Sucheta's Blog: Basics of Word

Microsoft Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft on October 25th, 1983.
It allows you to edit personal and business documents such as letters, reports, invoices, emails and books.
By default document saved in words are saved with .docx extension.

File Window

The file tab used to check backstage view, means it used to open or save files, create new documents, print a document and do other file related operations.

Quick Access Toolbar

Its purpose is to provide a convenient resting place for the word's most frequently used commands.

Ribbon

Ribbon contains commands organized in three components:

Tabs: They appear across the top of the Ribbon and contain groups of related commands. Home, Insert, Page Layout are example of ribbon tabs.
Groups: They organize related commands, each group name appears below the group on the Ribbon. For example group of commands related to fonts or or group of commands related to alignment etc.
Commands: Commands appear within each group.

Title bar

This lies in the middle and at the top or the window. It shows the program and document title.

Rulers

Word has two rulers, a horizontal and a vertical ruler. The horizontal ruler used to set margins and tab stops. The vertical one used to gauge the vertical position of element on the page.

View buttons

The group of the three buttons located to the left of the zoom control, near the bottom of the screen.

Read mode: This view opens the document to a full screen. This view is great for reading large amounts of text or simply reviewing your work.

Print layout: This is the default document view in Word. It shows what the document will look like on the printed page.

Web layout: This view displays the document as a webpage, which can be helpful if you're using Word to publish content online.

Document Area

This is the area where you type. The flashing vertical bar is called the insertion point and it represents the location where text will appear when you type.

Status bar

This displays document information as well as the insertion point location. From left to right this bar contains the total number of pages and words in the document, language etc.

Dialog Box Launcher

Clicking on this button, it opens a dialog box or task pane that provides more about the group.

Uses

To create business documents having various graphics including pictures, charts and diagrams.
To store and reuse ready made content and formatted elements such as cover pages and sidebars.
To create letters and letterheads for personal and business purpose.
To design different documents like resume or invitation cards etc.
To create a range of correspondence from a simple office memo to legal copies and reference documents.

Rules for typing in word

Within a paragraph just keep typing word know where is the margin.
Don't pressed Enter after line.
Press Enter once at the end of every paragraph.
Use the space bar once at the end of each sentence
Avoid "empty" paragraphs in your document.

Click the ¶ button to let Word display the ¶ sign. The ¶ sign is the end of paragraph marker. This shows you where you have pressed Enter.
It will shows the dot (.) after every word and the symbol (¶) after every paragraph. The symbols are not printed in paper.