UNIT 2

INTRODUCTION TO ESSENTIAL TOOLS - I

MICROSOFT OFFICE:
• Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is
designed specifically by Microsoft for business use.
• It is a proprietary product of Microsoft Corporation and was first
released in 1990.
• For decades, MS Office has been a dominant model in delivering modern
office-related document-handling software environments.
• Word processing is the act of using computer software to create, edit,
format, and print text documents.
• It's like having a powerful typewriter on your computer, but with
countless additional features.
• Popular word processing software includes Microsoft Word, Google
Docs, and Apple Pages.
Techopedia Explains Microsoft Office
• The core components of Microsoft Office are the six items present in the
original package, not with-standing the later addition of services like
OneDrive and SharePoint and a web design tool called FrontPage.
The six core programs in Microsoft Office are:
• Word.
• Excel.
• PowerPoint.
• Access.
• Publisher.
• OneNote.
These could be separated into what you might call the “three greater
applications” and the “three lesser applications” that receive much lower use by
the average end-user.
The Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications in Microsoft Office are familiar
household names, even to people who are not familiar with the details of the
Office suite’s evolution.
They are often used by a diverse user base, for example, college students,
interns, or front-line workers in IT.
By contrast, someone may use Word, Excel and PowerPoint frequently, and
rarely or never use Access, Publisher or OneNote.
The three major Microsoft Office pieces includes
• word processor (Word),
• spreadsheet (Excel)
• visual presentation tool (PowerPoint.)
Access is a database management tool, while Publisher allows for the
presentation of various marketing materials.
MS Word or Word Processing:
• Word processing software is used for the creation of text-based
documents.
• Word processing software provides tools for composing, editing,
formatting, and printing of documents.
• In addition to text, documents can also contain images, pictures, graphics
elements, sound clips and animations.
• MS-Word is a word processing software used in the Windows
environment.
• It is one of the most popular word-processing software.
• MS-Word is a part of a bigger software package called MS-Office.
• In addition to MS-Word, MS-Office includes other software like MS-
Excel (for spreadsheet), MS-PowerPoint (for presentations), and MS-
Access (for database management).
1.Working with a Word Document:
Creating and Editing:
You can create a new document, type text, insert images, and edit content.
Word provides tools to format text (e.g., bold, italics, underline), align
paragraphs, set margins, and more.
Saving and Managing:
Save your work in different formats like .docx, .pdf, etc. You can also
organize documents in folders and access version history if needed.
2. Inserting, Filling, and Formatting a Table:
Inserting a Table:
You can insert a table by choosing the number of rows and columns. Go
to the "Insert" tab, click on "Table," and select the grid size or use the dialog
box for more options.
Filling a Table:
After inserting, you can enter text, numbers, or even images into the cells.
Word allows you to move between cells using the Tab key.
Formatting a Table:
Customize the table’s appearance using the "Table Design" and "Layout"
tabs. Options include changing the border style, shading cells, adjusting cell
size, merging cells, and aligning text within cells.
3. Mail Merge:
Purpose:
Mail Merge allows you to create multiple documents like letters, labels,
or envelopes from a single template, customized for each recipient.
Linking with Access Database:
You can link a Word document with an Access database to import data,
such as recipient names and addresses. Use the "Select Recipients" option in the
Mail Merge wizard to connect to your database.
Execution:
After linking, you can insert placeholders (like <<First Name>>) in your
Word document. When you complete the Mail Merge, Word will replace the
placeholders with actual data from the database.
4. Creating Macros:
What is a Macro?
A macro is a series of recorded commands that automate repetitive tasks
in Word.
Creating a Macro:
Go to the "View" tab, click on "Macros," and then "Record Macro."
Perform the actions you want to automate, and then stop recording. This macro
can be run later to perform the same sequence of tasks automatically.
Sending Email from Word:
You can create a macro that automates sending emails directly from
Word. The macro might include connecting to Outlook, composing an email,
and attaching the Word document.
5. Import/Export of Files:
Importing:
Word allows you to import content from other formats like text files,
PDFs, or other Office documents. This can be done via "Open" or "Insert
Object" options.
Exporting:
You can save or export a Word document in various formats, such as
PDF, plain text, or even HTML for web publishing.
6. Converting a Word Document to a Web Document:
HTML Conversion:
Word documents can be saved as web pages (.html).
This conversion makes the document viewable in web browsers.
However, complex formatting might not be preserved exactly as in Word.
Process:
Go to "File" > "Save As," choose "Web Page" from the file format
options, and save the document. Word will generate the necessary HTML and
accompanying files like images, if applicable.
Features of MS word:
• A document can be created and later edited, whenever required.
• Editing includes addition of text, modifying the existing text, or deleting
a part of text.
• Editing can be done on a word, sentence, paragraph, page, or the
complete document.
 • The complete document or a part of the document can be reformatted.
• Some of the options available for the formatting of a document are—
changing the font size, font colour and font style, addition of page
numbers, page header and footer, and headings.
• Various tools like spell check for checking spellings, mail merge for
generating multiple copies of letters with different addresses, macros, and
track changes for making corrections are available.
• MS-Word allows tables to be created and included in the text.

Quick Access Toolbar

• It contains shortcuts for the commonly used tools, like, Save, Undo
(reverses the last change), and Repeat (repeats the last action).
• The buttons that you wish to be displayed can be selected from the
Customize Quick Access Toolbar.
Ribbon
• A set of tools and commands across the top of the screen
• It consists of a panel of commands which are organized into a set of tabs
(also known as the Tab Bar).
• Within Tabs, Groups are available, which are designated by the names
located on the bottom of the Ribbon. Each group has icons for the
associated command.
The Tabs
• It contains the buttons needed to edit characters, text, and layout, as well
as the additional tools that you may need. Each Tab consists of different
Groups, like the Home tab has five groups namely, Clipboard, Font,
Paragraph, Styles and Editing.
• To know the function of an icon button (or command), leave the pointer
on a button for a few seconds, the function of that button will appear in a
small box below the pointer. For example, leaving the icon on displays
“Bold (Ctrl+B)”.
Ruler Bar
• MS-Word has two rulers—Horizontal and Vertical.
• The Ruler Bar allows formatting of horizontal and vertical alignment of
text in a document, by adjusting the tabs, indents and margins.
Status Bar
• It displays information about the currently active document.
• The information includes the current page number, total number of pages
and the number of words in the document, zoom slider etc.
Scroll Bar
• There are two scroll bars—horizontal and vertical.
• They help to scroll the content or the body of document.
• Scrolling is done by moving the elevator button along the scroll bar, or by
clicking on the buttons with the arrow marked on them to move up and
down, and left and right of a page.
Work Area
• It is the working area in the document window where the text of the
document is typed.
• Checking for viruses in macros, referencing, creation of bibliography,
manage sources and citations, review documents:
1. Checking for Viruses in Macros
• Macros are automated sequences of actions or commands within software
like Microsoft Word or Excel. They can simplify repetitive tasks but can
also be exploited to carry out malicious activities.
• Why Check for Viruses? Because macros can run scripts, they may
contain harmful code, such as viruses or malware, especially if the
document originates from an untrusted source.
2.How to Check?
• Enable/Disable Macros: Most office software, like Microsoft Office,
will alert you when a document contains macros. You can choose to
disable macros to prevent potential threats.
• Use Antivirus Software: Ensure your antivirus software is up-to-date
and scans documents, including macros, for any suspicious behavior.
• Manual Inspection: Advanced users might inspect the code within a
macro manually for anything that looks out of place.
3.Referencing
• What is Referencing? Referencing is the method used to acknowledge
the source of information or ideas that you use in your document. Proper
referencing is essential to avoid plagiarism.
• Common Styles: Popular referencing styles include APA, MLA,
Chicago, and Harvard. Each has specific guidelines on how to format
citations and references.
4. How to Reference:
• In-text Citations: When you use ideas, quotes, or data from another
source, include an in-text citation in the format prescribed by your chosen
style.
 • Reference List/Bibliography: At the end of your document, list all the
sources you cited in a comprehensive bibliography or reference list, again
following the style guidelines.
5. Creation of Bibliography
• What is a Bibliography? A bibliography is a list of all the sources you
consulted or cited in your work. It includes books, articles, websites, and
other materials.
• Manual Entry: You can manually list all your sources at the end of your
document, following the formatting rules of your chosen citation style.
• Using Citation Management Tools: Tools like EndNote, Zotero, or the
built-in citation manager in Microsoft Word can help automate the
creation of your bibliography.
5. Manage Sources and Citations
• What Does It Mean? Managing sources and citations involves
organizing your references throughout the research process, ensuring they
are correctly cited in your document.
6. How to Manage Sources:
• Citation Managers: Use software like Zotero, Mendeley, or RefWorks to
organize your references. These tools can generate citations in multiple
styles and keep track of your sources.
• Microsoft Word: The "References" tab in Word allows you to insert
citations, manage sources, and automatically generate a bibliography.
• Updating Citations: Ensure all your in-text citations correspond to a full
reference in your bibliography and update as necessary if you change or
add sources.
7. Review Documents
• Why Review? Reviewing documents is crucial to ensure they are free of
errors, properly formatted, and effectively communicate the intended
message.
8. How to Review:
• Proof reading: Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
Tools like Grammarly can assist with this.
• Content Review: Ensure the document is logically organized and that all
arguments are clearly presented and supported by evidence.
• Collaborative Review: Use the "Track Changes" feature in Word or
Google Docs to review and suggest edits, especially in collaborative
projects. Multiple reviewers can leave comments and suggestions.