Syllabus Focus: Unit 2 Module 2 Content 3

Specific Objective 3: explain where a word processing tool is appropriate;

Content: Main purpose and uses; significant features of the tool.

The word processor was one of the first applications to appear on early PCs,
displaying words as they were tapped out on the keyboard. Today's word processors
are far more advanced and stylish, but the underlying principle remains the same:
These applications are used to input and output large amounts of text, with some
processing and editing along the way, if required.

Key Purposes
The central purpose of a word processor, as the name suggests, is to process words.
Text is typically entered via a keyboard or dictation program, and the word processor
handles formatting and pagination. Most word processors offer tools for changing the
font size and style, for creating headings and sub-headings, for adjusting the text
alignment and for controlling how the document appears on screen and on the printed
page. You will usually find a word count tool included totally the number of words,
characters and other variables entered into the program.

Other Features
More advanced word processors include additional features, such as the ability to
insert images into a document. Tables and columns can be used in some programs to
take more control over the layout of the text on the page. Support for headers, footers,
document bookmarks, a table of contents and footnotes may also be available. Many
word processors include a stylesheet feature, enabling you to standardize text
formatting across a lengthy document.

Examples of Use
Word processors can be used to produce any document containing text and (in most
programs) a selection of images. They are suitable for writing novels, reports, user
manuals, letters and to-do lists. They are less suitable for documents requiring more
advanced layouts or interactive elements, and while some word processors include an

CAPE NOTES Unit 2 Module2 Content 3 1

HTML export option they are not ideal for producing Web pages to any advanced
standard.
Word Processor Programs
WordPad is a basic word processor included with Microsoft Windows, while the
industry standard Microsoft Word is available as part of the Microsoft Office Suite.
Alternative freeware office suites include LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice. A
number of online browser-based word processors are available as well, including
Google Document, the word processor offered as part of Google Drive. Desktop
publishing (DTP) applications offer more flexibility in terms of layouts, and are more
suitable for working with newsletters, magazines, flyers, posters and other similar
documents beyond the reach of the standard word processor.

Taken from: http://science.opposingviews.com/purpose-word-processor-1155.html,

retrieved on July 30, 2015

Note: Additional reading is encouraged

CAPE NOTES Unit 2 Module2 Content 3 2