WORD PROCESSING

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Recommended Texts:

Learning Corel WordPerfect 8, from DDC Publishing. Cat. No. Z31.
This is the workbook we will use in class. It has projects and step-by-step instructions for completing them.

WP Simplified from Maran Graphics. For true beginners and computer novices. This book is clear, easy to follow. Each page demonstrates a new skill. There are no tutorials included, and it is not a reference; it is a skills book.

Mastering WordPerfect by Alan Simpson. This is a complete reference, covering every facet of the program. For every level of user.

Learning MS Word, from DDC Publishing.
Any of the Que books, or Mastering series.
Using MS Word, is a fine reference.
Word 97 One Step At A Time IDG Books, Trudi Reisner

I'm not keen on the Dummies books, or on Que's Easy Word

WordPerfect Manual
MS Word Manual
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Homework - Word and WordPerfect, Lesson One

Your assignment is to become familiar with the basics, as presented in the first chapters of your book, and outlined in the course handout. You should be comfortable saving and opening your files.

Create all projects in the text. If you find skills we haven't yet covered in class, just skip over them. (Remember, play to learn: Don't obsess.)

WP:Perfect Expert will not be taught.

Homework - Word and WordPerfect, Lesson Two

In this lesson, we concentrated on basic formatting.

There are several categories of formatting: Character, Paragraph, Page, and Document. Character formatting includes font face and size, attributes such as bold and italic, color, etc.

Paragraph formatting includes line spacing, justification and indentation.

Your assignment is to create the documents in your text book -- type and format them.

Formatting - Now or Later?

I am often asked whether documents should be typed first and formatted later, or formatted as you go along. I usually format as I go, but the answer seems to depend on the complexity of the document. If it's a very complicated document, it might be simpler to type it first, then select and format. If the document is relatively simple, format as you go along.

As to whether it is a complex document or a simple one, you are the judge of that.

WP: Breaking a Line in the Middle
To send half a line to the right side of the page, right-click where you want to break the line. A quick menu will appear. Click Right Flush. Note: Word doesn't have this function.

To force a new page (hard page break), use Ctrl-Enter.

Extra Projects
If you run out of things to do, try typing and formatting stories from the newspaper. Don't type the entire story; just type the first few paragraphs of each. But try to make the headlines, bylines, etc., look the way they do in the newspaper, with font sizes, bold, and alignment.

Homework - Word and WordPerfect, Lesson Three

By now you should have no trouble following the instructions in your textbook. I don't care which book you are using, but be sure to read about all the things we've covered in class. Again, don't obsess, and if you have trouble with something, that's okay. We'll answer questions and cover tricky parts in class.

This week we looked at the tools:

Spellcheck
Thesaurus
(WP) Prompt as you go
QuickCorrect
Find and Replace

WP: In class, we worked with Reveal Codes. You should work with a few lines of Reveal Codes open on your screen. Notice what is happening in the Reveal Codes window as you work.

Word: There is no Reveal Codes feature in Word.

Homework - Word and WordPerfect, Lesson Four

WP: To change the Undo/Redo options:

Click Edit - Undo/Redo History
Click Options
Set the number of undo-actions. We used 50 in class.
Remember that every Undo uses computer memory.
Click (or unclick) the option to save your Undo history with the document.
Remember that saving it can make your documents very large.

Ruler bar actions

Use the Big C and the Backward C to change the margins.
Remember that the margins will take effect on selected text, or will change from the insertion point onward, until another format code is met.
Paragraph Indents
Use the two tiny triangles at the left of the bar, or the slightly larger triangle at the right of the bar, to change paragraph indent. You can move them beyond the margins. Paragraph indent affects only the selected paragraph (or from the insertion point, onward) and do not affect the margin settings
Tabs
The left-pointing triangles on the tab bar (at the bottom of the ruler bar) are normal, left tabs. To remove them, drag them off the tab bar.
To remove all the tabs, right-click the tab bar; click Clear All.
To set a tab, just click the tab bar.
To set a different kind of tab, right-click the tab bar and choose the kind of tab you want. Then click the tab bar to set the tab.

Justification

Click the justification button on the Properties Bar.
or use Ctrl-E (center), Ctrl-R (right), Ctrl-L (left), Ctrl-J (full justify).
To split a line, right-click where you want the split to occur. Then click flush-right.

We formatted a number of files during the class. You should practice applying the formatting to the files again. They are on your disk.

Homework - Word and WordPerfect, Lesson Five

Use the CCT document, or take a page from the newspaper. Apply the formatting you see.

Special formatting instructions:

Format Painter: Format only the first story. Use the format painter to apply the same styles to the rest of the document, as needed.
WP students: Note the Styles dropdown menu. Each time you apply formatting to the paragraph, a new style is created. You can use it from the dropdown menu instead of using the painter.

Creating a Web Page with MS Word, Be sure your page is on-line. We will create the Index page and at least one link. Recommended Texts: DDC Learning Microsoft Word, Office 97, DDC Learning to Create a Web Page with Office 97. Visit your private bookshelf at www.mcp.com for more books on html and web pages.

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