What Is Word Processing? In 1968, IBM first used the term word

processing. The term described machines that could be used to type a

document, remember the typist’s keystrokes, and produce more than one copy. With this new tool, workers saved

time.

What Is Word Processing?That was just the beginning. Today’s word-processing programs do much more. Suppose

you were writing something by hand and made a mistake or changed your mind about what you

wanted to say. If you were using a pen, you would probably cross out the words you wanted

to change or brush on correction fluid. Doing that leaves the page messy, though. With word-

processing software, you can change the text and still create neat pages. You can even save what you typed and use it again a day, a week,

or even a year later.

Vocabulary Preview How many vocabulary words do you already know? To test your knowledge of this chapter’s key terms, click the Vocab Preview icon. Then, print the

worksheet and complete the questions.

Creating a Document List the four basic functions of word-

processing programs. Name two tools used to navigate a

word-processing document. Summarize four key features of word-

processing programs. Identify three standards for word-

processing documents.

Key termsword-processing program

insertion point word wrap Pagination AutoCorrect autosave

Functions of Word-Processing ProgramsWord-processing programs are used for creating

and printing text documents. These programs have four functions:

writing—entering text and symbols into a document

editing—revising or reorganizing the text formatting—changing how the text looks on the

page printing—producing a printed copy These tasks do not need to be done all at once or

even in the order shown here. Whatever the order, these four functions are at the heart of word processing.

Uses of Word Processing Word-processing programs can be used to

create almost any kind of printed document, such as letters, reports, and

brochures. They can also be used to create calendars, return-address labels, and labels for homemade CDs. It is no surprise that word-processing software is the application that people use more

than any other application.

Working With a Word-Processing DocumentWhen you open a word processing program, a new,

blank document is created. It looks like a blank piece of paper on the screen. The program is ready for you to start writing. You can create

another new document at any time by clicking the Office button, clicking the New command,

selecting Blank Document, and clicking the Create button. In most word processing

programs, you can also create a new document by pressing Ctrl+N (hold the Ctrl key and press

N).

Working With a Word-Processing Document Every time you create a new document, you

need to save it. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. When the Save As dialog

box opens, name your document. Insertion Point The insertion point shows where

the text you type will appear. It moves as you type.

  Scrolling As you write, you might want to reread or change something you wrote earlier. That is made easy by scrolling—using the mouse or keyboard to move through the document.

Basic FeaturesMost word-processing programs have four basic features. They

help you write, edit, and save your work.   

With word wrap, the program automatically starts a new line, or “wraps” the text, when the current line is full. If you wish,

you can force text onto a new line by pressing Enter. When a page is full, the pagination feature automatically starts a new page. You can also force a new page by inserting

a special character, called a page break. The AutoCorrect feature fixes common spelling mistakes as

they are typed. You can turn off this feature or modify it to accept unusual words that you often use.

The AutoRecover or autosave feature protects you from losing work. It does so by automatically saving a document as often as you want. If the computer shuts down accidentally, you can

retrieve the most recently saved version.

Standards for Word-Processing DocumentsAs you write, keep in mind three standards of

style to make your work look professional. Two standards are met automatically by many

programs. They change two hyphens (--) to an em dash (—). They also convert quotation marks to curly quotation marks, or “smart

quotes.”   The other standard is not automatic—you have

to remember to do it. This standard is to type one space, not two, between sentences.

Opening a Document for EditingEditing can take place at any time after you have

created the document. To do so, you need to open the file you created so you can work on it again.

You can use a word-processing program’s Open command to open a file, or you can use a file

management program to find files on a disk. In Windows, file names have extensions, such

as .txt, .rtf, .doc, or .wpd, although these extensions may be hidden from view. On a Macintosh computer,

documents are simply listed by file name. Word-processing programs make editing easy. You can

add words simply by typing them. You can delete characters by pressing the Delete or Backspace keys. Powerful features in these programs help you do even

more.

Selecting TextUsually, people edit more than one character at a time.

The select text feature lets you highlight anything from a word to a whole document. Then you can

delete it, move it, copy it, or change its formatting.    To select text, simply click and drag the mouse over

the text you want. Most programs also let you select text using the keyboard. You hold down the Shift key

while you use the arrow keys and other keys to select the text. Selected text is highlighted on the

screen; that is, it appears with a different background color.

   

Cutting, Copying, and PastingTwo common reasons for selecting text are cutting and

copying. Both actions place the text in the Clipboard.  The Clipboard The Clipboard stores cut or copied text

while you work. Once you close the program or shut down the computer, items on the Clipboard are lost.

Some programs store only one item at a time, so cutting or copying new text replaces what was held before.

Some programs can hold many items on the Clipboard. 

The Cut command removes the selected text from a document and places it on the Clipboard.

The Copy command places a duplicate of the selected text on the Clipboard.

The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands can be found in the Clipboard group of the Home tab in Microsoft Word 2007.

Pasting Use the Paste command to insert an item copied or cut to the Clipboard. Simply place the insertion point where you want the item to appear. Then, click the Paste icon on the Clipboard group of the

Home tab or press Ctrl+V. The copied item or text appears where you want it..

  Using Cut and Paste Moving a sentence from the middle of a paragraph to the beginning can be done by selecting and dragging it. You can use Cut and Paste to move that sentence farther—for example, to another page—or to move text or a graphic from one document to another. You can even open a new window, paste the text you cut

from another document, and save the pasted text as a new document.

  Using Copy and Paste Copying and pasting saves time when you need to repeat some text. You can also copy and paste to bring a graphic

from one document into another.

Undoing and RedoingWord-processing programs have

commands that can undo or cancel an edit. If you delete a word by mistake,

you can use the Undo command to put it back. Many programs also have a

Redo command. You can use this feature to put a change back in effect

after cancelling it with Undo.

Appearance Is ImportantA document’s formatting—its appearance—is sometimes

as important as its contents. This is why word-processing programs have so many tools to format

documents.    Word-processing programs include many preset formats,

called defaults. The program applies these formats automatically, unless you change them. For example, many word processors use Times New Roman as the

default font. Word 2007, however, uses Calibri, but you can change to a different font whenever you want.

    You can format four distinct parts of a document: characters, paragraphs, sections, and pages.

Formatting Characters Character formatting lets you change the look of letters.

Three primary formats are applied to characters: The font is the family of characters used. A font is a named

set of characters that have the same appearance. Popular fonts are Times New Roman and Arial .

Font size is the height of characters, measured in points. One point equals 1/72 inch.

Font styles are characteristics such as boldface and italic.   Programs make it easy to format similar groups of characters

the same way throughout a document. For instance, you can create a set of formatting characteristics, called a style, for all the subheadings in a document. When you apply that style to all subheadings, you apply that group of formats in

one step. 

Formatting ParagraphsA paragraph is any text that ends with the press of the Enter key. Whenever

you press Enter, you create a paragraph. You can change many paragraph formats, including:

    Alignment—the way a paragraph lines up between the page’s left and right

margins Line spacing—the amount of space between the lines of text in a paragraph

Indentation—added space between a margin and the text Tabs—stops placed along a line. Pressing the Tab key moves the insertion

point to the next stop. Tabs can be used to align text in tables or columns.     You can apply these paragraph formats through dialog boxes, but you can

also apply some of them by using ruler settings. In Word 2007, for example, you can create a tab stop by displaying the ruler and then clicking the horizontal ruler at the point where the tab stop should appear. You can change a paragraph’s indentation by dragging indent markers, which

normally are found at each end of the ruler. Ruler settings apply only to the paragraph that contains the insertion point, or to selected paragraphs.

   

Formatting SectionsIn some word processors, a section is

part of a document that contains specific format settings. A document begins as one section, but it can be

split into more than one. You can format each section in its own unique

way.

Formatting PagesPage formatting affects how and where text is positioned on the page.

The main features in page formatting are:  

Paper size—Various sizes of paper can be used to create documents. Orientation—Text can be printed in one or two directions, or orientations. In portrait orientation, text is printed down the page’s long edge, creating a page that is taller than it is wide. In landscape orientation, text is printed down the page’s short edge, creating a

page that is wider than it is tall. Margins—the space between the four paper edges and the text. This

open space frames the page and can make the text easier to read. Headers and footers—special information placed at the top of the

page (headers) or at the bottom (footers). These placeholders can show page numbers, the date, or the document’s title.

Graphics—drawings, photographs, or other images. Some graphics, like charts and graphs, are informative. Others are decorative. Many

word-processing programs let you create or add graphics.