Microsoft Word Notes Computer Literacy BASICS. 2 Microsoft Word Microsoft Word is a powerful word processing application. You can use word to create tables,

Microsoft Word Notes

Computer Literacy BASICS

Computer Literacy BASICS2

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a powerful word processing application.

You can use word to create tables, reports, memos, letters, and Web pages.


Entering Text in a Document

As you enter text, the insertion point moves to the right.

Word automatically flags spelling and grammar errors as you type.– A red wavy underline is a spelling error.– A green wavy underline is a grammar error.


Entering Text in a Document (cont.)

You can use the Backspace key to delete characters to the left of the insertion point and then you can rekey the text correctly.

As you reach the end of a line, Word wraps the text to the next line if you keep typing.

To insert a blank line between paragraphs, press the Enter key twice.


Moving Through the Document

To scroll:– Drag the vertical and horizontal scroll boxes.– Click the scroll arrows.– Click in the scroll bar channel.

To reposition the insertion point:– Move the pointer to the desired location.– Click the mouse button.


Keyboard Shortcuts for Moving the Insertion Point


Selecting Text

You select text to identify blocks of text you want to move, copy, delete, or replace.

A block of text can be a single character, a word, a paragraph, or an entire document.

The Select All command on the Home Tab (or Ctrl + A) will select everything in a document.


An Example of Selected Text

Selected text appears highlighted in the document.


Using the Mouse to Select Text


Changing Views in Word

You can change views in any Office application from the View Tab. Word offers several different options for viewing a document:

Print Layout view shows how a document will look when it is printed; this is the default view.

Full Screen Reading view shows a maximized screen space for reading; two pages are shown side by side.


Other Views Available in Word

Web Layout view displays a document as it would appear in a Web browser.

Outline view shows on the screen in an outline format.

Draft view shows only the basic document, without headers, footers, and page numbers.


Deleting Characters

You can delete characters one character at a time by

Using the Backspace key– This deletes the character to the left of the insertion

point each time the key is pressed. Using the Delete key

– This deletes the character to the right of the insertion point each time the key is pressed.

Holding down either key will continue to delete characters until the key is released.


Inserting Characters

Word enters text in Insert mode by default.– When you type new text in front of existing text, the

existing text shifts to the right to make room for the new text.

Turning off Insert mode activates Overtype mode.– When you type new text, it replaces existing text.

Toggle between these modes by– Pressing the Insert key on the keyboard


Undo, Redo, and Repeat

The Undo command on the Quick Access Toolbar(or the Undo button) can be used to reverse the last edit that you made to the text or document.

The Redo command on the Quick Access Toolbar (or the Redo button) can be used to reverse an Undo action.

You can use the Repeat command on the Quick Access Toolbar to repeat your last action or edit.

Shortcut keys for these commands are Ctrl + Z for Undo and Ctrl + Y for Redo or Repeat.


Copying and Moving Text

Selected text can be copied or moved from its location in the active document to– Some other location in the active document– Some other Word document– Some other application’s document

The most common methods of doing this are– Drag-and-drop editing– Cut, Copy, and Paste commands


Drag-and-Drop Editing

Drag-and-drop is very efficient when moving text a short distance.

To use this method:– Select the text to be moved.– Press and hold down the mouse button.– Drag the text to its new location.– Release the mouse button.

You can also copy text in this way by holding down the Ctrl key as you drag.


Cut, Copy, and Paste Commands

The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands can be activated by clicking their respective buttons on the toolbar.

The commands can also be found on the Home Tab.

Shortcut keys for these commands are Ctrl + C for Copy, Ctrl + X for Cut, and Ctrl + V for Paste.

Cut Paste

Copy


Cut, Copy, and Paste Commands (cont.)

Cut is used to remove selected text from the document.

Copy is used to copy selected text. Cut and copied text is placed on the

Clipboard, a temporary storage area. Paste is used to insert text from the

Clipboard back into the document at the location of the insertion point.


The Clipboard

The Clipboard is a shared item among all Office applications and can hold data of all Office types. You can paste an item on the Clipboard into any Office application.

The Clipboard can hold up to 24 items. To view the Clipboard task pane shown at right, select the Clipboard Icon on the Home Tab. You may need to click the down arrow at the top right of the task pane and then select Clipboard if it does not automatically display.


Finding Text

Use Word’s Find command to search for one or all occurrences of a word or phrase in your document. Select the Find command on the Edit menu to open the Find and Replace dialog box.

Enter the word or phrase to find in the text box and then click the Find Next button.

Each time you click Find Next, Word will search for another occurrence.


Replacing Text

Use the Replace feature to search for text and replace it with new text. Select the Replace command on the Edit menu to open the Replace tab in the Find and Replace dialog box.

Enter the Find criteria, enter the Replace with criteria, and click the Find Next button.

Click Replace and Find Next or just Find Next to selectively replace text, or click Replace All to replace all occurrences.


Formatting Text

Formats are applied to text to manipulate the appearance of the text.

You can change the size, font, attributes, indents, or list styles when you add a format to text.

There are three categories of formats in Word:– Character formats, such as text color and underline– Paragraph formats, such as line spacing and

alignment– Document formats, such as paper orientation and

margins


Character Formats: Fonts

A font is the design of a typeface. Fonts come in many styles, and you can use

more than one font in a document. The size of the type is measured in points

(the larger the point size, the bigger the text). Use the Home Tab to change the font,

attribute, or size for selected text.


The Font Dialog Box


Character Formats: Attributes

The Font dialog box also lists font attributes such as Regular, Italic, Bold, and Bold italic.

You can change many more attributes such as color, outline, and shadow.

The Home Tab also provides buttons to quickly change the attributes of text and drop-down list boxes to change the font and size of the text without opening a dialog box.


Paragraph Formats: Line Spacing

The default line spacing in Word is 1.15 lines– When text is double-spaced, there is a blank

line between text lines.– The blank line between text lines is half the

space for 1½-line spacing.


Paragraph Formats: Line Spacing (cont.)

You can change line spacing by– Using the Line Spacing button on the Home

Tab.– Clicking the Paragraph Dialog box button, and

then changing the spacing option in the Paragraph dialog box.

You can also adjust the spacing before and after paragraphs in the Paragraph dialog box.


Paragraph Formats: Alignment

Alignment refers to how text is positioned between the margins.

You can select from four alignments:– Left– Center– Right– Justified

You can quickly set any of these options by selecting the text and using the buttons (shown above) on the Home Tab.

Alignment options

Line Spacing


Displaying the Ruler

You will usually see a ruler at the top of the document window in Word.– If you do not see it, make sure that Ruler is

selected in the View menu. The Ruler is a handy reference to see the

“true” size of your text and document. It can also be used to quickly set tabs,

indents, and margins in your document.


Paragraph Formats: Tabs

Tabs are used to indent text and to line up columns of data.

Word’s default tabs are set at half-inch intervals. You can set custom tabs using tab markers and the

Ruler. You can set left, center, right, and decimal tabs.

Left Tab

Right Tab

Center Tab

Change tab symbols here

Decimal Tab

The Ruler displays at the top of a Word document.


Paragraph Formats: Indents

An indent is a space between the margin and where the text appears.

Text can be indented from the left or right margin, or from both.

You can create first line indents. You can create hanging indents. Indents are set by dragging indent

markers (at right) along the ruler.

Left Indent marker

Hanging Indent marker

First Line Indent marker


Inserting Page Breaks

A soft page break is automatically inserted for you when you fill a page with text or graphics.

You can also break pages manually by inserting a hard page break, which forces a page break at a specific location.– To insert a hard page break, select Break from the

Insert menu and then select the Page break option in the Break dialog box.

– Or you can use the shortcut key combination for inserting a hard page break, Ctrl + Enter.


Page Breaks and Section Breaks

In Normal view, a page break displays as a dotted line.– In Page Layout and Reading Layout views, the pages

actually look like separate sheets of paper.– You may not see any indication of page breaks in Web

Layout and Outline views. In addition to page breaks, you can also insert

section breaks in your documents. A section break allows you to vary the layout of a

document within a page or between pages.


Bullets and Numbers

Create lists using bullets and numbers.– Bullet lists are called unordered lists since the order

does not matter.– Numbered lists are called ordered lists since they

have a sequence number. Select the text and click the Bullets or Numbering

button on the Formatting toolbar to create the list.– Both lists are automatically formatted with a hanging

indent.– You can change the bullet or number style in the

Bullets and Number dialog box on the Format menu.


The Format Painter

To apply multiple character formats quickly to text in several places in your document, use the Format Painter button to copy all formatting to other text.

– Select the text with the formatting you want to copy.

– Double-click the Format Painter button on the Standard toolbar. When the pointer changes to a paintbrush, click the text where you want to apply the formatting.

To apply formatting to a group of words, drag the pointer across the words to select them.

Format Painter button


Checking Spelling and Grammar

Word has a spell checker that can be used to search for misspelled words in your document.– Misspelled words are indicated in text with a red wavy

underline. It also has a grammar checker to look for common

grammar mistakes.– Grammar mistakes are underlined in the document

with a green wavy line. Right-click an underline to view suggestions for

changes to correct an error.


Spelling and Grammar Options

To check the entire docu-ment for spelling and/or grammar errors, open the Spelling and Grammar dialog box by clicking the Spelling and Grammar option on the Review Tab.

Click the Options button in the Spelling and Grammar dialog box to access the Options dialog box (at right) to change the settings for the spelling and grammar checking tools.


Page Orientation and Margins

Documents can be oriented two ways:– Portrait: The document is taller than it is wide.– Landscape: The document is wider than it is tall.– Set either option by selecting the Orientation option on

the Page Setup Tab. Margins are the blank space around the edges of

the document.– The default margins are 1 inch for top and bottom

margins and 1 inch for left and right margins.– Margins can also be set in the Page Layout Tab.


Print Preview

To avoid wasteful printing, preview your document and make adjustments before you print it.

Print Preview is an on-screen, reduced view of the layout of a completed page or pages.

Click the Print Preview button on the Standard toolbar to see how your document will look when printed.


Tables

Word makes the task of arranging text and numbers in columns both quick and easy by providing features to create tables in a document.

Tables consist of cells to which you add text or graphics.

A cell represents the intersection of a row and a column.


Creating a Table

The button on the Insert Tab places a table structure in your document.

Word formats a border around tables by default, but it can be removed.

Boundary lines within a table are called gridlines and are for layout purposes. They do not print.


Inserting Rows or Columns in a Table

To insert a new row at the end of a table, simply position the insertion point in the last cell of the table and press Tab.

Use the Table command on the Layout Tab to insert a row or column anywhere else in the table.


Merging Cells

When you remove the boundary between two cells, it is called merging cells.

Cells can be merged horizontally or vertically. Cells are frequently merged to create headings

that span multiple columns. To merge cells, select the cells to be merged

and then select the Merge Cells option on the Layout Tab.


Splitting Cells

You can also split cells into two or more rows and/or two or more columns.

To split table cells, you must place the insertion point in the cell to be split and then select the Split Cells option on the Layout Tab.

The Split Cells dialog box opens when you select the Split Cells option to let you enter the values you want.


Entering Text in a Table

Adding text to cells in a table is similar to entering characters in a document.

Place the insertion point in a cell and key text. You can move from cell to cell using the arrow

keys or the Tab key. If the text is wider than the column, Word will wrap

the text to the next line in the same cell. When you press Tab at the last cell in a row, Word

goes to the first cell of the next row.


Editing Table Text

Editing text in a table is basically the same as editing text in any other part of the document.

You can insert, delete, copy, or move text from cell to cell.

Use drag-and-drop editing to move text from one cell to another location in the table.

You can apply formatting attributes to one or more cells.


A Table with Text and Formatting


Aligning Text in Table Cells

You can align text in one or more cells. You change the alignment of text within

cells using alignment options on the Tables and Borders toolbar.

Click the drop-down arrow next to the Align Top Left button to see the alignment option box shown at right.


Modifying the Table Structure

When you create a table grid, Word makes all columns the same width.

To change row height or column width:– Drag the cell borders to the desired size.– Use the Table Properties dialog box to specify

exact values.– Use the AutoFit to Contents feature to let Word

size each column and row based on cell contents.


Modifying and Aligning a Table

If a table cell is formatted for AutoFit, Word will automatically adjust the cell width each time the cell contents change.

To align a table on the page horizontally:– First select the entire table.– Then format the alignment of the table using the

alignment buttons (Left, Center, Right) on the Formatting toolbar in the same way you would format paragraphs in a Word document.


Sorting Data in a Table

You can sort information in a table on different search criteria to organize the table contents so as to empha-size data in different ways.

The Sort command on the Table menu opens the Sort dialog box shown at left.


Sorting Data in a Table (cont.)

You can also sort data in a table by using the Sort Ascending and Sort Descending buttons on the Tables and Borders toolbar.– Sorting data in ascending order rearranges it

into alphabetical order from A to Z or numerical order from lowest number to highest number.

– Sorting data in descending order rearranges it in alphabetical order from Z to A or numerical order from highest number to lowest number.


Converting Text to a Table

Word document data in tabular format can be converted to a table.

The data must be separated by tabs, commas, paragraph marks, or other characters.

Word determines the number of columns and rows required based on the selected data.


Using AutoFormat

The AutoFormat feature provides several predefined table formats that you can apply to your table.

These formats include border, shading, and color options to make the tables more attractive and easier to read.

Apply a format by selecting the Table AutoFormat option on the Table menu.


Desktop Publishing

Desktop publishing makes it possible to create professional-looking documents using a personal computer.

Word provides tools to enhance documents with features such as columnar text, borders and shading, graphics, and footnotes.

Templates and text styles make creating well-designed and consistent documents quick and efficient.


Page Numbers

When your document has multiple pages, you may want to insert page numbers.

The Page Numbers command on the Insert menu quickly adds page numbers to a document. – The command actually creates a header or

footer with a page number as the only text.


Headers and Footers

Headers and footers are information that prints in the top and bottom margins of each page of a document.

A document can have a header, a footer, or both. Creating a header or footer is another way to add

page numbers to a document.– Using headers or footers instead of the Page

Numbers command on the Insert menu allows you to include text with the page number.


Footnotes and Endnotes

Notes are added to a document to show the source of borrowed material or provide extra or explanatory information about the text.

Footnotes are inserted at the bottom of the page on which the note is referenced in the document.

Endnotes are placed together at the end of a document.


Resizing Graphics

You resize a graphic by selecting it and then dragging the sizing handles.

Use a corner sizing handle to enlarge or reduce the graphic proportionally.

You can also right-click the graphic and then use the Format Picture command on the shortcut menu to specify an exact size.

Sizing handles


Cropping Graphics

You can crop graphics to remove unwanted portions of the image.

Cropping removes an area of an image, as shown at left. Select the Crop tool in the Picture toolbox, position it over a sizing handle, and drag to place dashed lines around the part of the graphic you want to retain.

Dashed lines indicate where the graphic will be cropped.


Wrapping Text Around a Graphic

You can wrap text around an image.

Clicking the Text Wrapping tool on the Picture toolbar reveals the options shown at right.

Click any of these options to change the way text flows around or near your graphic image.


Moving a Graphic

A text-wrapping format must be applied to the graphic before you can reposition it in your document.

You can then move a graphic by selecting it and dragging it to a new location.


Text Boxes

A text box is a graphic that lets you add text to art. To create a text box, click the Text Box button on the

Drawing toolbar.– Point anywhere on the screen and drag the crosshair to

create the box.– Enter your text inside the box.

You can change the formatting of a text box using buttons on the Drawing toolbar.

You can change the text characteristics (font, font style, and size) using the Formatting toolbar.


AutoShapes

Word’s AutoShapes feature allows you to create a variety of predesigned drawing objects such as stars, arrows, shapes, and callouts.

AutoShapes can be moved and resized just like any other graphic object.


AutoShapes (cont.)

To create an AutoShape, select the shape that you want to create from the AutoShape options available from the Drawing toolbar.– Drag the crosshair to create the shape for the

size that you want.– Set a color option for your shape using the

Drawing toolbar line and fill color buttons.


Templates

A template is a file that contains document, paragraph, and character formats for documents that you create frequently.

As all standard text and formatting options are already applied to the document, you just enter the variable text.

Templates increase the speed and efficiency of your work.


Styles

A style is a set of formatting characteristics that can be applied to text in a document.

There are four types of styles:– Paragraph– Character– Table– List

You can create, view, and apply styles from the Styles and Formatting task pane, which you open by selecting the Styles and Formatting option on the Format menu.


The Thesaurus

A thesaurus is a compilation of alternative words or synonyms.

The Thesaurus feature in Word searches for a perfect synonym.