffice > Security > Options.

Customize Keyboard

Customize Keyboard has improved so that there is more room for various list boxes.

How to Access

• Choose Tools > Customize > Keyboard

Master Password/Password Configuration

It is now possible to control password-storing for specific URLs with a master password.

How to access

• Choose Tools > Options > StarOffice > Security

Support MS File Format for "Send Document as E-Mail"

To improve the data exchange via email with MS Office users it is now possible to send documents as E-mail in MS Office file formats in one step. It is not necessary to save a document first in Microsoft format and then send it as attachment via email.

How to access

• Choose File > Send > E-mail as Microsoft Word.
  Spreadsheet and presentation documents files will be sent as Excel or PowerPoint files.