TOPIC 6:  CREATING, SAVING, and OPENING a WORD PROCESSING DOCUMENT

Creating a Document

Begin by opening your word processing application.

1.         You may have an icon on your computer screen representing your word processing program.  If so, double-click the icon to open the software.

2.         If an icon doesn’t exist, click on the Start button and look for the words Microsoft Word or your word processing program reference on the left side of the startup menu. If it is there, click on it and your program will open.

3.         If you do not see it, roll to the Programs or All Programs option in the menu and look for Microsoft Word or your word processing program in the fly-out menu that appears to the right.  Roll your mouse pointer to it, click, and your program will open.

These directions are specific to Microsoft Word 2007 (Word XP).  Many of the functions are done through windows but if you are using another word processing program you may need to use the help menu to provide specific directions.

Become familiar with your word processing environment:

1.         The top line, shown typically in blue, is called the Title Bar.  It displays the name of your document and the name of your software.  In Word it starts with “Document 1 – Microsoft Word” and changes to the name of your document after it has been saved.  At the far right side of the Title Bar are three little buttons.  The first of these is the Minimize Button.  Its purpose is to keep an application open when wanting to use another application temporarily.  By clicking on the Minimize Button, your word processing window will disappear from the screen, but you will see a reference to it in the Task Bar at the bottom of the screen.  To get the window to reappear, click on the Task Bar reference to your document.  Your window will then pop back up.  The second button is the Maximize/Restore Button. Clicking on this button will cause the window to get smaller or larger.  Sometimes a window is in its Restored (smaller) form and you would like it to fill up the entire screen.  Clicking the Maximize Button will make this happen.  Restoring a window (making it smaller) may allow you to view two or more windows on your screen at the same time.  When a window is in its restored form, you can move it around on the screen by pointing to the Title Bar and holding down on the left mouse button while you move the mouse.  The third button is the Close Button.  Clicking this button causes your application program to close along with any open documents.

2.         The second line on your screen is the Menu Bar.  It contains the major categories of commands used in your program.  By clicking on one of these categories, a drop-down menu will appear, giving you a list of commands related to that category.  (If you see a double arrow pointing downwards at the bottom of the menu, click on it to expand the menu so that all commands are visible.)  For example, if you click on View, you will see commands that will change what or how you see things on your screen.  If a command appears with three little dots … (ellipsis) after it, when it is selected a window will appear giving you options you can select from before anything is done.  You have to click the “OK” (usually at the bottom of the window) to make something happen.  Commands appearing with a right arrow (4) indicate that a submenu will appear when it is clicked on.  Roll the mouse to the right to select from the submenu. If a command appears gray, then it can not be used.  Something else must happen first before the command is usable (such as selecting text or clicking on something specific).

3.         The third line is typically the Standard Toolbar.  (If no toolbars appear, click “View” on the Menu Bar and roll down to Toolbars.  A submenu appears listing all Word Toolbars.  Click on the name of the toolbar you want to see.)  The Standard Toolbar contains buttons that perform commonly used tasks (New, Open, Print, Cut, Paste, etc.).  By pointing to a button and pausing, a screen tip appears telling you what the button’s purpose is.  Buttons should only be clicked once to cause the action.  (Sometimes the Standard Toolbar and the Formatting Toolbar appear in a merged state on the same line.  To split the Toolbars, click on “Tools” in the Menu Bar and then on “Customize.”  Select the Options Tab at the top of the window and check the box in front of Show Standard and Formatting Toolbars on two rows.  You may also want to check the second box requesting full menus when using the Menu Bar.  Click “Close” when done.)

4.         The fourth line is the Formatting Toolbar.  It contains buttons used to change the appearance of the document text, such as the Font, Font Size, Bold, Italic, etc.  A user selects the text to be formatted and then clicks the button on the formatting toolbar that represents the format desired.  Again, only a single click is required when using these buttons.  Some of these buttons are shown with a drop-down arrow (6) to the right of the button.  Clicking the drop-down arrow gives you options for that format.  Point to the option you want and click on it.

5.         The fifth line just above the document area is called the Ruler.  It shows you the typing area in white and can be used to set tabs and special indentations.  (If the Ruler is not present, click on “View” in the Menu Bar and then click on “Ruler”.)

6.         The majority of your screen is the document area.  A blinking, vertical bar | indicates your location in the document and is called the Insertion Point.  When text is typed, it is placed wherever the insertion point is.  Before entering any text or object, make sure your insertion point is where you want the text or object to be entered.  The insertion point can be repositioned by pointing and clicking in a new location.  The arrow keys on the keyboard can also be used to relocate the insertion point.

7.         A scroll bar appears to the right and below the document area.  You use the mouse to scroll to parts of your document that you are not seeing on your screen.

8.         The Task Pane may appear to the right of your document area and displays for easy access to certain commands.  However, for most document creation and use, the Task Pane is not needed.  You can close the Task Pane by clicking the small black x  at the top-right of the Task Pane or by clicking on “View” in the Menu Bar and then clicking on “Task Pane.”

Type your document:

Begin typing.  Some instructors will have specific ways in which they want their assignments to be typed.  One suggestion is to type your name at the beginning of the document followed by the assignment or lab title.  A person typically presses the enter key after typing a line of text.  This will force the insertion point to the next line.  However, when you are typing a paragraph, allow the word processor to take care of returning the insertion point to the next line.  It will do this automatically when a line is full.  Entering should only be done once the paragraph is complete.  Pressing the Enter key will start a new paragraph.  After typing your document text, it is a good idea to proofread it.  If you see any red or green wavy lines, this means that Word suspects possible spelling (red) or grammar (green) errors.  While pointing to the marked word or phrase with the mouse pointer, you can right click and Word will provide you with suggestions on how to correct the possible error.  If none of the suggestions are suitable, then click the Ignore option and the red/green wavy line will disappear.  Make any additional corrections by clicking where you want to edit your document and type in the correction and delete any unneeded text.  If your instructor wants you to create a document according to the MLA (Modern Language Association) Rules, use this link to get a how-to list of steps. (Click here for How to MLA)

Save your document

Saving a document should be done several times while typing the document.  This will avoid document loss because of power outages or computer problems.  To save a document, click “File”  on the Menu Bar and then click “Save As” in the drop-down menu.  This will bring up the Save As window.  At the top of this window you will see Save in:  followed by a white area with My Documents showing as the designated location for saving your document.  This may or may not be where you want your document to go.  If you have created a folder for your document, then you will want to direct your word processor to that folder.  If you haven’t created a folder, you can do it now by using the directions given in Topic 5 – Computer File Management.  If your folder is in the My Documents area, then it should be listed in the larger white area within the displayed window.  Point to the folder and double-click it.  This opens the folder so that your file will go inside it.  If you want your file to go somewhere else, click the dropdown arrow after My Documents to see a list of other locations.

If you want to send your document to the 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) then double-click the reference to it.  When you see your folder’s name appear in the larger white space in the middle of the window, point to it and double-click it so that it will be opened and your file will go in it.  At the bottom of this window is an area labeled as File Name:   You will see the first line of text within your document next to it.  If this is not what you want to call your document, then type over it with the name you want your document to have.  Below the File Name is the Save as Type:  option.  This will default to Word Document; however, some instructors ask that you save your file either as a Web page (*.htm or *.html) or in Rich Text Format (*.rtf).  To change the document type, click the drop-down arrow next to Word Document and scroll the list

             until you see the type you want for your document and click on it.  You should now be ready to click the Save button on the right to complete the save process.  Once your document is saved, you can click “File” and then “Save” to save your document in the same place with the same name or click the Save button on the Standard Toolbar (it appears as a small disk image).

Open a Document:

Once a file has been saved it can be opened at any time.  To open an already existing document, make sure the disk with the file saved on it is available.  If it is on the hard drive in the My Documents area, then it is already available.  However, if it is on a floppy disk, the disk needs to be put into the disk drive before it becomes available.  The same is true for other portable storage devices.  They need to be connected to the computer.  After getting into your word processing program, click on "File"  in the Menu Bar and then on "Open" in the drop-down menu or click the Open button on the standard Toolbar (it appears as an open yellow folder ).  The Open window appears.  At the top of the window is Look in:  which is used to tell the word processor where your document is located.  It defaults to My Documents.  If your file is on the hard drive in the My Documents area, then the name appears in the larger white area of the displayed window.  If it is inside a folder in the My Documents area, double-click the folder name to open it.  Now your file’s name should appear.  If your file is somewhere else, click the dropdown arrow after My Documents to see a list of other locations.  If your document is on the 3 1/2" Floppy, then click the reference to it.  When you see your folder’s name appear in the larger white space in the middle of the window, point to it and double-click it so that the folder will open and you can see your file’s name.  Once the file’s name is present, double-click it to open the file or click the file’s name one time and then click the "Open"  button.  (If you edit your document be sure to save the file again.)

End of Topic 6.

Continue to Topic 7

Orientation Overview

Topic 5:  Computer File Management         Topic 7:  Copying and Pasting

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Revised August 2011