Word processing and desktop publishing
- Created by: darren mccullagh
- Created on: 31-05-12 19:15
Word processing applications allow users to type and edit text.
Desktop publishing (DTP) applications allow users to create page layouts using text and pictures.
Word processing
Most people are familiar with word processing packages such as Microsoft Word or Writer (part of the Open Office suite).
Standard features
All word processing applications [application: applications serve a specific purpose, eg Microsoft Word is used for word processing ] allow you to:
- enter and edit text
- save
- cut/copy/paste
- check your spelling
Cut, copy, and paste
Cut and copy work in a similar way. Highlighting a piece of text, right-clicking and selecting copy/cut will store the text inmemorymemory: Where a program or data is stored on a computer.. The difference is copy leaves the highlighted text behind where as cut removes it. To insert the copied/cut text into a different area of the document, a different document, or an entirely different application altogether, right-click and selectpaste.
The use of cut, copy, and paste is not necessarily limited to text.
Text formatting
Formatting text makes a document easier to read. You can:
- change fontfont: style applied to text, eg Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana are all types of font type and size
- change the alignment of text (left, centre, right or justified)
- bold text
- underline text
- italicise text
- create bulleted or numbered lists
Other features
Other features that may be expected include find and replace, which replaces one word with another, and the ability toimportimport: A good or service which enters a country. graphicsgraphics: visuals intended to brand, inform, illustrate or entertain, eg photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams etc., eg from a clip art [clip art: clip art is a library of images, photos and sounds provided by Microsoft as part of its office suite ] library. Headers and footers and page numbering are also very useful.
Mail merge
Mail merge is a word processing feature that allows users to personalise letters with names and addresses from a database[database: a structured collection of records or data stored in a computer system ].
The five main steps in setting up a mail-merged letter are:
- Create the database with fieldsfield: a smaller piece of data in larger collection, eg name in an electronic address book, where name is a field for the names and addresses of the people to send the letter to.
- Write the letter using a word processing package and link the letter to the database.
- Use a queryquery…
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