Word Processing: Understanding the Art and Science of Creating Pleasing Documents, Slides of Introduction to Computing

Download Word Processing: Understanding the Art and Science of Creating Pleasing Documents and more Slides Introduction to Computing in PDF only on Docsity!

CS101 Introduction to Computing

Lecture 14

Word Processing

Focus of the last lecture was on Application SW

Application SW are programs that interact directly with the user for the performance of a certain type of work

That work generally falls into one of the following usage areas

• Scientific/engineering/graphics
• Business
• Productivity
• Entertainment
• Educational (^2)

Word Processing

• The art and science of converting written information into a form that looks pleasing when printed
• One of the most popular activities on the PC

Word Processor

• The tool used to perform word processing
• Long time ago, a word processor was a HW/SW combination used solely for performing the word processing task. It looked like a computer terminal or a PC, but could do only one task – word processing
• Today, the term “word processor” generally means the SW used on a computer to perform the task of word processing (^) Docsity.com 5

English Only?

Common Features

1. Type, cut, copy, paste, move text
2. Automatic line-breaks
3. Change font type, face, size, color
4. Change number of columns
5. Adjust margins and line, word, letter spacing
6. Have running headers, footers, page nos.
7. Insert tables, charts, graphics, drawings (^) Docsity.com 8

Types: WYSIWYG-based & Markup-based

• All early WP’s and some of the modern ones as well are markup-based: similar to HTML - Generally are harder to learn, but may provide better control and smaller file size - Example: LaTeX
• Most current PC-based WP’s belong to the WYSIWYG category - Easy to get started due to the WIMP interface - Example: MS Word, Corel WordPerfect, Sun Star

Desktop Publishing (DTP)

• A combination of word processing and graphic design. Used to develop elegant documents
• In the olden times, DTP was used for designing magazines, newspapers & other professional- looking items
• These days, because of the low cost of DTP SW, it is being used for less-demanding and ordinary tasks as well
• The original Macintosh PC started the era of DTP or “Personal Publishing” in 1984 (^) Docsity.com^11

DTP: Requirements

• High-end PC with a large-screen monitor
• Laser printer
• Scanner
• DTP SW
  • Examples:
    • Adobe PageMaker
    • QuarkXPress
    • Corel Ventura
    • MS Publisher

Word Processors for the Web

• Most common WP’s and DTP packages now have the Web development ability - They also include features like auto-recognition of eMail addresses and URL’s
• However, specialized SW just for developing Web pages and sites is also available - Examples: DreamWeaver, FrontPage

Bold, Italic, Underlined Text

• Bold – fat
• Italic – slanted (Why the name italic?)
• Underlined
• All used to emphasize a certain segment of text
• Plea:
  • Please do not over-do them
  • Their over-use makes it very difficult for the reader
  • And please, use one at a time: Text that is no only bold but also italic & underlined looks +ively awful (^) Docsity.com^16

Select, Cut, Copy, Drag, Paste

• Just select and cut or copy or drag
• Can also paste after a cut or a copy
• Just think about the pain that people suffered before the advent of the modern WP’s - Movement of a single sentence from one page to another would have required re-doing all the pages in between

Thesaurus

• My favorite tool
• Helps you find synonyms and, sometimes, antonyms as well

Tables

• Tables are sometimes useful for presenting info in an ordered fashion
• Most WP’s provide extensive table construction & manipulation features