What is word processing file

Click the File tab on the Ribbon and click the Open option. If the Open window does not appear, click the Browse option to open that window. In the Open window, find and select the file you want to open in Microsoft Word.

How do I open a word processing document?

To open a document in Word, follow these steps:

1. Click the File tab.
2. Choose the Open command.
3. Choose a location where the document may lurk.
4. Choose a recent folder from the list.
5. Click a document when you find it.

What is a word processing file?

A word processing file contains user information in plain text or rich text format.Common plain text file extensions and associated file formats include TXT, CSV, while file extensions for rich text documents include DOCX, DOC and RTF.

How do I open word processor on my computer?

How to open Microsoft Word on your computer

1. Click the start button which is located on the left-hand bottom corner on your Desktop or Laptop.
2. Click the All Programs button just above the Start button.
3. Find the group Microsoft Office.
4. In the sub-group, one of the icon will be Microsoft Office Word.

Is PDF a word processing document?

The PDF (Portable Document Format) is the open standard, created by Adobe in the 1990s, for presenting documents so they look consistent across all platforms and software. DOC (or DOCX) is the format/file extension used mainly by Microsoft Office for its word processing documents.

How do I open a TXT file in Word?

Open an OpenDocument Text file in Word

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Open.
3. To see only the files saved in the OpenDocument format, in the File of type list, click OpenDocument Text.
4. Click the file you want to open, and then click Open. Tip: To open the file, you can also double-click it after you find it.

Why can’t I open a Word document on my laptop?

You can access this by opening Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> locate Microsoft Office and select Change from the top menu. In the window that appears, choose Repair and follow the wizard. If this does not fix your issue, then you should uninstall Microsoft Office and perform a fresh install.

What is the difference between word processor and word-processing?

Word processing is the production, storage, and manipulation of text on a computer or word processor, while word processor is a program or machine for storing, manipulating, and formatting text entered from a keyboard and providing a printout.

Is word processor a system software?

It is a type of computer software application or an electronic device. In today’s generation, the word processor has become the word processing software or programs that are running on general-purpose computers. Examples or Applications of a Word Processing Software : Wordpad.

Can a word-processing file be attached to an email?

It is is possible to attach a file, such as a word-processing document, to an e-mail message.Most current e-mail programs use a version of the Post Office Protocol called POP3.

What is the difference between a word file and a PDF file?

Microsoft Word is used for making and editing DOC files while Adobe Acrobat is for creation of PDF files.Documents created using Word and saved in PDF can be edited using Word while PDFs made using Acrobat can be edited through third-party developers. 4. ‘DOC’ is proprietary while ‘PDF’ is open source.

Is PDF and DOCX the same?

Bottom line: PDF is an ideal format for distributing formatted documents. It’s not so great if you want the recipient to re-use the contents. Microsoft Word.docx formats are also good options for distributing documents.

What is the difference between PDF and word file?

Using Word and the DOC format, it is easy to edit large areas of text, change the flow between pages, and change font sizes and styles, among other things. With a PDF file you can only a few words at a time and have very limited editing options.

How do I open a .txt file?

For example, TXT files can be opened with the built-in Notepad program in Windows by right-clicking the file and choosing Edit. Similar for TextEdit on a Mac. Another free program that can open any text file is Notepad++. Once installed, you can right-click the file and choose Edit with Notepad++.

How do I open a txt file?

In Windows, you can open a TXT file in Microsoft Notepad or Microsoft WordPad, both of which come included with Windows.
To open a TXT file in Notepad:

1. From the Windows Start menu, select Windows Accessories → Notepad.
2. After Notepad opens, select File → Open….
3. Navigate to and open your TXT file.

How do I convert a TXT file to PDF?

How to convert Notepad files to PDF.

1. Open Acrobat or launch Acrobat online services from any web browser.
2. Select the Convert To PDF tool.
3. Drag and drop your Notepad file into the converter. You can also choose Select a File to manually locate your document.

How do I open a file that won’t open?

The Open and Repair command might be able to recover your file.

1. Click File > Open > Browse and then go to the location or folder where the document (Word), workbook (Excel), or presentation (PowerPoint) is stored.
2. Click the file you want, and then click the arrow next to Open, and click Open and Repair.

Is word processing the same as Microsoft Word?

Word Processing refers to the act of using a computer to create, edit, save and print documents.One example of a Word Processor is Microsoft Word, but other word processing applications are also widely used. Examples include: Microsoft Works Word Processor, Open Office Writer, Word Perfect and Google Drive Document..

What is data entry and word processing?

Yes,Word Processing:is using a computer software (ex: Microsoft word )to create, edit, and print documents,while Data Entry is entering (typing ) data into a database using a keyboard or mouse ,secretarial work is totally difference it includes typing,answering calls ,arranging meetings , archiving and other assigned

Why do we study word processing?

Word Processing is a Foundational Skill
Knowing how to organize information in a document allows a person to convey a message effectively. Word processing provides the foundation to complete a myriad of assignments such as booklets, reports, research summaries, newsletters, journals, and biographies.

What is electronic word processor?

A word processor is an electronic device (later a computer software application) for text, composing, editing, formatting, and printing.

Word processing software is designed so users can create, format, save and print text documents. Word processing is creating, editing, customizing, and printing documents using a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

In this guide, you will learn:

• How to define word processing and word processor
• How to create word processing documents using word-processing software
• How to compare two word documents using a word processing program
• And lot’s more

If you are ready, let’s explore the content.

What is word processing?

Word processing entails creating, editing, manipulating, storing, sharing, and printing of documents using dedicated software such as Zoho Writer.

It allows a user to create documents that look like the format and style of a typewriter. Word processing software can be used to save, share or print a physical copy of a document.

For example, a business Sales Rep could create a sales report in a Word Processing Program. The sales rep could edit it, save it to a drive, or share it over the internet with colleagues. A word processor can also be used to create a résumé, memo, letter, or invoice.  

In general, a word-processing application can produce a wide variety of documents rapidly and at a relatively low cost.

Word processing is one of the earliest and most commonly used types of computer software. In fact, word processing software is often cited as a major factor in the launch of the personal computer industry. This software did a great job of automating processes that had previously been performed by a typewriter. Word processors helped bring personal computers into the households of regular people, rather than just businesses.

What is a word processor?

A Word processor is a device or computer software that allows users to create, edit, and print documents. It has additional features other than a text processor, that enables you to write text, manipulate, store, and print it.

Word processors allow users to create a wide variety of documents with editing and formatting capabilities to demonstrate their power. It has additional features that allow contents such as a table, pictures, charts, and clipart to be added to a document.

In a word processor, text can be inserted, edited, moved, copied, or deleted within a document. You can use its formatting feature to modify the appearance of selected text in numerous ways. Most word processors also give you the ability to check your spelling and grammar with built-in dictionaries and other tools to assist you in your writing.

Today’s word processors reflect their history as digital typewriters. They display a sheet of paper on the screen, which captures user input from the keyboard. Unlike a manual typewriter, electronic word processing is much faster and more flexible.

What is a text processor?

A text processor is a device or computer program used in creating and manipulating text. Text processors are not as sophisticated as word processors; hence they are incapable of formatting texts. Text processors create sequences of texts which enable computers to easily extract and analyze sequences of texts for analysis.

Text processors are commonly used in computers to create computer commands. Examples include notepad and sublime which help in the creation and modification of electronic texts.

Text processing is the automation method that involves the creation and modification of texts. It is the process of analyzing and sorting unstructured text to gain valuable insights. Text processing deals with text processing utilities while word processing deals with text editing utilities.

Also, text processing operates on raw data and is more independent from proprietary techniques, unlike word processing. Therefore, text processing is done with the help of a shell command or a text editor such as TextEdit, Brackets, and Notepad++.

What is word processing software?

Word processing software is designed to allow users to create, edit, manipulate, save and print text. They provide features that will enable you to enter text by typing, copying, deleting, and performing various types of formatting. Some of the functions of word processing software include:

• Creating, editing, saving, and printing documents.
• Copying, cutting, pasting, and deleting text within documents.
• Formatting text using tools such as font type, bold, underline, or italics.
• Creating, editing, and formatting tables.
• Inserting elements from other software, such as illustrations or photographs.
• Correcting spelling and grammar.
• Sharing and collaboration with team members.

Word processing software also contains features to make it easier for you to perform repetitive tasks. Commands such as mail merge and macros will help you perform common repetitive tasks to save time. A typical word processing software example is OpenOffice Writer.

How to open a word processing file

How you open a word processing file depends on the type of word processor used to create the file. Many times, the type of word processor determines the file format used to save it.

For example, Microsoft Word processing program saves with the file formats: .doc and .docx. However, you can save word processed documents in different file formats such as pdf, odt, txt, and rtf.

Apple Pages saves its word-processed documents in .pages. However, it supports files in the following formats: .rtf, .txt, .doc, and .docx. Similarly, Google docs can create files in the following formats: .txt, .rtf, .odt, .docx, and .epub.

This means that popularly used word processors are capable of opening most word processor files. So, if you saved your file in any of the file formats, you can open it with OpenOffice or Google Docs.

Let’s illustrate how to open a word processing file. To open a word document, keywords.docx saved on your local drive, in Google Docs, do the following.

1. Visit Google Docs. (Note: You must have a Google account)
2. On the Start a new document window, select Blank.

1. On the New document window, select File and click on Open from the File menu. The Open dialog box appears.

1. On the Open dialog window, click on the Upload tab, and select the Select a file from your device button.
2. On the Browse dialog box, browse through your device and locate a file to upload.

1. Select the file [keywords.docx], and click the Open button. The file uploads to your Google Drive.
2. On the File menu, click Open.
3. On the Open dialog window, select the My Drive tab.

1. Locate the file in your drive and select it. Then click the Open button. The file opens in Google Docs.

Importance of word processing software

Why is word processing important? Why is it virtually in all household computers? Word processing offers a better alternative to handwriting and typewriter when creating documents. Let’s look at some of the benefits of word-processing software.

1. Word processing software is important because it easily detects and corrects typing errors as you type your document. It uses the autocorrect feature to identify and correct errors easily.
2. Word processing helps in the digitization of information. It makes the creation, storage, copying, sharing, and retrieval of information easy.
3. Word processors help users to work efficiently and accurately. You can easily create and organize a document by using spelling and grammar and other features to eliminate errors.
4. Today’s word processors allow you to save different versions of a document. They also allow you to compare them in the future so you can select your preferred version.
5. The features of word documents help us create standard and beautiful-looking documents. With formatting features, documents can look elegant and attractive, unlike a manual typewriter.
6. Electronic word processing software helps us save business supply costs. Instead of using up pens and paper daily, we can create and transmit documents electronically. This contributes to significant savings in overall business expenses.
7. Mail merge and macros help us automate some activities and make work faster and more efficient. Hence, productivity is enhanced using a word processor.

There’s quite a lot you can do with word processing software these days. But before the advent of word processing software, how did people create and edit documents? This will lead us to chapter 2.

The precursor to word processing

Word processing did not develop out of computer technology. It evolved from the needs of writers rather than those of mathematicians, but it later merged with the computer field. Word processing started with the gradual automation of the physical aspects of writing and editing. Later, technology was refined to make it available to individual and corporate users.

Historically, there are four (4) types of word processors namely; mechanical, electronic, standalone, and software. Word processors were designed by combining existing technologies with emerging ones to develop standalone equipment. Gradually, the concept of word processing, which evolved from data processing was integrated into the computer system.

Mechanical word processing

Before the advent of mechanical word processing, manual writing was the order of the day. People started using ink and paper to create documents way back in 2000BC. During this period, the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Hebrews were using papyrus and parchment papers.

The first major advancement from manual writing to mechanical word processing was the invention of the typewriter. During this period, different versions of the typewriter were invented, some with success and some without success.

Henry Mill was the first to be credited with the invention of the typewriter in the 18^th century. However, his version of the typewriter was not successful. By 1867, Christopher Latham Scholes invented the first successful typewriter.

Scholes’s invention has a major drawback. Instead of printing on the upper side of the roller, it prints on the underside. The implication was that the typist could not see his work until he finishes. Acceptance of this typewriter was slow due to some drawbacks. But a series of improvements were made:

• The shift key was added in 1878. Typists can then type upper-case and lower-case letters with the same key.
• Printing on the upper side of the roller was made possible in 1880. Typists can see their work as they type rather than when they finish.
• The tab key was added in 1897. This made it possible for typists to set margins.

After these changes, the typewriter gained acceptance in the corporate world. By 1900, portable models were created, thus making typewriting available to both individuals and corporations.

Electronic word processing

To improve on the mechanical typewriter, the electric typewriter was invented. The first was patented by Thomas Edison in 1972. However, a workable model was introduced in the 1920s.

By the 1930s, IBM introduced the IBM Electromatic which improved typing speed and made word processing more efficient. Due to the great improvement, the machine gained wide acceptance in the business world.

A major step towards modern word processing came when the Schultz company introduced the repetitive typewriter. This typewriter was able to store information automatically for later retrieval. This made it possible to reproduce multiple identical copies of a document without the use of carbon papers or photocopiers.

In 1961 IBM introduced the Selectric typewriter, which replaced the standard movable carriage and individual type strikers with a revolving typeball. Also, IBM released the MT/ST (Magnetic Tape/Selectric Typewriter) in 1964. The MT/ST combined the features of the Selectric with a magnetic tape drive. Magnetic tape was the first reusable storage medium for typed information.

With the tape, information could be stored, replayed, corrected, and reprinted as many times as needed. You can also erase information on the tape and reuse it for other projects. This development marked the beginning of word processing as it is known today.

IBM first used the term word processing to market their MT/ST machine as a word processing machine. The term was coined by the IBM Engineer, Ulrich Steinhilper in the 1950s. He translated the term from the German word textverabeitung to define the act of typing. But IBM redefined it to describe electronic ways of handling a standard set of office activities. These activities include composing, revising, printing, and filing written documents.

Standalone word processing machines

In the 1970s, word processing shifted from typewriting to computer-based with CRT screens when IBM developed the floppy disks. The first was introduced in the 1970s by Linolex systems. The technology included a floppy disk, software, and a microprocessor.

Lexitron corporation also developed a word processing microcomputer with a CRT monitor and 5 ¼ floppy diskette. The diskette later became the standard for early personal computers. With the introduction of video display units, the text could be entered and corrected without having to produce a hard copy. This means that printing can be delayed until the writer is satisfied with the document.

In 1973, Vydec introduced the first text processor known as Vydec Word Processing System. The machine was the first to allow the creation and editing of multipage documents without changing storage receptacles.

Other standalone machines include the data secretary by Redactron corporation and a CRT-based system by Wang Laboratories. The Wang system has all the characteristics of today’s word processors and was affordable to organizations. It became the basis for other CRT-based word processors. Hence, word processors were referred to as CRT-based machines.

Word processing software

The invention of personal computers marked the beginning of the word-processing software. This was made possible by the advent of disk programs which enhanced the development packages for use with personal computers. Also, the separation of the software from the hardware opened up the field of word processing to individuals.

The first word processing program for personal computers was Electric Pencil, from Michael Shrayer Software. It went on sale in December 1976. By 1978, WordStar was introduced. Because of its many new features, it soon dominated the market. WordStar was written for the early CP/M (Control Program – Micro) operating system.

The era of MS-DOS saw the rise of WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. They replaced WordStar as the main word processing program during this era.

In the late 1980s, word processing shifted to the WYSIWYG (What-you-see-is-what-you-get) and GUI (Graphic User Interface) approach. These were pioneered by the Xerox Alto computer and Bravo word processing program, and Xerox PARC with the Gipsy word processor.

The true WYSIWYG made known to people came when Apple Macintosh and IBM PC were released in 1983 and 1984 respectively. Apple came with MacWrite and IBM PC came with Microsoft Word. Word processing is now one of the most common general applications for personal computers.

When Windows operating system became popular in the 1990s, Microsoft Word’s popularity also grew with it. Today, Microsoft Word has become synonymous with what is called a word processor or word processing software.

Today, there is different word processing program including desktop applications, mobile apps, and cloud-based word processors. These word processors have similar terms common to them. This will lead us to chapter three.

General terms

These are terms that are generally used in word processing. They are not commands but provide relevant information to computer users.

Application: Used in place of a program, hence, you can say a word processing application or a word processing program.

Caps lock: It is turned on when you want to type text in CAPITAL LETTERS or UPPER CASE. A light will appear on your keyboard when the caps lock is on. Press the Caps Lock key to turn it on or off.

Cursor: This is the insertion point of an item in a document. The cursor is a flashing vertical bar on the screen that indicates where entered text or objects will be placed in the document.

Dialog box: This is a boxed window that lists options. It usually appears when some specified commands such as SAVE AS, PAGE SETUP, etc., are issued.

Document: This is a file that contains text, image, table, etc., created using a word processing program. Files created with a word processor are referred to as a document.

Editing: This is the process of making changes or corrections in a document. It includes alterations to the text itself, moving or copying items to other locations, and applying formatting options to the document itself and items within it.

File extension: When a file is created with an application, it usually has two parts – the filename and the extension. The user adds the filename while the application adds the extension. The file extension is usually used to determine the program that creates a file. Examples of file extensions are .doc, .docx, .rtf, .page, etc.

Formatting: The process of formatting a document involves specifying how the document will look in its final form on the screen and when printed. Common formatting options include the font, font size, color, alignment, spacing, margins, and other properties.

Highlighting: Also called selecting. This is the act of choosing an item or group of text in a document. Before you can format an object or text, you need to first highlight such object or text. Changes to be made (deleting, formatting, etc) will only affect the selected items.

Menu bar: The menu bar appears at the top of some word processing application windows. It contains a listing of the main commands in the form of text. Menu items that are common among multiple applications include File, Edit, View, and Help. When you click on one of these items, additional options appear in a drop-down menu on the screen.

Paragraph: A new paragraph is created each time you press the ENTER key on the keyboard. A paragraph can be made up of several lines of text, a single item, or nothing.

Ribbon: Ribbon was introduced in Microsoft Word 2007 to replace the menu bar. The ribbon contains tabs and icons representing the commands to be executed in a document. These commands are handy and easier to use when compared with the menu bar.

Ruler: The rulers appear at the top and left side of a word document within the word processing window. They are used to show the position of margins, tabs, and the document.

Scroll bar: Sometimes you cannot see your entire document. The scroll bars are used to scroll up or down the screen or sideways. Scrolling is like moving a sheet of paper up or down so that you can see more of it. You can use the scroll arrows or the scroll bars on the right and bottom of your window.

Template: A template is a starting point for a document that contains initial formatting options, settings, colors, layout, and placeholders.

Toolbar: A toolbar consists of buttons that provide a shortcut way of performing a commonly used function. Microsoft Word 2007 introduced the concept of quick-access toolbar. You can customize the content of your toolbar.

Word wrap: Word wrap enables a word processor to create a multiline without you pressing the ENTER key. Whenever the cursor reaches the end of a margin it automatically jumps to the next line.

Editing terms

These are terms that relate to the commands for creating and editing documents in word processors.

Autocorrect: This feature is used to correct common typographic errors and misspelled words as you are typing. You can turn it on or off. You can also customize the words to be corrected.

Clipboard: The clipboard is a temporary holding area the computer uses for any item that has been copied or cut. When an item such as text is placed on the clipboard, it can then be pasted elsewhere in the document. Items will stay on the clipboard until they are deleted or erased.

Copy: Used to duplicate items in a document or in other documents. Copied items are placed on the clipboard until it is pasted.

Cut: This is used to move a text or object in the document or to other documents. Cut items are placed on the clipboard until it is pasted.

Find and replace: This allows you to search for a particular word or phrase and replace the same with a specified one.

Indentation: Indent is the space between the margin of the page and the text. Most word processors allow for both left and right indentation. A common use of indention is called “first line indent”. Here the first line of a paragraph is indented and the remaining lines of text lie directly against the left margin.

Paste: Copy or cut usually place the item on the clipboard. The paste is the process of taking the items on the clipboard and placing them in the current location of the insertion point.

Spelling and grammar: This utility is used to check for proper spelling and grammar as you create and edit a document. These utilities may run automatically and alert you to errors as you type using its built-in dictionaries. You can also run the spell check manually when you finished creating your document.

Tab stops: Tabs are used to control the placement of text on a page. Tab stops can be set within the ruler at the top of the word processing window. You can also set the type of the tab. Tab types include left, right, centered, and decimal. The tab type controls how the text will be aligned if it is forced to that tab stop. When the tab key is pressed on the keyboard, the cursor will move to the next tab stop location.

Table: A table is a collection of text, data, or other items that are arranged in columns and rows.

Undo and redo: Undo command is used to reverse the last action (or series of actions) that you have performed in a document. Redo does the reverse of undoing. When using the Undo and Redo commands, each item must be reversed sequentially.

Formatting terms

These are word-processing terms that help in manipulating and customizing the text in a word processing document.

Alignment: Alignment refers to the way text is arranged in the document between the margins. We have right, left, and center alignment. Justify is a type of alignment that flush the text both to the left and the right margins.

Font: A font is a set of letters and numbers of one particular typeface. The font includes not only the typeface but other characteristics such as font size and emphasis.

Footer: The footer is an area that appears at the bottom of every page in a document that can contain one or more lines of text. It is popularly used to insert the page number on each page.

Header: This is an area that appears at the top of every page in a document that can contain one or more lines of text. It can be used to insert a page number of document information.

Line spacing: Line spacing refers to the amount of white space between lines of text in a paragraph. You can choose any single, double, or 1.5 line spacing.

Margin: The margin is the white space between the edge of the page and where text or other items can be placed in your document. You can adjust the margin to increase or decrease it when working with a word processing application.

Orientation: This defines the layout of a document. A document could appear in a portrait or landscape orientation. Portrait orientation is where the height of the page is greater than the width. Landscape orientation has a greater width than height.

Page break: This is used to specify the point at which one page or section ends and another begins. You can manually insert a page break at a specific location.

Paper size: This is used to specify the page layout area or the workspace while working on a document. It is also used to determine the size of the paper a document will be printed on. There are different paper sizes in a word processor to be chosen from, including legal, letter, A4, etc.

Paragraph spacing: Paragraph spacing refers to the amount of white space that is left between paragraphs when the enter key is hit. Unlike line spacing, paragraph spacing does not affect the amount of space between lines of text, but instead, between one paragraph and the next. You can set the space before and after a paragraph.

Mailing terms

These are terms that relate to data and mailing automation in word processing.

Mail merge: Mail merge is a word processing automation that combines database software, word processors, and some e-mail programs. It is used to send the same email content to multiple recipients. Mail merge takes a standard form of e-mail and populates it with the personal information of the recipients.

Wizard: A wizard is an interactive feature in a word processor that will walk you step-by-step through a specialized process. A Wizard is specifically included in Microsoft Word for mail merging. The Mail Merge wizard provides assistance when creating letters and mailing labels from a list of names and addresses.

Printing terms

These are word processing terminology that defines the commands used to set up and print a document.

Page setup: A tool that allows you to customize the size and layout of your printable word document. The parameters to define include the paper size, margins, page orientation, and quality of print.

Print preview: Print Preview is a feature that shows you the prototype of your printed document on the screen. It displays how your document will look on a piece of paper if it were to be printed.

Print: Print is the command that enables you to print your finished document from a printer. There are features included in the print dialog box that will help you specify the print quality.

There are other terms that may not have been included in this terminology. You can encounter them in the course of using each of the word processing software. This leads us to chapter 4 where we will identify some word processing software examples.

Microsoft word

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular word-processing software examples in use today. It has a lot of features that made it the choice of many when it comes to creating and editing documents.

Microsoft word is developed by Microsoft corporation and has different versions for Mac, Windows, Android, and IOS devices. Also, you can subscribe to Microsoft 365 for the cloud version with OneDrive storage.

Microsoft Word has improved search and navigational experience. Also, you can easily collaborate with a team and work with others simultaneously are just some of the benefits. Along with that, Word gives you the ability to access, share, and work on your documents from almost anywhere.

Word also has additional visual effects, turning text into diagrams, and combining visual aspects into text documents. Some of the key features include:

• Provision of templates for resumes and forms.
• Reading documents with the read mode, PDF, letters, and scripts on your mobile device.
• It enables you to save a document as a PDF file.
• You can share your file with others and collaborate with your team.
• Supporting editing with rich formatting.
• Managing permission for documents
• Creating comments in the documents.

Price: Depends on the version. The cost for 1 pc is about $166.66. Microsoft 365 personal is about $64.28 per annum and $6.43 per month.

Google docs

Google Docs is an online application that helps you to create and edit documents. It is a free word processor that is part of the G-suite applications. You can use the software to create letters, memos, reports, and other documents.

Google docs has lots of free templates you can choose to create different types of word documents. It contains numerous fonts and images. You can use the application to create and make changes in files anywhere at any time. Some of its features are:

• Creating and editing word documents
• Lots of free templates
• You can share documents online using Google Drive
• You can convert Word docs to Google Docs
• Accessible from a Phone, tablet, or computer.
• You can make changes in the document in real time.
• It offers chat and comment in the capability.
• You can convert Google Doc files to Word files or vice versa.
• You can search quotes, text, and images in the Google Doc Android app.
• Supported platforms: Web, iOS, Android, and Mac.

Price: Free

Apple Pages

Apple pages is a word processing software developed by Apple computers. It is a word processor shipped with apple devices; it also allows users to create documents online.

Some of its features include:

• Beautiful and colorful photo card templates that allow you to create different documents.
• Mail merge feature for sending a batch mailing to multiple recipients.
• Screen view which makes it easier to view, read and edit documents on iPhone devices.
• Language translation is made easier within your document.
• Use scribble to turn handwritten words into text
• Play YouTube and Vimeo videos right in Pages, without the need to open a web browser. Simply add a link, and play your web video inside your document or book.
• Easily record, edit, and play audio directly on a page.
• Add elegance to your mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation.
• Edit shared documents while offline, and your changes will automatically upload when your accounts are online again.

Price: Free

Corel Wordperfect

WordPerfect is one of the oldest word processing software. Developed by Corel, WordPerfect is a legendary word processor that so many uses to create documents, letters, brochures, resumes, and more. With the compatibility of over 60 file formats, including Microsoft, and powerful Reveal Codes, document control has never been easier.

The basic features of WordPerfect include:

• The WordPerfect eBook Publisher supports EPUB format which provides compatibility with eBook devices, such as Kobo, Nook, and Sony Reader.
• Includes Oxford concise dictionary for spelling check
• You can open, edit, and save the latest Microsoft Office file formats in each WordPerfect Office 2021 application.
• Have quick access to vital document statistics in WordPerfect, such as word count, character count, line count, and more.
• Improved file stability when working on a file, opening a file, or saving a file directly to a server.
• Import pdf files into the WordPerfect application and smoothly edit them with built-in pdf functionality.
• Perform multiple find-and-replace actions with ease.
• The Mail Merge Expert makes it simple to associate a data source and create mail for multiple recipients.

Price: WordPerfect Office Standard 2021 at $249.99

LibreOffice writer

LibreOffice is a powerful and free office suite. It is a successor to OpenOffice.org, used by millions of people around the world. It has a clean interface and feature-rich tools that help you unleash your creativity and enhance your productivity.

LibreOffice includes several applications that make it the most versatile Free and Open-Source office suite on the market. Its word processor is known as LibreOffice Writer. Writer has all the features you need from a modern, full-featured word processing and desktop publishing tool.

It’s simple enough for a quick memo, but powerful enough to create complete books with contents, diagrams, indexes, and more. It has the following features:

• It has full word processing features to allow you to create and edit different kinds of documents.
• It is compatible with a wide range of document formats such as Microsoft Word, Open Document Format, etc.
• You can export your document in pdf format
• It has extensions that allow you to get more features and document templates from its website.
• With an autocorrect dictionary, you can correct errors as you type.
• Use the mail merge wizard to easily create mail for multiple recipients.

Price: Free

Zoho writer

Zoho Writer is a free ad powerful cloud-based word processing software in use by many. Because it is cloud-based, it can be used across all devices. It can also be used to collaborate with teammates in real time.

With Zoho writer, you can create elegant, inspiring documents for free. Let’s consider some of its features.

• Easy to get started with any device. Simply visit Zoho writer and register with your email address.
• Write across all devices from every location.
• Write and edit documents with teammates in real time.
• Save your documents in pdf and MS Word document formats.
• Collaborate on content and post it directly to your WordPress or Blogger pages.
• Contextual grammar, readability, and style suggestions.
• Document automation and sign collection capabilities along with Zoho CRM integration.

Price: Free

WPS office writer

WPS Office writer is an example of word processing software that is available for all devices. You can download it for your PC, tablet, or mobile phone.

WPS Office enables you to edit and manage Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, and PDF with others at the same time. It is fully compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS and supports 47 file formats and 46 languages.

Key features of this productivity program:

• Work anywhere on any available device
• Available on multiple platforms including Mac, Windows, Linus, Android, and IOS
• WPS Office writer supports 15 file formats including .doc, .docx, and multiple languages.
• It also has cloud service for easy two-way document sync across all platforms and devices.
• Built-in applications provide you with superior features such as file format conversion, text extraction, long image output, watermark, and annotation.
• Thousands of free and premium templates to meet your document creation needs.
• Exclusive and excellent themes created by professional art designers to meet diverse aesthetic pursuits.

Price: Free for WPS standard. WPS premium starts at $29.99 per year.

Polaris docs

Polaris Office is a combination of tools that includes Polaris Docs. Polaris docs is a versatile word processor that is similar to the combination of Microsoft Word and Google Docs. It has versions for Windows, Mac, IOS, and Android.

The Polaris web office provides solutions to view and edit various document formats such as word, sheet, slides, and HWP. You can apply and deploy document viewer editing services easily with any server environment or technology.

Polaris docs is a very versatile word processing software that allows you to work on your documents wherever you are. These are some of its key features:

• It allows multiple users to access the document from different platforms, such as PCs or mobile clients.
• Can be used for real-time writing and editing and collaboration
• Provides support and collaborative editing for office documents such as Word, Sheet, and Slide documents
• Provides real-time document coediting with teammates. A URL link can be sent to the invitee for collaborative works and permission for editing granted.
• Unified communication channels such as email, instant chat, and phone. It helps to minimize cumbersome feedback and emailing while maximizing work efficiency.

Price: Free. Polaris Office Smart $39.99/ year; Polaris Office Pro $59.99/ year. Download for Mac and Windows for 1 Pc at $79.99. Download for IOS at $39.99.

Scribus

Scribus is a free and open-source desktop publishing software. It is specially designed for typesetting, layout, and presentation of files. This app can also create PDFs and forms.

Though it’s a bit different from standard word processing software, you can choose one of the designed layouts. You can also set up your page, and even improve your written documents with professional-looking quality images.

With Scribus, you can also create animations that you can place directly inside your document. You can also turn your text documents into interactive PDF presentations. Basic features include:

• Support for a user-friendly interface.
• Support publishing features like color management and PDF creation.
• Vector drawings capabilities
• Supports documentation creation tools like LaText, Lilypond, etc.
• You can import or export a huge number of files to Scribus.
• Supports platforms like Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, PC-BSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and Haiku.

Price: Free

FocusWriter

FocusWriter is a simple, distraction-free writing environment. It utilizes a hide-away interface that you access by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen. With this feature, you can focus on the page and text. Whenever you need to use any integrated feature, simply swipe your cursor across the edges to open the hidden menu.

It’s available for Linux and Windows and has been translated into many different languages. Its key features are:

• TXT, basic RTF, and essential ODT file support
• Timers, alarms, and daily goals
• Fully customizable themes and sessions
• Has optional features like typewriter sound effects, live statistics, spell-checking, multi-document support, and a portable mode
• Can be translated into over 20 languages

Price: Free

There are other examples of word processing software that cannot be explicitly discussed in this guide. However, you can try apps like FreeOffice TextMaker, Dropbox Paper, Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Scrivener, etc., to create a document.

This leads us to chapter 5 where we shall illustrate how to create a document.

Examples of word processing documents

You can create different kinds of files using a word processor. For ease and elegance, you can use a built-in template in any of your selected word processor.

Examples of documents you can create with a word processing software include: memo, letter, newsletter, reports, brochure, resume, etc.

To create a document, you can start with a template or a blank document. Virtually all the cloud-based word processors have elegant templates to get started.

How to make a program in word

If you have an upcoming event, you can quickly create a program for such an event in a word processor. Depending on the nature of the program, you can use a template to speed up creation.

In this illustration, we shall use Microsoft Word template to make a program. Let’s begin with the following steps.

1. Open Microsoft Word in the backstage view and select New. (Please, ensure that you are connected to the internet)
2. On the search for templates box, type program, and press ENTER.

1. On the search result window, select any of the program templates and click on Create. The template will download. After downloading, it will open with the template.

1. On the open template, make every necessary changes you want.
2. After the necessary changes are made, share or print the document and share it with your audience.

Create a booklet in word

A booklet is a small book that has less than 50 pages. It is usually created like a book with a book cover and handles a topic or subject.

Let’s create a booklet in Microsoft Word. You can start with a blank word document or use a template. Using a template is usually easier than starting with a blank document. Follow these steps to create a booklet in Microsoft Word using a blank document.

1. Open Microsoft Word and select Blank document in the Backstage View.
2. In the Microsoft Word window, click the Layout tab and select Margins from the Page Setup group.

1. Select Custom Margins… from the Margins dropdown menu to open the Page Setup dialog box.

1. In the Page Setup dialog box, do the following:
   • Set the margins appropriately. The default can do it. However, add a few inches in the Gutter box. This will create binding space on the inside.
   • Under Pages, in the Multiple pages box, select Book fold item from the list.
   • Select the Paper tab and select A4 paper size. Then click OK.
2. Start entering text and images in the pages of your newly configured booklet document. When you are done with your writing and formatting, print your work.
3. To print your booklet, do the following:
   • Select Print from File, or press CTRL+P on the keyboard. The print dialog window appears.
   • Change Print One Sided to Manually Print on Both Sides.
   • Load paper to printer and test run the printing by printing a few pages then flip the sheets. If both sides of the sheets are printed correctly, then continue with your booklet printing.

1. Share or distribute your booklet to your audience.

Compare two word documents

You can compare two versions of a document to see how they differ. Though it might be tedious, especially for a long document. However, word processing software provides tools that make it easy and efficient.

In this section, I will show you how to compare two documents with Google Docs word processor.

1. Ensure that the two documents you want to compare are uploaded to your Google drive. (See how to upload a file from your local drive)
2. Open Google Docs and select one of the documents you want to compare in the Start a new document window.

1. In the Open Document window, select the Tools menu. From the dropdown list, select Compare Documents.

1. The compare documents dialog box opens.

1. In the compare documents window, under Select, the comparison document, select My Drive.
2. From the dialog that appears, select the second document you want to compare. Click the Compare button.
3. When Google Docs is done, a dialog box appears telling you that the Comparison is ready. Click the Open button to view the differences.

1. The comparison document opens with a suggestion box informing you on what to do. Accept the suggestion or reject it.

In Microsoft Word, you will select Review > Compare. Then, select the two documents to be compared in a dialog box that appears.

Review the two documents and track the changes made to the compared document.

Conclusion

I hope you found this word processing guide useful and easy to apply. Below are resources that will help you get started if you want to deepen your knowledge of Microsoft Word.

Before that, I will love to hear from you: which of the chapters do you appreciate most? Which of the word processing software most appeals to you? Looking at Microsoft Word alternatives, which one software among many would you prefer?

Whichever, please, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Practice Resources

What is Microsoft Word: A Practical Overview

Creating Documents in MS Word

Paragraph Formatting in a Word Document

Inserting and Formatting Text in Word Document

Creating and Formatting Tables in Microsoft Word

The Page Layout: Microsoft Word Tutorials 3

Updated: 12/31/2022 by

Word processing describes creating or editing a document using a word processor, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or OpenOffice Writer. For example, a student could create a book report in a Word Processor application. Then, the student could print it, save it to a disk, display it on the screen, or send it over e-mail. Also, a person looking for a job could create a résumé using a word processor, then e-mail or print and mail it to job recruiters.

How to open a word processing file

How a word processing file opens depends on the type of word processor software used to create the file and its file format. Thankfully today, most word processors are capable of opening most word processor files, and as long as you can access one of them, you can open the file. For example, a file called «example.doc» was likely created in Microsoft Word and opens in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice or uploaded to Google Docs and viewed and edited online.

• Where can I get a free word processor?

What was used before word processing?

Before computers, people used typewriters to write reports or other documents, which had nowhere near the capabilities as today’s word processors. With a word processor, you can easily edit and make changes to a document, move text around in a document, add images, change fonts, check for spelling errors, and more.

Today’s word processing concept was introduced by IBM with its introduction of the IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter in 1964, which pioneered using magnetic recording devices and typewriting. Referred to as «power typing,» the feature of revising stored text improved office efficiency by allowing typists to type at «rough draft» speed without the pressure of worrying about mistakes.

Typography terms, Word processor, Word processor terms

Text produced at the office used to come only from careful penmanship or fast typing. This required much care in creating a document and much time when corrections were needed. Today, business text is easy to change and quick to produce because of word-processing software and computers, both of which are common work tools.

Description

A word-processing document is any text-based document that looks the same whether it is viewed on a computer screen or printed out in a hard copy. Because you create these manuscripts using computer software, you can quickly enter text and interactively change the general layout or word appearance.

Software

The most common word-processing software is Word, which is part of the larger Microsoft Office Suite. Its main disadvantage is the high cost, though other commercial competitors such as Corel WordPerfect exist. Other free alternatives include the Internet-based Google Docs and the open-source program OpenOffice Writer, both of which can open and manipulate Word files. Note that among many supported file extension, Word commonly uses doc and docx.

Styles

Word-processing documents generally use styles, which enforce consistency among different elements of a long manuscript. For example, you can define a header style to appear with a specific font, color and size. You can then apply this style all the titles of the document. If you decide that you would like to change the appearance of the headers, for example by increasing the font size, you do not have to individually change each title. Instead, adjust the Header style and all the text to which the style is applied automatically changes as well.

References

References change text automatically depending on the circumstances. For example, you can generate a table of contents and index with page numbers. If you happen to change the number of pages, you do not have to individually adjust the page references. Instead, these numbers automatically adjust when you print the document.

Transferability

A word-processing document can easily exchange information with other types of software. For example, rather than laboriously redrawing a budget pie chart each time percentages change, you can import the chart from a spreadsheet program. Thus, by changing the number on the spreadsheet, you automatically adjust the chart in the document. Similarly, if the manuscript contains information like names and addresses that you would like to use in a separate program, you can easily export that data for further processing.

What is word processing simple definition?

Is there a free program like Microsoft Word?

Is Excel a word processing software?

What is word processing Why is it used?

What does word processing mean on a job application?

Is word processor a system software?

What documents can you create with Microsoft word?

Can a word processing file be attached to an email?

What are the main features of a word processor program?

How businesses use word processing software?

What is the difference between text editor and word processor?

What are 3 advantages of word processing software?

Why do computer users need word processors?

What are the disadvantages of word processor?

What are the applications of word processor?

What is use of word processor in Class 10?

What are the advantages of a word processor over typewriters?

How does word processing software work?

Word Processing refers to the act of using a computer to create, edit, save and print documents. One example of a Word Processor is Microsoft Word, but other word processing applications are also widely used. Examples include: Microsoft Works Word Processor, Open Office Writer, Word Perfect and Google Drive Document..

How do you create a word processing document?

To create a new blank document:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button.
2. Select New. The New Document dialog box appears.
3. Select Blank document under the Blank and recent section. It will be highlighted by default.
4. Click Create. A new blank document appears in the Word window.

What is word processes?

: the production of typewritten documents (such as business letters) with automated and usually computerized typing and text-editing equipment. Other Words from word processing Example Sentences Learn More about word processing.

Is Google Docs a word processing document?

Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format documents and work with other people.

Is Microsoft Word a word processing software?

Microsoft Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft. It was first released on October 25, 1983, under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.

What are the types of word processing software?

Examples of word processor programs

• Abiword.
• Apple iWork – Pages.
• Apple TextEdit – Apple macOS included word processor.
• Corel WordPerfect.
• Dropbox Paper (online and free).
• Google Docs (online and free).
• LibreOffice -> Writer (free).
• Microsoft Office -> Microsoft Word.

What are examples of word processing software?

Two of the most widely used examples of word processing software are Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Both Word and Google Docs provide the business writer with the formatting tools needed to create professional documents.

How many types of word processing software are there?

3 types

What is word processing package?

Word processing packages are software programs used to create, edit and view documents on a computer. Two popular word processors are Microsoft Word and Pages for Mac.

What is word processing and its advantages?

Advantages of word processors 1) It is faster and easier than writing by hand. 2) You can store documents on your computer, which you cannot do on a typewriter. 4) There are more formatting choices with a word processor (the spelling, grammar and language tools). 5) You can print copies of your documents.

What are the word processing skills?

Basic Word Processing Skills:

• add text.
• enter text.
• format text: font, style, size, and color.
• adjust line spacing.
• insert and format WordArt.
• insert and format clip art or picture file.
• modify the text wrap of an object.
• draw and format shapes.

What is word processing features?

Features of a word processors A word wrap which automatically starts a new line if there is insufficient room at the hand margin. Availability of different fonts, character sizes and styles. Text paragraph and page formatting eg text alignment, indenting, page number etc.

What is word processing give two examples?

A word processor, or word processing program, does exactly what the name implies. It processes words. It also processes paragraphs, pages, and entire papers. Some examples of word processing programs include Microsoft Word, WordPerfect (Windows only), AppleWorks (Mac only), and OpenOffice.org.

Why is word processing important?

Furthermore, word processing benefits the environment by reducing the amount of paperwork needed to perform daily tasks (e.g., archiving, sending out letters, sending meeting agendas). By sending documents via a secured email, the cost of postage and paper waste are reduced significantly.

What are 3 advantages of word processing software?

Advantages of Word Processing

• Quality : It produces error free documents.
• Storage of Text : We can take any number of copies with word processor.
• Time Saving : We can get any number of copies of document in future without retyping.
• Security : We can protect the documents in word processing by giving passwords.

What is another word for word processing?

In this page you can discover 14 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for word processor, like: editor, text editor, data processor, word processing program, word processing system, wordpad, notepad, spell check, word processing, clarisworks and null.

What is word processing advantages and disadvantages?

The disadvantages include the fact that a computer is needed, it may have too many options, requires computer skills, may be expensive and is prone to virus attacks. Below are some details regarding the advantages and disadvantages of a word processor.

What are the uses of word processing?

Some of the functions of word processing software include:

• Creating, editing, saving and printing documents.
• Copying, pasting, moving and deleting text within a document.
• Formatting text, such as font type, bolding, underlining or italicizing.
• Creating and editing tables.

What are the disadvantages of Word?

Answer. What Are Some Disadvantages of Using Microsoft Word? As of 2014, some disadvantages of Microsoft Word include the unfamiliar new Ribbon interface, too many options that can be very confusing, cost, vulnerability to virus attacks, and large files due to meta information getting saved alongside Word files.

What is the disadvantage of word processor?

If you want to write something down quickly, it can take more time to switch the computer on, open the word processor and set up the document. Sometimes pen and paper is faster.

How has word processing affected writing?

The word processor has turned the process of writing into something that is “extremely malleable” (Bolter, p. 32). Prior to the word processor, writing was a progression of constant revisions. Now that is not to say that revisions no longer take place but as discussed earlier, making edits is a much easier task.

What are the components of word processor?

MS- Word Window Elements

• Title bar.
• Menu Bar.
• Toolbars.
• Workspace.
• Status Bar.
• Scroll Bars.
• Scroll Box.
• Task Pane.

How do you format a document?

On the Home tab or under the Format tab on the Menu bar, under Styles, select a style and click your desired style. You can also click the Modify button on the Styles tab to create your own style. By default, Word applies a paragraph style (for example, Heading 1) to the entire paragraph.

How will you open a document?

To Open an Existing Document from Text Editor

1. Choose Open from the File menu. The Open a File dialog box lists files and folders in your current folder.
2. Select the name of the document you want to open, or type the document name in the Enter file name field.
3. Press Return or click OK. Note –

What is the shortcut key to open a document?

Ctrl Key

1. Press Ctrl + C or Shift + F2 to copy selected text to the clipboard.
2. Press Ctrl + X to cut selected text to the clipboard.
3. Press Ctrl + V to paste text from clipboard.
4. Press Ctrl + Z to undo the last action.
5. Press Ctrl + Y to redo the last action.
6. Press Ctrl + N to new document.
7. Press Ctrl + O to open a document.

What are two ways to open a document?

There are two main ways to open a file:

1. Find the file on your computer and double-click it. This will open the file in its default application.
2. Open the application, then use the application to open the file. Once the application is open, you can go to the File menu at the top of the window and select Open.

Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction to Word Processing

Word
Processing Basics

Terminology

The word
processor screen

Creating a
document

Saving a
file

Paragraph
formatting

Footnotes

Spell
Checker

Margins

Print
Preview

Modifying a
document

Replace

What�s
wrong with this Document

Summary of
Word Processing Basics

Summary of
Computer Basics

Word Processing Basics

Computers have made typing papers a breeze for those of us
who do not know how to type! We can make mistakes left and right and be able to
fix them on the computer before we print the paper. We can save a paper as a
file on a diskette and keep it for future reference. We can modify papers in a
flash and we can even include pictures in our papers.

When using a word processor you should be aware that you can
move an entire paragraph or simply one word very easily in your paper. You can
also include a new paragraph, a new sentence or just a new word anyplace within
your paper. This ability to manipulate your text is the prime advantage and
difference between using a word processor and a typewriter. The word processor
also allows you to make modifications relatively easily. Especially if you have
followed the simple basics as outlined in Figure 1.

The basics of word processing are guidelines to follow to
make it easier to change and modify your document. They all relate to something
called paragraph formatting features. The four computer Basics are common to
all applications not just the word processor.

Most word processors are similar, so I want to introduce you
to some of the things in general that can be done using a word processor. What
I want to stress is the correct way to use a word processor, which is by
following the basics that are listed in Figure 1. Anyone can sit down on a
computer and type in a paper, but not everyone knows how to type in the paper
correctly. If you ever need to modify the paper in some way it will be easier
to do if you have followed the basic guidelines.

Terminology

Let�s start with a little word processing terminology so
that we are all working from the same reference point.

Cursor�/
Insertion Point�—
The cursor, or insertion point, is a flashing vertical bar on the screen. This
is where your text will appear when you start to type. The mouse pointer will
be an I-beam on your document window and can be used to move the insertion
point by clicking the left mouse button.

Word-wrap�—
When using a word processor we want to take advantage of word-wrap. When you
reach the end of the line, the computer will automatically go to the next line;
this is called word-wrap. If you were trained to use a typewriter, your most
common mistake will be hitting the carriage return key at the end of every
line. In word processing, we only want to hit the return (enter) key at the end
of the paragraph.

Paragraph�—
A paragraph is defined as going from one enter key stroke to the next time you
hit the enter key. So, every time you hit the enter key, you create a new
paragraph.

Formatting��—
With word processing, you can change the appearance of your text by formatting
the text. There are two kinds of formatting features:
1. Features that effect characters
or only what is highlighted.
2. Features that effect the entire paragraph.

Highlighted�or
Selected�—
Generally speaking, whatever you have highlighted will be affected by the
formatting feature that you do, or will be deleted, or will be moved, or will
be copied, etc. Highlighted text appears with text in the background color
(usually white) and the background color as the text color (usually black). You
can highlight text by clicking with the mouse (holding down the left mouse
button) and dragging the mouse cursor over the text. Oftentimes when
highlighting text in this manner, you may let go of the mouse button too early
and miss a letter or two. No problem. Simply hold the shift key down and press
the arrow keys to move the highlight in the direction that you want. In fact,
you can use any of the cursor movement keys (Figure 2) combined with holding
down the shift key to highlight text. Also, if you place the mouse pointer on
the extreme left side of the document window you can then click to highlight
the entire line.

Toggle�—
Many features in word processing work as a toggle, which means it is a switch
that can be turned on or off. If you decide you do not like the option you
simply turn it off. Some of the toggle options include BOLD, Underline, and Italics.
These can all be turned on or off. If you have something bold and you do not
want it bold, you simply highlight the text and then click the bold switch to
turn it off.

Non-Printing Characters�Figure 3 — There are several key strokes that you use all the time that do
not print. These would include hitting the space bar, tab key, and enter key.
All of these characters can be shown on the screen. It is sometimes helpful to
see these characters so that you know what is happening in your document. I
will talk about the non-printing characters more when I talk about the basics
of word processing.

Font�Figure 4
— The style of character that your text is in. I am using Arial at the
moment. You can have as many fonts in a document as you want. In fact, you can
make each letter a different font! One very important point about fonts is that
the fonts that are available to you are dependent upon the printer that you
have. So if you don�t see any of the fonts that I have here, that simply means
your printer does not have those fonts. You can buy fonts for your printer and
then you would be able to use them in your documents. You should also know that
you can make your computer think it has a laser printer (has a lot of fonts) by
just setting the option as if you had that printer. Your computer will not know
the difference. You will not be able to print them on your computer but you can
save the file on a disk and bring it to a computer that does have that printer.
The bottom font is Wingding. In fact if
you type a lower case L and change the font to Wingding
you will get a bullet l.

Font Size�— The
size is how big or small your text is. The larger the number selected the
larger the size. Some fonts have more sizes available to them. Again size, just
like font, is printer dependent. You can also use as many sizes as you feel
like in your papers.

The
word processor screen

In Figure 5 above you can see what a new word processing
file will look like in Microsoft Word. Let me describe the various parts for
you. You should begin to recognize some of them. Also, as you practice your
word processing, pay attention to how the program works. Most Windows programs
work in a similar fashion. For example, opening or saving a file is done in the
same way for most applications. You would click on the Save Icon (looks like a
floppy diskette that no-one uses anymore :).

Title
Bar�— This is something that you have seen before.
In this case the title bar is showing you the name of the application that you
are using (Microsoft Word) and the name of the file (Document1). In this case the name of the file is the default name[1].
You should notice the Minimize —
Maximize and Close button on the
title bar for the application. The buttons on the menu bar are for the
document.

Office Button �
The Office Button shown to the left has the options to create a New File, Open
an existing file and Save or Save As a file. You choose Save As when you want
to specify the drive letter, folder, name and type (as described later on). We
will also use Print and Close however the rest of the buttons are up to you to
learn about. If you right click any option you will get a pop-up menu that one
choice is to add this button to the Quick Access Bar. In Fact you should add
your most common buttons to the Quick access bar.

Tabs�— The
different tabs group like items together, most of the common formatting
features are on the Home tab, which also looks more or less the same in all the
office applications. Insert Tab allows you to put things into your document (no
real need for me to describe them to, just take a look). Page layout is where
you would go to change your margins etc. The more you use Office the more you
remember where to look for the various options. One of the problems with the
tabs is in trying to remember what those cute little buttons stand for.
Software companies have helped this problem by supplying mouse tips. When you
place the mouse pointer over a button on the toolbar and wait a few seconds, a
small description will pop up on the screen.

Status Bar�—
The status bar gives information about our position within the document. Page 1
is the page we are on, of 1 page total in our file. Along with how many words
you have. It�s just handy to be able to �see at glance�. To get a groovy
description of the status bar simply click the help icon (top right ?) and type
in status bar!

Scroll Bar�—
The scroll bar simply allows you to scroll through the document. If you click
the scroll arrow you will move 1 line at a time. If you click in the scroll bar
itself you move one screen at a time. The square box indicates your position in
the document. If you click above the square box you will move up, if you click
below it you will move down. You can also drag the square box to where you
think you want to go.

Document
Window�—
This is simply the window that your document will be in.

Insertion Point�—
The insertion point is the place where once you start typing, the text will
begin. The text will be inserted to the left of the insertion point. The
insertion point is also known as the cursor.

Paragraph Marker�—
Our document already has a paragraph even though we have not typed in a single
word. The paragraph marker may not be showing on your screen. It is a toggle to
display non-printing characters or not to display them. Look for the show/hide
button on the toolbar to turn this option on or off[2].

Mouse Pointer�/
I-Beam�—
These show the location of your mouse. If you are moving the mouse pointer and
you run out of desk space to slide the mouse on, simply pick the mouse up in
the air and move it to a place you can reach. The mouse pointer will not move
unless the mouse is on the desk. It is helpful to use a mouse pad when using a
mouse. A book or some paper makes a quick mouse pad if you do not have one.

Ruler�—
The ruler is one of the most important
things to understand in word processing as it tells you what is happening. To
have your ruler display, choose the View Tab, Show hide button and check ruler.
Looking at Figure 7, the ruler is telling us that we have 6� inches of working
area, no tabs set (only default at every 0.5�), and no left or right indent
set.

The zero mark on the ruler is at the left margin. When the layout of the text
is wrong the ruler is the first place to look. You may have an incorrect tab
setting or indent.

We have just been talking about Microsoft WORD 2007 but looking
at most any other word processor screen will be the same.

The big difference between programs tends to be �how� to do
things and most of that is really WHERE the option is located. So just because
we are learning one specific application package remember that what we learn is
applicable to many other software products as well. Have confidence in your own
ability and try the different packages. If worst comes to worst, simply close
the program (Click on the X)! If things are really bad turn the computer off,
but do this as your last alternative. You will not break anything (that can�t
be fixed) but turning a computer off when it is still running a package leaves
a lot of extra temporary files[3] on
the computer that normally get deleted.

Creating a document

Well let�s try to create a simple word processing document.
Remember to use word wrap, so just keep typing until you get to the end of the
whole paragraph and then hit the enter key to start a new paragraph.

When you set formatting attributes you have two choices: one
is to set the attribute and then type in the text, the second is to type the
text first and then go back and highlight the text and set the attribute. You
can use either method. I use a combination of the two techniques myself.

Start up the word processor that you will be using. Some
word processors will automatically start a new document for you and some will
not (check the title bar for a default document name). If there is not an empty
word processing file on your screen, create a new one (Click on the Office
button and choose new).

Saving a file

The first thing I want you to do is to save this blank
document! When using computers you should save often; the more you save, the
better off you will be. I am guilty myself of typing for an hour and losing all
of my information. One thing that can happen is that there may be an error on
your disk drive[4].
It is better to find this out before you start typing than after you have been
typing for an hour. So, the first time you should save a file is BEFORE you
type anything. Another more common problem is that you may turn the computer
off by mistake (or the electricity goes off) and then lose all of your
information. To save your file, simply click the save icon (either under the Office Button or directly
on the Quick start bar). This will give you a
dialog box as shown below.

�Be sure to pick the correct drive and folder
to save in. When giving files a name, pick a name that will best describe the
file so that you can find it easily in the future.

In the figure above the file will be saved as Doc1.docx in the folder Robert Erickson�s Documents.
To see which drive it will be saved on, you must click the arrow �to see the drop down list box. Technically it
still doesn�t show you exactly which drive it is being saved in! In this
example I can click on the Hard drive C: go to documents and settings folder,
find Robert Erickson, click on my documents which will take me to Robert
Erickson�s Documents. The reason I mention this is that some computers are set
up to save your files to a network drive. You should look to find out how your
computer is set up.

After you pick (or verify) the drive you then choose the
correct folder(s) by double clicking the folder (easier to double click the
icon of the folder instead of the name).

To change the file name, you simply type in the name desired.

If you need to change the File Type you do so by picking the
correct type in the drop down list box.

Once you are all set, go ahead and choose the Save command button. As you type
your document, be sure to click the save icon �every now and then. So remember that when you
save a file you must specify the DRIVE,
FOLDER, NAME and the File Type (if needed).

Paragraph formatting

Okay, now that we have given our file a name, let�s start
typing it. I want you to type in the following memo just as it appears in
Figure 11. I have shown you the non-printing characters so you know when to hit
enter. There are 10 paragraphs in this document (remember, every time you hit
the enter key you create a new paragraph).

I want you to format the document to look like my sample shown
in Figure 12 (This file is done correctly). We will be using the Paragraph Group on the Home Tab.

Start by selecting the first four paragraphs. The easy way
to do this is to put the mouse cursor to the left of the first paragraph (on
the extreme left of the document), then with a click and drag motion highlight
all four.

Currently the first 4 paragraphs are left aligned; meaning the left side is smooth on
the left indent. To change this to center
aligned,
simply click the center align icon. This will center the paragraph between the
left and right indents. If you forget which button this is just leave the mouse
pointer on top of the button for a couple of seconds and you should see a mouse
tip that will tell you.

We also want to change the font for these paragraphs to
Arial. Since they are still highlighted we can simply click the drop down list
box for the Font (top of the FONT Group: See
figure below) to get the list for the different fonts available. Scroll to the
top of the list and click on Arial. You should note that whatever is selected
is going to be changed. If the size is not 12, simply change the size to 12 by
clicking on the size list box and choosing 12. If you do not have Arial, simply
choose a font that you do have.

Now I want you to make the first paragraph larger than the
rest. So we will need to highlight just the first paragraph. Simply double
click[5] to
the left of the paragraph; this will highlight the entire paragraph. Now change
the Size to 20. I want the rest of the document (from Hillary on) set to a size
of 14. Simply click the mouse pointer to the left of the fifth paragraph. This
will highlight that one line only. Now to get the rest of the document
highlighted we will use the keyboard. Remember that we can highlight by holding
the shift key down and using the cursor movement keys. I know that if I choose
Ctrl + End it will take me to the end of the document. So I want you to press
Shift + Ctrl + End. This will highlight from the cursor�s current position, to
the end of the document. Now go ahead and change the size to 14. If the Font is
not Times New Roman, change that now as well.

A few more things to do and then you will be done. You will
notice that there are no paragraph markers between the paragraphs. This is
because I have set my paragraph spacing correctly. You will also notice that
there is no tab mark at the beginning of each paragraph. I have used a feature
called first line indent. The file in Figure 12 is
done correctly following the basics of word processing. We can set the line
spacing and the first line indent at the same time. Before we do this let�s
make sure we have the correct paragraphs highlighted. Click the mouse just
before Dear and highlight to the end of the document.

Now choose Paragraph
on the Paragraph Group of the Home Tab
and click on:

This will give you the Paragraph
dialog box. Be sure you are looking at the indents and spacing tab as shown. I
have set this dialog box to the correct options and this is what I want you to
do as well. Set the First Line Indent to 0.5. Looking at the Special list box
choose first line (you may just have a first line text box and that is the same
thing). You can type in .5 or click the up arrow till 0.5 shows.

Your first line
indent is always measured from your left
indent. Your left indent is measured
from the left margin (the zero mark on
the ruler).
Your right indent�is measured from the right margin. If you were
to set your left indent to 0.5� with a first line indent of 0.5�, your first line
indent marker would be at the 1� mark as shown in this example.

For spacing I want you to set the Spacing After�to 12 pt. 12 points is the standard size for 1
Line. You can set the spacing to whatever number you want as long as it is in
the same form of measurement. For example if I wanted 1 and a half line I would
type in 18 pt.

Notice that the Alignment�is set to the left. We changed the alignment
earlier by using the icon. Also notice the little preview section. If you hit
the tab key (to move the focus to another option in the dialog box), it will
put into effect your last change in the preview section so you can get an idea
of how it will look when you choose OK.
One last thing before you choose OK and that is the Help icon, choose it now and read all there is to read about
the paragraph dialog box (it will explain a lot). When you are done reading
Help, click the Help�s Close icon. When you are ready, go ahead and choose the
OK command button. Your document is all set and done correctly.

Let�s take a look at Figure 15, which shows the same
file, but this time it was done incorrectly. What was done wrong is that the
enter key was used to insert the blank lines for paragraph spacing and the tab
key was used to start the paragraphs. If we were not looking at the
non-printing characters we would not be able to see any difference whatsoever.
I admit it would not make much difference in this example because this is a
short one to type in. However you might as well learn the correct way now, so
that when you type in a longer document you will be able to make multiple
spacing and indent changes much more rapidly than if you had not used your word
processor correctly.

Okay, my point is a simple one. When we want to make a
change (if we have used the word processor correctly) we can make them quickly
and easily and our document will look the way we want it to. Suppose I were to
say to you that I wanted 1.5 spaces between each paragraph and I did not want
the first line indented. If you have used your word processor correctly than
all you have to do is:
����������� 1) Highlight the paragraphs.
����������� 2) Choose Format, Paragraph
����������� 3) Set your spacing to 18 pt
����������� 4) Set your Special Indent
(First Line) to none.

If you have not used the word processor correctly than you
would need to delete all the tabs at the beginning of each paragraph. How would
you set the line spacing to 1.5 without formatting the paragraphs, I am not
sure[6].
If your document were 20 pages long, this would be a real hassle. However if
done correctly, it makes no difference how many pages there are because it
requires the same number of steps and the same amount of time.

Now modify your memo a little by putting
your name, lecture, lab and the date at the top in block format. Simply place
your insertion point at the beginning of the document. You may find it easier
to hit enter and give yourself a blank paragraph. It is okay to hit enter a few
times and create blank paragraphs, just remember to delete any extra ones you
may have. Move your insertion point before this blank paragraph and start
typing. If you find you are typing in the center of the page choose the left
aligned button to bring the text over to the left margin. For the date I want
you to insert a date field. The date field will always print the
current date. For example: if you print this document on May 1, 2525, then that
will be the date that prints. On the other hand if you print this document on
May 31, 2525 that would be the date that would print. To insert the date field,
all you need to do is choose Insert tab, look for
the Quick Parts in
the Text Group, and choose Field.
It is easiest to click on Categories and then choose dates. Now just pick the format
that you want for the date and choose ok. Your document will look like this
when you are done:

TO:����� Professor’s
name

FROM:���������� Your
name

LECTURE:��� Your
Lecture

LAB:�� Your lab

DATE:����������� May 15, 2525

In Figure 16 we can see the top half looks
correct, however it is done incorrectly. You do not want to hit the tab twice
in a row in order to line up your information. The bottom half of the diagram
is done correctly as far as how it was typed in by hitting the tab key only
once. We would now need to highlight the 5 paragraphs and set a tab stop to 1
inch. �Notice in Figure 17 I have
highlighted portions of all the paragraphs. This is ok since tabs are a
paragraph formatting feature you only need to have a part of the paragraph
highlighted since the formatting will affect the whole paragraph.

To set the tab stop all you need to do is to click the mouse
just below the number 1 on the ruler (be sure to highlight the 5 paragraphs
first). This will put in a left aligned tab at one inch and align your text
like shown in Figure 17. If you need to move the tab simply click and drag it
to the desired location. If you want to delete the tab stop simply drag the tab
above the ruler.

Now would be a good time to save your document again!

Let�s make the TO paragraph bold. This is easy to do, as all
you have to do is highlight the TO paragraph and click on the �bold button on the Font Group
under the Home Tab. Again, what you have highlighted
will be changed. Let�s practice this a little more by making the FROM paragraph
bold as well. You can format your text as many ways as you like, so for
practice let�s underline only your name. Simply highlight your name and
click the �underline button on the toolbar. Try something
on your own. Make your lecture section and lab section Italics. It should look
like the sample (Figure 18) when you are done.

Footnotes

Looking
back at the memo I realize that Hillary may not know where our headquarters are
located. Our headquarters are actually located in Kansas, Vermont though our mailing address is Manchester, Vermont.
We will be sending her an information packet that gives complete directions to
our lodge, so I really do not want to give the directions in the memo. What I
want to do is to use a footnote so that I can explain that directions will be
forthcoming.

Inserting footnotes into a document is
very easy. You simply place the cursor where you want to mark the footnote,
choose the References Tab, and look for Insert Footnote.
This will put the footnote mark where your cursor is and jump you to the bottom
of the page so you can type in your footnote. If you want to get more options,
simply click the �icon to get the footnote dialog box as shown
in Figure 19. You have your choice of a footnote
which shows up at the bottom of the page that the mark is on, or endnotes�( �icon) which show up at the end of the
document. We are going to use footnotes and Autonumber�for this class. As always, to learn more about
the various footnote options simply choose Help.

The computer handles the numbering for the footnote marks
both in the document text and the footnote window. If you have two footnotes on
a page and add a third one in the middle, it will be numbered in order as two.
The same is true if you delete[7] a
footnote, then the existing footnotes would automatically be renumbered.

In the footnote paragraph you can do any formatting feature
that you normally would do. You can change the font and size. You can bold,
underline, or italicize text. You can set tabs, indents, and spacing. Basically
you can do most anything, just try it. If the computer will not let you do
something then I guess you can�t, at least try it first. Who knows, maybe
someday you will be able to!

The style of footnote that I like to use is the MLA — Modern
Language Association Guidelines (http://www.mla.org/style)
for footnotes. The footnote should be a different font and a smaller size than
your main document. You should use a first line indent of 0.5� for each
separate footnote. Other than that, there really is nothing to it.

Spell Checker

Unless you are a perfect typist and never make any mistakes,
chances are that you have made a spelling or typo mistake. I have a tendency to
make a million of them when I type! Luckily, word processors come with a spell
checking feature that works great. If you made a mistake while typing you may
have noticed that the incorrect word was underlined with a red squiggly line.
If not type a word incorrectly now to see it. This shows you that a word is
spelled incorrectly or is unrecognizable by the computer. You may notice a
green squiggly line, which indicates that you have a grammar error. You can
continue typing and then check your spelling and grammar at the end or you can
fix the words as you go.

It is a good idea to save your document before you run the
spell checker[8].
The spell checker is a neat feature as it will check every word in your
document and compare it to the internal dictionary to see if it matches any
words. So that means the spell checker will look �I� up in the dictionary to be
sure you spelled it right! I do not think I would have the patience to
literally look every word up in the dictionary. The spell checker will also
find repeated words, for example if you type type
a word twice, the spell checker will ask if you want to delete one. Also if you
type «i» the spell checker will
ask you if you want to capitalize it. However the spell checker will not check
your grammar so you may spell �two� when you meant to spell �to� and the spell
checker will not say anything. The grammar checker will put a green squiggly
line under the words.

You can look on the status bar for the spell check symbol to see if you need to run the
spell checker. The blue check �means it is okay, however the red check ��means you have misspelled word(s). To run the
Spelling and Grammar checker choose Review tab and click
on the Spelling and Grammar icon.

When the spell checker finds a word that
it cannot match, it will give you a dialog box with several options for you to
choose (most spell checkers work pretty much the same). In Figure 20 you can
see that patience is misspelled. You will be shown how you spelled the word
with a list of possible correct spellings. You can Ignore the spelling if the word is spelled correctly as,
some words will not be in the dictionary. For example, your last name is
spelled correctly but will not be found in the dictionary. If you have used
your last name throughout the document you may want to Ignore All, which means the spell checker will not stop at
that word again. If you see the correct spelling in the list simply click on
the correct spelling and choose Change.
This will change the spelling in your document. If you are a consistent bad
speller like myself you may want to choose Change
All so that the spell checker will just automatically change the
word throughout the rest of the document. If you are using your own computer
you may want to Add a
correctly spelled word such as your last name to the dictionary. You simply
double check to be sure it is spelled correctly and choose the add button to
add the word to your CUSTOM.DIC. If you
accidentally added a misspelled word you can open the file called CUSTOM.DIC[9]
and fix the spelling. After you have finished, be sure to save your file again
so you do not lose your corrections.

A couple of notes about the spell checker. When you click on
the spell check button, the computer will begin to check the spelling from the
cursor and go down to the end of your document. After the spell checker
finishes with the main document it will then check your footnotes. If you have
started the spell checker someplace in the middle, when the spell checker
reaches the end of your document, it will ask if you want to check the rest of
the document. If you want to just check a word or paragraph simply highlight
what you want to be checked and then run the spell checker (remember what is
highlighted will be affected).

Margins

The margin�default is finally set to the standard 1�!
However if you need to change your margins it is not hard. Choose the Page Layout tab and click on any of the standard settings.
If you choose Page Setup 
to get the dialog box that looks like Figure 21. Be sure that the Apply To: list box has Whole Document in it. If it only
applies to the selected text you will wind up putting in section breaks
(Chapter 3).

Print Preview

Now that we have finished our document, proofread it on the
computer, checked the spelling and saved it again we are ready to see what it
looks like printed. Word processors come with an option called Print Preview�that will show you what your document will
look like on a piece of paper. Choose the Print icon on the Office Button, and then choose the preview icon.� This will show you (more or less) how your
document will look on a piece of paper. You most likely will not be able to
read the document but you can see the layout. Actually if you move your mouse
cursor over the paper it will turn into a magnifying glass. When you click the
left mouse button it will Zoom In and enlarge that section so you can read it.
Print preview helps you to see the format of your document on paper. It is
faster to look at your document in print preview than it is to print the
document, look at the printout, make any necessary changes and then reprint the
document. It also saves paper!

Some things to look for in print preview are blank pages (we
do not want to waste paper). To check for blank pages simply press the page
down button until the computer �beeps�. This means there are no more pages. If
there are blank pages, you need to go back to the document and fix whatever is
wrong. Most likely there are several paragraph marks at the end of your
document that should be deleted (remember to look for the end of document
marker). If on the other hand everything looks fine simply choose the print
button on the tool bar. I never use the print button on the standard toolbar as
I can easily use the print button found in print preview. You should always
check print preview before you print to spot any possible errors.

If you notice that you have only one or two lines showing up
on the second page you may as well change your margins or line spacing to get
the information to print on one page. Try changing your margins to 0.8� (top,
bottom, left and right). This will be close to 1� and is worth the sacrifice
from the standard to get your document on one page. You could also change your
paragraph spacing to 8 pt instead of 12 pt. The point is that you can do this
easily as long as you have used your word processor correctly. The actual
numbers that you use, i.e. 8 pt vs. 12 pt, 1� vs. 0.8� are not that important
in life. Experiment and use what works the best. However for this class be sure
to follow the directions as given.

Modifying a document

No matter how hard you try invariably you will find that
sometimes you want to change something after you print your document. The nice
thing about using a word processor is that you can easily go back and revise
your document and print it again! If you need to add a paragraph simply place
the cursor where you want the information to go and just begin typing[10].� If you decide you do not like a sentence
simply delete it. You can also move paragraphs by simply highlighting them and
then clicking on the Cut icon.
This will take the highlighted section out of the document and store it in the
computer’s memory. Now place your cursor where you want the information to go
and choose the �Paste
icon (both are on the Home tab).
This will take the information you just cut and place it back into your
document where you have specified by the cursor location.

I hope that you have noticed a pattern about all the dialog
boxes we have seen. Every dialog box has a help command button. If you are not
sure of what you are doing simply click the help button and read the
information available to you. If you are not sure what to look for use the help
feature like a book and search for the key word. If you have the time you may
just want to go through the On-line tutorial available with the program itself.

The other points that are important are following the basics
of word processing and saving your documents often! I have tried to demonstrate
the reason behind the basics but if you do not understand please ask me to
explain again until you do.

Replace

Replace is a handy feature found in both the word processor
and spreadsheet. What it does, is search for a word or series of characters
that you specify and replaces those with whatever you want. The Find feature works the same way, only
it does not replace anything, it just finds it. The search will start from
where the cursor is and goes to the end of the document (unless you have a
highlighted section in which case it would only look in what you have
highlighted). So choose the Home tab, Editing Group and then Replace
to get the dialog box shown in Figure 22. Let�s talk about the dialog box for a
minute. I have filled in the Find
What with �Bob� and Replace With:
�Robert� so I can change every �Bob� to �Robert�. I have a couple options that
I can change. The Search�specifies how to search, Down means from the
cursor to the end of the document. The Match
Case�check
box specifies that I have to find �Bob� and not �bob�. Find Whole Words Only�means that what you are trying to find must
have a space before and after it. In other words Bobbie would not be
replaced with Robert.

The command buttons are also important in what they do. Find Next�will
simply look for the occurrence of the word in the Find What text box. The computer will simply stop when it finds the
word. You can at that point click on Replace to actually change the word.

Replace�will simply find the next word and
automatically replace it without asking. You can choose Replace again to move
on to the next word.

Replace All�will find all the words and replace every
single one without asking.

A strong suggestion is to save your document BEFORE you do a
replace just in case the results are not what you expected. For example, if you
replace the word US with United States without checking any of the options, the
word �just� will become jUnited Statest!
You need to match case and whole word only.

I do not want to get into �Use Wildcards� or �Sounds like�,
so I will leave that up to you to read about in help if you would like. The
added feature you have in the word processor (not in the spreadsheet) is the
ability to format your Replaced word in any way you like. You can change not
only Font characteristics but also Paragraph characteristics (A very powerful
feature, check it out). For a simple replace there is no difference in the word
processor or spreadsheet so use them wisely and to your advantage. Just be sure
to save your file first! Remember you can usually Undo your replace if you do it right away.

What�s wrong with this Document

Looking
at the document in Figure 23, you should see several things that are incorrect.
The first thing I see is that the enter key was used to put in a space between
paragraphs. You should use the Space Before/After option (home tab)
found in the spacing icon .
The next thing that I notice is the Main paragraph was started using the tab
key. You should use First Line Indent option (home tab, Paragraph dialog box or
ruler). The last thing that I see is all that junk near the end of the
document? That is all extra and should be deleted. That extra junk can cause a
blank page to print out with nothing on it (they are all non-printing
characters but that only means they do not show on the page). If this were your
document, you would lose points for all of these mistakes. These are the things
that I will be checking when I grade your work.

Notice
how the first paragraph goes over too far to the left in Figure 24? This is
caused by the fact that you have a negative left indent. When you look at the
ruler the white area is your working area. The light blue area on the ruler is
the margin area on your paper. You should
not have text in the margin area. To fix this problem, simply choose the
home tab and click on the Paragraph bar
(to get the paragraph dialog box) and
set the left indent to 0� (you could also just move the indent on your ruler).
You probably did not mean to do this but it happens a lot when you use your
mouse to set your first line indent. It is pretty easy to fix.

Summary of Word Processing Basics

1.  Only
hit the enter key at the end of the paragraph. You do this in
order to utilize the word wrap feature. If you hit enter at the end of every
line and then change your margins, your paper will not adjust to the new margins
the way that you would like.

2.  Use
the indent option to start
paragraphs and when appropriate. This is so that you can change the indents for
your document easily. Suppose you hit the tab key to start your paragraphs and
later you are asked to have no indentation. You would need to delete all the
tab marks, whereas if you used the indent feature you could simply highlight
the document and remove the indents in a few easy steps.

3.  Use
the spacing option to space your
lines and paragraphs. This is related to using the indent option, since when
you need to change the spacing it can be done easily provided you have used the
spacing option. If you chose to use the enter key for your spacing you would
need to go back and adjust the spacing with each enter key individually, which
could be a lengthy process.

4.  Use
the TAB key once and set the tab stops. This enables you to be able to align
your text up so that it is even. If you have to change the alignment it can be
accomplished easily. If you used the space bar to align your text it most
likely will not be aligned when you print.

Summary of Computer Basics

1.    Use
a Virus Checking program. Today viruses
are prevalent so be sure to have a CURRENT virus checking program installed on
your computer.

2.    Use
the spell checker before you print.
This just makes sense! Why print only to find simple spelling errors. That is
just a waste of paper and time.

3.    Use
print preview before you print. This
also makes sense so that you can see the layout of your document before you
print it. You may find your document has 2 pages. If so, you can change your
margins and have your document fit all on one page.

4.    Save BEFORE you type anything. Hey it�s
your work why risk losing it!

Microsoft Word Document (Legacy)

Developer	Microsoft
Popularity	4.0  |  2022 Votes
Category	Text Files
Format	Binary

What is a DOC file?

A DOC file is a word processing document created by Microsoft Word or exported by another word processing program, such as OpenOffice Writer or Apple Pages. It may contain formatted text, images, tables, graphs, charts, page formatting, and print settings.

More Information

DOC files are created to save various documents, including letters, resumes, essays, and invitations. When you create a document in Word, you can choose to save it in the DOC file format. The program then creates a DOC file to store the document’s contents, which can be closed and opened again for further editing. When you are done editing your DOC file you can print it or save it as another file, such as a .PDF or .DOT document.

The DOC file was designated as Microsoft Word’s primary format in 1983. Word used the same format until Word 97 when Microsoft released an updated version of the binary format. In 2006, Microsoft replaced the updated DOC file format with the .DOCX file format when it released Word 2007. DOCX files store documents in the Open XML format.

NOTE: Word is the most popular word processing application in the world. It comes with every edition of the Microsoft Office suite and is used in home, academic, and business environments.

Common DOC Filenames

Document1.doc — The default filename that Microsoft Word gives to new documents prior to Word 2007 (Word 2007 and later uses Document1.docx by default).

How to open a DOC file

You can open DOC files with Microsoft Word in Windows and macOS. Word is the best application for opening DOC files because it fully supports the formatting of Word documents, which includes text spacing and alignment, images, charts, and tables. The word processor is also available for Android and iOS devices.

You can also open DOC files with other word processors, but some of the formatting of the original documents may be altered or lost. Some word processors that support DOC files include Corel WordPerfect (Windows), Apple Pages (Mac), and Apache OpenOffice Writer (multiplatform).

You can also open DOC files with various web programs. Google Docs is a free web application that allows you to upload a DOC file and view, edit, save, and convert the document.

How to convert a DOC file

Various word processing applications, including Microsoft Word, Corel Wordperfect, and OpenOffice Writer, can convert DOC files to other formats.

For example, in the Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Word, select File → Save As to convert DOC files to one of the following formats:

• .DOCX — Microsoft Word Document
• .PDF — Portable Document Format
• .ODT — OpenDocument Text Document
• .XPS — XML Paper Specification (Windows only)
• .RTF — Rich Text Format
• .TXT — Plain Text
• .HTM, .HTML — HTML Webpage
• .XML — Extensible Markup Language
• .MHT, .MHTML — MIME HTML Archive

Open and view .DOC files with File Viewer Plus.Free Download

Programs that open or reference DOC files