Selecting multiple objects

You can select multiple objects at the one time in some word processing and publishing programs, if you hold the Shift key as you click each in turn. If the objects are all in the same location, click the Pointer tool on the Objects toolbar and click and drag a rectangle around the objects to select them. In some other publishing programs, you will need to use the CTRL key, just as you do when selecting multiple entries in a list of files. You will need to experiment or consult the Help file to find what applies to your program.

If you want to select all objects in a given area, most publishing programs will let you drag a rectangle across the area and select all objects which fall completely within your rectangle. If the visible object is surrounded by a large white/transparent area, the rectangle will need to be considerably larger than the visible object in order for the object to fall completely in it. To select all objects on the page or in the document, try Edit/Select all and see what it selects.

Both of these methods work in StarOffice/OpenOffice.org when constructing Drawing or Impress (Presentation) documents. They do not work in text documents.

In NewDeal Office, Edit/Select all will select all graphical objects, including text frames, in the graphical layer if the pointer tool is selected, and all text in the text layer if the text tool is selected. If the document is divided into sections, you should only select objects within a section. Otherwise, you will not be able to do anything with them.