Parts of the main window

The main window is similar for each component of LibreOffice, although some details vary. See the
relevant chapters in this guide about Writer, Calc, Draw, and Impress for descriptions of those
details.
Common features include the Menu bar, standard toolbar, and formatting toolbar at the top of the
window and the status bar at the bottom.

Menu bar
The Menu bar is located across the top of the LibreOffice window, just below the title bar. When
you select one of the menus listed below, a sub-menu drops down to show commands.
File contains commands that apply to the entire document such as Open, Save, and
Export as PDF.
Edit contains commands for editing the document such as Undo, Find & Replace, Cut,
Copy, and Paste.
View contains commands for controlling the display of the document such as Zoom and
Web Layout.
Insert contains commands for inserting elements into your document such as Header,
Footer, and Image.
Format contains commands for formatting the layout of your document.
Styles contains commands for quickly applying common styles; for editing, loading, and
creating new styles; and for accessing the Styles and Formatting section of the Sidebar.
Table contains commands to insert and edit a table in a text document.
Tools contains functions such as Spelling and Grammar, AutoCorrect, Customize, and
Options.
Window contains commands for the display window.
Help contains links to the LibreOffice Help file, Whats This?, and information about the
program.

Toolbars
LibreOffice has two types of toolbars: docked (fixed in place) and floating. Docked toolbars can be
moved to different locations or made to float, and floating toolbars can be docked.
In a default LibreOffice installation, the top docked toolbar, just under the Menu bar, is called the
Standard toolbar. It is consistent across the LibreOffice applications.
The second toolbar at the top, in a default LibreOffice installation, is the Formatting bar. It is
context-sensitive; that is, it shows the tools relevant to the current position of the cursor or the
object selected. For example, when the cursor is on a graphic, the Formatting bar provides tools
for formatting graphics; when the cursor is in text, the tools are for formatting text.

Displaying or hiding toolbars

To display or hide toolbars, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar, then click on the name of a
toolbar from the drop-down list. An active toolbar shows a check-mark beside its name. Toolbars
created from tool palettes are not listed in the View menu.
To close a toolbar go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar and deselect the toolbar, or right-click in
an empty space between the icons on a toolbar and select Close toolbar from the context menu.

Chapter 1 Introducing LibreOffice | 21

Sub-menus and tool palettes
Toolbar icons with a small triangle to the right will display sub-menus, tool palettes, and alternative
methods of selecting items, depending on the icon.
Tool palettes can be made into a floating toolbar. Figure 4 shows an example of a tool palette from
the Drawing toolbar made into a floating toolbar. See Moving toolbars and Floating toolbars
below for more information on moving and floating these toolbars created from tool palettes.

Figure 4: Example of tearing off a tool palette

Moving toolbars
Docked toolbars can be undocked and moved to a new docked position or left as a floating toolbar.
1) Move the mouse cursor over the toolbar handle, which is the small vertical bar to the left of
a docked toolbar and highlighted in Figure 5.
2) Hold down the left mouse button and drag the toolbar to the new location. The toolbar can
be docked in a new position at the top, sides or bottom of the main window, or left as a
floating toolbar.
3) Release the mouse button.
To move a floating toolbar, click on its title bar and drag it to a new floating location or dock the
toolbar at the top or bottom of the main window.

Figure 5: Toolbar handles

Note
You can also dock a floating toolbar by holding down the Ctrl key and double-clicking in
the title bar of the toolbar.

Floating toolbars
LibreOffice includes several additional toolbars, whose default setting appear as floating toolbars in
response to the current position of the cursor or selection. You can dock these toolbars to the top
or bottom of the main window, or reposition them on your computer display (see Moving toolbars
above).

22 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 5.1

Some of these additional toolbars are context sensitive and will automatically appear depending on
the position of the cursor. For example, when the cursor is in a table, a Table toolbar appears, and
when the cursor is in a numbered or bullet list, the Bullets and Numbering toolbar appears.

Customizing toolbars
You can customize toolbars in several ways, including choosing which icons are visible and locking
the position of a docked toolbar. You can also add icons and create new toolbars, as described in
Chapter 14 Customizing LibreOffice. To access the customization options for a toolbar, right-click in
an empty space between the icons on a toolbar to open a context menu as follows:
To show or hide icons defined for the selected toolbar, click Visible Buttons. Visible icons
on a toolbar are indicated by an outline around the icon ( Figure 6) or by a check mark
beside the icon, depending on your operating system. Select or deselect icons to hide or
show them on the toolbar.

Figure 6: Selection of visible toolbar icons

Click Customize Toolbar to open the Customize dialog; See Chapter 14 Customizing
LibreOffice for more information.
Click Dock Toolbar to dock the selected floating toolbar. By default, a toolbar will dock at
the top of the workspace. You can reposition the toolbar to a different docked position. See
Moving toolbars on page 22.
Click Dock All Toolbars to dock all floating toolbars. By default, toolbars will dock at the
top of the workspace. You can reposition the toolbars to different docked positions. See
Moving toolbars on page 22.
Click Lock Toolbar Position to lock a docked toolbar into its docked position.
Click Close Toolbar to close the selected toolbar.

Chapter 1 Introducing LibreOffice | 23

Context menus
Context menus provide quick access to many menu functions. They are opened by right-clicking
on a paragraph, graphic, or other object. When a context menu opens, the functions or options
available will depend on the object that has been selected. A context menu can be the easiest way
to reach a function, especially if you are not sure where the function is located in the menus or
toolbars.

Status bar
The status bar is located at the bottom of the workspace. It provides information about the
document and convenient ways to change some features quickly. It is similar in Writer, Calc,
Impress, and Draw, but each LibreOffice component includes some component-specific items. An
example of the Writer status bar is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Example status bar from Writer

Page, sheet, or slide number and page count
Shows the current page, sheet, or slide number and the total number of pages, sheets, or
slides in the document. Double-click on this field to open the Navigator. Other uses of this
field depend on the LibreOffice component.
Words and characters
Shows the total number of words and characters in the document or in the selection.
Page style or slide design
Shows the current page style or slide design. To edit the current page style or slide design,
double-click on this field. To choose a different page style or slide design, right-click on this
field and select from the list that pops up.
Language
Shows the current language of the text at the current cursor position.
Insert mode
Shows the type of insert mode the program is in. This field is blank if the program is in Insert
mode. Each time the Ins key is pressed, or this field is clicked, the mode toggles between
Insert and Overwrite.
Selection mode
Click to choose different selection modes. The icon does not change, but when you hover the
mouse pointer over this field, a tooltip indicates which mode is active.
Unsaved changes
The icon shown here is different when changes to the document have not been saved.
Digital signature
If the document has been digitally signed, an icon shows here. You can click the icon to sign
the document, or to view the existing certificate.

24 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 5.1

Object information
Displays information relevant to the position of the cursor or the selected element of the
document.
View layout
Select between Single-page view, Multiple-page view, and Book view to change how your
document is displayed.
Zoom slider
Drag the Zoom slider, or click on the + and signs to change the view magnification of your
document.
Zoom percentage
Indicates the magnification level of the document. Right-click on the percentage figure to
open a list of magnification values from which to choose. Double-clicking on this percentage
figure opens the Zoom & View Layout dialog.

Sidebar
To activate the Sidebar, select View > Sidebar from the Menu bar. The Sidebar (Figure 8) is
located on the right side of the edit views of Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw. It contains one or
more panels, based on the current document context. Panels are organized into decks. A tab bar
on the right side of the sidebar allows you to switch between different decks.

Sidebar settings

Title bar

Tabs

Panel title

Panel contents

Deck

More Options button

Figure 8: Properties panel of Sidebar in Writer
All components contain the Properties, Styles and Formatting, Gallery, and Navigator decks. Some
components have additional decks, such as Master Pages, Custom Animation, and Slide Transition
for Impress; Manage Changes for Writer; and Functions for Calc.
A panel is like a combination of a toolbar and a dialog. For example, you can freely mix working in
the main edit window to enter text and use the Properties panel in the sidebar to change text
attributes.

Chapter 1 Introducing LibreOffice | 25

Tool bars and Sidebar panels share many functions. For example, the buttons for making text bold
or italic exist in both the Formatting toolbar and the Properties panel.
For more detail, see the Sidebar explanation in the relevant LibreOffice components user guide.
To hide the Sidebar, click on the gray Hide button on the left. Click on the same button to show the
Sidebar again.
To undock the Sidebar and make it floating, and to dock a floating Sidebar, use the drop-down list
at the top of the tab bar (see Figure 9). From the same list you can choose which items to include
in the Sidebar.

Figure 9: Floating (undocking) or docking the Sidebar

Starting new documents

You can start a new, blank document in LibreOffice in several ways.
When LibreOffice is running but no document is open, the Start Center (Figure 2 on page 19) is
shown. Click one of the icons to open a new document of that type, or click the Templates icon to
start a new document using a template.
You can also start a new document in one of the following ways:
Use File > New on the Menu bar and select the type of document from the context menu.
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N to create a new document. The type of document created
depends on which LibreOffice component is open and active. For example, if Calc is open
and active, a new spreadsheet is created.
Use File > Wizards on the Menu bar and select the type of document from the context
menu.
If a document is already open in LibreOffice, click the New icon on the Standard toolbar
and a new document of the same type is created in a new window. For example, if Calc is
open and active, a new spreadsheet is created. The New icon changes depending on
which component of LibreOffice is open.
If a document is already open in LibreOffice, click on the small triangle to the right of the
New icon on the Standard toolbar and select the type of document from the context menu
that opens.
On Windows or Linux, use the Quickstarter feature included with LibreOffice. See
Quickstarter on page 19 for more information.

Note
If all documents are closed without closing LibreOffice, then the Start Center will be
displayed.

26 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 5.1

Opening existing documents
You can also open an existing document in one of the following ways:
When no document is open, click Open File or Remote files in the Start Center to reach
the Open dialog.
Go to File > Open or File > Open Remote File... on the Menu bar the reach the Open
dialog.
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O to reach the Open dialog.
If a document is already open, click the Open icon on the Standard toolbar and select from
a list of available documents from the Open dialog.
Click the small triangle to the right of the Open icon and select from a list of recently
opened documents.
When no document is open, double-click on a thumbnail of recently opened documents
displayed in the Start Center. You can scroll up or down in the Start Center to locate a
recently opened document.
When using the Open dialog, navigate to the folder you want and select the file you want, and then
click Open. If a document is already open in LibreOffice, the second document opens in a new
window.
In the Open dialog, you can reduce the list of files by selecting the type of file you are looking for.
For example, if you choose Text documents as the file type, you will only see documents Writer
can open (including .odt, .doc, .txt); if you choose Spreadsheets, you will see .ods, .xls,
and other files that Calc opens.
You can also open an existing document that is in a format that LibreOffice recognizes by double-
clicking on the file icon on the desktop or in a file manager such as Windows Explorer. LibreOffice
has to be associated with file types that are not ODF files for the appropriate LibreOffice
component to open.

Notes
You can choose whether to use the LibreOffice Open/Save dialogs or the ones
provided by your computers operating system. See Choosing Open and Save As
dialogs on page 31 for more information. This book uses the LibreOffice dialogs in
illustrations.

When opening files stored in a remote server, you may be asked to enter your user
name and password to log in the server.

Saving documents
You can save documents as follows:
Save command use if you are keeping the document, its current filename and location.
Save to Remote Server - use if your document is already stored in a remote server or will
be stored in a remote server.
Save As use if you want to create a new document, or change the filename and/or file
format, or save the file in a different location on your computer.
Save a copy - use if you want to save a copy of your current document and keep it open
for more editing.
Save All - use to save all the open files open in your current session.

Chapter 1 Introducing LibreOffice | 27

Save command
To save a document if you are keeping the documents current filename and location, do one of the
following:
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S.
Go to File > Save, File > Save to Remote Server, File > Save a Copy, or File > Save All
on the Menu bar.
Click the Save icon on the Standard toolbar.
Using the Save command will overwrite the last saved version of the file.

Save As command

Figure 10: Example of LibreOffice Save As dialog

To save a document if you want to create a new document, or change the filename and/or file
format, or save the file in a different location on your computer:
Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+S.
Go to File > Save As on the Menu bar.
When the Save As dialog (Figure 10) or Save dialog opens, enter the file name, change the file
type (if applicable), navigate to a new location (if applicable), and click Save.
The dialog that opens when using the Save As command depends on the options that have been
set in LibreOffice. See Choosing Open and Save As dialogs on page 31 for more information.

Password protection
To restrict who can open and read a document, or open and edit the document, use password
protection.
1) Using the Save As command above, select the Save with password option in the Save As
dialog or Save dialog.
2) Click Save and the Set Password dialog opens (Figure 11).
3) In File Encryption Password, enter a password to open the document and then enter the
same password as confirmation.

28 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 5.1

 4) To restrict who can edit the document, click Options.
5) In File Sharing Password, select Open file read-only, enter a password to allow editing,
and then enter the same password as confirmation.
6) Click OK and the dialog closes. If the passwords match, the document is saved password-
protected. If the passwords do not match, you receive an error message.

Figure 11: Set Password dialog

Caution
LibreOffice uses a very strong encryption mechanism that makes it almost impossible
to recover the contents of a document if you lose or forget the password.

Changing the password

When a document is password-protected, you can change the password while the document is
open. Go to File > Properties > General on the Menu bar and click the Change Password
button. This opens the Set Password dialog where you can enter a new password.

Saving documents automatically

LibreOffice can save files automatically as part of the AutoRecovery feature. Automatic saving,
like manual saving, overwrites the last saved state of the file.
To set up automatic file saving:
1) Go to Tools > Options > Load/Save > General on the Menu bar.
2) Select Save AutoRecovery information every and set the time interval.
3) Click OK.

Chapter 1 Introducing LibreOffice | 29

Opening and saving files on remote servers
LibreOffice 5.1 can open and save files stored on remote servers. Keeping files on remote servers
allows you to work with the documents using different computers. For example, you can work on a
document in the office during the day and edit it at home for last-minute changes. Storing files on a
remote server also backs up documents from computer loss or hard disk failure. Some servers are
also able to check-in and check-out files, thus controlling their usage and access.
LibreOffice 5.1 supports many document servers that use well known network protocols such as
FTP, WebDav, Windows share, and SSH. It also supports popular services like Google Drive and
Microsoft OneNote, as well as commercial and open source servers that implement the OASIS
CMIS standard.

Note
To access remote servers, you must use LibreOffice Open and Save dialogs. If you use
your operating system dialogs for saving and opening files, go to Tools > Options >
LibreOffice > General and check the option Use LibreOffice dialogs.

To enable a remote server connection, use one of these methods:

Click on the Remote Files button in the Start Center
Select File > Open Remote Files...
Select File > Save to Remote Server...
Then click on the Add Service button (Figure 13) in the dialog to open the File Service dialog.
Depending on the type of file service you choose in the Type listbox, different parameters are
necessary to fully qualify the connection to the remote server (Figure 12).

Figure 12: Remote server configuration

Once the connection is defined, click OK to connect. The dialog will dim until the connection is
established with the server. A dialog asking for the user name and the password may pop up to let
you log in the server. Proceed entering your credentials.
The Remote Files dialog (Figure 13) which then appears has many parts. The upper list box
contains the list of remote servers you have previously defined. The line below the list box shows
the path to access the folder. On the left is the folder structure of the user space in the server. The
main pane displays the files in the remote folder. Click the Open or Save button to proceed.

30 | Getting Started with LibreOffice 5.1