by Solveig Haugland April 2008
This is another article in my series that shows the similarities between OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office (pre-Office 2007).
Using a new product requires some re-learning. That’s unavoidable. But you rarely have to learn an entirely new set of skills—it’s just that the new stuff sticks out at us. This article is to emphasize the similarities between OpenOffice.org Calc and Microsoft Office Word; the things you don’t have to re-learn. I hope that not only will this show some of the similarities but will show you some shortcuts you might not have known about in either program.
Basics in Excel and Calc
1. Open and save documents with the Open and Save icons.
Open Icon
2. Print documents with the Print icon.
3. Applying basic text formatting on the toolbar: just select text and click the icon you want for bold, italic, or underline; alignment; color; and so on.
Apply Formatting
4. Applying number formatting on the toolbar; use the currency, percentage, add-decimal, delete-decimal, and other icons.
Currency Formatting
5. Apply borders and sharing on the toolbar; just select the cells and use the borders icon to apply borders where you want them.
Borders
6. Use the Format Painter icon to copy formatting from one cell to another; just select the cell with the formatting you want, click the Format Painter icon, and click on the cell where you want to formatting to be copied to.
Format Painter
7. Add up a series of cells; just select the cells you want, and click the indicated icon. In Calc, it’s on the formula entry toolbar right next to the formulas for easier access.
Auto Sum
8. Enter a formula in a cell or the formula field; just start with a = sign, then type the formula using the cell reference and a + – / or * for plus, minus, divide, and multiply.
Arithmetic
9. Get sheet tab options like moving or renaming by right-clicking on the tab.
Sheet Options
10. Get column or row options like inserting and deleting by right-clicking on the column or row label.
Right-Click Scroll Down Columns
Mid-Level Tasks in Excel and Calc
1. Insert a chart; just select the cells you want and choose Insert > Chart.
Insert Chart
2. Send a document by email by clicking an icon; click the email icon on the toolbar.
Email in Excel
3. Preview a document in a Web browser: choose File > Preview as Web Page or Preview in Web Browser.
4. Sort ascending or descending on the toolbar; just select the rows and columns to sort, then click the appropriate icon.
Sort
5. Paste in different formats just by clicking and holding down on the Paste icon.
Paste Special Calc
Paste Special Excel
6. Paste with extra capabilities such as linking, and pasting only values; choose Edit > Paste Special.
Paste Special Calc
Paste Special Excel
7. Apply pre-created formatting to cells; select cells and choose Format > AutoFormats. (To add your own AutoFormat in Calc, just click Add.)
Autoformat Excel
Autoformat Calc
8. Select from a list of the items already in a column instead of retyping or copying and pasting; just right-click and choose Selection List (Calc) or Pick From List (Excel).
Selection List Calc
9. Drag a formula down to repeat it with relative cell references; just click and hold down on the small handle in the lower right corner of the formula cell, and drag down or to the right.
Drag Formula
10. Use $ to make an absolute cell reference; change A4 to $A4, A$4, or $A$4.
Advanced Tasks in Excel and Calc
1. Fill cells by choosing Edit > Fill and then Down, Right, or another option.
Fill Cells Calc
2. Fill cells in increments by choosing Edit > Fill > Series.
Fill Series
Fill Series Calc
3. Modify menus by choosing Tools > Customize.
4. Use the AutoFilter by selecting all the relevant cells and choosing Data > AutoFilter.
Autofilter
5. Use the Advanced Filter by selecting all the relevant cells and choosing Data > Advanced Filter.
Advanced Filter Calc
6. Automatically calculate subtotals by selecting all relevant cells and choosing Data > Subtotals.
Subtotals Calc
Subtotals Excel
7. Apply advanced formatting to cells by right-clicking on the cells and choosing Format Cells.
Format Cells Calc
Format Cells Excel
8. Apply rules for the information that can be entered in a cell, and add online help and error messages, by selecting a cell and choosing Data > Validation (Excel) or Data > Validity (Calc).
Data Validity Calc
Data Validity Excel
9. Apply conditional formatting by selecting the relevant cells and choosing Format > Conditional Formatting. In Excel you choose the formatting in that window; in Calc you select from cell styles.
Conditional Formatting
Conditional Formatting Calc
10. Access the drawing tool bar by clicking the drawing tools icon on the main toolbar.
Drawing Calc
Drawing Excel
30 Similarities between MS Word and OOo Writer
Switching Office Suites from MS Office to Openoffice.org
For more information on a smooth transition to OpenOffice, read the article at c|net’s Worker’s Edge.
[...] 30 Similarities Between Microsoft Office Excel and in OpenOffice.org Calc [...]
I think your goal here (showing similarities) would have been better served and more interesting to read had you highlighted the differences between Calc & Excel. If people see that the differences are either really minor or super obscure they might be more inclined to give OOo a shot. I think the best way to get someone to convert is by giving them a true education and letting them decide. I could probably come up with 30 similarities between MS Word & MS Excel, but that doesn’t mean that one can replace the other.
[...] 30 Similarities Between Microsoft Office Excel and in OpenOffice.org Calc [...]
[...] 30 Similarities Between Microsoft Office Excel and in OpenOffice.org Calc > 30 Similarities Between Microsoft Office Word and OpenOffice.org Writer > Switching Office [...]
Spreadsheets are occasionally used for computations more complex than either Excel’s or Calc’s AutoSum features support. The only one of the 30 items that touches on that is filling series (‘Advanced’ tasks 1 and 2).
There are a LOT of differences in formulas, not least being Calc’s basic design decision to ignore the system list separator and always use ; as the function argument separator. Next is Calc’s use of [Shift]+[F4] rather than [F4] to cycle through relative/absolute in range addresses, which is a much bigger PITA for long-time spreadsheet users. Finally, Calc is catching up with Excel’s array semantics, but there’s still a ways to go.
[...] Original post by FA Editors [...]