If you want to interact with Microsoft Office Word documents, you might also consider the Apache POI project, which provides Java APIs specifically for that purpose: <http://poi.apache.org/>.
If you want to interact with the Microsoft Office applications (not just the documents), you need to use the interop features of those applications. That sort of information is available via MSDN Online. That interaction is via an Object Model that involves use of OLE Automation or .NET programming (VB.net, C#, etc). I assume you mean Open Office Writer, not Open Word, and the links from Joost are a good place to start. There is also information on the OpenOffice Forums at <http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/> where the use of scripts and macros might be an easier start. Look under "Customizing and Extending." And, if you want a way to learn some things about programming, consider joining the Codecademy "Year of Code." There have been two lessons so far so you can catch up reasonably quickly: <http://www.codecademy.com/>. There is an active Q&A where beginners help each other over any rough spots. It starts with JavaScript. That provides an easy on-ramp to use of some fundamental concepts that are adaptable to what you will need in using any other programming model. (I don't know when other languages will be introduced, although I think Python is on their list also.) - Dennis -----Original Message----- From: Joost Andrae [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 06:37 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Program an add-on for Word Hi Amos, probably reading the pages at http://www.openoffice.org/api/ might be a good place to start with. Am 23.01.2012 06:08, schrieb Amos Denny: > Hi, i know very little about programming but I would like to write a program > that will interact with currently existing MS word or Open Word. If you > could give me some place to start I would really appreciate it. I would like > to know what kind of programming I need to learn or where to get started. > Thank you for our time. > > Amos Kind regards, Joost
