Module 004 Word Processing

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Identify three (3) basic word processing tools that simplify document
editing.
2. Explain what is meant by “selecting” parts of a document
3. Identify five special features commonly found in modern word processing
software.

Application Software
Everyday millions of people used word processing software to create and edit memos,
reports, and many other kinds of documents. In fact, it has been estimated that more than 90
percent of all personal computers have a word processor installed.

In this fact comes as a surprise, consider the number of documents that surround you.
Newspaper, magazines, letters and advertisements crowd your mailbox each day. You read
books for school, and individuals create untold numbers of documents for a myriad of
purposes. On desktop around the world, printers spit out tons of documents every week.
Probably, just as many documents are created but never printed.

If you have not had any experience yet with productivity software, a word processor
is an ideal place to start. Modern word processors are easy to use and require no special
skills to masters. A word processor will familiarize you with many common tools. You may
find little or no special use for other types of application, but you may find your word
processor to be an application that is essential for personal use.

We live in the word that is run “by the numbers”. It seems that we must work with
more numerical data and financial information each day. Corporations track profits and
losses, accountants manage huge amount balance sheets, and people balance their check
book registers or try to maintain a household budget.

Whether their task is big or small, people commonly use spreadsheets program to
judge all those numbers. When someone is “crunching the numbers” that person is probably
using a spreadsheet.

If you have ever attended a seminar or lecture that included slides or overhead
transparencies that were projected on a wall screen or displayed on a computer screen or
video monitor, then you probably have seen the product of a modern presentation program.

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Presentation program enable the user to create and edit colorful, compelling presentations
that can be displayed in various ways and used to support any type of discussions.

People need data, so we create all kinds of lists to store and organize it. A grocery list,
a phone book, a library card catalog, and an instructors list of students are all organized list
of data. Likewise, computers need to store and manage list of data, and this is the reason for
the computerized database. In fact, many early attempts to build program computers grew
out of a need to manage large lists of data.

Word Processing Program and Their Uses

Word processing software also called a word processor is an application that provides
extensive tools for creating all kinds of text-based documents. Word processors are not
limited to working with text. Word processor enables you to add images to your documents
and design documents that look like a product of professional print shop. Using a word
processor you can create long documents with separate chapters, a table of contents an
index, and other feature.

A word processor can enhance documents in other ways; you can embed sounds,
video clips, and animation into them. You can link to different documents together for
example, link a chart for a spreadsheet into a word processing report-to create complex
documents that update themselves automatically. Word processors can even create
documents for publishing on the World Wide Web, complete with hyperlink text and graphics.

The Word Processors Interface

The word processors main editing window displays a document and several tools. In
addition, a document area or document window, which is where you view the document,
a word processor provides several sets of tools including:
 Menu bar, which displays titles of menus (list of commands and options).
 Toolbars, which displays button of frequently used commands.
 Rulers, which show you the position of text, tabs, margins, indents and other
elements on the page.
 Scroll bar, which let you scroll through a document that is too large to fit I side the
document area.
 Status bar, which displays information related to your position in the documents, the
page count, and the status of keyboard keys.

<Figure 1. This is a sample caption>

Menu
Bar

Toolbar

Ruler

Document Scroll Bar

Area

Status Bar

Entering and Editing Text

You create a document by typing on the keyboard-a process known as entering text.
In a new document, the program places a blinking insertion point (called cursor) in the
upper left corner of the document window. As you type, the insertion point advances across
the screen, showing you where the character will be placed. When you text r eaches the right
edge of the screen it automatically moves the insertion point to the next line. This feature is
called word wrap. The only time you need to press enter is at the end of a paragraph.
Note that in a word processing you press Enter to start a new paragraph.

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 Word processing program lets you change text without retyping the entire page you
retype only the text that needs to be change. Changing an existing document is called editing
the document.
The word processor real beauty is its ability to work with block of text. A block is a
contiguous group of characters, words, lines, sentences or paragraphs in your document that
you mark for editing. When you select text, it changes the color -becoming highlighted. To
deselect selected block of text click the mouse anywhere on the screen or press any arrow
key.

Formatting Text

Most word processing features are used to format the document. The process of
formatting a document includes controlling the appearance of text, the layout of text on the
page, and the use of pictures and other graphic element. Most formatting features fall into
three categories: Character format, Paragraph Format, and Document format.

Character Format

Character formatting includes setting the control attributes of individual te xt such as:
 Fonts. The term font refers to the characteristics of the letters, symbols, and
punctuation marks in your document. Fonts have names like times new roman, lucida,
arial narrow.
 Type Size. A font is measure in points. A most common font size used in business
documents is 12-point type. Characters are measured from the top of the tallest
letters (such as T and P) to the bottom of letters that descend below the baseline (such
as g and p).
 Type Style. In addition to the font and type size, the appearance of the character can
be controlled with type styles. The most common type style are bold, italic and
underline.

Paragraph Format

In word processing, the word paragraph has a slightly different meaning than it does
traditionally. Word processing software creates a paragraph each time you press the enter
key. A group of sentences is a paragraph , but a two-word heading is define as paragraph, as
well as paragraph formatting includes settings applied only to one or more entire paragraph
such as:
 Line spacing. The amount of space between each line of text in a paragraph is called
line spacing. Lines can be single-spaced, double-spaced or set for an amount of
spacing between the lines that you select.
  Paragraph spacing. The amount of space between each paragraph is called
paragraph spacing. Word processing software lets you place extra space before or
after each paragraph.
 Indents. Indents determine how close each line of a paragraph comes to the margins.
In some documents, lines of body text may reach all the way to the left and right
margins, but quoted material may be indented one inch from each margins.
 Alignment. Alignment refers to the orientation of the lines of a paragraph with
respect to the margins. There are four alignment options-left, right, center and
justified.
 Tab stops. The keyboard tab key moves the insertion point forward until it
encounters a tab stop (or just a tab), inserting a fix numbers of space in the line. A tab
stop is a position, both on screen and in the document, usually measured from the left
margin of the document.
 Borders and shading. Paragraphs can be formatted with borders or shading. A
border is a line that is drawn on one or more side of paragraph. Shading consists or
pattern or color that is displayed as a background of the text in a paragraph. A drop
shadow is a partial shadow around a bordered paragraph, which create the illusion
that the paragraph is “floating” above the page.

Document format
Document formats include the size of the page, its orientation and head ers and
footers. Word processing software also lets you apply special formats, such as columns, to
documents. You also can divide a document into sections and give each section is own unique
format. Standard document format include:
 Margins. Margins are the white borders around the edge of the page. Every document
has top, bottom, left, and right margins. And all four margins can be the same of
different.
 Page size. Normally, documents are set up to fit 8 ½ by 11 inch paper, a standard
known as letter size paper. You can set up a word processor document for other
standard sizes, such as legal (8 ½ by 14 inch paper).
 Orientation. Document dimension is also determined by the orientation of the paper.
By default, document are set up with portrait orientation (or tall orientation), where
the document is taller than its wide. You also can switch to landscape orientation ( or
wide orientation ), in which the paper is turned on it side.
 Header and Footers. Long documents generally include header and footer or both.
Headers and Footers are line of text that run along the top and bottom of every page.
 Columns. Columns are effective formats for certain types of document. Newsletters,
for example, are often laid out in a two or three column format to make them easy to
read.
 Section. Word processors also allow you to divide a document into sections and apply
a different format to each section.

Special Features of Word Processing Software

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 All word processing programs are rich in features, many of which have nothing to do
with text editing or formatting. Such utilities and functions that are almost like adding new
software or your word processor.

Language Tools

A word processor cannot make you a good writer, but it can help. Many word
processor features language tools that can help you find errors in your spelling and
grammar; they also may have tools to help you find just the right word or avoid overusing
certain words. These tools include the following:
 Spell checker. If your word processor has a spell checker, you can enable it to catch
spelling mistakes as you type or use it to review an entire document for spelling error.
A spell checker matches each word in a document against a built in dictionary
containing standard spelling.
 Grammar checkers. Work like spell checker, but they inspect you document for
grammatical problems. A grammar checker compare each sentence to a set of
standard grammatical rules, notifies you if it finds a potential problems, and
providing grammatical correct options.
 Thesaurus. An electronic thesaurus is just like a printed one-a source of alternatives
words. Suppose you think you are using a word incorrectly, or you want to find a
different word with a similar meaning. You can select a word then launch the
thesaurus. A good thesaurus will display a definition of the selected word and a list of
possible replacement.

To view the language tool and check you spelling click the REVIEW  Choose from the
options 1. Proofing, Check Accessibility, Language, Comments, Tracking, Reviewing, Change,
Compare and Protect.

Tables
 Although tables can be used to set up rows and columns of information in a document,
a word processor provides features that you create table in just a few steps. The size of the
table is limited only by the amount of page space that can be devoted to it, and tables can be
formatted in dozens of ways.
Tables are also useful in arranging images (such as clip art or photographs) on a page
and for arranging images and text in interesting ways.

To insert a table click the TABLE  Choose from the options 1. INSERT A TABLE this is done
by choosing the size of the table 2. DRAW TABLE. If you wanted to draw your own table click
the DRAW TABLE. When this is clicked a pencil icon will be displayed draw anywhere from
the document area to start creating your own table.

Mail Merge

A mail merge is the process of combining a form letter with the contents of database
usually name and address list-so that each copy of the letter has one entry form the database
printed on it. The mail merge feature make it easy to send the same letter to a list of different
people with the correct names and address printed on each letter.

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 To create a mail merge click the MAILINGS  Choose from the options 1. CREATE,
START MAIL MERGE , WRITE A MAIL MERGE and PREVIEW RESULTS.

Adding Graphics and Sounds

With a word processor, you can easily add graphic, images-photos, drawings, or clip-
art-to your documents. You set the cursor where you want the graphic to appear, tell the
word processing program that you want to insert a graphic, and then locate the graphic file.
After the graphic file has been imported, you can move, size, crop and add borders on it.
You can embed sounds file in your document in much the same way that you embed
a graphic file. The only difference is that an icon appears in the document.

To add a graphics, sounds and or any media click INSERT  Click MEDIA  Then choose
from the available media (example Adding a Movie from the browser, Movie from the file,
audio from the browser and audio from the file ).

Templates

Templates are pre-designed documents that are blank except for preset margins,
fonts, paragraphs formats, headings, rulers, graphics, header, footers. You can open a
document template, type your text into it, save it, and print the finished document. When you
use template, you do not have to manually format complex documents.
 To add a template click DESIGN  Click THEMES  Then choose from the available
themes. You may also browse for NEW TEMPLATE Online by clicking BROWSE FOR THEMES
or save the theme created.

Summary

 Word processing software also called a word processor is an application that provides
extensive tools for creating all kinds of text-based documents.
 Word processors are not limited to working with text. Word processor enables you to add
images to your documents and design documents that look like a product of profession al print
shop.
 A document area or document window, which is where you view the document.
 Menu bar, which displays titles of menus (list of commands and options).
 Toolbars, which displays button of frequently used commands.
 Rulers, which show you the position of text, tabs, margins, indents and other elements on the
page.
 Scroll bar, which let you scroll through a document that is too large to fit I side the document
area.
 Status bar, which displays information related to your position in the documents, the page
count, and the status of keyboard keys..
 You create a document by typing on the keyboard-a process known as entering text.
 In a new document, the program places a blinking insertion point (called cursor) in the upper
left corner of the document window.
 When you text reaches the right edge of the screen it automatically moves the insertion point to
the next line. This feature is called word wrap.
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 Changing an existing document is called editing the document.
 A block is a contiguous group of characters, words, lines, sentences or paragraphs in your
document that you mark for editing.
 Fonts. The term font refers to the characteristics of the letters, symbols, and punctuation marks
in your document.
 Type Size. A font is measure in points. A most common font size used in business documents is
12-point type.
 Type Style, The appearance of the character can be controlled with type styles. The most
common type style are bold, italic and underline.
 Line spacing. The amount of space between each line of text in a paragraph is called line spacing.
 Paragraph spacing. The amount of space between each paragraph is called paragraph spacing.
 Indents. Indents determine how close each line of a paragraph comes to the margins.
 Alignment. Alignment refers to the orientation of the lines of a paragraph with respect to the
margins.
 Tab stops. The keyboard tab key moves the insertion point forward until it encounters a tab
stop (or just a tab), inserting a fix numbers of space in the line.
 A border is a line that is drawn on one or more side of paragraph.
 Shading consists or pattern or color that is displayed as a background of the text in a paragraph.
 A drop shadow is a partial shadow around a bordered paragraph, which create the illusion that
the paragraph is “floating” above the page.
 Document formats include the size of the page, its orientation and headers and footers.
 Margins. Margins are the white borders around the edge of the page. Every document has top,
bottom, left, and right margins.
 8 ½ by 11 inch paper, a standard known as letter size paper, a standard known as letter size
paper.
 legal (8 ½ by 14 inch paper).
 Portrait orientation (or tall orientation), where the document is taller than its wide.
 Landscape orientation ( or wide orientation ), in which the paper is turned on it side.
 Header and Footers. Headers and Footers are line of text that runs along the top and bottom of
every page.
 Columns. Columns are effective formats for certain types of document.
 Section. Word processors also allow you to divide a document into sections and apply a different
format to each section.
 Spell checker. Catch spelling mistakes as you type or use it to review an entire document for
spelling error. A spell checker matches each word in a document against a built in dictionary
containing standard spelling.
 Grammar checkers. A grammar checker compare each sentence to a set of standard
grammatical rules, notifies you if it finds a potential problems, and providing grammatical
correct options.
 Thesaurus. An electronic thesaurus is just like a printed one-a source of alternatives words.
 Tables are also useful in arranging images (such as clip art or photographs) on a page and for
arranging images and text in interesting ways.
 A mail merge is the process of combining a form letter with the contents of database usually
name and address list-so that each copy of the letter has one entry form the database printed on
it.
 Templates are per-designed documents that are blank except for preset margins, fonts,
paragraphs formats, headings, rulers, graphics, header, footers.

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
1. Denning, Peter J.; Martell, Craig H. (2015). Great principles of computing MIT Press
QA 76 D3483 2015
2. Oleary, Timothy J. (2015). Computing essentials: making IT work for you. QA 76.5 O42
2011
Oleary, Timothy J.; Oleary, Linda I. (2015). Computing essentials 2014 : making it
work for you WLB McGrawhill QA 76 O54 2014

Online Supplementary Reading Materials

1. A brief history od computer;
http://people.bu.edu/baws/brief%20computer%20history.html; August 2, 2018
2. Computer basics; https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/computerbasics/basic-parts-of-a-
computer/1/ ; August 3, 2018
3. Central Processing Unit;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/hardware/0inputandoutputdevicesr
ev3.shtml ; August 3, 2016

Online Instructional Videos

1. The components of computer and their function;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC_fOWfmtPA; August 3, 2018
2. Computer hardware and software; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UyJMiYqvs4
; August 3, 2018
3. History and generations of computers;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrUvFJWlYCY; August 3, 2018
4. Generations of computers; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTc4kIVUnoA ;
August 3, 2018
5. The central processing unit; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZGugFqdr60 ;
August 2, 2018

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