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CHANGE A DOCUMENT (RED-LINING OR TRACKING CHANGES)

Red-Lining or Tracking Changes

”Red-lining” or “tracking changes” is the name given to a mode of editing that allows you to make changes while retaining the original material. For example, when you delete a word or words, OpenOffice draws a colored line through the word(s) but doesn't remove them. When you send the file to another person, he or she will be able to see what you have proposed as changes and what was there originally.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to accept or reject all of the proposed changes or one change at a time. You will be given exercises for proposed changes, adding a comment, and accepting or rejecting the changes.

Use The Edit/Change Function

Changes are usually marked in red but you may select another color of your choice by clicking "Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Writer > Changes". Click on the and scroll until you find the color you want.

We will use red in this tutorial. Record marks changes in red (or another color) as you make them. Show allows you to see the changes in red (or another color).

1. Click Edit > Changes.

2. Click Record if there is no check mark before Record. (With just a check mark by “Record”, if you make changes, you cannot see them until you place your pointer on the place where the changes were made.)

3. Click on Show if there is no check mark before Show to see the changes marked in red. (To see the changes marked in red as you make them, Record and Show must have check marks beside them.)

4. Click Record again to remove the check mark. (Your changes will NOT be marked in red.)

Add A Word

1. Click File > New > Text Document. (The document appears.)

2. Click Edit > Changes > Record. (Make sure that Record is not checked.

3. Type By doing exercises in this tutorial, you will learn how to use red-lining. Click in the space between doing and exercises.

4. IF the cursor is not touching the "e" of exercises, press the right arrow key. (The cursor moves one space to the right.)

5. Click Edit > Changes > Record. ("Record" is now checked.)

6. Type the word, the. Press the space bar key. (The word, “the”, appears in red and is underlined.)

Delete A Word

1. Click Edit > Changes > Record. (Make sure that Record is not checked.)

2. Type The technique, red-lining or tracking changes, gives you different methods to add, delete, or make a comment in your document.

3. Click Edit > Changes > Record. ("Record" is now checked.)

4. Highlight (select) the word, different, then press the delete key. (The word, “different”, appears in red and has a line through it.)

Make A Comment

To add Comments, the cursor must be on something that has been changed (on something red). To see your comment, Extended tips has to be activated. Click Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > General. Under Help, click Tips and Extended tips to put check marks beside them.

1. Click Edit > Changes > Record. Make sure that Record is not checked. ("Record" is unchecked.)

2. Type Red-lining is a way to show the changes you propose in a document.

3. Click Edit > Changes > Record. ("Record" is now checked.)

4. Click in the space between show and the. Type other people. (The words, other people, appear in red and are underlined.)

5. Click on the red, underlined words, other people.

6. Click Edit > Changes > Comment. (The “Comment: Insertion” window appears. After the word “Author” there is your name, date and time of comment.)

7. In the Text box, type the words, clearer wording, then click OK. (The “Comment: Insertion” window closes. )

8. Now put your cursor anywhere on the words, other people. After a few seconds, your comment will appear in a pop-up window.

Accept Or Reject Changes

1. Click Edit > Changes > Record. Make sure that Record is not checked. ("Record" is now unchecked.)

2. Type the words, John is flying to New York to visit his parents, Joe and Mary Falcon, and his grandparents, Paul and Cindy Falcon.

3. Click Edit > Changes > Record. ("Record" is now checked.)

4. Highlight and delete the words, and his grandparents, Paul and Cindy Falcon. (The words, "and his grandparents, Paul and Cindy Falcon", appear in red and have a line through them.)

5. Place the cursor after the word, Falcon. Type the words, who live near New York. Press the space bar. (The words, " who live near New York", appear in red and are underlined.)

6. Click Edit > Changes > Accept or Reject. (The “Accept or Reject Changes” window opens. Both the window and the document can be seen.)

7. If needed, drag the Accept or Reject Changes window out of the way. (To drag the window, put the cursor on the blue line that has "Accept or Reject Changes.." Press and hold down the left button on the mouse and move the mouse in the direction you want to move the window. Release the mouse button when the window is where you want it.)

8. Click on the Accept All button. (All changes become permanent: the red-lined words are added or deleted or changed and become ordinary text.)

9. Changes can be accepted or rejected one change at a time. To do this, highlight (select) a change then click either the Accept button or the Reject button. (Each selected change becomes permanent: the red-lined words are added, deleted or changed and become ordinary text.)

10. Click the X at the upper right of the Accept or Reject Changes window. (The "Accept or Reject Changes" window closes.)

Close File

1. Click File > Close > Discard. (When a file has been changed, you will see the message below.)

2. The document is no longer on the screen. The changes to the document are not saved.

NOTE

Edited by Sue Barron

Last modified: Monday, 12-Mar-2007 20:09:07 EST

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution2.5 License.