WORD PROCESSING

Introduction

Word Processing
This is a software package used for producing documents such as letter, memos, reports,
thesis, proposals, reports, preparing book manuscript etc.
It is used by those in managerial positions, public or private institutions, normally
involves a lot of documentation. Being able to use a word processor will greatly enhance
their productivity.

Other Word Processing Packages

 WordStar
 WordPerfect
 MS Word
 MultiMate

Types of Word Processors

1. Dedicated word processors
They are typewriter like
They have a processor built in machine
They cannot do anything else apart from word processing
They are much faster.

2. Non-Dedicated Word Processors

This is a word processor that forms part of an application program package in a computer
system.

Advantages
- Fast and easy to work with
- High level of accuracy
- File production (pages) is fast and easy
- High level of security
- An efficient storage system

Features of Word Processors

- Have the ability to insert, delete characters, word and lines of text.
- Are able to move words, lines or blocks of text from one location to the other.
- Able to copy, spell check the text
- Provide formatting, punctuations and can easily reform the widths of text.

MICROSOFT WORD
This is a word processing application.
It is an application / program developed by Microsoft cooperation and is used as a word
processor to generate document. It works on a Windows NT platform.
WORD WRAP
This is a feature in MS Word that allows you to proceed to the next line automatically,
when typing in a document.

MENU
Provide commands on working with MS-Word. The ones available on the standard
toolbar are File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Table, Window and Help.

TOOLS
These are icons on the toolbar. They provide faster and easier working and represent
your menus.

STATUS LINE
Provide information on the cursors current position.

ICON
These are graphical representations of a program or application.

STARTING A DOCUMENT
When a new document opens. It is titled document1. Click on file menu select New and
an Open dialogue box appears. In the general tab, click on blank document, then click
OK.
Double click on the new icon on the tool bar.

SAVING A DOCUMENT.
Click on File menu, select save as, and then you get the save as
Dialogue box. Specify the location to save then assign a Name then click on the save
button.

RETRIVING A DOCUMENT
Click on file menu and Select Open.
Specify the location where file is saved either C:\, A:\
Click or Open or double click on the File.

HIGHLIGHTING TEXT
When text is highlighted it gets a black background meaning it’s selected.
Ways of selecting text.
 To select a single word, double click on it.
 To select an entire paragraph / line, triple click on the text
 For a block of text click at the start of the line and hold down the mouse button and
drag to the end.
Or
 Click at the start line hold down the shift key and click at the end.
 To select a line point at the start and click once.
FORMATTING
Always highlight the text to format
Changing font
Click on format menu
Select the font and then choose the type, size, style, color type or underline then click ok.
Line Spacing
To adjust space between the text block,
Click on format menu
Select Paragraph
Choose the type of line spacing e.g. Multiple at 1.5

INDENTING TEXT
Select the text to indent, click on Format Menu and Choose Paragraph. Choose the type
of indentation.
Click Ok.

CUT, COPY PASTE

COPY: This Command makes a duplicate of a selected text and makes it available from
the clipboard. To copy text highlight it, click on the copy command.
CUT: Permanently moves the selected data to a different location in the same document
or to a different document.
PASTE: Transfers data / text from the clipboard to a new specified location. To paste,
place your cursor where to paste & click on paste from the edit menu or the icon.

All the 3 commands are placed as icons on the tool bar.

FIND AND REPLACE

Microsoft word allows you to search for a particular word and replace it wherever it is in
a document.
To replace a word place your cursor before the start of the document or highlight your
doc. Click on edit menu and select FIND type the word to replace with. To apply
formatting, click on the MORE button and select font. Click on REPLACE ALL.

INSERTING DATE AND TIME

Position the cursor where to insert date or time. From Insert menu click DATE & TIME,
choose the format of date and time, click ok.
NB
Word can automatically update the date and time if that option is checked. The date and
time inserted is determined by the system.

WORKING WITH CHANGE CASE

Selected text can be changed to all uppercase, lower case, toggle case, sentence case and
title case.
This also works vice versa.
Select the text you want to change from format menu, choose CHANGE CASE. Click on
the option that you need and click OK.
MOVING TEXT (drag & drop)
To move a selected text to any area select the text you want to move. Hold down the
mouse button, pointing at the text to be moved. When the drag & drop pointer appears
drag the dotted insertion pointer to the new location and release the button.

BORDERS
These are the lines that surround or border a text. Before putting a border to a text the
text should be selected. Click on format menu and select borders and shading. Select the
border, style, the color, the width and the type of border to apply e.g. #D, box or custom.
To remove a border, select the text click on Format menu select borders and shading.
Click on NONE then click OK.

PAGE BORDERS
Select all the text in your document. Click on format menu, select borders and shading
from the page border tab, select the border type to use. OR the type of art to use. Then
click OK.

DROP CAPS
To create a Drop Cap, select the letter to use OR place the cursor before the letter to drop.
Click format menu.
Choose Drop Cap.
Select the type of drop cap to use e.g., Specify the drop cap format, No. of lines to drop,
and the distance from the text. Click OK to apply.
To remove the drop cap, select the drop cap in the document
Click on format menu and choose drop cap
Click on None
Click OK.

HEADERS AND FOOTERS

This is the text that MS-Word repeats at the top or bottom of every page in an entire
page.
Click on the View menu.
Select header and footer.
Type the header text and proceed to format it.
Click (“Switch between header and footer” and type the footer text.
Click Close.
NB
A new toolbar appears after clicking the footer & header menu (Header Footer Toolbar)
The Footer & headers are dimmed in your text and can be activated by clicking the area
where they are.
Removing Headers and Footer.
Position the cursor at the header or Footer you want to remove. From view menu choose
header & footer.
Select the header / Footer to delete and press the delete key. Click the close Button.
PAGE NUMBERING
Page nos. can be positioned within a header or footer i.e. at the bottom or top of the page.
Click the insert menu and choose page numbers
In the position box specify the location of the No. i.e. top or bottom of page.
Choose the position of the page number e.g. center, right etc.
If you check the box “Show numbers on the first page”. This displays page No. of the
first page. Click the format button to change the no style. Then click OK.

BULLETS AND NUMBERING

You can apply bullets and numbering before or after typing your text.
Select the text
Click on format menu – Bullets & Numbering
Choose either bullets or numbering. Click on customize to change the type of he
bulleting or numbering to use.
to use. Set the space to leave between text and bullet and set the indent.
NB
To get a specific symbol as a bullet under customize, click on bullet, select the symbol
and click OK.
You can also apply bullets and numbering from the short cut icons on the tool bar.

REMOVING BULLETS
Highlight the text
Click on the format menu - Bullets & numbering
Choose NONE
Click OK.

COLUMNS
To set columns highlight your text, click on format menu and select columns. Choose the
column format menu and select columns. Choose the column type to use e.g. 2,3,left etc
Specify the space between the columns and select whether to have a line between.
Click OK.

You can apply columns using the icons on the toolbar.

REMOVING COLOUMNS
Highlight the text.
Click on the format menu – columns, choose NONE
Click OK.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

A feature in word that allows one to auto correct ones document in terms of grammar and
spelling.
Select the doc. (or part) or place your cursor at the beginning of the document.
Click on Tools Menu – Spelling & Grammar.
In the dialog box, MS- Word prompts you to change or ignore wrong words / grammar.
You can also add new words to the dictionary.
MS word will let you know when finished.

LANGUAGE
This comprises of (a) Thesaurus which checks for words meanings and can offer
alternative words.

This allows word to automatically hyphenate your document depending on the option
activated.
To apply either of this, select your document
From tools Menu – Language – choose either of them.

WORD COUNT
This feature gives you a summary of your document. In terms of lines, paragraphs,
words etc.