MS Word

 About Ms-Office

          Microsoft office professional is a beefy collection of programs and packages that, in spite of their size and complexity, somehow work very well together! Ardent fans of MS Office claim that Ms office meets ninety per cent of all computer software requirements for ninety per cent of users, ninety per cent of times. Sounds like a nice jingle for Microsoft office! Well it was not meant to be! After all you need not take all claims seriously, even if they are true!

Why Ms-Office?

    Research showed that most of the work done by most of the people could be categorized into four seven major categories:

Word processing: if you want to write letter, memos, reports, newsletters, invoices, fax message, etc. on a computer you need a word processor. A word dose what it says- process words or text! By processing words, we means that through this software you can type your text and than edit, modify, delete or print it. Perhaps the biggest advantage in case of a word processor is what is called ‘electronic cut and paste’ which means that once having type the matter you move and shuffle it around almost like bricks. With package, like MS word you can do all this and more. With it you can create just about any kind of documents.

Tabulation: if you wish to tabulate information, i.e. arrange data in the form if rows and columns and manipulate and analyze it, NS excel is the package for you. Although excel can handle text pretty neatly, it is designed primarily for numerical data. With it, you can create complex tables, charts, graphs etc. and use a whole array of analysis features.

Database management: if you need all the above mentioned functions, then you might also need a database management package. Database management is just a fancy name for something that all of us do. All of us have some form of assorted  data like names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail address of people that we deal with. In the good old days they used to collect all the visiting cards of people and put them in a shoe box.

Ms outlook: if you wish to communicate and share information with people within your own office to outside, Ms outlook helps you to do that first through e-mail, phone, fax, and group scheduling. It integrates personal and group calendars, your e-mail client, contacts, takes, to-do lists, documents and address book.

Ms publisher: if you wish to create a publication in a matter, Ms publisher is the package for you. You could publisher these publication from your desktop printer ot through a commercial printing press or bureau or even on the internet.

Ms front page: creating a web page becomes simple and exciting when you use Ms front page. Although web pages can be create by a number of packages like Ms word, ms power point, ms excel and ms access, to manage a complete web site, you require a package like front page. Front page web site creation and management tools give you every thing you need to design and build a great looking web site which is easy to integrate with other ms office components like word, excel and power point. 

Graphics: if you sometimes have to make presentations. Power point is just the package for you. With it, you can create slides, transparencies, handouts and speakers notes.

Word basics

    Microsoft word is a full featured word processing program which can be used for any work involving creating and managing text. You can use it from the simplest to the most complex for word processing applications. Using word, you can write letters and reports prepare bills and invoices, prepare office stationery letter heads, envelopes, forms etc. design brochures, pamphlets newsletters, magazines, etc.

The main features of word processor.

a. Text is typed into the computer and so changes can be made easily.
b. Words and sentences can be inserted, amended or deleted any where in the text.
c. Paragraphs or text can be copied moved throughout the document.
d. Margins and page length can be designed to suit the needs.
e. Spelling and grammar can be checked and modified with the spell check dictionary proper words can be chosen with sarus.
f. Multiple document/files can be merged.
g. Multiple copies of letter can be generated with different addresses through the mail-merge facility.
h. Count of words, paragraphs etc can be taken.
The popular word processor in use today is following
(A). Soft word DOS
(b). Word Star DOS
(c). Word perfect DOS
(d). Microsoft word Windows
(e). Professional writer Dos

Starting word

To start word click once on the start button, chose programs and click once on Microsoft office and then once on Microsoft word.

      On starting word you would see a word main screen with the tip of the day. These tips are word’s way of teaching you new tricks and techniques while you work. Most of these tips are quite in formative and some are even entertaining.

Parts of word windows

Title bar: this tells you which application package is currently running and which document is currently open.

Menu bar: this is the traditional windows style drop-down menu. When you point to any menu title and click once with the mouse, the menu will open, displaying all the commands available under this menu title.

Standard toolbar: toolbars contain buttons, drop down menus and other controls that help you quickly alter that appearance and arrangement of document  by executing commands without having to go through menus. The standard toolbar contains icons for basic functions like opening files, saving files, printing files, cut, copy, paste etc.

Formatting bar: this contains icons for changing the look of your text fot example, there are icons for changing fonts, styles, font sizes, text aligment etc.

Scroll bar: these helps you travel within your document. You can go anywhere, up and down right and left in your documents mainly by two ways: using the horizontal and vertical scroll bars with the help of the mouse: or using the keyboard to press PgUP and pgDn etc.

Status bar: also called the status area, this is the normally the last line on your screen. This gives the following about your work:-

Current page

Section number

Current pages in the document

Current line number

Current column number etc.

File menu:

New: creates a new blank file based on default values contained in a file called Notepad.txt.

Open: opens or finds as exiting file.

Close: closes the active file without exiting the application. If the file contains any unsaved changes, you will be prompted to save the file before closing.

Save: saves the active file with its current file name, location, and file formant. In case a new file is saved for the first time the user has to specify the file mane, location and fie format.

Save as: saves the active file with a different file name, location or file format.

Save as web page: saves the file in Web page format required for creating documents for the internet (www).

Versions: saves and manages multiple versions of a document in a single file. After you save versions of a document, you can go back and review, open, print and delete earlier versions.

Page setup: sets margins, paper source, paper size, page orientation, and other layout options for the active file.

Print preview: shows a preview of how exactly a file will look when you print it.

Print: prints the active file or selected items, to the selected printer or fax.

Send to: sends the document to a mail recipient as an e-mail.

Properties: displays the property sheet for the active file.

Exit: closes MS Notepad after prompting you to save any unsaved files.

Edit Menu:

Undo: reverses the last command i.e. undoes the effect of the last command you executed.

Repeat: Reverses the undo command i.e. restores the last command.

Cut: removes the selection from the active document and places it on clipboard a special place in computer’s memory from where it can be retrieved again.

Copy: copies the selection to the clipboard.

Paste: inserts the contents of the clipboard at the insertion point, and replaces any current selection.

Paste Special: Paste, links, or embeds the clipboard content in the current file in the format you specify.

Select all: selects all text and graphics in the active windows or the selects all text in the selected object.

Clear: deletes the selected object or text without putting on the clipboard.

Find: Searches for specified text, formatting, symbols, comments, footnotes, endnotes in the active document.

Replace: Searches for and replaces specified text, formatting footnotes, endnotes or comment mark in the active documents.

Go To: Moves the insertion pointer to the item where you want to go.

Links: displays or changes information for each link in the current file, including the name and location of the source file, the item, the type and whether the link is updated automatically or manually.

Object: Activates the application in which the selected object was created so you can edit it.

View menu:

Normal: Switches to normal view, which is the default document view for most word processing task.

Web Layout: Switches the active document to web layout view, which is an edithig view that displays your document as it will appear on your web browser.

Print layout: Switches the active document to print layout view, which is an editing view that displays your document as it will print.

Outline: Switches to outline view, where you can examine and work with the structure of your file in classic outline form.

Toolbars: toolbars allow you to organize the command in word, the way you want to so that you can find and use them quickly. Toolbars can contain buttons, menus, or a combinations of both. The menu bar is a special toolbars at the top of the screen that contains menus such as file, edit and view etc. a menu displays a list of commands.

Ruler: displays or hides the horizontal ruler, which  you can use to position objects, change paragraph indents page margins, and other space setting.

Document Map: turns the document Map on or off which is a vertical pane along the left edge of the document window that outlines the document structure.

Header and footer: adds or changes the text that appears at the top and buttom of every page or side.

Footnotes: footnotes explain, comment on, or provide reference for text in a document. Footnotes appear at the end of each page in document.

Comments: displays all comments made by all reviewers in the comment pane.

Full screen: hides most screen elements so that you can view more of your’s document.

Zoom: enter a magnification between 10 & 20 percent to reduce or enlarge the display of the active document.

Insert menu:

Break: Insert a column, section or page break.

Page Numbers: Inserts page numbers in your document pages, that automatically update when you add or delete pages.

Date and Time: Insert current date and current time field that is updated every time you open or print this  document.

Auto text: You can use Auto Text to store text or graphics you plan to reuse, such as product names, boilerplate text , a company logo, or a formatted table.

Field: Insert a field at the insertion point. Use fields to insert a variety of up-to- date information automatically.

Symbol: Insert symbols and special character from the fonts that are installed on your computer.

Comment: Inserts a comment at the insertion point.

Footnote: Insert a footnote and endnote at the insertion point.

Caption: inserts captions for tables, figures, equation and other items.

Cross-reference: inserts a cross-reference  to an item in a document.

Index and table: Creates indexes, tables of contents, table of figures, tables of authorities, and other similar tables.

Picture: Inserts pictures from clip art and other libraries.

Text box: Draws a text box where you click and drag in the active window.

File: Inserts all or part of the file you select, into the active file at the insertion point.

Object: Inserts an object such as a drawing, word art text affect, etc. at the insertion point.

Bookmark: Creates bookmark which you can use to mark selected points in your document.

Hyperlinks: Insert a hyperlink through which you can jump to a location in the current document or web page, or to a different word document or web page, or  to a file that was created in a different program.

Format Menu:

Font: changes the font and character spacing formats of the selected text.

Paragraph: Changes paragraph indents, text alignment, spacing, pagination and other paragraph formats in the selected paragraph.

Bullets and Numbering: Adds and modifies bullets or numbers in selected paragraphs.

Borders and Shading: Applies shading effect and creates borders around selected area.

Columns: Changes the number of columns in a document or a section of document.

Tabs: Sets the position and alignment of tabs and determines the type of leader character for each tab stop.

Drop Cap: Formats a letter, word, or selected text with a large initial or dropped capital letter.

Text Direction: Rotates selected text in table cells so you can read it from bottom or from top to bottom

Change Case: Changes the capitalization of selected text.

Background: Add different kinds of backgrounds, such as a woven texture, to word documents and web pages to make them look more interesting.

Theme: Applies a new or different theme, or removes a theme in a web page, document, e-mail message, or data access page. A theme is a set of unified design elements and colour schemes for background images, bullets, fonts, horizontal lines and other document elements.

Frames: Creates a table of contents using the headings of your documents and places it in the left frame of a frames page. It also cerates a new frames page.

Auto format: Analyzes the content of the active file and then automatically formats the file.

Style: Defines or applies to the selection a combination of formats called a style.

Object: Formats the line, color, fill and pattern, size, position, and other properties of the selected object.

Tools Menu:

Spelling and Grammar: Checks the active document for possible spelling, grammar and writing style errors, and displays suggestions for correcting them.

Language: Designates the language of selected text in a file that contains more than one language.

Word Count: Count the number of pages, words, character, paragraphs, and lines in the active document. Punctuation marks & special symbols are also include in the word count.

Auto Summarize: Automatically summarize the key points in the active document.

Auto Correct: Sets the options used to correct text automatically as you type, or to store and reuse text and other items you are frequently.

Reference: to insert lookup reference and cross reference.

Track Changes: Marks changes in the current document and keeps track of each change by reviewer name.

Merge Documents: Merges the tracked changes from the active document into the specified document, which word opens if it is not open already.

Protect Document: Prevents changes to all or part of an online form or document except as specified. You can also assign a password so that other users can annotate a document, mark revisions, or fill in parts of an online form.

Online Collaboration:  Starts an impromptu online by sending an invitation to participants who must be running Microsoft NetMeeting on their computers. It also schedules an online meeting by using names from the address book of your e-mail program, and displays the Discussions toolbar, where you can insert a new discussion.

 Mail Merge: Use this option to create form letter, mailing labels or envelops with same or different addresses. Through Mail Marge you can automatically create personalized letters to many different people.

Envelopes and Labels: Creates an envelopes or a single mailing label, or inserts the same name and address on an entire sheet of mailing labels.

Macro: Opens the macro dialog box, where you can run, edit, or delete a macro. Use record new macro to record a series of actions as a macro, or click visual basic editor to write a macro. Use security to set a high, medium or low security level for files that might contain macro viruses.

Templates and add-ins: Attaches a different template to the active document, loads add in programs, or updates a document’s style. Also loads additional templates.

Customize: Customizes toolbar buttons, menu commands, and shortcut key assignments.

Options: Modifies settings for Microsoft Office programs such as screen appearance, printing, editing, spelling and other options.

Table Menu:

Draw Table: Inserts a table with the specified rows and columns in the current document.

Insert: Inserts tables (inserts rows, columns and cells in the selected table).

Delete: deletes the entire table (deletes the selected rows, columns or cells that contains the insertion point).

Select: Select the table, column, rows, or cells that contains the insertion point.

Merge Cells: Combines the contents of selected adjacent cells into single cell.

Split Cells: Splits the selected cells into the number of rows and columns you enter.

Split Table: Divides a table into two separate tables and inserts a paragraph mark above the row that contains the insertion point.

Table Auto Format: Automatically applies formats including predefined borders or shading to a table.   Auto format resizes a table to fit the contents cells.

Auto fit: Changes the selected columns or cells to equal column width and changes the selected rows or cells to equal row width.

Heading rows repeat: Designates the selected rows to be a table heading that is repeated on subsequent pages if the table spans more than one page.

Convert: Text to table converts a range of text entries into a table. Alternatively when you have text inside a table, this command becomes, convert table to text.

Sort: Sorts a range of cells in ascending or descending order based upon selected  criteria i.e. the column based upon which you want to sort.

Formula: performs mathematical calculations on numbers.

Hide Gridlines: In a table, the Gridlines commands displays or hides dotted gridlines to help you see which cell you are working in. table gridlines don’t print, if you want to add printable gridlines to your table, use the borders and shading command.

Window Menu:

New Window: opens a new window with the same contents as the active window so you can view different parts of a file at the same time.

Arrange all: Displays all open files in separate windows on the screen. The arrange command makes it easier to cut, copy, paste files.

Split: Splits the active window into panes. The user can specify the size of two windows. In case the current window is already split this option would change to remove split, and can be used to remove the split.