WORD PROCESSING

Definition: Word-processing is essentially typing, editing, and manipulation of a document in a

desired form.

Units of the Document:

Since word-processing is concerned with preparation of a document (in a desired

form), it is essential to know the units of the document:

1. Character: It refers to the alphabets, numerical digits, punctuations and other special
symbols which are commonly used in the text.
2. Word: A word is group of characters that are separated from other group of characters by
some delimiters like, comma, full stop and space.
3. Sentence: A sentence is a group of words preceded and followed by appropriate delimiting
characters.

4. Paragraph: It is a group of one or more sentences, paragraphs are separated by leaving

blank lines between them.
5. Pages: It is the amount of text that can be printed on one page of a paper.

6. Chapters: It is a collection of pages

7. Documents and files: It is a group of chapters. Usually, a complete document may be very
short such as a memo (or letter) or very long such as a book consisting of several chapters.
These documents are referred as ―Files‖.
Features of Word-processing:
1. Word-wrap
2. cursor control
3. editing
4. formatting
5. spell-check
6. thesaurus
7. macros
8. printing
9. file management
10. mail merge printing

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1. Word-wrap: In word-processing packages, the text can be continuously typed and the
computer automatically starts a fresh line when a line is filled up. As soon as the
length of a sentence exceeds the right margin, the corresponding word is automatically
adjusted in the following line. This is called ―word-wrap‖.
2. Cursor Control: The four directional keys of the keyboard helps in locating the text for
editing in much the similar manner as that of a pointer or pencil.
3. Editing: Words or lines can be entered (inserted) or deleted in any part of the text with
proper alignment. Similarly, there is a facility to ‗recover‘ the text which is deleted by
mistake or accidentally. Another important facility is that any ‗word‘ can be replaced
by a new word throughout the file, wherever the old word appears. In addition to
these, a block of text (which is frequently used) can be prepared and moved or copied
wherever desired in the file.

4. Formatting: The text formatting refers to the way the text is desired to appear on a
page. This includes following functions
• setting left and right margins
• paragraph settings
• line spacing
• selecting font specifications such as underline, bold, italics, superscripts and
subscripts

• setting foot-notes
• number of lines per page
• printing page numbers and headings for Header‘ and Footer‘
• table of contents
• indexing the text
5. Spell-check: Word-processing packages provide checking of spellings facility
6. Thesaurus: It provides synonyms (or words with similar meanings)
7. Macros: A macro is a character or word that represents a series of keystrokes. The
ability to define macros allows us to save a lot of time by replacing common
combinations of keystrokes.
8. Printing: It gives a hard‘copy of the text. The printing can be controlled after printing a
fixed number of pages or can be resumed from any specified page number.
9. File management: This facility allows to create, delete, move & search for files.
10. Mail merge printing: This facility helps in printing same ―original‖ letter with different
addresses, so that each letter is ―original‖ and not a carbon copy.

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Word-processing Packages: Several word-processing packages are available. Some of these
are listed below:

1.MSWORD (SOFT WORD) 2. WORDSTAR 3. CHIRATOR 4. NORTON EDITOR

MS-WORD

MS- Word is a word processor. The extension name of MS- word is. doc. It is an application
used to create, edit, print and save a document. It allows the user to insert pictures, tables,
charts, drawings & features that will make the text richer & more interactive.
Starting MS-Word:
Start  All Programs  MS-office MS-word

The default Word document includes the following layout tools:

• Title bar: displays the document name and the application.

• Menu bar: Contains the list of menus available inside word, each menu contains a
specific set of commands.
• Standard toolbar: provides shortcuts in the form of buttons for frequently performed
tasks. Formatting toolbar: Contains a list of formatting options available inside the
format menu.
• Horizontal & Vertical rulers: used for measurement purposes like any normal ruler;
the default unit of measure is in inches.
• White page area: is the space area where you type, edit and format your document.
• Insertion point: is the blinking vertical line that indicates the position on the screen
where text or graphics will be placed.
• Task pane: is a small window within the word window that provides shortcuts to
commonly used tasks.
• Scroll bars: are used to move up and down or left and right in a document.
• Status bar: displays the details such as the page number the user is working on, section
no., page no. out of the total pages found in the document, line number, column
number etc.

Function of commonly used buttons

• New: Creates a new blank document based on the default template

• Open: Opens or finds an existing file

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 • Save: Saves the active file with its current file name, location and file format
• Print: Prints the active file - for more print options go to the File menu and select Print
• Print preview: Shows how the document will look when you print it.
• Spelling & Grammer: Spelling, grammar and writing style checker
• Cut : Removes the selection from the document and places it on the clipboard
• Copy : Copies the selected item(s) to the clipboard
• Paste : Places the content of the clipboard at the insertion point
• Format painter : Copies the format from a selected object or text and applies to other
objects
• Undo : Reverses the last command, use pull-down menu to undo several steps
• Redo : Reverses the action of the Undo button, use the pull-down menu to redo
several steps
• Insert table: Insert a table into the document, or make a table of selected text
• Insert Excel worksheet: Inserts an Excel spreadsheet into the Word document
• Columns : Changes the number of columns in a document
• Drawing: Displays or hides the Drawing toolbar
• Zoom (100%): Enlarge or reduce the display of the active document

Formatting Toolbar:
The formatting Tool bar is the easiest way to change many attributes of a text.

• Style menu: Allows you to make your text Bold, Italic, underlined… depending on the
style you choose.
• Font: Allows you to change the font by clicking on the drop-down arrow on the right of
the font name box. You can view a list of fonts available, you can scroll down to view
more fonts and select the font name you wish to use by clicking on its name.
• Font size: Allows you to change the font size by clicking inside the Font size box and
entering a value or by clicking on the drop-down arrow on the right of the box to view
a list of sizes available. Select then a size by clicking on it.
Note: A Font size of 11 or 12 is best for paragraphs of text.

• Bold, Italic, Underline: Each button respectively allows you to make your text appear
as bold, italic or underlined.

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 • Alignment: Each button respectively allows you to make your text aligned to the left,
center or right side of the page. You can also justify the text across the page using the
justify button.
• Line spacing: Allows you to set the amount of space that word puts when go to a new
line.
• Text orientation: Allows you to change the typing direction of your text, from left to
right or right to left manner.
• Numbering, Bullets: Allows you to make your text appear as a bullets list or as a
numbering list.
• Increase / Decrease indent: Allows you to increase or decrease the indentation of
your paragraph in relation to the side of the page.
• Outside Border: Allows you to add a border around a text selection.
• Highlight color: Allows you to change the color behind a text selection.
• Font color: Allows you to change the colour of the text.
MS WORD – working with files:

Creating a New document:

• Click the New Blank document button on the standard tool bar. (or)
• From the Menu bar, choose File  New, the New document task pane will open, and
select Blank document.
Opening Existing documents:
• Click the open button found on the Standard tool bar. (or)
• From the task pane, select getting started and the select more (or)
• From the Menu bar, select File  Open Saving a document:
• Click the Save button on the Tool bar. (or)
• From the Menu bar, select File  Save (or)
• Follow the key sequence Ctrl + S
Save dialog box appears. Type the name and click Save.
Printing a document:
• Select File  Print (or)
• Click on the Print button on the Standard Tool bar (or)
• Click Ctrl + P
Print dialog box appears. Select All pages (or) Current page (or) type the page numbers
and also select number of copiesmaccording to the requirement and click O.K Closing a
document:

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 • Select File  close
• Click on the small X found on the right top next to the Menu bar and the Title bar.

MS WORD - Editing Text :

Typing and Inserting Text:

To enter text in your document, position the insertion point i.e a vertical blinking line, where
you want the text to appear and type it in.
Word will automatically wrap text as it reaches the end of a line. Press enter to
start a new paragraph. When you reach the end of a page, word will automatically break text
onto the next page. If you want, you can start a new page at any point by inserting a page
break. To do so, press ctrl + Enter.

Selecting Text:
In order to change the format of the text you just typed, it must be first highlighted, i.e
selected with the mouse cursor. To highlight the whole text or part of it, locate the mouse at
the start of the text you wish to highlight and click the left button, then drag the mouse over
the desired text while keeping the left mouse button pressed.
Shortcuts used for selecting a portion of the text:
• Whole word: Double click within the word.
• Whole paragraph: Triple click within the paragraph.
• Sentence : ctrl + click in a sentence
• Entire document : Edit  select all ( ctrl + A)

Deleting text:
• Use the BACKSPACE or the DELETE key to delete text.
• BACKSPACE key will delete text to the left of the cursor and DELETE key will erase text
to the right.
• To delete a large section of text, highlight the text using any of the methods outlined
above and press the DELETE key.
Moving, copying and pasting text:
Cut text:
Highlight the text you need to move and follow one of the methods listed below:

• From the Menu bar, select Edit  cut (or)

• From the standard tool bar, click on the cut button. (or)

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 • Follow the key sequence Ctrl + X
Copy text:

• From the Menu bar, select Edit  copy (or)

• From the standard toolbar, click the Copy button (or)
• Follow the key sequence Ctrl + C
Paste Text:
To paste previously cut or copied text, move the cursor to the location you want to move the
text to and follow one of the methods listed below:
• From the menu bar, select Edit  Paste (or)
• From the standard Tool bar, click the Paste button (or)
• Follow the key sequence Ctrl + V