Working with General Options

You can configure a number of General options that affect all StarOffice applications, such as your user data and default directories for items such as the My documents folder and default graphics directory.

All these options are set using the Options dialog box. This dialog box is opened via the Tools menu.

When you open the Options dialog box, a tree that can be expanded and collapsed appears on the left side. This tree allows you to access the various groups of settings. Each group contains a number of individual properties that are then selected and configured in the main part of the Options dialog box.

You can get a quick overview of the configuration options that are available in one of the option groups by clicking on the group. Figure 14.1 shows the description screen for the General Options group.

Let's conduct our exploration of the Options dialog box by working from the general to the specific (Calc).

To Set User Data Options

User Data options include things like your first and last name and other personal information such as your address and email address. Depending on the StarOffice application you are using (and the feature), data from the User Data grid can be directly inserted into a document automatically.

1.	Select the Tools menu, then select Options. The Options dialog box will open.
2.	Expand the General group in the dialog box's tree.
3.	Click User Data.
4.	Enter or edit the user information as needed.
5.	To “erase” any changes that you have made and start again, click the Back button.
6.	To close the Options dialog box, click OK.

To Set Save Options

You can also configure the options related to the saving of your work such as whether backups of the files are created or if your work is automatically saved at a particular time interval.

1.	Open the Options dialog box (select Tools, then Options).
2.	Expand the General group and select Save (see Figure 14.2). Figure 14.2. You can configure options related to the automatic saving of your work and how hyperlinks are registered in a document.
3.	To have the Properties dialog box open when you use Save As, click the Edit document properties before saving checkbox.
4.	To have a backup file with the extension .bak created when you re-save a file, click the Always create backup copy checkbox.
5.	To have StarOffice applications automatically save their files, click the AutoSave every checkbox and then use the spin box to set the time interval.
6.	Settings related to how StarOffice opens up if the computer locks up and has to be restarted can be set in the Restore editing view box. Select Document view to open the documents in their last saved view.
7.	Select Open windows if you want the last arrangement of open windows restored when restarting StarOffice.
8.	Select Open documents to have all the documents opened that were available before restarting StarOffice.
9.	To set the number of Undo levels, use the spin box in the Undo number of steps box.
10.	To set how graphics are saved in a document, select Normal, Compressed (takes up less file space than Normal) or Original Format (graphic is not converted from the original file format when placed in the StarOffice file).
11.	Select whether you want to save URLs relative to the particular filesystem and the Internet (this means that URLs and local filenames entered as URLs will be recognized as hyperlinks).
12.	To close the Options dialog box, click OK.

To Set Path Options

You can set the Path options for items such as the default graphics directory and the default directory for saving and opening files (My documents). Many of the path settings available in this option are related to where StarOffice finds things such as the Autocorrect and AutoPilot files; all these paths were established when you installed StarOffice. So, for the most part, the default paths designated should be left as is.

1.	Select the Tools menu, then select Options. The Options dialog box will open.
2.	Expand the General group in the dialog box's tree.
3.	Click Paths. Path options will become available in the dialog box (see Figure 14.3). Figure 14.3. Path options allow you to set such things as the default download directory.
4.	To edit a path, click on the specific path type such as Download directory.
5.	Click the Edit button. The Select Path dialog box will open.
6.	Use the navigation buttons on the dialog box to locate the directory that you wish to use for the new path.
7.	Click Select. The new path will be placed in the Paths box.
8.	To go back to the default for a particular path, select the path and then click Default.

To Set Language Options

The Language options relate to the Spellchecker, AutoSpellcheck, and hyphenation rules.

1.	Open the Options dialog box (choose Tools, then Options).
2.	Select the General group, then select Language (see Figure 14.4). Figure 14.4. Options related to spell checking and hyphenation can be set in the Language Options dialog box.
3.	The Check spelling box contains several options related to what types of words should be included in the spellcheck. To include words in all caps, click the appropriate checkbox.
4.	To check words, including numbers, click the Words with numbers checkbox.
5.	To make your spellcheck case sensitive (checks for proper capitalization), click the Case sensitive checkbox.
6.	To check headers and footers during the spellcheck, click the Check special regions checkbox.
7.	To have the spellcheck function use all the language dictionaries installed, click the All languages checkbox.
8.	To check spelling as you type, click the Autospellcheck option to select it.
9.	You can also create new custom dictionary files, or edit the available dictionary files (you can add or remove words from the dictionary list). To create a new dictionary file, click the New button in the Custom dictionaries area.
10.	In the New Dictionary box that appears, supply a name for the new dictionary and select the language for the dictionary. Then click OK.
11.	To edit any of the dictionaries, select the dictionary name, then click the Edit button. You can then add or delete items from the dictionary's word list. Click Close upon completion. You can delete any dictionary file by selecting the dictionary and then clicking the Delete button.
12.	To set hyphenation rules such as automatic hyphenation, click the appropriate checkbox in the Hyphenation rules box.
13.	To change the default language, select from the Default language drop-down box.
14.	To close the Options dialog box, click OK.

To Set Color Options

You can actually add, delete, or edit the colors supplied by the StarOffice default color library.

1.	Open the Options dialog box (choose Tools, then Options).
2.	Select the General group, then select Colors (see Figure 14.5). Figure 14.5. You can modify, delete, or add colors in the default color palette.
3.	To delete a color, click the color and then click the Delete button. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
4.	To edit a color, click the Edit button. The Color dialog box will appear, containing a color gradation palette. You can modify a color by clicking on the gradation palette and selecting a new range for the color. You can also modify a color by changing the percentage of a particular primary color such as cyan or magenta. Click OK after modifying the color's settings.
5.	You can also modify a color directly in the Options dialog box. Use the Red, Green, or Blue spin boxes to change the percentage of any of these colors for RGB colors (color type is selected in the Color sample drop-down box). If you select CMYK as the color type, you can edit the amount of cyan, magenta, yellow, or black.
6.	After modifying the settings using the various spin boxes, click the Modify button to actually change the color to the new settings.
7.	To create a new color, click the Add button. You will be asked to supply a new name for the color.
8.	You can then modify or edit the new color (which will appear at the end of the color palette) using Step 4 or Steps 5 and 6.
9.	When you have completed your color modifications, click OK to close the dialog box.

To Set Print Options

This option group is pretty lightweight (in terms of the number of choices) when compared to the other General group settings. Click on Print in the Options dialog box to view these options.

You have two options that you can select that will open warning boxes when you go to print and there is a violation in relation to the option. Select Paper size to receive a warning if a document requires a paper size not currently supported by the printer. Select the Paper orientation checkbox if the document orientation does not match the default orientation of the printer.

To Set Font Replacement Options

The Font Replacement options allow you to replace default fonts with other fonts from a replacement table. This is another set of options that you may want to think twice about changing, unless your system just cannot display certain default fonts on your monitor. You can replace a font with a substitute that can be displayed. This set of options can also be used in cases where your printer does not support a particular font and you would like to select a replacement.

1.	Open the Options dialog box (choose Tools, then Options).
2.	Select the General group, then select Font replacement.
3.	To replace a font or fonts, click the Apply replacement table checkbox at the top of the dialog box.
4.	Use the Font drop-down list to select the font that will be replaced.
5.	Use the Replace with drop-down box to select the font that will serve as the replacement.
6.	Click the Apply button to verify the replacement. The replacement will appear in the replacement table (see Figure 14.6). Figure 14.6. Fonts can be replaced by selecting a replacement font.
7.	To replace the font always (on screen and at the printer), click the Always checkbox. To only replace the font on the screen, select the Screen checkbox.
8.	Add other replacement sets as needed.
9.	You can reset the replacement list at any time by clicking Back.
10.	To close the Options dialog box, click OK.

To Set View Options

You can also change the look and feel of the StarOffice Desktop, using the View options. These options include whether the logo is displayed by StarOffice, whether the look and feel of the Desktop is for a different operating system than your default (like Windows) such as Macintosh or X-Windows, and the size of the buttons on the toolbars.

1.	Open the Options dialog box (choose Tools, then Options).
2.	Select the General group, then select View.
3.	To change the logo display, click the Logo drop-down list and select an alternative (such as Don't show).
4.	To select the look and feel of the Desktop (for an operating system other than the one you are running), click the Look and Feel drop-down list and select an alternative (such as OS/2 or X-Windows).
5.	To select button alternatives, use the checkboxes provided in the Button box.
6.	Also select any of the other display options such as Menu follows mouse pointer or Colored tab controls in the Options box.
7.	To close the Options dialog box, click OK.

To Set Desktop Options

The Desktop options primarily relate to the icons on the Desktop, their spacing, and if they are free or set to AutoArrange when moved. In the Options dialog box, select the General group, then select Desktop.

Select Free, Snap to grid, or AutoArrange to set icon positioning. To set icon spacing, use the Horizontal and Vertical spin boxes provided. Click Close on the Options dialog box when you have completed making your Desktop option selections.

To Set Other Options

There always seems to be a miscellaneous category called Other. In this case, the Other options that you may want to configure are related to whether the Help Agent starts automatically or if tips are shown at the bottom of the StarOffice Desktop.

In the Options dialog box, select the General group, then select Other. Select or deselect (as needed) the Help Agent's start automatically checkbox. If you do not wish to display tips on the desktop, deselect the Show Tips checkbox. Click Close on the Options dialog box when you have finished making your selections.