Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Which version of OpenOffice.org are you using? 2.4
What Operating System (version) are you using? Ubuntu Hardy
What is your question or comment?

Is it possible to set new keystrokes for keyboard shortcuts? I'm not asking if I can assign new command to the already existing keystrokes, as I know that this is quite possible. I would like to instead add a new set of keystrokes to the list of possibilities to choose from.

For instance, in MS Word, I could choose my own combo of keys in order to execute a macro (e.g., Alt+P to insert a pi symbol, Alt+Z to italicize, etc...). Currently, I am unable to use those same keystrokes for a keyboard shortcut in OpenOffice, because they are not a listed keystroke combination that appears under Tools->Customize->Keyboard. Is OpenOffice limited to the pre-listed keystroke combinations, or can others be added as well?

Not without some work arounds. See this issue: Special Character Shortcuts

You can do it by using IanNZ's AltKey Handler macro.

There are better solutions in Windows, using the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator to create Custom Keyboards, but I don't know about Ubuntu.

Thanks for the reply. I'll check this out and see if I can offer a followup solution.

I have a related question. (Essentially the same question but with a different platform.) I need to be able to insert two particular symbols with alacrity. The symbols are the paragraph symbol (the sort of backwards "P" thing), and the section symbol (the sort of squiggly thing with a circle in the middle). Here at work I'm stuck on a windows XP machine (I'm completely new to, and antagonistic toward, windows), and I can't figure out how to do it. Previously, using NeoOffice on MacOS X, I could assign those symbols to a key combination. Also, on this damned machine, using MSWord, I can do the same. There MUST be a way to do it in OpenOffice, right?! If not, I'm afraid I really can't use it.

BTW: my problem will not be unique. I'm a lawyer, and lawyers use those symbols a whole lot. If there isn't any keyboard shortcut to insert them, then I don't imagine any lawyer could use the software. I imagine that such a thing is common to other professions too, though. I suspect we all have our special symbols.

If the software doesn't include this functionality now, is there a way for me to submit a bug report or feature request or something?

These ones?
§ ¶
You can use this extension:
http://extensions.services.openoffice.o ... Characters
just type s- for the first, p- for the second, and use a keyboard short-cut of your choice.

Easy enough in Windows using the Alter Key + Numeric Keypad

Alt + 20 = ¶
Alt + 21 = §

Also convenient with Autocorrect. Add entries for:

:p = ¶
:s = §