Automating OpenOffice: Customizing the Toolbar
Improve OpenOffice.org Automization by Adding a Custom Button
Jul 1, 2008
OpenOffice.org's macro language is quick to learn and and easy to use. In a relatively short time even a brand new user can automate many of the tasks that would have otherwise taken up a large amount of time and effort. However, running the macro can still be laborious, with the user always having to do the following:
- click on Tools
- click on Macros
- click on Run Macros
- select the right macro (in the correct library and module)
- click on Run
Fortunately, this can all be done in a single click - by customizing the toolbar; and the aim of this customization is to:
- place a new button on the toolbar
- run a defined macro whenever the button is pressed
Writing an OpenOffice.org Basic Macro
Before the toolbar customization can take place a macro must be created by using the OpenOffice.org Basic IDE (Integrated Development Environment); and at this point the less experienced user might want to pause and read the article "Using Macros to Automate OpenOffice.org Calc". The macro can be as complicated or as simple as is necessary, for example, the following macro loads a random number into a selected cell in a Calc spreadsheet:
Sub RandomNumberToActiveCell
oCell = thisComponent.getCurrentSelection
oCell.Value = int ( 10 * Rnd )
End Sub
If this macro is saved into Module1 in the Standard library in the 'My Macros' area then the user can run it by:
- clicking on a cell in their Calc spreadsheet
- clicking on Tools
- clicking on Macros
- clicking on Run Macros
- selecting My Macros
- selecting Standard
- selecting Module1
- selecting RandomNumberToActiveCell
- clicking on Run
Obviously they'd get very bored if they had to do this often, but fortunately, customizing the toolbar will enable them to do this in a single click.
Adding a Button to an OpenOffice.org Calc Toolbar
The process for adding a button for this new macro is quite simple:
- click on Tools
- click on Customize
- select the Toolbars tab
- select the toolbar to be modified (the default is the standard toolbar)
- in the Commands pane select the point at which the button is to be added
- click on Add
- scroll down to find the macro - in this case:
- OpenOffice.org Macros
- My Macros
- Standard
- Module1
- RandomNumberToActiveCell
- click on Add
A button for the macro will now be displayed on the toolbar; and if the user now selects a cell and presses the new button then a random number will be displayed in the cell as expected. However, anyone looking at this new button will not be impressed at the moment - it works correctly, but the button will just have the word 'RandomNumberToActiveCell' on it.
Changing the Look of the Custom Button
With the macro itself working the user needs to turn their attention to the look of the button that's just been created - in this case changing the button to an icon. They will need to:
- click on Tools
- click on Customize
- select the Toolbars tab
- select the button for the new macro
- click on modify
- click on Change Icon
- select an appropriate icon or import a new one
The user will now have the button looking the way that they want; doing the job that they want; at their fingertips all of the time; and any task is now 1 click long instead of 8.
