Can I help?

I am a recently retired technical author with a background in software development. I would like to continue to utilise my technical skills on a voluntary basis.

Please could you advise how I can get involved with helping to development and update LibreOffice documentation?

Regards,

Steve Fanning

Hello Steve

Welcome to the documentation list.

Please have a look at the page

https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/join-the-documentation-team/

And let us know where you think you can add your value to our project.

Looking forward to hear your,

Kind regards
Olivier

Hello Olivier,

Thank you for getting back to me and providing the link.

In the first instance I would be interested in helping to produce and maintain your technical books. Is that an area in which you need assistance currently?

Regards,

Steve

I notice from other threads that the team is currently focused on updating the Calc v6.0 user guide.

I now have a User ID for Nextcloud and would like to know if there any aspects of writing or reviewing this document that I could usefully get involved with?

Regards,

Steve Fanning

Hi Steve

In the folder /LibreOffice Documentation/English/Calc Guide/6.2/
you 'll find a spreadsheet with the current status of the
update/revision of the Calc Guide.

Please pick chapter 19 (expected to be a easy start, very few changes,
if any) and update it. You may want to check this page

https://help.libreoffice.org/6.3/en-US/text/scalc/05/02140000.html?DbPAR=CALC#bm_id3146797

As I think it has been updated since then:
https://opengrok.libreoffice.org/history/help/source/text/scalc/05/02140000.xhp

Please put your initials in the spreadsheet.

NOte: you can update the speradsheet directly in the cloud because we
have LibreOffice Online installed in the cloud. Double click the
spreadsheet to open it online.

Note:2. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance in this list.

regards
Olivier

I have reviewed and updated Appendix E of the Calc Guide (entitled Calc Error Codes) for v6.2.

I first updated the file to the latest template, doing this without tracking the changes. I've also made a few minor changes to the body of the document, with change recording on. The file is in the relevant Feedback folder of Nextcloud, ready for review.

Please could somebody suggest which task I could usefully look at next?

Regards,

Steve Fanning

Hi Steve

I couldn't find the references of the additional error codes indicated
on the Help page I mentioned in my mail.

Codes 533, 538, 539, 540.

Ref:
https://help.libreoffice.org/6.3/en-US/text/scalc/05/02140000.html

can you add them too in the main table of the chapter?

Thank you

Kind regards

Olivier

Hi Steve

Please do, because these codes were there from long time, and the Help
has been lagging in the update too. In other words, the codes are valid
for Calc 6.2 (and even before that)

Thank you
Olivier

Hi Steve

I think you got the process working very well. Congrats!

PLease pick a chapter in the list and proceed. Just pick and untouched
file in the control spreadsheet and let us know in the list. The list of
updates must be browsed from this page:

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/Calc/6.x#Sources

Pick the Calc section on each release and see if it applies to the
chapter you are working on. You can also add improvements on your own if
you find pertinent.

Kind regards
Olivier

The 4.1 version of this document includes many figures based on a sample spreadsheet containing sales data in various categories (sailing, tennis, golfing) across four regions (north, east, south and west) by five employees (Kurt, Hans, Fritz, Ute and Brigitte).

Does anybody still have a copy of the spreadsheet used previously, so that I can maintain consistency and use it when creating new figures for the 6.2 version of this chapter?

Regards,

Steve Fanning

Hi Steve,

If you have access to the Nextcloud Documentation "Archive" folders the
following link will get the file "Calc Guide Source Files.zip":
https://nextcloud.documentfoundation.org/s/aXRGbrQHtiLBgWD
There are three files in the zip, you want the one named "Sales List.ods".

If you don't have Nextcloud access write back and I will send you a copy.

Regards
Dave

BTW Steve, many of us make use of the mailing list threading structure
to organize messages in our email clients (eg. Thunderbird).
Your practice of replying to an existing thread and changing the subject
line destroys this threading structure.
It would be much appreciated if you would start a new email when you
want to start a new subject.

Thanks & Regards
Dave

Dave,

Many thanks for that. I do have access to Nextcloud and have downloaded the three files.

Regards,

Steve

Sorry to all, I'll try to improve my etiquette as I learn more about how we work!

Regards,

Steve

Steve,

Just realized you are working on Chapter 8, Using Pivot Tables.

I think that pivot tables should be discussed before pivot charts. Can I assume that you will include a section on pivot charts? I would like to refer to it in the chart chapter.

Cathy

Hi Cathy,

Yes, the draft version of Chapter 8 that I am working on at the moment describes pivot charts.

Regards,

Steve

Hi Steve and Team

In case you have not stumbled up on the Help, I wrote some lines there,
and I have a demo file where you can exercise numbers.

https://help.libreoffice.org/6.3/en-US/text/scalc/guide/pivotchart.html?&DbPAR=CALC&System=UNIX

also, for pivot tables, one recurrent user question is how to format
pivot tables cells. The solution exist but somehow hidden.

On creating a PT, several standard cell styles that are added to the
Styles list in the document. Each style is applied to part of the PT.

Pivot Table Cell Styles:
Pivot Table Categories
Pivot Table Corner
Pivot Table Field
Pivot Table Result
Pivot Table Value
Pivot Table Title

Once you customize the PT styles, then

1) you keep the cell style when updating the PT (and that is crucial
because when you direct-format a PT cell you loose its format when you
update the PT)

2) All PT's in your document will have the same look (same styles
applied to all PTs)

Regards

Olivier

Hi Olivier,
Thank you for that.
I had seen your material on pivot charts and am putting it to good use in drafting the update to Chapter 8.
I am grateful for the information on the PT cell styles which was new to me. I'll add a small section to cover this useful feature.
Regards,
Steve

Hi Steve and Team

In case you have not stumbled up on the Help, I wrote some lines there,
and I have a demo file where you can exercise numbers.

https://help.libreoffice.org/6.3/en-US/text/scalc/guide/pivotchart.html?&DbPAR=CALC&System=UNIX

also, for pivot tables, one recurrent user question is how to format
pivot tables cells. The solution exist but somehow hidden.

On creating a PT, several standard cell styles that are added to the
Styles list in the document. Each style is applied to part of the PT.

Pivot Table Cell Styles:
Pivot Table Categories
Pivot Table Corner
Pivot Table Field
Pivot Table Result
Pivot Table Value
Pivot Table Title

Once you customize the PT styles, then

1) you keep the cell style when updating the PT (and that is crucial
because when you direct-format a PT cell you loose its format when you
update the PT)

2) All PT's in your document will have the same look (same styles
applied to all PTs)

Regards

Olivier