Openoffice.org 3.2 comes with two useful features:

1. Alt keys can be used as shortcut keys.
2. Open type fonts (otf) support

The first feature is important for Pali and Sanskrit input. It is the best if we can use the following short-cut keys:

Alt key + a=ā
Alt key + Shift Key + a=Ā
Alt key + r=ṛ
Alt key + t=ṭ
...

How to input Romanized Pali and Sanskrit (letters with diacritic marks) in Openoffice.org 3.2?

First use "Record Micros" to record the diacritic letters (for example, ā); next, use "Customize Keyboards" to sign shortcut key for the recorded Micro(for example Alt +a for ā).

The easiest method

In Linux

Just download the attached zip file and unzip to overwrite your user folder (~/.openoffice/3/user)

See also: http://thanhsiang.org/faqing/node/24

In Windows XP/Vista/7

1. Download Openoffice 3.2 portable version at: http://portableapps.com/apps/office/openoffice_portable
or the full version at http://openoffice.org

2. Find the Openoffice user folder,

• For the Portable Version: it is located at /OpenOfficePortable/Data/settings/user
• For the full version, it is located at C://Documents and Settings/user*/Application Data/Openoffice/3/user (I am not sure. I have never used the full version in Windows)

3. Download the attached zip file and unzip to overwrite your user folder.

Shortcut keys used:
Alt Key + a = ā
Alt Key + A = Ā
Alt Key + i = ī
Alt Key + I = Ī
Alt Key + u = ū
Alt Key + U = Ū
Alt Key + r = ṛ
Alt Key + R = Ṛ
Alt Key + l = ḷ
Alt Key + L = Ḷ
Alt Key + m = ṃ
Alt Key + M = Ṃ
Alt Key + k = ṁ
Alt Key + K = Ṁ
Alt Key + h = ḥ
Alt Key + H = Ḥ
Alt Key + g = ṅ
Alt Key + G = Ṅ
Alt Key + j = ñ
Alt Key + J = Ñ
Alt Key + t = ṭ
Alt Key + T = Ṭ
Alt Key + d = ḍ
Alt Key + D = Ḍ
Alt Key + n = ṇ
Alt Key + N = Ṇ
Alt Key + W = ś
Alt Key + W = Ś
Alt Key + s = ṣ
Alt Key + S = Ṣ

For ṝ Ṝ ḹ Ḹ, you need to manually input by using "Insert Special Characters"