Learn OpenOffice.org Spreadsheet Macro Programming: Ooobasic and Calc Automation : a Fast and Friendly Tutorial to Writing Macros and Spreadsheet Applications - Softcover

Bain, Mark Alexander

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847190979 ISBN 13: 9781847190970

Publisher: Packt Pub Ltd, 2006

Synopsis

Learn how to extend and customize Calc, the OpenOffice.org spreadsheet, using OOoBasic, OOo's built-in programming language. You don't need to be a developer to create useful and powerful routines and applications. This well structured and practical tutorial will walk you though every step, and inspire you with great ways to save time and increase your productivity using Calc. Adding macros to your spreadsheets enables you to add data processing features to your work, automate repetitive tasks, and even create complete data-driven programs that use the spreadsheet as their back end. This book teaches the OOoBasic language and the Calc object model, so that you can manipulate spreadsheets and data from within your programs. You will also see how to create dialog boxes and windows for friendly user interfaces, and how to integrate your spreadsheets with other applications, for example writing spreadsheet data to a document, or capturing data from a database, and using the spreadsheet for generating advanced calculations and reports. Calc is OpenOffice.org's spreadsheet module. Like the rest of OpenOffice.org Calc can be programmed using the built-in language OOoBasic. Both simple macros and complex applications can be developed in this language by controlling Calc through its object model. The book is compatible with the commercial version of OpenOffice.org, StarOffice, and the StarBasic language. This book will show you: How to create custom Calc applications Creating worksheet functions, automating repetitive tasks, creating new toolbars, menus, and dialog boxes A complete guide to the IDE, language, and object model Integrating Calc applications with other components of OpenOffice.org Internet-based collaborative applications How to understand, use and adapt the increasing number of freely available Calc Macros A fast, fun, and friendly tutorial. Full of practical, step-by-step examples and clear explanations of all of the important concepts. You don't need to be a programmer to use this book, but you do need to be familiar with the concept of a program and how simple things like a loop might work. If all you have is a taster of simple programs from high school then you will be fine. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Working with OOo's IDE 2 Libraries, Modules, Subroutines, and Functions 3 The OOo Object Model 4 Using Macros with Spreadsheets 5 Formatting Your Spreadsheets 6 Working with Databases 7 Working with Other OOo Documents 8 Developing Dialog Boxes 9 Creating a Complete Application 10 Tips and Tricks

About this title

About the Author

Dr Mark Alexander Bain

Dr. Mark Alexander Bain first started customizing CRM systems back in the mid '90s when he was team leader for Vodafone's Cascade project - the team took the 'out-of-the-box' Clarify CRM and turned it into a radio base station planning application, complete with a workflow engine for passing jobs between the different departments involved in the planning, building, and implementation of a radio network. Since then he's lectured at the University of Central Lancashire, and currently Mark writes articles on all things Linux and Open Source for Linux Format, Newsforge.com and Linux Journal. SugarCRM customization, therefore, seems the obvious choice for this, his second book, since it combines Mark's knowledge of working with commercial CRMs and the Open Source philosophy. Mark works from his home on the edge of the Lake District in the UK, where he lives with his wife, two dogs and two cats, and gets the odd visit from his sons - Michael and Simon.

Edition details

• Publisher: Packt Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1847190979
• ISBN 13: 9781847190970
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 203