Introduction To MS-Word

Introduction to Microsoft Word
Let us consider an office scene. Many letters are typed in the office. The officer dictates a letter. The typist first types a draft copy of the letter. The officer goes through it to check mistakes regarding spelling errors, missing words, etc. and suggests corrections. The typist changes the letter as suggested by the officer. This is a simple example of word processing.
There are many software packages to do the job of word processing. Some of them work in dos environment. Example are WordStar, Word Perfect and Professional Write. But in these days working in windows is becoming more and more popular. So let us consider software for word processing which works in windows. Our choice is Microsoft Word because it is the most popular software in these days.
MS-word is a part of the bigger package called Microsoft office, which can do much more than word processing. In fact when you open up Microsoft office you will find four main components in it. They are Microsoft Word (for word processing), Microsoft Excel (for spreadsheet), Microsoft Access (for database management) and Microsoft PowerPoint (for presentation purposes). However, we will limit ourselves to MS-word only in this lesson.

Objectives

After going through this lesson you should be in a position to:

• Start the Microsoft Word package
• Be familiar with the Microsoft Word screen
• Advantages and Features of Word Processing
• Some common Word Processing Packages
• How to invoke Microsoft Word
• Learn the capabilities of Microsoft Word

What is word processing?
Word Processor is a Software package that enables you to create, edit, print and save documents for future retrieval and reference. Creating a document involves typing by using a keyboard and saving it. Editing a document involves correcting the spelling mistakes, if any, deleting or moving words sentences or paragraphs.

Advantages of word processing
One of the main advantages of a word processor over a conventional typewriter is that a word processor enables you to make changes to a document without retyping the entire document.

Features of word processing
Most Word Processor available today allows more than just creating and editing documents. They have wide range of other tools and functions, which are used in formatting the documents. The following are the main features of a Word Processor:

• Text is typing into the computer, which allows alterations to be made easily.
• Words and sentences can be inserted, amended or deleted.
• Paragraphs or text can be copied /moved throughout the document.
• Margins and page length can be adjusted as desired.
• Spelling can be checked and modified through the spell check facility.
• Multiple document/files can be merged.
• Multiple copies of letters can be generated with different addresses through the mail-merge facility.

Some Common Word processing packages
The followings are examples of some popular word processor available

• Softword
• WordStar
• Word perfect
• Microsoft word

Important feature of Microsoft Word
Microsoft word not only supports word processing features but also DTP features. Some of the important features of Microsoft Word are listed below:

• Using word you can create the document and edit them later, as and when required, by adding more text, modifying the existing text, deleting/moving some part of it.
• Changing the size of the margins can reformat complete document or part of text.
• Font size and type of fonts can also be changed. Page numbers and Header and Footer can be included.
• Spelling can be checked and correction can be made automatically in the entire document. Word count and other statistics can be generated.
• Text can be formatted in columnar style as we see in the newspaper. Text boxes can be made.
• Tables can be made and included in the text.
• Word also allows the user to mix the graphical pictures with the text. Graphical pictures can either be created in word itself or can be imported from outside like from Clip Art Gallery.
• Word also provides the mail-merge facility.
• Word also has the facility of macros. Macros can be either attached to some function/special keys or to a tool bar or to a menu.
• It also provides online help of any option.

In-text questions 1

1. State True or False

1. Word processor is Software Package that enables you to create, edit, print and save document.
2. WordStar is a popular Word processor.
3. Changing the size of the margins cannot reformat complete document or part of the text.
4. Word has the facility of Macros.
5. Word does not allow the user to mix the graphical pictures with text.

Getting started with Microsoft Word
We have already told you that for working in MS-Word you should be familiar with windows. If you have not covered windows so far then read that first and then go through MS-word. By now you must be aware of the fact that a software package is improved from time to time. These improvements are sold in the market as new versions of the same software. Thus you will find many versions of Microsoft Word being used in different offices. In this lesson we will cover the version Microsoft Word 97, which is latest in the market and contain many improvements over the older versions. However, you do not have to worry if you have an older version such as word 6.0 or word 95. All the commands available in these older versions are also available in word 97 and they are compatible.
While working in Microsoft Word you have to work with a mouse. Also one can work, to some extent, through the keyboard. The use of mouse is simpler as it is fully menu driven. In MS-word every command is available in the form of ‘icons’.

You can go inside MS-word by the following way:

• Take the mouse pointer to start button on the task bar. Click the left mouse button.
• Move the pointer to programs. You will notice another menu coming up to the right.
• In that menu identify where Microsoft word is placed. Move the cursor horizontally to come out of programs.
• Move into the rectangular area meant for Microsoft word. Click the left mouse button there. The computer will start MS-word.

Let us discuss the important components of the screen.

- Title bar
The title bar displays the name of the currently active word document. Like other windows applications, it can be used to alter the size and location of the word window.

- Tool bars
Word has a number of tool bars that help you perform task faster and with great ease. Two of the most commonly tool bars are the formatting tool bar and the standard tool bar. These two toolbars are displayed just below the title bar. At any point of time any tool bar can be made ON or OFF through the tool bar option of View Menu.

- Ruler bar
The Ruler Bar allows you to format the vertical alignment of text in a document.

- Status bar
The Status Bar displays information about the currently active document. This includes the page number that you are working, the column and line number of the cursor position and so on.

- Scroll bar
The Scroll Bar helps you scroll the content or body of document. You can do so by moving the elevator button along the scroll bar, or by click in on the buttons with the arrow marked on them to move up and down and left and right of a page.

- Workspace
The Workspace is the area in the document window were you enter/type the text of your document.

- Main menu
The Word main menu is displayed at the top of the screen as shown in the Fig. 9.1. The main menu further displays a sub menu. Some of the options are highlighted options and some of them appear as faded options. At any time, only highlighted options can be executed, faded options are not applicable. Infect if the option is faded you will not be able to choose it. You may not that any option faded under present situation may become highlighted under different situations.

In-text questions 2
1. Choose the best answer.

1. While working in MS-Word you have to work with

1. Mouse only
2. Keyboard only
3. Both mouse and keyboard

2. In Microsoft Word every command is available in

1. Print
2. Letter
3. Icons

3. You can go inside Microsoft Word by the following way

1. Take the mouse pointer to start button on the task bar and click the left mouse button.
2. Take the mouse pointer to start button and click the right mouse button.
3. Move the mouse pointer on the screen.

2. State True or False

1. The title bar displays the name of the currently active word document.
2. Two of the most commonly tool bars are the formatting tool bar and the standard tool bar.
3. The tool bar allows you to format the vertical alignment of text.
4. The scroll bar helps you to scroll the content or body of document.
5. The workspace is the area in the document window where you enter/type the text.

Main menu options

The overall functions of all the items of main menu are explained below.

- File
You can perform file management operations by using these options such as opening, closing, saving, printing, exiting etc.
New: Ctrl+N
Open: Ctrl+O
Close: ALT + F4
Save : Ctrl+S
Save Aa: CTL + A
Print: Ctrl+P

File sub menu

- Edit
Using this option you can perform editing functions such as cut, copy, paste, find and replace etc.
Undo Clear: Ctrl+Z
Repeat Clear: Ctrl+Y
Cut: Ctrl+X
Copy: Ctrl+C
Paste: Ctrl+V
Clear: Delete
Select All: Ctrl+A
Find: Ctrl+F
Replace: Ctrl+H
Go To: Ctrl+G

Edit sub menu

- View
Word document can be of many pages. The different pages may have different modes. Each mode has its limitations. For example in normal mode the graphical picture cannot be displayed. They can only be displayed in page layout mode. Using the option “View” you can switch over from one mode to other. It displays the following Sub menu.

Normal

• Online Layout
• Page Layout
• Outline
• Master Document

Tool Bars

• Ruler

Header and Footer

• Footnotes
• Comments
• Full Screen
• Zoom

- Insert
Using this menu, you can insert various objects such as page numbers, footnotes, picture frames etc. in your document. It displays the following Sub menu.

Break
Page Numbers
Date and Time
AutoText 8

Field…
Symbol…
Comment
Footnote…
Caption…
Cross-reference…
Index & Tables…
Picture 8
Text Box…
File…
Object…
Bookmark Hyperlink… Ctrl+k

- Format
**Using this menu, you can perform various type of formatting operations, such as fonts can be changed, borders can be framed etc. It displays the following Sub menu.

Font…

• Paragraph…
• Bullets and Numbering
• Borders and Shading…

Columns…

• Tabs…
• Drop Cap…
• Text Direction…
• Change Case…
• Auto Format…
• Style Gallery…
• Style…
• Background…

Object

- Tools
Using this menu, you can have access to various utilities/tools of Word, such as spell check, macros, mail merge etc. It displays the following Sub menu.
Spelling and Grammar…

• Language…
• Word count…
• AutoSummarize
• Auto correct..
• Look up reference

Track change

• Merge Documents…
• Protect Document…
• Mail Merge…

Envelops and Labels…

• Letter wizard…
• Macro…
• Templates and add-ins…
• Customize…
• Options…

- Table
This menu deals with tables. Using this menu you can perform various types of operations on the table. It displays the following Sub menu.

Draw Table
Insert Table…

• Delete cells…
• Merge cells…
• Split cells…

Select Row

• Select column
• Select table

Table Auto Format…

• Distribute rows evenly
• Distribute columns evenly
• Cell height and width…
• Headings

Convert Text to table…

• Sort …
• Formula…
• Split table
• Hide grid lines

- Window
This menu allows you to work with two documents simultaneously. This would require two windows to be opened so that each one can hold one document. Using this menu, you can switch over from one window to another. It displays the following Sub menu.

New Window

• Arrange all
• Split
• 1Document1.doc

- Help
Using this menu, you can get on-line help for any function.

In-text question 3

1. State True or False

1. Using View option you can perform editing functions such as cut, copy, paste, find and replace etc.
2. Using the Edit option you can switch over from Normal mode to Out line mode.
3. Using Insert menu you can insert various objects such as page numbers, footnotes, picture frames etc.
4. Using Tools menu you can access to various utilities of word such as spell check, macros and mail merge etc.
5. Window menu allows you to work with two documents simultaneously.

What you have learnt
At the end of this lesson you have learnt the important features of Ms-Word. We started with procedure to invoke Ms-Word. We identified toolbars available in the main menu of Ms-Word are discussed.

Terminal questions

1. What do you understand by Word processing? Give examples.
2. Describe the important features of Ms-Word.
3. Describe the various options available in the main menu bar of Ms-Word.
4. What are the different types of toolbar?
5. Define two methods to start Ms-Word.

Feedback to the in-text questions

In-text question 1

1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False

In-text question 2

1. 3, 3,1
2. True, True, False, True, True

In-text question 3

1. False
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. True