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Common Features (Characteristics) of A Word Processor

A word processor provides many useful features that allow users to create, edit, format and print documents more efficiently than a typewriter. Key features include the ability to save, open, copy, paste and search text, as well as apply formatting like fonts, styles, page numbers and headers/footers. Word processors also enable the insertion of tables, graphics, footnotes and macros to automate repetitive tasks. Common examples are Microsoft Word, WordPerfect and WordStar.

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Helen Muriuki
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4K views3 pages

Common Features (Characteristics) of A Word Processor

A word processor provides many useful features that allow users to create, edit, format and print documents more efficiently than a typewriter. Key features include the ability to save, open, copy, paste and search text, as well as apply formatting like fonts, styles, page numbers and headers/footers. Word processors also enable the insertion of tables, graphics, footnotes and macros to automate repetitive tasks. Common examples are Microsoft Word, WordPerfect and WordStar.

Uploaded by

Helen Muriuki
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Common Features (Characteristics) of a Word processor.

A Word processor performs the same function as a typewriter, but offers very many useful features /
facilities,

which can be used to make your work more efficient and attractive.

A Word processor can be used to produce quality-finished documents of high standards compared to a

typewriter.

The following are some of the facilities provided by all Word processors:

They allow the user to create a file, save it, and retrieve (recover/open) it when required for reuse,
printing,

editing or formatting.

Has Text- editing features, such as: -

(i). Copy & Paste, which allows a marked block of text to be moved to another part of the document.

(ii). Find, which allows the user to search for words or phrases within the document.

(iii). Search & Replace, which allows replacement of every occurrence of a certain combination of
characters

with another set of characters.

(iv). Undo, which allows actions that have been performed to be reversed, such that if some text was

accidentally deleted, then the action can be undone.

Contains Text and Page formatting features such as: -

(i). Justification of text, which could be Left, Right, Centre, or Full.

(ii). Indents and use of Tabs for text alignment.

(iii). Page Numbering.

(iv). Insert of page Headers and Footers.

Has different Fonts (lettering/typescripts), Character sizes & Styles such as Bold, Italic, Underline, etc.

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Enables Printing of documents: single or multiple copies, full or part of a document.

Enables creation of Tables, which can be used to perform certain calculations & sorting on a given text.

Has an inbuilt dictionary.

Contains Tools such as Spelling and grammar checkers, Bookmarks & Thesaurus (which provides

alternative words – synonyms).


Typing errors can be corrected and the text modified before printing the final version.

Enables the use of document templates, which can be used to quickly create the most frequently used

documents once the format has been set.

Allows Mail merging, which makes it possible to combine several letters.

This is very useful when similar letters has to be sent to several people. The names and addresses of
each

person can be merged with one single standard document and printed out.

Enables creation of Newspaper layouts, which can be used for manipulation of Column text.

Has the ability to add graphics within documents.

Allows creation of Footnotes and Endnotes.

Provides file protection using Passwords.

Contain Macros, which can be used to automate the most frequent & repetitive tasks.

Have the ability to create and import tables, text and graphics from other programs.

All Word processors have similar document windows with the following features:

(a).They are designed to look like a piece of paper with a few electronic improvements.

(b).The screen is blank before typing of text.

(c).There is a Cursor, which blinks at the position where you can begin entering text.

(d).There is a Status bar that provides the user with information about current status such as saving

operation, the name of the file in use, the current page, and column cursor position.

(e). Word wrap: A facility/feature that automatically moves a word or cursor to the beginning of the
next

line if there is insufficient room at the end of the current line.

(f). Scrolling: This is the vertical movement of text document on the screen, either using the Up or Down

arrow keys, Page Up or Page Down keys, or using the Mouse in Windows based word processors.

(g).Help: Contains instructions, tips, pointers, explanations and guidance on how to use an application.

(h).Editing modes: Word processors have two editing modes; Insert mode and Type over mode.

In Insert mode, every character typed between words, lines or characters is placed at the cursor

position. This pushes all the text in front of the cursor away without deleting it.

In Type over mode, every character typed deletes what was there before and replaces it with new text
at
the cursor position.

Common examples of Word processors: -

* Microsoft Word. * WordStar.

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* Corel WordPerfect. * Wang writer.

* Lotus WordPro. * WordWrite.

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