Productivity Programs

Common Features and Commands

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify the main components of the interface.

Identify how to use commands on the menu bar.

Work with the buttons on the toolbar.

Work with the pointer in a program.

Work with text and characters in a program.

Use primary keyboard shortcuts and key combinations.

Introduction to the User Interface

1. Title bar

2. Menu bar

3. Toolbars

4. Work area

5. Scroll bars

6. Status bar

The Menu Bar

Most productivity programs contain menus that provide options to work easily in a program.

Each menu contains commands that allow you to perform different tasks.

The File Menu

The most frequently and commonly used menu is the File menu.

The File menu contains commands that help you create, open, close, save, and print a file.

File Menu: Creating and Opening

New- creates a blank document or accesses templates.

Open- finds and opens an existing file.

Close- will close the open file, but not the entire program.

File Menu: Saving a File

Save vs. Save As

You use the Save command to save the changes in the current file.

The Save As command can save a file in a new location or with a new name.

File Menu: Printing

When you select the Print command from the File menu, the Print dialog box appears.

The Edit Menu

You can use the Edit menu to make changes to the text in the file.

Some of the commonly used commands of this menu include Cut, Copy, Paste, Find, and Replace.

Edit Menu: Cut, Copy, Paste

Edit Menu: Find and Replace

The View Menu

This menu contains commands that help you view your file in different layouts.

Normal Print Web Layout

You can use the Zoom command to enlarge or reduce the view of your file contents.

The Format Menu and Font

Formatting helps you to change the look of items within the file.

This dialog box contains several settings that you can adjust to define the appearance of text in a file.

Tools and Help

Spelling and Grammar check

Language: Dictionaries and the Thesaurus

The Help system

Toolbars

Toolbars

Toolbars contain and organize frequently used buttons for quick access.

You can use this checklist to decide which toolbars will appear or remain hidden in your window.

When you apply a command from a toolbar button, it works exactly the same as selecting that command from under a menu.

Notice that the icons that appear on your toolbars are the same as those listed under the menus options.

Toolbars

The Pointer

The Pointer

When you see the text cursor blinking, you know that you are ready to type.

If not, use your pointer to click on the page in order to begin typing.

Double-clicking on a word will let you highlight the entire word. Once you have selected your text, you can replace it with something else simply by typing in the new text.

Clicking on a misspelled word will bring up a context-sensitive menu including spelling suggestions and other language options.

Similarly, if you use the rightright mouse button to click on a word, you will see a shortcut menu that presents you with the command options you are most likely to use in that context.

• To be more specific, hold down the left mouse button at the beginning of the text you want to select–don’t let go!—and drag the pointer until the text you want is selected.

Selecting or Highlighting Text

You can select an entire line or paragraph by clicking on it 3 times in a row.

• Once your text is selected, you are ready to cut or copy your selection, check it for spelling errors, or change the font or formatting.

Working with Text and Characters

The ENTER key completes an action or runs a command.

The SPACEBAR will insert a space between two words.

You use a keyboard to enter information into

a computer.

Working with Text and Characters

The SHIFT key can capitalize letters.

Holding down the SHIFT key will let you select text using the arrow keys.

The SHIFT key is also used to create special symbols, like the question mark (?).

Advanced Keyboard Techniques

• Function keys can perform special tasks in different programs.

• Navigation keys control the movement of the insertion point.

• The ESC key can take you back out of a program.

• Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that help you quickly perform an action.

Assessment: Common Features and Commands

1. Productivity programs are designed for specific tasks.

2. All menus are common across programs.

3. All productivity programs do not have a user interface.

4. The menu bar has files grouped in logical sections.

5. You can also save new versions of an existing

document.

6. The menu bar is a part of the user interface.

7. You can customize the appearance of the toolbar.

8. A toolbar contains buttons of frequently used files.

9. You can often copy and paste text in different programs.

True

False

False

False

True

False

True

False

True

Questions

25