CHAPTER 11 UBUNTU REPLACEMENTS FOR WINDOWS PROGRAMS (Web hosting contract)
CHAPTER 11 UBUNTU REPLACEMENTS FOR WINDOWS PROGRAMS The program works via templates into which you enter you data. Starting the program causes the Presentation Wizard to appear. This wizard guides you through selecting a style of presentation fitting the job you have in mind. At this point, you can even select the type of transition effects you want between the various slides. Once the wizard has finished, you can choose from the usual master and outline view modes (look under the View menu). Outline mode lets you enter your thoughts quickly, while master mode lets you type straight onto presentation slides. You can format text by highlighting it and right-clicking it, by using the Text Formatting toolbar that appears whenever you click inside a text box, or by selecting an entry on the Format menu. Impress also features a healthy selection of drawing tools, so you can create even quite complex diagrams. These are available on the Drawing toolbar along the bottom of the screen. You can also easily insert pictures, other graphics, and sound effects. You can open and edit existing PowerPoint (PPT) files and, as with all OpenOffice.org packages, save your presentation as a PDF file. Unique to Impress is the ability to export your presentation as a Macromedia Flash file (SWF). This means that anyone with a browser and Macromedia s Flash plug-in can view the file, either after it s put online or via e-mail. Simply click File . Export, and then choose Macromedia Flash from the File Format drop-down list. Along with slide presentations, Impress also lets you produce handouts to support your work. OpenOffice.org Impress is covered in more detail in Chapter 25. Database: OpenOffice.org Base Base, shown in Figure 11-4, is the newest component of OpenOffice.org, introduced with version 2. Base allows you to create relational databases using a built-in database engine, although it also can interface with external databases. It s very similar to Microsoft Access in look and feel, although it lacks some of Access s high-end functions. For most database uses, it should prove perfectly adequate. If you know the fundamentals of database technology, you shouldn t have any trouble getting started with Base immediately. This is made even easier than you might expect because, when the program starts, a wizard guides you through the creation of a simple database. As with Access, Base is designed on the principles of tables of data, forms by which the data is input or accessed, and queries and reports by which the data can be examined and outputted. Once again, wizards are available to walk you through the creation of each of these, or you can dive straight in and edit each by hand by selecting the relevant option. Each field in the table can be of various types, including several different integer and text types, as well as binary and Boolean values. Forms can contain a variety of controls, ranging from simple text boxes to radio buttons and scrolling lists, all of which can make data entry easier. Reports can feature a variety of text formatting and can also rely on queries to manipulate the data. The queries themselves can feature a variety of functions and filters in order to sort data down to the finest detail. You ll learn more about Base in Chapter 26.