How To Write A Tutorial
Purpose
The purpose of this tutorial is to provide the step-by-step procedure used to write a tutorial for our website www.tutorialsforopenoffice.org A template named Author's Template will be used so that some of the steps needed are already done.
Download This Tutorial And The "Author's Template"
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On the main page page, under Our Tutorial Offerings, click Writer. (The “WRITER (word processing) Tutorials” page appears)
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Scroll down to Chapter 9. At Lesson 2 - Part 1, click on the OO for this tutorial. Select Save To Disk. Click OK. (This tutorial is downloaded to your desktop)
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Click on the here at “Click here to download the template itself”. (The template is downloaded to your desktop.)
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Close the window to our website.
Open and Print This Tutorial
Keep a printed copy of this tutorial available as you do your tutorial.
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In OpenOffice, click File > Open. (The "Open" window appears.) At the left side of the page, in the column of icons, click on the Desktop,
, icon.
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Double-click on the file, "How To Write A Tutorial". (The "How To Write A Tutorial" appears on your screen.)
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Click File > Print > OK.
Open The "Author's Template"
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Click File > Open. (The "Open" window appears.) At the left side of the page, in the column of icons, click on the Desktop,
, icon. Double-click the file, Author's Template. (The "Author's Template" appears on your screen.)
Title Of Your Tutorial
The 1st line of the text document on your screen is formated for the title of your tutorial. Delete the X. On that same line, type the name of your tutorial. Press Enter twice.
Purpose Of Your Tutorial
Write the purpose of your tutorial in a paragraph or two.
Note that most tutorials are a step-by-step procedure to do a specific thing in OpenOffice.
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By pressing “Enter” above, your cursor is at the beginning of a new paragraph and the Paragraph Style: text body is in effect.
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In the Apply Style pull-down menu box, select Heading 1. (The cursor moves to the center of the line.)
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Type the Purpose of your tutorial.
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Write the steps to do something in in a numbered step-by-step format. (You have created a great tutorial.)
Paragraph Headings
A Paragraph Heading is used at the top of one or more paragraphs. Title Of Your Tutorial and Purpose Of Your Tutorial, above, are examples of Paragraph Headings.
Four different Headings are used in our tutorials.
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The Paragraph Style: Heading 1 is centered and is used for major sections.
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The Paragraph Style: Heading 2 is Aligned Left and indented ½ inch. It is used as a sub-section under the Paragraph Style: Heading 1.
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The Paragraph Style: Heading 3 is Aligned Left and indented 1 inch. It is used for a sub-section under the Paragraph Style: Heading 2.
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The Paragraph Style: Heading 4 is Aligned Left and indented 1 ½ inch. It is used for a sub-section under the Paragraph Style: Heading 3.
The Way The Headings Will Appear In Your Tutorial
Paragraph Style: Heading 1
(one or more paragraphs will go here)
Paragraph Style: Heading 2
(one or more paragraphs will go here)
Paragraph Style: Heading 3
(one or more paragraphs will go here)
Paragraph Style: Heading 4
(one or more paragraphs will go here)
Modify the Footer
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Click in the Footer. Delete the name that is in the Footer then add the name of your tutorial.
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Delete the Date. (In the "Footer", click anywhere on the "Date" then press the "Delete" key.)
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Click Insert > Fields > Date to add today's date.
Create A Table Of Contents And Add Hyperlinks
Create A Table Of Contents
A "Table of Contents" is done after you complete your document. The headings and sub-headings in your document become the entries in the "Table of Contents".
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Click after the last word in the title of the document. (The flashing cursor appears after the last letter in the title of your tutorial.)
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Click Insert > Indexes & Tables > Indexes & Tables. (The “Insert Index/Table” window appears.)
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Select the Index/Table tab. In the Type dialog box, select Table Of Contents. Uncheck Protected against manual changes.

Add Hyperlinks To The Table Of Contents
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To make the Hyperlinks, click the Entries tab of the window, click to the left of the E and click Hyperlink. Click after the E and click Hyperlink again. Click All.
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Click OK. (In the "Table of Contents", all the headings are in "blue and underlined" and are now "Hyperlinks". When you click on them, you will be taken to that section.)
Edited by Sue Barron
How To Write A Tutorial 07/11/07