[Solved] Cannot delete files from OpenOffice icon in dock

[kadon]

I cannot delete Open Office files. I went to help section and was told I would need to install JRE.
I do not want to install Java on my MAC if I can help it.

Is it not possible just to delete the files?

[RoryOF]

You can easily delete any file at operating system level. Outside of OpenOffice, highlight the icon of that file and press the Delete key, or right click on it and select Delete from the popup menu.

[kadon]

Sorry I should have explained furthrer. I can delete them directly from my desktop, but
when I click on the Icon for OO (in the dock of my Mac) they remain listed there.
It is from that list that I cannot delete them.

[MrProgrammer]

but when I click on the Icon for OO (in the dock of my Mac) they remain listed there.

Mac OS X is keeping track of them in the Dock, not OpenOffice, so you need to make changes from the Mac OS X side. On my system the relevant file is ~/Library/Preferences/org.openoffice.script.LSSharedFileList.plist, though it may depend on the Mac OS X level. You could remove individual files with Apple's Propertly List Editor application. If your system doesn't have that, you will have to download/install it from Apple. If you want to get rid of all of the Dock history for OpenOffice, Quit OpenOffice and then drag that file to the Trash. Disclaimer: I haven't tried that. If that action causes something to break, Quit OpenOffice again and restore the file from the Trash.

The simplest solution is to just ignore the list for a while. As you edit new files, their names should replace older ones in the Dock. After a while all the old ones will be gone. Just let Apple manage the list and ignore entries you don't like. If you're using the list to open files, try File → Recent Documents inside OpenOffice. That is controlled by OpenOffice and you can manage its size and entries with the History Master extension. Or open your file by typing its name (or a portion thereof or text within the file) in the Spotlight window.

If this solved your problem please go to your first post use the Edit button and add [Solved] to the start of the title. You can select the green checkmark icon at the same time.

[kadon]

I tried to drag them into trash but no go. I will follow your other suggestion and if not successful will wait patiently until they leave of their own accord. Thank you very much for comprehensive answer.