DataForm Adds Efficient Input to OpenOffice.org Calc

“DataForm is based on a similar feature in Microsoft Excel. In
both cases, the feature exists because of the difficulty of
entering information in spreadsheet cells. To enter data in any
spreadsheet, you must either use the input field on the toolbar or
click in the field directly; neither choice is particularly
convenient. You can use the tab or arrow keys to move around once
the cursor is in a cell, but the information you enter may not be
immediately visible unless you have taken the effort to customize
column widths. DataForm bypasses these limitations by offering a
third option: A small form of the sort you can create for entering
data in OpenOffice.org’s Base.

“Currently at version 0.6.0 but in rapid development, DataForm
claims to be compatible with OpenOffice.org 2.1 or higher, but, in
my testing, it worked only with OpenOffice.org 3.0. Since its
listing also suggests using DataForm with StarOffice 8.0, Update 5,
the extension may also work with the latest versions of
OpenOffice.org 2.4.

“You can install DataForm, like any extension, from Tools ->
Extension Manager. Unlike a growing number of extensions, it does
not require Java, but is written in OpenOffice.org’s own macro
language, which may explain why it is faster than many extensions I
have investigated recently.”

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