2009/5/14 First Last <[email protected]> > I want to insert a string into a cell using keystrokes. I'm sorry this will > seem overdone, but I want people to know I've tried to research this on my > own. > > I'm using Open Office 3.0-r14320, I use PCLinuxOS and this version of Open > Office came from the PCLinuxOS repository. For some reason, there are no > Open Office help files installed (in Calc, F1 creates error). > > The string I want to insert is the current date, this is a static number. > I don't want the date() function, nor do I want the time() function, nor do > I want any other function which will change when F9 is pressed. I also do > not wish to 'work around' by pasting a function then later copy and paste > the value of the cell over the function. I do not want to use nor do I want > to create a 'Macro'. I'm not asking 'how do I change the format of the > current (or any other) cell'. > > What I want is to do is insert into the active cell a string which > represents 'now', now means 'this exact moment in time' (well, 'now' > according to system clock). The value of the string is static, because it > represents the numerical value of the ONE moment when the insert keys were > pressed. F9 won't change it, recalculation won't change it. Directly editing > the cell CAN change it. Maybe it will look like this: 38755.1204, and a few > seconds later, like this: 38755.1911. I think that is the format of the Open > Office Calc internal date string. > > I would like an action similar to Excel 97 where I press a modifier key and > FOR EXAMPLE the double quote (") key and poof, a number which represents > this moment in time, right now, is inserted into the current cell. > > To help you get what I mean, current descriptions on the Microsoft Excel > website describe the keys as "ctrl +", but I stopped using Excel .... I hope > you do not wonder why. > > I'll select a date format for the the cell outside of this request (usually > I format the whole column to a specific date format, I'm pretty sure I'm > still capable of that much, but I have my senior moments). > > I've searched the mailing list archives for 'date string', but after 45 > minutes of reading, the list of what I've found seems to have no answer. > > Examples that aren't what I want: > http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?listName=users&msgNo=136052 > results in a discussion for an older version of OO: "It's in the menu > INSERT->FIELDS->DATE" > Insert menu still exists, but 'fields' is not there any more. > > http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?listName=users&msgNo=180920 > results in discussing how to format a cell with a string. > > http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?listName=users&msgNo=191309 > also discusses INSERT->FIELDS->DATE as well as discussing formatting fields > > I realized that since message 191309 is a message that was posted on 18 Jan > 09, I'd have to refer to posts more recent than 18 Jan 09. > > One post that I found ( > http://www.openoffice.org/servlets/ReadMsg?listName=users&msgNo=195082) > contains a VERY near miss: > o Go to Tools | Customize... | Keyboard. > o At the top right, select the appropriate radio > button - for OpenOffice.org or for the relevant component. > o Under Category, select Insert. > o Under Function, select Date. > o Under "Shortcut keys", select your preferred keystroke. > o Click Modify and OK. > > Under the Function category, I do not see an item called "Date". I wish it > were there! > > I must be just a few fractions of a revision behind the 8 ball..... > > Any ideas? > TIA. >
There's an extension that I think fits the bill.It's at < http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/taxonomy/term/70>. It's written by/for a German user so you need to tinker with the date formats it produces. There's a discussion of how to do this, and of how to use the extension, at <http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?t=74711>. Hmm. I'm not sure if it will work in OOo 3.x; it works in my 2.4.1. You may need to dink the "version value" field in the extension. To do this, ensure you save the extension prior to installing it. Open the downloaded/saved .oxt file with whatever is your equivalent of WinZip (gZip???). You'll see several filenames. Open the one named "description.xml" in a text editor. You'll see a tag '<version value="2.0.3"/>'. Change the "2.0.3" appropriately and save the changed "description.xml" back into the .oxt archive. Now install the extension. Hmm again. The extension's version value is 2.0.3 but it ran happily in my 2.4.1 so perhaps the version value field is ignored. You might want to try installing/running the extension as is and only if it doesn't install/run properly change the version value field as described above. -- Harold Fuchs London, England Please reply *only* to [email protected]
