Introduction to Word Processing

Word Processing Program:  Software, where you can create documents such as memos, reports, and letters.  They allow you to enter, edit, organize, and format text.  Microsoft Word is one name of a popular word processing program.

Document:  a file created in a word processing program.  Web pages may also be called documents.
How do I create a new document in Microsoft Word?
Choose File, New, then Blank Document or click the icon that looks like a sheet of paper.

Insertion Point: The blinking vertical line that appears in a document.  It indicates where the next text you type will appear.

Word wrap: A feature that automates the process of creating new lines in a word processor.  When you enter enough text to fill the current line, the word processor starts a new line.

 Dragging text : A technique where you drag selected or blackened text from one location to another.

Opening & Closing filesThe process of opening a document file for usage OR closing a file when the user has completed using the file.
How do I Open or Close files? To open a file, choose File, Open from the menu bar OR press the icon that looks like an open folder. 
To close a file, choose File, Close from the menu bar OR the "X" in the right hand corner of a document window.

Title bar:  The title bar displays the name of the program and the file that's currently open.  It is located at the very top of the software program.

Menu bar:  The menu bar lists the names of the menus offered in the application or program.  Click a menu name to open that menu, then click the command you want to choose.

Toolbar:  Most applications or programs offer some type of toolbar or button bar below the menu bar.  These are usually where the icons are stored.  Click a button on this bar to perform a command like applying bold or formatting text you've selected.
Microsoft Word has 2 main toolbars: 
Formatting toolbar:  contains icons/buttons for changing character and paragraph functions such as alignment and type styles (fonts).
Standard toolbar: contains icons or buttons used to perform common tasks such as printing and opening documents.

Icons:  Small pictures that represent files, folders, programs, and features in software programs.  In Microsoft Word, the word-processing software, icons are buttons that represent commands.  Icons are located on the toolbars.

Selecting text:  It is where you highlight or blacken text.
You must highlight or select text before I give it a command.
Deselecting text: It is when you take the highlight off the text. You can click anywhere outside of the black text to deselect it.

Shortcut menu:  A shortcut menu offers a few commands that apply to the operation being performed.  Some of these commands on the shortcut menu are cut, copy, paste, font, paragraph, etc.
How do I access the shortcut menu?  Select your desired text or object, then press your right mouse button or "right-click".

Font: The typeface of letters, such as Times New Roman  OR Arial.  Fonts are measured in point sizes.  The higher the point sizes, the bigger the font.  The standard font size for business letters and memos is 12 point.
Fonts can be dressy or non-dressy:  Serif fonts (dressy fonts) such as Times New Roman have curly cews on the end of the letters.  Sans serif fonts (non-dressy fonts) such as Arial do not have cews on the end of the letters.
How do I select a font?  Choose Format, Font, then choose the type of Font that you want in the section entitled "Font",  OR choose the icon/button called 
"Font " on the Formatting toolbar, 

Bold:  A formatting attribute applied to characters in an application.  Bolding turns the characters thicker and darker.
How do I bold?  Choose Format, Font, then Bold under Font Style OR, choose the icon/button that looks like a "B" OR press Ctrl + "B" on the keyboard.

Italic: An attribute or style you apply to text to make it look slanted or italicized.
How do I italicize?  Choose Format, Font, then Italics under Font Style OR choose the icon/button that looks like a "I" OR press Ctrl + I on the keyboard.

Underline: The underline feature underlines text or numbers in any application.
How do I underline?  Choose Format, Font, then choose your underline in the Underline section of the window OR choose the icon/button that looks like a "U" OR press Ctrl + U on the keyboard.

What is alignment?
1) How text is positioned on the page.
2) It shows if text is centered (text in middle of line or page), aligned left (text is positioned along the left margin), aligned right (text is positioned along the right margin), or justified (text is even along the left and the right margins).
How do I align text?  Choose the icon/buttons entitled "Center", "Align Left", "Align Right" or "Justify" on the Formatting toolbar OR choose Format, Paragraph, then under the Alignment section choose your desired alignment.

Cut: To remove a selection and place it on the Clipboard (temporary buffer space to hold cut and copied items).  You can then paste the cut selection to another location.
How do I cut? Choose Edit, Cut OR press the icon/button that looks like scissors OR press Ctrl + X on the keyboard.

Copy:  To duplicate selected text or objects.  Copying objects places them on the Clipboard (temporary buffer space to hold cut and copied items).  You can then paste the copied selection to another location.
How do I copy?  Choose Edit, Copy OR press the icon/button that says "Copy" OR press the Ctrl + C on the keyboard.

Paste:  When you insert cut or copied information from the Clipboard into another location.
How do I paste?  Choose Edit, Paste OR press the icon button that says "Paste" OR press the Ctrl + V on the keyboard.

Print Preview: A feature which lets you see how a file or document will appear when you print it.
How do I Print Preview? Choose File, Print Preview OR press the icon/button that looks like a sheet of paper with a magnifying glass.

Tab stop: A tab stop in a word processing document is a location (or measurement) that you use to align text.  Tabs pull text in either from the left or right margins.  They can also be custom set by the user.  Tabs are pre-set (defaulted) at .5 inches or 1/2 inch unless the user specifies otherwise.
How do I Tab?  Press the Tab key on the keyboard for a quick tab from the "left margin" OR you can set your own custom tabs by using Format, Tabs from the menu-bar.

Indent:  To set one or more lines of a paragraph "in" from the left or right margin in a document. Indents are pre-set (defaulted) at .5 inches or 1/2 inch.
What are the types of indents? First line indent (where only the first line is indented); Left indent: (where all the lines on the left margin are indented); Right indent (where all the lines on the right margin are indented); Hanging indent (where all the lines except the first line are indented)
How do I indent?  Choose Format, Paragraph, then choose the appropriate indent under the "Indentation" section, OR use the indentation markers on the ruler.

File Saving: The process of naming and storing a file or document to a hard-drive (C-drive),  diskette
(3 1/2 floppy), CD-ROM,  or DVD-ROM.
How do I save a file?  Choose File, Save As (used for the first time you save), OR File, Save (used to save after the 1st time of saving), OR choose the icon/button that looks like a diskette, OR press the Ctrl + S on the keyboard.

File Name: Names given to files when saving a file.  They provide a unique description of the document or file.
2)  When naming a file, the user is limited to a maximum of 255 characters or letters. 
3) The filename can also have spaces within the name , but some characters are excluded.