Sharing and Exchanging Information
- Exploring Information Sharing in StarOffice
- Sharing Information the "Old-Fashioned" Way
- Pulling Information via Drag-and-Drop
- Transferring Information via the Navigator
- Sharing Information Using OLE
- Linking Data for Up-to-date Information Sharing
- Importing and Exporting Information
- Converting Files to the New StarOffice File Formats
- Coexisting with Microsoft Office Users
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
In this chapter
Exploring Information Sharing in StarOffice
Sharing Information the "Old-Fashioned" Way
Pulling Information via Drag-and-Drop
Transferring Information via the Navigator
Sharing Information Using OLE
Linking Data for Up-to-date Information Sharing
Importing and Exporting Information
Converting Files to the New StarOffice File Formats
Coexisting with Microsoft Office Users
Exploring Information Sharing in StarOffice
Information flows freely in StarOffice—not only among StarOffice applications on the same platform, but also across platforms and other applications and application suites:
You can transfer information between open documents the old-fashioned cut- or copy-and-paste way or via drag and drop.
You can use the Navigator window to share objects between documents of the same type.
You can use object linking and embedding (OLE), so you can edit the embedded information in the target document using the tools and commands of the application that created it.
You can use the built-in file-format converters (or filters) to import or export information to or from disk files created in other applications and saved in a variety of graphic and document file formats.
You can create custom applications by using the StarOffice Basic programming language to automate information sharing (among applications and data sources, for example).
Using these methods, you can easily build compound documents created in one application and enriched with components or objects created in another. These documents can also coexist in a heterogeneous office environment where you are exchanging information with partners, clients, or friends who may be using Microsoft Office, Lotus SmartSuite, or other applications.
NOTE
If you are switching from Microsoft Office, you should know that StarOffice does not have a feature equivalent to the Binder tool, which enables you to build component publications containing text, spreadsheets, and presentation documents. If you need to join information from different documents, you have to use (standard or dynamic) object linking and embedding or copy and paste away.
NOTE
When collaborating on text and spreadsheet documents, you can also share a different kind of information—feedback and comments from collaborators—if you use special features such as Record Changes or Versions that enable you to record and track changes. For more information see "Exchanging and Reviewing Documents" in Chapter 13 and "Tracking and Reviewing Changes to Worksheets" in Chapter 16.