OpenOffice.org facts for kids
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The Start Center from OpenOffice.org v3.2.1
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| Original author(s) | Star Division (1985–1999) |
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| Developer(s) | Sun Microsystems (1999–2009) Oracle Corporation (2010–2011) |
| Initial release | 1 May 2002 |
| Written in | C++ and Java |
| Operating system | Linux, OS X, Microsoft Windows, Solaris |
| Platform | IA-32, x86-64, PowerPC, SPARC |
| Predecessor | StarOffice |
| Successor | LibreOffice Apache OpenOffice |
| Standard(s) | OpenDocument |
| Available in | 121 languages |
| Type | Office productivity suite |
| License | Dual-licensed under the SISSL and GNU LGPL (OpenOffice.org 2 Beta 2 and earlier) GNU LGPL version 3 (OpenOffice.org 2 and later) |
OpenOffice.org was a free computer program that helped people do office tasks. It was an open-source office suite, meaning its code was available for anyone to see and change. This program started from an older, paid program called StarOffice. Sun Microsystems bought StarOffice in 1999. In 2000, Sun made the software free for everyone. The first official version of OpenOffice.org came out on May 1, 2002.
Later, Oracle Corporation bought Sun. Development of OpenOffice.org slowed down and eventually stopped. In 2011, Oracle gave the project to the Apache Software Foundation. This led to a new version called Apache OpenOffice. However, many original developers created their own version called LibreOffice in 2010. LibreOffice is still actively updated today.
OpenOffice.org included several useful programs. It had a word processor (Writer), a spreadsheet program (Calc), and a presentation maker (Impress). It also offered tools for drawing (Draw), managing databases (Base), and creating math formulas (Math). Its main way of saving files was the OpenDocument Format (ODF). This format was actually created by OpenOffice.org. The suite could also open many other file types, including those from Microsoft Office. OpenOffice.org worked on different computer systems like Linux, Microsoft Windows, and OS X.
Contents
A Look Back: The Story of OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org began with a program called StarOffice. This program was made by a German company called Star Division starting in 1985. In 1999, Sun Microsystems bought Star Division. Sun decided to make StarOffice's code free for everyone. They wanted to create a free office program.
On July 19, 2000, Sun announced this big change. The project was named OpenOffice.org. The ".org" was added to avoid problems with existing brand names. The code became public on October 13, 2000. The first official version, OpenOffice.org 1.0, was released on May 1, 2002.
OpenOffice.org quickly became popular. It was often included with Linux computers. It became a strong competitor to Microsoft Office. Sun also created the OpenDocument Format (ODF) for OpenOffice.org. This format made it easier to share and use data. ODF became the standard way OpenOffice.org saved files starting with version 2.0.
Sun led the development of OpenOffice.org. They also continued to sell a paid version called StarOffice. Other companies, like IBM, used the OpenOffice.org code for their own programs.
Changes and New Paths
In 2010, Oracle Corporation bought Sun. Many people worried about the future of OpenOffice.org. Oracle reduced the number of developers working on it. Because of these concerns, many community members left. They started a new group called The Document Foundation (TDF) in September 2010.
TDF then created a new version of the software called LibreOffice. This happened in January 2011. Many Linux systems quickly switched to using LibreOffice.
In April 2011, Oracle stopped working on OpenOffice.org. They gave the project to the Apache Software Foundation in June 2011. This led to the creation of Apache OpenOffice.
Why the Name "OpenOffice.org"?
People often called the program "OpenOffice." But its official name was "OpenOffice.org." This was because "OpenOffice" was already a registered brand name in some places. For example, in Brazil, it was called "BrOffice.org" for a while.
What Could OpenOffice.org Do?
OpenOffice.org aimed to be a top office program for everyone. It wanted to work on all major computer systems. It also wanted to make all its features and data accessible through open standards.
The Main Programs
OpenOffice.org came with several programs, each for a different task:
| Icon | Program Name | What it Did |
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Writer | This was like Microsoft Word. You used it to write letters, reports, and other documents. |
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Calc | This was like Microsoft Excel. It helped you work with numbers, create charts, and organize data in spreadsheets. |
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Impress | This was like Microsoft PowerPoint. You used it to create slideshows and presentations. You could even save them as Flash files. |
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Draw | This was a tool for drawing pictures and diagrams. It was similar to the drawing tools in Microsoft Office. |
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Math | This program helped you create and edit mathematical formulas. You could put these formulas into your other OpenOffice.org documents. |
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Base | This was like Microsoft Access. It helped you manage and organize information in databases. It became part of the suite with version 2.0. |
OpenOffice.org did not include an email program or calendar. These features were often requested by users.
Where It Worked
OpenOffice.org worked on many different computer systems. This included Microsoft Windows, Linux, Solaris, and OS X.
Cool Features
OpenOffice.org included various fonts. It also had a feature called Fontwork. This let you create fancy text with special effects, colors, and shapes. It was similar to WordArt in Microsoft Word.
You could also add extra tools to OpenOffice.org. These were called extensions. There were hundreds of extensions available to add new features.
OpenOffice.org also had its own programming language called OpenOffice Basic. It was similar to the language used in Microsoft Office. This allowed users to create custom actions or "macros."
How OpenOffice.org Handled Files
From version 2.0 onwards, OpenOffice.org used the OpenDocument Format (ODF) as its main file type. This format is an international standard.
OpenOffice.org could also open and save files in many other formats. This included files from Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. This made it easy to share documents with people who used different office programs.
How OpenOffice.org Was Developed
Over time, OpenOffice.org improved how it looked and felt on different computer systems. Newer versions tried to match the style of the operating system they were running on. For example, later versions on Mac OS X used Apple's native look.
OpenOffice.org used a programming language called Java. At first, there were some concerns because Java was not free software. But later, Java itself became free and open-source.
The program also had security features. While it was possible to create viruses for OpenOffice.org, no widespread viruses were ever found.
Key Versions of OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org 1 Series
The first stable version, OpenOffice.org 1.0, came out on May 1, 2002. It worked on Windows, Linux, and Solaris. A version for Mac OS X came out later.
Version 1.1, released in September 2003, added new features. You could save documents as PDF files with one click. You could also save presentations as Flash files.
OpenOffice.org 2 Series
Development for version 2.0 started in 2003. The goal was to work better with Microsoft Office files and improve performance. Version 2.0 was released on October 20, 2005. This version also made ODF its main file format.
Later updates in the 2.x series added more improvements and fixed bugs. Version 2.4.3, released in September 2009, was the last to support older Windows systems like Windows 98.
OpenOffice.org 3 Series
Version 3.0 was released on October 13, 2008. It brought big changes. It could open Microsoft's newer Office Open XML files. It also had a native look for Mac OS X. This version also introduced the "Start Center" to help users begin new documents.
Version 3.2, released in February 2010, made the program start faster. It also improved support for different fonts. The final version sponsored by Oracle was 3.3, released in January 2011.
How Many People Used OpenOffice.org?
It was hard to know exactly how many people used OpenOffice.org because it was free. People could download it from many places. However, it was very popular.
By July 2010, about 14.63% of users on the Steam gaming platform had OpenOffice.org installed. In some countries like Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany, over 20% of internet users used it.
Even though Microsoft Office was still the most common, OpenOffice.org gained a lot of users. By 2007, it had over 98 million downloads. By 2010, it reached 300 million total downloads.
Who Used It?
Many large organizations used OpenOffice.org. This included Singapore's Ministry of Defence and Banco do Brasil. In 2006, it was the official office program for the French Gendarmerie (a police force).
In India, many government groups and banks used OpenOffice.org. In Japan, several city offices and companies switched from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org.
Where Could You Buy It?
In 2007, some computer companies started selling computers with OpenOffice.org already installed. These computers were available in stores like Wal-Mart.
Other Programs That Came From OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org's code was used to create many other programs. Here are some of the most well-known:
Still Active Today
Apache OpenOffice
In June 2011, Oracle gave the OpenOffice.org code to The Apache Software Foundation. This project became Apache OpenOffice. IBM helped a lot with its early development.
Apache OpenOffice 3.4.0 was released in May 2012. Later, IBM added its own version, Lotus Symphony, into Apache OpenOffice 4.0. Since 2015, Apache OpenOffice has had trouble getting new updates and security fixes. As of July 2025, Apache OpenOffice was still available for download. However, the Apache Software Foundation acknowledged that the software contained multiple unresolved security vulnerabilities at that time.
LibreOffice
Many OpenOffice.org community members were unhappy with Oracle's management. So, in September 2010, they created The Document Foundation. They then launched LibreOffice. This new program aimed to be independent of any single company.
Most Linux systems quickly switched from OpenOffice.org to LibreOffice. LibreOffice gained many developers and new features. It is now considered the main successor to OpenOffice.org.
Collabora Online is a version of LibreOffice that works in a web browser. It allows many people to edit documents together at the same time.
Programs That Are No Longer Updated
NeoOffice
NeoOffice was a special version of OpenOffice.org made for Mac computers. It had a native Mac look and feel. Later versions of NeoOffice were based on LibreOffice.
Go-oo
Go-oo was a project that made OpenOffice.org work better on Linux. It also added new features that Sun was slow to include. Many Linux systems used Go-oo. When LibreOffice started, Go-oo joined forces with it.
IBM Lotus Symphony
IBM Lotus Symphony was a program from IBM that used OpenOffice.org's code. It had a different look and feel. IBM later gave its changes to the Apache Software Foundation. The code was then merged into Apache OpenOffice.
StarOffice
StarOffice was the original paid program that OpenOffice.org came from. Sun Microsystems sold it. After Oracle bought Sun, they renamed it Oracle Open Office. Oracle stopped developing it in April 2011.
Images for kids
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The Start Center for OpenOffice.org 3
