How ONLYOFFICE Docs works 7

ONLYOFFICE Docs is an online productivity suite that allows you to create text documents , spreadsheets and presentations in an extremely simple way and with high standards of security and privacy (AES-256 encryption on the server is used and full compliance is ensured with the GDPR). It offers full compatibility with Microsoft Office files and includes tons of features. With the arrival of version 7 , new possibilities have been introduced to create documents with fillable fields, protect sheets and workbooks with passwords, collaborate with other users and much more.

The suite is developed by IT experts of Ascensio System SIA , a leading company in the IT field with headquarters in Riga, Latvia, and is available in various versions: the free Community version is distributed under the AGPLv3 license (with the release of Docs v7 .0, the source code of the professional editing functions has also been made available, such as those for comparing documents and checking contents) and can be downloaded and installed on your server or NAS thanks to convenient packages ready for use. use; the paid Enterprise edition(139 euros one-off for personal use, starting from 1020 euros for businesses) can also be used directly via the cloud (without downloading anything) and adds technical support and clustering functionality. Both versions can then be used within ONLYOFFICE Workspace , an open source productivity solution including CRM, projects, calendar, email and document management; they can also be integrated with the most popular file sharing platforms and DMS services, such as ownCloud, Nextcloud, Seafile, SharePoint, Alfresco, Confluence and Nuxeo.

Finally, the Developer edition of ONLYOFFICE Docs for developers (for a fee), a free personal version of ONLYOFFICE to be used directly from the browser (without downloading or installing anything on your server) and the free ONLYOFFICE applications for desktop and mobile systems are also available. . In short, we are dealing with an extremely versatile suite, suitable for everyone, able to provide a very valid alternative to Microsoft and Google office solutions: let me talk about it in more detail and introduce you to the many innovations introduced with the version 7.

Index

• Main functions of ONLYOFFICE
  • Text editor
  • Spreadsheet Editor
  • Presentation editor
• How to get ONLYOFFICE

Main functions of ONLYOFFICE

As mentioned above, ONLYOFFICE includes everything you need to create text documents (including fillable forms), spreadsheets and presentations through a very intuitive tabbed interface, even in Italian, that anyone who has used Microsoft Office will surely find familiar. .

Text editor

The ONLYOFFICE text editor allows you to open, create and edit Word documents in a very simple way and respecting the original layout at all stages: viewing , editing and printing .

It supports all major document formats ( .DOC , .DOCX , .ODT , .TXT, .PDF and .HTML ) and allows complete editing . For example, it allows you to change fonts, spacing, margins, styles, etc. and to insert images, shapes, tables, Text Art and other content. It also allows you to view the count of words, paragraphs and characters (with or without spacing), to search / replace words or phrases and to see the history of the versions to restore those of your interest. It also allows you to compare different documents (or different versions of the same document) and collaborate in real time with other users to simultaneously edit documents.

With version 7 there are important new features (available in all variants of the suite), for example the possibility of creating fillable forms complete with text fields, combo boxes, drop-down lists, check boxes, radio buttons and images, starting from scratch or ready-to-use templates; all with advanced field properties and extensive possibilities for aesthetic customization (eg to adjust border / background colors, move and rotate fields, add suggestions and placeholders). The final result can be saved as a PDF or OFORM file to share and compile online.

Other important innovations are the support for the dark mode , to work in the evening without straining the eyes; the ability to automatically replace local links and paths with hyperlinks; data selection for the option to merge emails from local files and URLs; the ordering of comments by date and author; two view modes for reviews (in speech bubbles when clicked or tooltips when hovering over them) and new zoom options for interface and documents (up to 500%) .

Finally, to underline the many supported keyboard shortcuts , now viewable by holding down the Alt key on the keyboard.

As if all the functions listed above weren’t enough, ONLYOFFICE also allows you to use third-party add-ons to insert videos from YouTube, special symbols, translate contents, edit images and much more. More info here .

Spreadsheet Editor

The ONLYOFFICE spreadsheet editor offers more than 400 functions and formulas to work on files such as those in Excel format ( .XLSX / .XLS ), in .ODS format of LibreOffice / OpenOffice and those .CSV , with the possibility of export everything also as a PDF file.

You can apply preset tables, use named ranges, sort and filter data with tools such as pivot tables and conditional formatting , insert various types of charts , use macros (in JavaScript ), and remove duplicate values ​​and rows to make more precise calculations. Obviously, just like the ONLYOFFICE text editor, the spreadsheet editor also allows real-time collaboration with other users and the use of third-party add- ons .

Among the main innovations of version 7 we find the possibility to protect separate sheets and workbooks with a password (just go to the Protection tab ), to prepare data for reports and analyzes by opening and saving query tables that combine data from one or more tables , the ability to navigate through previous drafts and restore them if needed (by default, each draft is saved as a version when the last user closes the spreadsheet).

Also, when working with other users in real time you can see their selections marked with different colors .

Obviously there is no shortage of news regarding zooming, sorting comments and viewing the revisions mentioned above for the text editor. More info here .

Presentation editor

ONLYOFFICE presentation software offers a wide range of tools to create professional looking presentations. It fully supports PowerPoint presentations ( .PPTX and .PPT ), but also LibreOffice and OpenOffice .ODP presentations , allowing you to insert titles , images , videos (even from YouTube ) , audio elements , shapes , clipart and transition effects . Each element can be easily modified, even in bulk, by selecting more than one content at a time.

Among the main novelties of version 7 is a further simplification for adding and editing transitions in slides with the Transitions tab which includes everything you need: you can choose between different types of transitions, adjust their parameters and settings in a couple of clicks.

There is also support for animations : when playing slides containing animations, the ONLYOFFICE editor starts playing all animated elements automatically (adding animations to presentations will be available in the next version).

Also new for local links and paths , which can now be replaced with hyperlinks, and for exporting presentations , which can now also take place in .PNG or .JPG (as well as in the previously supported presentation formats). More info here .

How to get ONLYOFFICE

If you want to get ONLYOFFICE, all you have to do is choose the version you prefer (find the comparison table here ) and proceed accordingly.

• ONLYOFFICE Docs Community Edition(free and open source , ideal for personal purposes and for simple commercial activities) – linked to this page , download the image of the most suitable suite for you (the one for Docker, Debian / Ubuntu and derivatives, CentOS / RHEL and derivatives, Windows Server 2012 or higher etc.) and install it on your server or NAS as you would any other similar application.
• ONLYOFFICE Docs Enterprise Edition(free for 30 days and then with prices starting from 139 euros for home use and 1020 euros for business use, ideal for those who need editing and security functions for companies, priority access to security and stability updates and support) – link to this page and download the installation package of your choice. You can also connect the suite with your chosen platform via  ready-to-use connectors .
• ONLYOFFICE Docs Developer Edition(free for 30 days and then with prices starting from 1275 euros per server for development and from 5875 euros / year for production, ideal if you are a developer looking for a solution to extend the functions of your service and provide them to your customers under your brand) – connect to this page and download the installation package of your choice. You can also integrate the suite with your platform via  API .
• ONLYOFFICE cloud(cloud-based without having to download or configure anything; free for 30 days and then with variable prices based on the chosen plan ) – connect to this page and fill out the form that is proposed to you with the requested data (then remember to check your account via the link you receive via email). You will directly access the suite management panel, including CRM, document management, email etc. If you need to use ONLYOFFICE for school or university, you can get it for free by clicking on the appropriate button and filling out the form that appears.
• ONLYOFFICE personal(free and cloud-based, ideal for basic personal use; for those who do not want to configure anything) – connect to this page and fill out the registration form. Then click on the verification link received via email, enter your name, surname and password on the page that is proposed to you and you will access the free personal version of ONLYOFFICE to create and modify your documents.
• ONLYOFFICE desktop applications(free) – linked to this page , click on the download button for the operating system you are using: it is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux. Once the download is complete, proceed with the installation of the software by opening the executable obtained and following the instructions on the screen (basically just click on “Next”).
• ONLYOFFICE mobile applications(free) – ONLYOFFICE is also available as an app for Android, on the Play Store and on the HUAWEI AppGallery , and as an app for iOS / iPadOS, on the App Store .

For more information, I refer you to the official website of ONLYOFFICE, where you can find a help center with many informative articles on the suite, but also webinars and training courses . If you want to contact ONLYOFFICE staff directly, however, you can find all the contact details here .