This lesson includes the following sections: • Word Processing Programs and Their Uses
Section 9a
• The Word Processor's Interface • Entering and Editing Text • Formatting Text • Special Features of Word Processing Software
Word Processing and Desktop Publishing Software
• Desktop Publishing Software • Converting Documents into World Wide Web Pages
Word Processing Programs and Their Uses •
Word processors provide tools for creating, editing, and formatting text-based documents.
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You can use a word processor to create virtually any type of document, from a simple letter to a complete book.
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A word processor's formatting tools let you create professional-quality documents easily.
Word processors provide tools to produce professional looking documents.
The Word Processor's Interface Most Windows-based word processors offer a similar set of tools, which you use to navigate, edit, and format documents: •
Document area
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Menu bar
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Toolbars
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Rulers
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Scroll Bars
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Status Bar
Toolbars
Menu bar Ruler
Scroll bar Scroll boxes Document area Status bar
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Entering and Editing Text – Adding Text to a Document • You create a document by entering text in the document window. • A blinking insertion point shows you where characters will be placed as you type. • When you type to the end of a line, the program automatically moves the insertion point to the next line. This feature is called word wrap.
Entering and Editing Text – Editing a Document Making changes to an existing document is called editing. Tools are provided for erasing and retyping text quickly: •
The Backspace and Delete keys let you erase one or more characters.
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Overtype mode lets you type over previously entered text.
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AutoCorrect can automatically correct spelling and typing errors.
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Undo and Redo let you reverse the effect of a previous action.
Here, a selected block of text is deleted.
Entering and Editing Text - Selecting Text • Word processors let you work with entire blocks of text. You can format, move, copy, or delete a block. • To work with a block of text, you must first select it, using one of many selection options. Selected text is highlighted on the screen. • When you are finished working with selected text, you can deselect it.
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Formatting Text Formatting a document means controlling its appearance.
Formatting Text - Character Formats •
You can use multiple fonts in a document, such as Arial or Times.
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Word processors let you apply different sizes – measured in points – to the text in a document.
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You can apply type styles to your text, such as bold, italic, and underline, among others.
Formats fall into three broad categories: •
Character formats
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Paragraph formats
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Document formats
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Formatting Text - Paragraph Formats •
In a word processor, you create a new paragraph whenever you press Enter. You can format each paragraph in a different way.
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You can set the amount of blank space between lines in a paragraph and between paragraphs in a document.
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To align a paragraph, you set the space between its edges and the page's margins. You can also indent a paragraph's first line.
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Borders and shading create special effects for paragraphs.
Formatting Text - Document Formats •
Margins are the amount of blank space between the edges of the text and the edges of the page.
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Word processors let you print documents on different size paper, in portrait or landscape orientation.
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Headers and footers are commonly used in long documents, to provide continuing information along the top or bottom of the pages.
Three-column format section
Heading section
As shown on the next graphic, documents can be divided into sections to give each a unique format.
Special Features of Word Processing Software Today's word processors provide a variety of specialized tools, including: •
Language tools
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Tables
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Mail Merge
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Support for graphics and sounds
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Templates
Special Features of Word Processing Software - Language Tools Language tools can help you improve the quality of your documents by catching language errors. Language tools include: •
Spell checkers, which can help you find and correct misspelled words.
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Grammar checkers, which help your document conform to accepted grammatical rules.
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Thesauri, which can help you make the best word choices.
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Special Features of Word Processing Software - Tables Whoops!
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Tables let you set up rows and columns of information.
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You can format a table in dozens of ways, add headings, and more.
Special Features of Word Processing Software - Mail Merge
Special Features of Word Processing Software - Support for Graphics and Sounds
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Mail merge is the process of combining a form letter with contents of an address database.
• Word processors allow you to add images to your documents.
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Using mail merge, you can create a standard letter and automatically make a copy for each person in your database.
• Once you add a graphic to a document, you can select it, move it, resize it, and more. • You also can add sound files to a document. A sound file appears as an icon; click the icon on screen and the file plays.
Special Features of Word Processing Software - Templates Imported graphic
• A template is a predesigned document. • A template simplifies document design. You simply open the document and type your text.
Embedded sound file
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Desktop Publishing Software
Examples of Desktop Publishing Software • Adobe PageMaker • QuarkXPress • Adobe FrameMaker
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Desktop publishing (DTP) software is specialized for designing and laying out long documents, such as magazines or books.
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DTP software provides special tools for fine-tuning the appearance of text and graphics in a document.
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DTP software can produce documents that are ready to be sent to a professional printer.
Examples of Desktop Publishing Tools • • • •
Type controls Graphics controls Page layout and document controls Prepress controls
Converting Documents Into World Wide Web Pages •
Word processors can create documents in HTML format, ready to be published on the World Wide Web.
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To create an HTML document, create a normal document then save it in HTML format. The word processor inserts all the required HTML tags.
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Many word processors include HTML templates, which let you easily create finished Web pages.
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