WORD PROCESSING SOFTWARE
Word processing software, sometimes called a word processor, allows users to create and
manipulate documents containing mostly text and sometimes graphics (Figure 1).
Millions of people use word processing software every day to develop documents such as
letters, memos, reports, fax cover sheets, mailing labels, newsletters, and Web pages.
Figure 1: Word processing software.
Word processing software has many features to make documents look professional and
visually appealing. Some of these features include the capability of changing the shape
and size of characters, changing the color of characters, and organizing text into
newspaper-style columns.
Most word processing software allows users to incorporate many types of graphical
images in documents. One popular type of graphical image is clip art, which is a
collection of drawings, diagrams, maps, and photographs that you can insert in
documents. In Figure 1, a user inserted clip art images of baseball players in the
document.
All word processing software provides at least some basic capabilities to help users create
and modify documents. Defining the size of the paper on which to print and specifying
the margins are examples of some of these capabilities. If you type text that extends
beyond the right page margin, the word processing software automatically positions text
at the beginning of the next line. This feature, called wordwrap, allows users to type
words in a paragraph continually without pressing the ENTER key at the end of each line.
As you type more lines of text than can be displayed on the screen, the top portion of the
document moves upward, or scrolls, off the screen.
A major advantage of using word processing software is that users easily can change
what they have written. For example, a user can insert, delete, or rearrange words,
sentences, paragraphs, or entire sections. Current word processing programs also have a
feature that automatically corrects errors and makes word substitutions as users type text.
For instance, when you type the abbreviation asap, the word processing software replaces
the abbreviation with the phrase, as soon as possible.
Word processing software includes a spelling checker, which reviews the spelling of
individual words, sections of a document, or the entire document. The spelling checker
compares the words in the document with an electronic dictionary that is part of the word
processing software.
When you create a word processing document, you enter text, insert graphical images,
and perform other tasks using an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, microphone, or
digital pen. To edit a document means to make changes to its existing content.
When users format a document, they change its appearance. Examples of formatting tasks
are changing the font, font size, or font style of text (Figure 2). A font is a name assigned
to a specific design of characters. Font size indicates the size of the characters in a
particular font. A font style adds emphasis to a font.
Figure 2: Examples of fonts, fonts size, and font styles.
During the process of creating, editing, and formatting a document, the computer holds it
in memory. To keep the document for future use requires that you save it. When you save
a document, the computer transfers the document from memory to a storage medium.
Once saved, a document is stored permanently as a file on the storage medium.