How can I create a toolbar button that applies a thousands-separated number style in OpenOffice.org Calc?

Question

In OpenOffice.org Calc I very often want to format numbers with a thousands separator.

How can I create a toolbar button to do this?

Via the menus, the appropriate format can be applied with Format -> Format Cells -> Number, and the number format is #,##0.

However I'd like to be able to add a button to the formatting toolbar to do this (via right-click on toolbar -> Customize Toolbar). Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a pre-defined button for this - though there is "Number Format: Date", ..."Add Decimal", ..."Currency" etc.

Having done this a very long time ago in Excel, I suspect the solution would be to create a macro to do this. If so, how do I do this? Or is there a simpler alternative that I've overlooked?

Answer 1

Actually, creating a macro to do this was painless, here's how to do it in OpenOffice.org 3.2:

1. Select Tools -> Macros -> Record Macro
2. Select Format -> Cells -> then select required format and click OK.
3. Click Stop Recording and give the macro a suitable name.
4. (optional): Test the macro by selecting some cells and selecting Tools -> Macros -> Run Macro -> then select your macro.
5. Add the button by right-clicking on the toolbar, then Customise Toolbar -> Add -> OpenOffice.org Macros -> and select your macro.
6. Optionally you can assign an icon to your button via Customise Toolbar -> select your macro from the Commands list -> Modify -> Change Icon.