OpenOffice.org is a invaluable tool to everyone in today's office environment, consisting of:

• a spreadsheet
• a word processor
• a database
• a built in programming language (see Using Macros to Automate OpenOffice.org Calc)

All of this means that it is very easy for anyone to build a complex application, carrying out all of the business operations required in day to day life. Unfortunately, these applications soon become very complicated and difficult for a new user to understand. Fortunately, it is also very easy to make life much simpler by:

• using macros to automate any repetitive tasks
• using dialogs to provide an interface to the application.

OpenOffice's Built-in Dialogs

OpenOffice's built-in Dialogs are very simple, and are designed to enable the application to supply information to the user, or to obtain limited information from them. The two types are:

• msgbox
• inputbox

OpenOffice's Message Box

The message box is a simple way of outputting information to a user, and allowing them some simple responses; for example this macro has a little conversation with the user:

Sub Main

Dim ip as Integer

mf = msgbox ( "Are you male?", 4, "Application Question")

select case mf

case 6

msgbox "You've said that you're male", 0, "Application Confirmation"

case 7

msgbox "You've said that you're female", 0, "Application Confirmation"

end select

End Sub

This macro uses the message box in two ways:

• firstly, to illicit a response from the user - it does this by displaying a yes-no question and then storing the answer in a variable; and all of the possible results are:
  • 1 - OK
  • 2 - Cancel
  • 3 - Abort
  • 4 - Retry
  • 5 - Ignore
  • 6 - Yes
  • 7 - No
• secondly, to display an output which is dependant on the answer to the first question

In each case the variables required by the message box are the same:

• the text to be displayed on the msgbox
• an integer value for the number and type of buttons to be displayed
  • buttons
    • 0 - show only the OK button
    • 1 - show both OK and Cancel
    • 2 - Abort, Retry, and Ignore
    • 3 - Yes, No, and Cancel
    • 4 - Yes and No
    • 5 - Retry and Cancel
  • icons
    • 16 - show the Stop icon
    • 32 - Question icon
    • 48 - Exclamation Point
    • 64 - Information icon
  • default buttons
    • 128 - set the first button as the default button
    • 256 - set the second button as the default
    • 512 - set the third button as the default
• the text to be displayed in the title of the msgbox

OpenOffice's Input Box

The input box is as easy to use as the message box - however, this time the user response is always saved into a variable, for example:

username = InputBox ("Please enter your name","Application Information")

The input box just needs two inputs:

• the text to be displayed (for example a question)
• a title for the input box

Using Message Boxes and Input Boxes with OpenOffice Calc

With just these two OpenOffice Basic methods it is possible to greatly simplify the process of entering data into an OpenOffice document:

Sub Main

Dim ip as Integer

Dim oCell

'Get user name

oCell = thisComponent.Sheets(0).getCellRangeByName("B1")

oCell.String = "Name:"

oCell = thisComponent.Sheets(0).getCellRangeByName("B1")

oCell.String = InputBox ("Please enter your name","Application Information")

'Is user male or female?

oCell = thisComponent.Sheets(0).getCellRangeByName("A7")

oCell.String = "M/F"

oCell = thisComponent.Sheets(0).getCellRangeByName("B7")

mf = msgbox ( "Are you male?", 4, "Application Question")

select case mf

case 6

oCell.String = "Male"

case 7

oCell.String = "Female"

end select

'Get user age

oCell = thisComponent.Sheets(0).getCellRangeByName("C7")

oCell.String = "Age:"

oCell = thisComponent.Sheets(0).getCellRangeByName("D7")

oCell.Value = InputBox ("Please enter your age","Application Information")

End Sub

By introducing the message boxes and input boxes a user does not need to know anything about the structure of the document, or what information is needed - all they have to do is to answer the questions posed to them by the macro.