OpenOffice documents in Mac Finder

[noclue]

All I do with Open Office is type "official" letters and make lists. And I don't even do that very well. I still haven't even figured out how to use the tabs, so I am remedial... Please reply accordingly. I'm "no clue" for a reason.

I am a shut-in, so I have to make grocery lists for two different stores. Depending on who is shopping, I need to rearrange items, discard old lists, and replace them with new ones. All of my documents from Open Office are listed alphabetically in Finder. I have gone there to delete old lists, but when I want to use the same list name to replace the deleted one, I get a big red X telling me that the file no longer exists. No, it doesn't, because I have deleted it, but I can't then replace it with a new list using the same name. I am not asked if I want to rename, move, or anything. Just the big red X, leaving me no choices to do anything. I cannot get past it. Why am I not allowed to replace and rename? Because of this "blockade" I am having to look for one list under another lists' name. It's a two-in-one combination platter... At 72, I just know I am going to forget where one of those lists is!

[MrProgrammer]

Operating system conflict

Screen Shot 2019-05-19 at 11.07.15 .png (53.98 KiB) Viewed 4046 times

If using a Mac, please fix your forum signature in User Control Panel → Profile → Edit Signature. If using Windows, please restate your problem. Also please tell us your real OpenOffice version if it is not 3.4. I won't respond until the operating system conflict is resolved.

I get a big red X telling me that the file no longer exists.

Is this a result of using OpenOffice → File → Recent Documents? If so, it is because OpenOffice has no way of knowing that you deleted the file with Finder. If you are doing something else when the "big red X" appears, explain in detail precisely what steps you have taken to produce that situation.

I get a big red X telling me that the file no longer exists. No, it doesn't, because I have deleted it

I don't understand. You know you have deleted the file. Therefore, it no longer exists. The message reports that the file no longer exists. Why do you say "No it doesn't"?

Why am I not allowed to replace and rename?

OpenOffice will let you replace a file when using File → Save As, but renaming would be done outside of OpenOffice in Finder.

I don't understand your process/goal. Please explain that in more detail. For example:
• I have an old list I don't need. I want to create a new, empty list and give it the same name as the old list.
I will guess that what you want is a template but I need to understand what you want to do.

I still haven't even figured out how to use the tabs

The term "tabs" might refer to many features in OpenOffice. Please open a separate topic if you want to discuss that further. I won't help you with that in this topic. Indicate what component of OpenOffice are you using. Writer? Calc? Impress? Draw? Base? Where do you see "tabs". Is that a reference to something on the screen? Or a reference to some documentation? Which documentation?

I just know I am going to forget where one of those lists is!

You can use Finder → File → Find, or other methods, to search, either by file name or by file content. Read Apple's documentation about that feature.

Finder Help topics

[noclue]

I cannot delete any file AT ALL in Open Office. Finder was the only place I could delete a file, but apparently it's not really deleting anything?

I will attend to updating my technical information tomorrow. Other things happening in life...

[RoryOF]

It is best not to delete files using the File dialogs of OpenOffice, as making matters too quick and simple can often (through inadvertence) cause loss of a needed document. Best always to delete documents at operating system level. Note that deleting a file (however done) will still allow its name remain in OpenOffice's Recent Documents list, as OO does not maintain dynamic links to the files it has used or generated. As you use more files the redundant name will be moved off the list.

[noclue]

Good advice, RoryOF. I am used to getting the choice of saving music files with Sonos which will ask what you want to name your file and will allow you to delete entire playlists if you want. That said, Sonos is NOT a word processor and only has to remove items that aren’t permanent anyway. So this old dog has to learn a few new tricks...

[RoryOF]

This document may be informative:
Writer for students (several languages)

[noclue]

Ah, RoryOF. You have most definitely have my number. This is a great learning tool. Thanks so much! I now have homework to do, but since I've had Open Office for over 15 years, I really do need to learn the basics. I just dove in headfirst, and I really didn’t know what I was doing; in fact, I still don’t. So this is going to be really helpful. I’m really appreciative of your posting this for me.