Datasheet
Look! Up on the screen!
Everything in the Word window is designed to help you write. No, I’m serious!
Well, I don’t mean
write in the sense of Ernest Hemingway or Jane Austen,
although that’s possible. Word wants you to manage, organize, and create
things with words. That’s the essence of word processing. What you see on
the screen, on Word’s
interface, is designed to make writing an easy and
effortless task.
The largest portion of the Word screen is for composing text. It’s blank and
white, just like a fresh sheet of paper. (Refer to Figure 1-2.) That’s where you
compose and format your text, and I cover that area specifically in the next
section.
Surrounding the text-composing area is a host of goobers that are as bewilder-
ing as an exhibit in a modern art museum, as intimidating as the cockpit of a jet
fighter, and almost as dangerous as a plate of sushi. Despite their overwhelm-
ing appearance, the things that cling to the Word program window are there to
help you write. The following list gives you the quick top-to-bottom explana-
tion. Use Figure 1-2 for reference. And, please: Do not memorize anything!
The title bar lists the document’s title, or merely Document 1 until you
give the document a title by saving it to disk. (See Chapter 9 for informa-
tion on saving documents — very important!)
The Office button replaces the traditional File menu of most Windows
programs.
Clicking the Office Button displays the Office Button menu, a
list of commands that deal with files and documents.
Tabs organize Word’s various and sundry commands into groups based
on word processing activities. Tabs appear and disappear depending on
what you’re doing in Word.
Groups and command buttons help keep commands for the various
tabs organized. Each group contains command buttons that do specific
things to your text.
The Ruler may or may not be visible. When the Ruler is visible, it helps
you set margins and tabs. The View Ruler button (refer to Figure 1-2)
shows and hides the Ruler.
Below the writing area dwells the status bar. This informative strip of graphi-
cal goodness contains trivial information about your document as well as the
following ornaments:
Document information lists optional data specific to your document.
The View buttons specify how the blank page appears in the window
(also refer to the next section).
The Zoom thing sets how large or small your document appears inside
the window. (See Chapter 30 for more information on zooming.)
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Part I: Hello, Word!
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