[SW] Using templates of OpenOffice (Writer)

One important thing I have learned from using LaTeX might be the concept of ``separating the style and the content.'' This concept is actually universal in various works. For example, the CSS file for the HTML files. We can set all the styles needed in one file, and use this file with many different files which share the same style settings. This concept makes thing easier and more efficient as we dealing with more and more files.

The same concept is also true when we work with the WYSIWYG word processor. Most people use MS Office, but I preferred the OpenOffice due to its ``open'' nature. I am always looking ways which can help me use the word processor more efficient or more professional. I don't want to just utilize a powerful software with its maybe only 2% or 3% capability. If you can explore more deeper ways to use a software, it often means you can handle the software better and do more things with it. In addition, in my own opinion, to dig into the advanced function of a software is to respect the authors who worked hard to develop the software.

When using the OpenOffice Writer, a template could make things easier. With the help of the template, you can compose different files and all of them have the same style. You can change the style of every detail items by yourself, just as most word processor users as I know, but a better way to handle the style is to set up a template, then adopt it for further file editing.

There are many tutorials available. I listed some I found and regarded useful as the follows:

• OOo2.x Writer Guide (Chapter 10: Working with Templates), in PDF, 9.1MB
  
• OpenOffice Off-the-Wall: Bullet Proof Templates, by Bruce Byfield. (A bit of out-of-date, but still useful)
• Using templates and styles. (A comparison between the template usage of MS Word and OOo Writer)
• Kaaredyret.dk (Many tutorials can be found here)
  

So far, the only inconvenient feature I found is the way of applying new template to an existing file. It seems no ``apply new template'' function in OOo Writer, so the user has to rebuild a new file from the new template, and then copy and paste all the content from the old file to the new one.