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<helpdocument version="1.0">
	
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<meta>
  <topic id="textswriterguidetext_direct_cursorxml" indexer="include" status="PUBLISH">
    <title xml-lang="en-US" id="tit">Using the Direct Cursor</title>
    <filename>/text/swriter/guide/text_direct_cursor.xhp</filename>
  </topic>
</meta>
<body>
<bookmark xml-lang="en-US" branch="index" id="bm_id3155178"><bookmark_value>text; cursor</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>entering text with direct cursor</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>direct cursor; settings</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>writing with direct cursor</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>cursor;direct cursor</bookmark_value>
<bookmark_value>settings;direct cursor</bookmark_value>
</bookmark>
<h1 xml-lang="en-US" id="hd_id3155178"><variable id="text_direct_cursor"><link href="text/swriter/guide/text_direct_cursor.xhp">Using the Direct Cursor</link></variable></h1>
      <paragraph xml-lang="en-US" id="par_id3155908" role="paragraph">The direct cursor allows you to enter text anywhere on a page.</paragraph>
      <paragraph xml-lang="en-US" id="par_id3155921" role="paragraph">To set the behavior of the direct cursor, choose <switchinline select="sys"><caseinline select="MAC"><emph>%PRODUCTNAME - Preferences</emph></caseinline><defaultinline><emph>Tools - Options</emph></defaultinline></switchinline><emph> - %PRODUCTNAME Writer - Formatting Aids</emph>.</paragraph>
      <list type="ordered">
         <listitem>
            <paragraph xml-lang="en-US" id="par_idN106A3" role="listitem">On the <menuitem>Tools</menuitem> bar, click the <menuitem>Direct Cursor</menuitem> icon 
<image id="img_id3149846" src="cmd/sc_shadowcursor.png" width="1cm" height="1cm"><alt xml-lang="en-US" id="alt_id3149846">Icon</alt></image>. Alternatively, enable <emph>Direct Cursor</emph> by going to <menuitem>Edit - Direct Cursor Mode</menuitem>.</paragraph>
         </listitem>
         <listitem>
            <paragraph xml-lang="en-US" id="par_idN106C5" role="listitem">Click in a free space in the text document. The mouse pointer changes to reflect the alignment that will be applied to the text that you type:</paragraph>
         </listitem>
      </list>

  <table id="tab_id151637758600046">
    <tablerow>
        <tablecell>
            <paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id561637758600046">
<image src="media/helpimg/dircursleft.png" id="img_id961637758600046" width="1cm" height="1cm"><alt id="alt_id311637758600046">Align left</alt></image>
            </paragraph>
       </tablecell>
       <tablecell>
           <paragraph id="par_id321637758600046" role="paragraph">Align left</paragraph>
       </tablecell>
    </tablerow>
    <tablerow>
        <tablecell>
            <paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id561637758600047">
<image src="media/helpimg/dircurscent.png" id="img_id961637758600047" width="1cm" height="1cm"><alt id="alt_id311637758600047">Centered</alt></image>
            </paragraph>
       </tablecell>
       <tablecell>
           <paragraph id="par_id321637758600047" role="paragraph">Centered</paragraph>
       </tablecell>
    </tablerow>
    <tablerow>
        <tablecell>
            <paragraph role="paragraph" id="par_id561637758600048">
<image src="media/helpimg/dircursright.png" id="img_id961637758600048" width="1cm" height="1cm"><alt id="alt_id311637758600048">Align right</alt></image>
            </paragraph>
       </tablecell>
       <tablecell>
           <paragraph id="par_id321637758600048" role="paragraph">Align right</paragraph>
       </tablecell>
    </tablerow>
  </table>

      <list type="ordered" startwith="3">
         <listitem>
            <paragraph xml-lang="en-US" id="par_idN1071D" role="listitem">Type your text. %PRODUCTNAME automatically inserts the required number of blank lines, and, if the options are enabled, tabs and spaces.</paragraph>
         </listitem>
      </list>

      <section id="relatedtopics">
      <embed href="text/swriter/guide/templates_styles.xhp#templates_styles"/>
      <embed href="text/shared/guide/standard_template.xhp#standard_template"/>
      </section>
  </body>
</helpdocument>
