FUNDAMENTALS

OF
COMPUTER
Instructor Manual
 Introduction to Computer

COMPUTER
The term computer is derived from the word compute. The word compute means to calculate.
We can define it as, An electronic device which can accept the data from user, process it, and
gives the desire output/ result.

Or
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or "data." It has the ability to
store, retrieve, and process data. You can use a computer to type documents, send email, and
browse the internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting, database
management, presentations, games, and more.
Or

Computer is a device that transforms data into meaningful information. Data can be anything like
marks obtained by you in various subjects. It can also be name, age, sex, weight, height, etc. of
all the students in a class. Computer can also be defined in terms of functions it can perform. A
computer can i) accept data, ii) store data, iii) process data as desired, and iv) retrieve the stored
data as and when required and v) print the result in desired format. The major characteristics of a
computer are high speed, accuracy, diligence, versatility and storage.

All types of computers consist of two basic parts:

Hardware: is any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as the computer
monitor or keyboard.

Software: is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. It is what guides the
hardware and tells it how to accomplish each task. Some examples of software are web browsers,
games, and word processors such as Microsoft Word.

DIGITAL AND ANALOG COMPUTERS

Digital computer uses distinct values to represent the data internally. All information is
represented using the digits 0s and 1s. The computers that we use at our homes and offices are
digital computers.

Analog computer is another kind of a computer that represents data as variable across a
continuous range of values. The earliest computers were analog computers. Analog computers
are used for measuring of parameters that vary continuously in real time, such as temperature,
pressure and voltage. Analog computers may be more flexible but generally less precise than
digital computers. Slide rule is an example of an analog computer.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are some of the key characteristics
of a computer. A brief overview of these characteristics is

Speed: The computer can process data very fast, at the rate of millions of instructions per
second. Some calculations that would have taken hours and days to complete otherwise, can be
completed in a few seconds using the computer.

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For example, calculation and generation of salary slips of thousands of employees of an

organization, weather forecasting that requires analysis of a large amount of data related to
temperature, pressure and humidity of various places, etc.

Accuracy: Computer provides a high degree of accuracy. For example, the computer can
accurately give the result of division of any two numbers up to 10 decimal places.

Diligence: When used for a longer period of time, the computer does not get tired or fatigued. It
can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and accuracy from the start till
the end.

Storage: Capability Large volumes of data and information can be stored in the computer and
also retrieved whenever required. A limited amount of data can be stored, temporarily, in the
primary memory. Secondary storage devices like floppy disk and compact disk can store a large
amount of data permanently.

Versatility: Computer is versatile in nature. It can perform different types of tasks with the same
ease. At one moment you can use the computer to prepare a letter document and in the next
moment you may play music or print a document.

HISTORY OF COMPUTER
Until the development of the first generation computers based on vacuum tubes, there had been
several developments in the computing technology related to the mechanical computing devices.
The key developments that took place till the first computer was developed are as follows

Calculating Machines ABACUS was the first mechanical calculating device for counting of large
numbers. The word ABACUS means calculating board. It consists of bars in horizontal positions
on which sets of beads are inserted. The horizontal bars have 10 beads each, representing units,
tens, hundreds, etc. An abacus is shown in below Figure.

ABACUS

Napiers Bones: was a mechanical device built for the purpose of multiplication in 1617 AD. by
an English mathematician John Napier.

Slide Rule: was developed by an English mathematician Edmund Gunter in the 16th century.
Using the slide rule, one could perform operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division. It was used extensively till late 1970s.

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SLIDE RULE:

Pascals: Adding and Subtraction Machine was developed by Blaise Pascal. It could add and
subtract. The machine consisted of wheels, gears and cylinders.

Leibnizs: Multiplication and Dividing Machine was a mechanical device that could both
multiply and divide. The German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz built it
around 1673.

Punch Card: System was developed by Jacquard to control the power loom in 1801. He invented
the punched card reader that could recognize the presence of hole in the punched card as binary
one and the absence of the hole as binary zero. The 0s and 1s are the basis of the modern digital
computer.

PUNCHED CARD

Babbages Analytical Engine An English man Charles Babbage built a mechanical machine to
do complex mathematical calculations, in the year 1823. The machine was called as difference
engine. Later, Charles Babbage and Lady Ada Lovelace developed a general-purpose calculating
machine, the analytical engine. Charles Babbage is also called the father of computer.

Holleriths Punched Card Tabulating Machine was invented by Herman Hollerith. The machine
could read the information from a punched card and process it electronically.

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GENERATION OF COMPUTERS:
The computer has evolved from a large-sized simple calculating machine to a smaller but much
more powerful machine. The evolution of computer to the current state is defined in terms of the
generations of computer. Each generation of computer is designed based on a new technological
development, resulting in better, cheaper and smaller computers that are more powerful, faster
and efficient than their predecessors. Currently, there are five generations of computer. In the
following subsections, we will discuss the generations of computer in terms of;

i. The technology used by them (hardware and software),

ii. Computing characteristics (speed, i.e., number of instructions executed per second),
iii. Physical appearance, and
iv. Their applications.

FIRST GENERATION (1940 TO 1956): USING VACUUM TUBES

Hardware Technology: The first generation of computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and
magnetic drums for memory. The input to the computer was through punched cards and paper
tapes. The output was displayed as printouts.

VACUUM TUBE

Software Technology: The instructions were written in machine language. Machine language
uses 0s and 1s for coding of the instructions. The first generation computers could solve one
problem at a time.

Computing Characteristics: The computation time was in milliseconds.

Physical Appearance: These computers were enormous in size and required a large room for
installation.

Application: They were used for scientific applications as they were the fastest computing device
of their time.

Examples: Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC), Electronic Numerical Integrator And

Calculator (ENIAC), and Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC).

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The first generation computers used a large number of vacuum tubes and thus generated a lot of
heat. They consumed a great deal of electricity and were expensive to operate. The machines
were prone to frequent malfunctioning and required constant maintenance. Since first generation
computers used machine language, they were difficult to program.

SECOND GENERATION (1956 TO 1963): USING TRANSISTORS

Hardware Technology: Transistors replaced the vacuum tubes of the first generation of
computers. Transistors allowed computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, energy efficient
and reliable. The second generation computers used magnetic core technology for primary
memory. They used magnetic tapes and magnetic disks for secondary storage. The input was still
through punched cards and the output using printouts. They used the concept of a stored
program, where instructions were stored in the memory of computer.

TRANSISTORS

Software Technology: The instructions were written using the assembly language. Assembly
language uses mnemonics like ADD for addition and SUB for subtraction for coding of the
instructions. It is easier to write instructions in assembly language, as compared to writing
instructions in machine language. High-level programming languages, such as early versions of
COBOL and FORTRAN were also developed during this period.

Physical Appearance: Transistors are smaller in size compared to vacuum tubes, thus, the size of
the computer was also reduced.

Application: The cost of commercial production of these computers was very high, though less
than the first generation computers. The transistors had to be assembled manually in second
generation computers.

Examples: PDP-8, IBM 1401 and CDC 1604.

Second generation computers generated a lot of heat but much less than the first generation
computers. They required less maintenance than the first generation computers.

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THIRD GENERATION (1964 TO 1971): USING INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

Hardware Technology: The third generation computers used the Integrated Circuit (IC) chips.
Below figure shows IC chips. In an IC chip, multiple transistors are placed on a silicon chip.
Silicon is a type of semiconductor. The use of IC chip increased the speed and the efficiency of
computer, manifold. The keyboard and monitor were used to interact with the third generation
computer, instead of the punched card and printouts.

IC CHIPS

Software Technology: The keyboard and the monitor were interfaced through the operating
system. Operating system allowed different applications to run at the same time. High-level
languages were used extensively for programming, instead of machine language and assembly
language.

Physical Appearance: The size of these computers was quite small compared to the second
generation computers.

Application: Computers became accessible to mass audience. Computers were produced

commercially, and were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

Examples: IBM 370, PDP 11.

The third generation computers used less power and generated less heat than the second
generation computers. The cost of the computer reduced significantly, as individual components
of the computer were not required to be assembled manually. The maintenance cost of the
computers was also less compared to their predecessors.

FOURTH GENERATION (1971 TO PRESENT):

USING MICROPROCESSORS
Hardware Technology: They use the Large Scale Integration (LSI) and the Very Large Scale
Integration (VLSI) technology. Thousands of transistors are integrated on a small silicon chip
using LSI technology. VLSI allows hundreds of thousands of components to be integrated in a
small chip. This era is marked by the development of microprocessor. Microprocessor is a chip
containing millions of transistors and components, and, designed using LSI and VLSI
technology. A microprocessor chip is shown in Coming Figure. This generation of computers
gave rise to Personal Computer (PC). Semiconductor memory replaced the earlier magnetic core
memory, resulting in fast random access to memory.

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Secondary storage device like magnetic disks became smaller in physical size and larger in
capacity. The linking of computers is another key development of this era. The computers were
linked to form networks that led to the emergence of the Internet. This generation also saw the
development of pointing devices like mouse, and handheld devices.

MICROPROCESSORS

Software Technology: Several new operating systems like the MS-DOS and MS-Windows
developed during this time. This generation of computers supported Graphical User Interface
(GUI). GUI is a user-friendly interface that allows user to interact with the computer via menus
and icons. High-level programming languages are used for the writing of programs.

Physical Appearance: They are smaller than the computers of the previous generation. Some can
even fit into the palm of the hand.

Application: They became widely available for commercial purposes. Personal computers
became available to the home user.

Examples: The Intel 4004 chip was the first microprocessor. The components of the computer
like Central Processing Unit (CPU) and memory were located on a single chip. In 1981, IBM
introduced the first computer for home use. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh.

The microprocessor has resulted in the fourth generation computers being smaller and cheaper
than their predecessors. The fourth generation computers are also portable and more reliable.
They generate much lesser heat and require less maintenance compared to their predecessors.
GUI and pointing devices facilitate easy use and learning on the computer. Networking has
resulted in resource sharing and communication among different computers.

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FIFTH GENERATION (PRESENT AND NEXT): USING ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE
The goal of fifth generation computing is to develop computers that are capable of learning and
self-organization. The fifth generation computers use Super Large Scale Integrated (SLSI) chips
that are able to store millions of components on a single chip. These computers have large
memory requirements.

This generation of computers uses parallel processing that allows several instructions to be
executed in parallel, instead of serial execution. Parallel processing results in faster processing
speed. The Intel dual-core microprocessor uses parallel processing.

The fifth generation computers are based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). They try to simulate the
human way of thinking and reasoning. Artificial Intelligence includes areas like Expert System
(ES), Natural Language Processing (NLP), speech recognition, voice recognition, robotics, etc.

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CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER
The digital computers that are available nowadays vary in their sizes and types. The computers
are broadly classified into four categories based on their size and type

(1) Microcomputers,
(2) Minicomputers,
(3) Mainframe computers,
(4) Supercomputer.

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS BASED ON SIZE AND TYPE

MICROCOMPUTERS

Microcomputers are small, low-cost and single-user digital computer. They consist of CPU, input
unit, output unit, storage unit and the software. Although microcomputers are stand-alone
machines, they can be connected together to create a network of computers that can serve more
than one user. IBM PC based on Pentium microprocessor and Apple Macintosh are some
examples of microcomputers. Microcomputers include desktop computers, notebook computers
or laptop, tablet computer, handheld computer, smart phones and netbook,

Desktop Computer or Personal Computer (PC): is the most common type of microcomputer.
It is a stand-alone machine that can be placed on the desk. Externally, it consists of three units
keyboard, monitor, and a system unit containing the CPU, memory, hard disk drive, etc.

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It is not very expensive and is suited to the needs of a single user at home, small business units,
and organizations. Apple, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are some of the PC manufacturers.
Notebook Computers or Laptop resemble a notebook: They are portable and have all the
features of a desktop computer. The advantage of the laptop is that it is small in size (can be put
inside a briefcase), can be carried anywhere, has a battery backup and has all the functionality of
the desktop. Laptops can be placed on the lap while working (hence the name). Laptops are
costlier than the desktop machines.

Netbook: These are smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost, and are designed
for accessing web-based applications. Starting with the earliest netbook in late 2007, they have
gained significant popularity now. Netbooks deliver the performance needed to enjoy popular
activities like streaming videos or music, emailing, Web surfing or instant messaging. The word
netbook was created as a blend of Internet and notebook.

Tablet Computer: has features of the notebook computer but it can accept input from a stylus or
a pen instead of the keyboard or mouse. It is a portable computer. Tablet computer are the new
kind of PCs.

Handheld Computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA): is a small computer that can be
held on the top of the palm. It is small in size. Instead of the keyboard, PDA uses a pen or a
stylus for input. PDAs do not have a disk drive. They have a limited memory and are less
powerful. PDAs can be connected to the Internet via a wireless connection. Casio and Apple are
some of the manufacturers of PDA. Over the last few years, PDAs have merged into mobile
phones to create smart phones.

Smart Phones are cellular phones: that function both as a phone and as a small PC. They may
use a stylus or a pen, or may have a small keyboard. They can be connected to the Internet
wirelessly. They are used to access the electronic-mail, download music, play games, etc.
Blackberry, Apple, HTC, Nokia and LG are some of the manufacturers of smart phones.

MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
Mainframe computers are multi-user, multi-programming and high performance computers.
They operate at a very high speed, have very large storage capacity and can handle the workload
of many users. Mainframe computers are large and powerful systems generally used in
centralized databases. The user accesses the mainframe computer via a terminal that may be a
dumb terminal, an intelligent terminal or a PC. A dumb terminal cannot store data or do
processing of its own. It has the input and output device only. An intelligent terminal has the
input and output device, can do processing, but, cannot store data of its own. The dumb and the
intelligent terminal use the processing power and the storage facility of the mainframe computer.
Mainframe computers are used in organizations like banks or companies, where many people
require frequent access to the same data. Some examples of mainframes are CDC 6600 and IBM
ES000 series.

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SUPERCOMPUTERS
Supercomputers are the fastest and the most expensive machines. They have high processing
speed compared to other computers. The speed of a supercomputer is generally measured in
FLOPS (Floating point Operations per Second). Some of the faster supercomputers can perform
trillions of calculations per second. Supercomputers are built by interconnecting thousands of
processors that can work in parallel.

Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks, such as, weather forecasting,
climate research (global warming), molecular research, biological research, nuclear research and
aircraft design. They are also used in major universities, military agencies and scientific research
laboratories. Some examples of supercomputers are IBM Roadrunner, IBM Blue gene and Intel
ASCI red.

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BLOCK DIAGRAM OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

Input/output Unit: The user interacts with the computer via the I/O unit. The Input unit accepts
data from the user and the Output unit provides the processed data i.e. the information to the
user. The Input unit converts the data that it accepts from the user, into a form that is
understandable by the computer. Similarly, the Output unit provides the output in a form that is
understandable by the user. The input is provided to the computer using input devices like
keyboard, trackball and mouse. Some of the commonly used output devices are monitor and
printer.

Central Processing Unit CPU: It controls, coordinates and supervises the operations of the
computer. It is responsible for processing of the input data. CPU consists of Arithmetic Logic
Unit (ALU) and Control Unit (CU).

ALU: It performs all the arithmetic and logic operations on the input data.

CU: It controls the overall operations of the computer i.e. it checks the sequence of execution of
instructions, and, controls and coordinates the overall functioning of the units of computer.

Additionally, CPU also has a set of registers for temporary storage of data, instructions,
addresses and intermediate results of calculation.

Memory Unit: It stores the data, instructions, intermediate results and output, temporarily,
during the processing of data. This memory is also called the main memory or primary memory
of the computer. The input data that is to be processed is brought into the main memory before
processing. The instructions required for processing of data and any intermediate results are also
stored in the main memory. The output is stored in memory before being transferred to the output
device. CPU can work with the information stored in the main memory. Another kind of storage
unit is also referred to as the secondary memory of the computer. The data, the programs and the
output are stored permanently in the storage unit of the computer. Magnetic disks, optical disks
and magnetic tapes are examples of secondary memory.

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APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS
Computers have proliferated into various areas of our lives. For a user, computer is a tool that
provides the desired information, whenever needed. You may use computer to get information
about the reservation of tickets (railways, airplanes and cinema halls), books in a library, medical
history of a person, a place in a map, or the dictionary meaning of a word. The information may
be presented to you in the form of text, images, video clips, etc.

Education: Computers are extensively used, as a tool and as an aid, for imparting education.
Educators use computers to prepare notes and presentations of their lectures. Computers are used
to develop computer-based training packages, to provide distance education using the e-learning
software, and to conduct online examinations. Researchers use computers to get easy access to
conference and journal details and to get global access to the research material.

Entertainment: Computers have had a major impact on the entertainment industry. The user can
download and view movies, play games, chat, book tickets for cinema halls, use multimedia for
making movies, incorporate visual and sound effects using computers, etc. The users can also
listen to music, download and share music, create music using computers, etc.

Sports: A computer can be used to watch a game, view the scores, improve the game, play
games (like chess, etc.) and create games. They are also used for the purposes of training players.

Advertising: Computer is a powerful advertising media. Advertisement can be displayed on

different websites, electronic-mails can be sent and reviews of a product by different customers
can be posted. Computers are also used to create an advertisement using the visual and the sound
effects. For the advertisers, computer is a medium via which the advertisements can be viewed
globally. Web advertising has become a significant factor in the marketing plans of almost all
companies. In fact, the business model of Google is mainly dependent on web advertising for
generating revenues.

Medicine: Medical researchers and practitioners use computers to access information about the
advances in medical research or to take opinion of doctors globally. The medical history of
patients is stored in the computers.

Computers are also an integral part of various kinds of sophisticated medical equipments like
ultrasound machine, CAT scan machine, MRI scan machine, etc.

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Computers also provide assistance to the medical surgeons during critical surgery operations like
laparoscopic operations, etc.

Science and Engineering: Scientists and engineers use computers for performing complex
scientific calculations, for designing and making drawings (CAD/CAM applications) and also for
simulating and testing the designs. Computers are used for storing the complex data, performing
complex calculations and for visualizing 3-dimensional objects. Complex scientific applications
like the launch of the rockets, space exploration, etc., are not possible without the computers.

Government: The government uses computers to manage its own operations and also for e-
governance. The websites of the different government departments provide information to the
users. Computers are used for the filing of income tax return, paying taxes, online submission of
water and electricity bills, for the access of land record details, etc. The police department uses
computers to search for criminals using fingerprint matching, etc.

Home: Computers have now become an integral part of home equipment. At home, people use
computers to play games, to maintain the home accounts, for communicating with friends and
relatives via Internet, for paying bills, for education and learning, etc. Microprocessors are
embedded in house hold utilities like, washing machines, TVs, food processors, home theatres,
security devices, etc.

The list of applications of computers is so long that it is not possible to discuss all of them here.
In addition to the applications of the computers discussed above, computers have also
proliferated into areas like banks, investments, stock trading, accounting, ticket reservation,
military operations, meteorological predictions, social networking, business organizations, police
department, video conferencing, telepresence, book publishing, web newspapers, and
information sharing.

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INPUT DEVICES
Input devices accept data and instructions from the user. Following are the examples of various
input devices, which are connected to the computer for this purpose.

1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Optical/magnetic Scanner
4. Microphone for voice as input
5. Track Ball

KEYBOARD
Most common and very popular input device is keyboard. The keyboard helps in inputting the
data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although
there are some additional keys provided for performing some additional functions.

Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now 104 keys or 108 keys keyboard is
also available for Windows and Internet.

The keys are following

Sr. No. Keys Description

These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digits keys (0-9) which generally give
1 Typing Keys
same layout as that of typewriters.

It is used to enter numeric data or cursor movement. Generally, it consists of a set

2 Numeric Keypad of 17 keys that are laid out in the same configuration used by most adding machine
and calculators.

The twelve functions keys are present on the keyboard. These are arranged in a
3 Function Keys row along the top of the keyboard. Each function key has unique meaning and is
used for some specific purpose.

These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four directional arrow
4 Control keys key. Control keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page Down,
Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).

Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock,
5 Special Purpose Keys
Num Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.

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MOUSE
Mouse is most popular Pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device. It is a small
palm size box with a round ball at its base which senses the movement of mouse and sends
corresponding signals to CPU on pressing the buttons.
Generally, it has two buttons called left and right button and scroll bar is present at the mid.
Mouse can be used to control the position of cursor on screen, but it cannot be used to enter text
into the computer.

JOYSTICK
Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move cursor position on a monitor screen. It is
a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower spherical ball moves in
a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.

The function of joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer Aided
Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.

TRACK BALL
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer, instead of a
mouse. This is a ball, which is half inserted and by moving fingers on ball, pointer can be moved.

Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less space than a mouse. A track ball
comes in various shapes like a ball, a button and a square.

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SCANNER
Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used when some
information is available on a paper and it is to be transferred to the hard disc of the computer for
further manipulation.

Scanner captures images from the source which are then converted into the digital form that can
be stored on the disc. These images can be edited before they are printed.

MICROPHONE
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in digital form. The microphone
is used for various applications like adding sound to a multimedia presentation or for mixing
music.

BAR CODE READERS

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in form of light and dark
lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering the books, etc. It may be a
hand-held scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner.

Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value, which is then
fed to the computer to which bar code reader is connected.

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OUTPUT DEVICES
Output devices return processed data that is information, back to the user. Some of the
commonly used output devices are;

MONITOR
Out of all the output devices, monitor is perhaps the most important output device because
people interact with this device most intensively than others. Computer information is displayed,
visually with a video adapter card and monitor. Information processed within the CPU, that
needs to be visually displayed, is sent to video adapter. The video adapter converts information
from the format used, in the same manner as a television displays information sent to it by a
cable service.

Two basic types of monitors are used with microcomputers,

Which are as follows;

1. CRT
2. LCD

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT): CRT or Cathode Ray Tube Monitor is the typical monitor that you
see on a desktop computer. It looks a lot like a television screen, and works the same way. This
type uses a large vacuum tube, called cathode ray tube (CRT).

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD): This type of monitors is also known as flat panel monitor.
Most of these employ liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to render images. These days LCD monitor
are very popular.

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PRINTER
After a document is created on the computer, it can be sent to a printer for a hard copy (printout).
Some printers offer special features such as colored and large page formats. Some of the most
commonly used printers are:

1. Laser Printer
2. Ink Jet Printer
3. Dot Matrix Printer
4. Line Printer

PLOTTER
A plotter is a special kind of output device that, like a printer, produces images on paper, but
does so in a different way. Plotters are designed to produce large drawings or images, such as
construction plans for buildings or blueprints for mechanical objects. A plotter can be connected
to the port normally used by a printer. An array of different colored pens in a clip rack and a
robotic arm is part of plotter. The instructions that a plotter receives from a computer consist of a
color, and beginning and ending coordinates for a line. With that information, the plotter picks up
the appropriate pen through its arm, positions it at the beginning coordinates drops the pen down
to the surface of the paper and draws to the ending coordinates. Plotters draw curves by creating
a sequence of very short straight lines.

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MEMORY
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instructions. Computer memory
is the storage space in computer where data is to be processed and instructions required for
processing are stored.

The memory is divided into large number of small parts. Each part is called cell. Each location or
cell has a unique address, which varies from zero to memory size minus one.

For example, if computer has 64k words, then this memory unit has 64 * 1024=65536 memory
location. The address of these locations varies from 0 to 65535.

Memory is primarily of three types:

Cache Memory

Primary Memory/Main Memory

Secondary Memory

CACHE MEMORY

Cache memory is a very high speed semiconductor memory, which can speed up CPU. It acts as
a buffer between the CPU and main memory.

It is used to hold those parts of data and program which are most frequently used by CPU. The
parts of data and programs are transferred from disk to cache memory by operating system, from
where CPU can access them.

ADVANTAGE

Cache memory is faster than main memory.

It consumes less access time as compared to main memory.
It stores the program that can be executed within a short period of time.
It stores data for temporary use.

DISADVANTAGE:
Cache memory has limited capacity.
It is very expensive.

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PRIMARY MEMORY (MAIN MEMORY)

Primary memory holds only those data and instructions on which computer is currently working.
It has limited capacity and data gets lost when power is switched off.

It is generally made up of semiconductor device. These memories are not as fast as registers. The
data and instructions required to be processed earlier reside in main memory. It is divided into
two subcategories RAM and ROM.

Characteristic of Main Memory

These are semiconductor memories.
It is known as main memory.
Usually volatile memory.
Data is lost in case power is switched off.
It is working memory of the computer.
Faster than secondary memories.
A computer cannot run without primary memory.

SECONDARY MEMORY

This type of memory is also known as external memory or non-volatile. It is slower than main
memory. These are used for storing Data/Information permanently.

CPU directly does not access these memories, instead they are accessed via input-output
routines. Contents of secondary memories are first transferred to main memory and then CPU
can access it. For example, disk, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.

Characteristics of Secondary Memory

These are magnetic and optical memories.
It is known as backup memory.
It is non-volatile memory.
Data is permanently stored even if power is switched off.
It is used for storage of the data in the computer.
Computer may run without secondary memory.
Slower than primary memories.

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RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)

A RAM constitutes the internal memory of the CPU for storing data, program and program
result. It is read/write memory. It is called random access memory (RAM).

Since access time in RAM is independent of the address to the word that is, each storage location
inside the memory is as easy to reach as other location & takes the same amount of time. We can
reach into the memory at random & extremely fast but can also be quite expensive.

RAM is volatile, i.e., data stored in it is lost when we switch off the computer or if there is a
power failure. Hence, a backup uninterruptible power system (UPS) is often used with
computers. RAM is small, both in terms of its physical size and in the amount of data it can hold.
Ram has two types;

STATIC RAM (SRAM)

The word static indicates that the memory retains its contents as long as power remains applied.
However, data is lost when the power gets down due to volatile nature. SRAM chips use a matrix
of 6-transistors and no capacitors. Transistors do not require power to prevent leakage, so SRAM
need not have to be refreshed on a regular basis.

Because of the extra space in the matrix, SRAM uses more chips than DRAM for the same
amount of storage space, thus making the manufacturing costs higher.

Static RAM is used as cache memory needs to be very fast and small.

Characteristics of the Static RAM:

It has long data lifetime

There is no need to refresh
Faster
Used as cache memory
Large size
Expensive
High power consumption

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DYNAMIC RAM (DRAM)

DRAM, unlike SRAM, must be continually refreshed in order for it to maintain the data. This is
done by placing the memory on a refresh circuit that rewrites the data several hundred times per
second. DRAM is used for most system memory because it is cheap and small. All DRAMs are
made up of memory cells. These cells are composed of one capacitor and one transistor.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DYNAMIC RAM:

It has short data lifetime
Need to refresh continuously
Slower as compared to SRAM
Used as RAM
Lesser in size
Less expensive
Less power consumption

ROM (READ ONLY MEMORY)

ROM stands for Read Only Memory. The memory from which we can only read but cannot write
on it. This type of memory is non-volatile. The information is stored permanently in such
memories during manufacture.

A ROM stores such instructions as are required to start computer when electricity is first turned
on, this operation is referred to as bootstrap. ROM chip are not only used in the computer but
also in other electronic items like washing machine and microwave oven.

FOLLOWING ARE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF ROM:

MROM (MASKED ROM)

The very first ROMs were hard-wired devices that contained a pre-programmed set of data or
instructions. These kinds of ROMs are known as masked ROMs. It is inexpensive ROM.

PROM (PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY MEMORY)

PROM is read-only memory that can be modified only once by a user. The user buys a blank
PROM and enters the desired contents using a PROM programmer.

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Inside the PROM chip, there are small fuses, which are burnt open during programming. It can
be programmed only once and is not erasable.

EPROM (ERASABLE AND PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY MEMORY)

The EPROM can be erased by exposing it to ultra-violet light for a duration of up to 40 minutes.
Usually, an EPROM eraser achieves this function. During programming, an electrical charge is
trapped in an insulated gate region. The charge is retained for more than ten years because the
charge has no leakage path. For erasing this charge, ultra-violet light is passed through a quartz
crystal window (lid). This exposure to ultra-violet light dissipates the charge. During normal use
the quartz lid is sealed with a sticker.

EEPROM (ELECTRICALLY ERASABLE AND PROGRAMMABLE READ

ONLY MEMORY)

The EEPROM is programmed and erased electrically. It can be erased and reprogrammed about
ten thousand times. Both erasing and programming take about 4 to 10 ms (milli second). In
EEPROM, any location can be selectively erased and programmed. EEPROMs can be erased one
byte at a time, rather than erasing the entire chip. Hence, the process of re-programming is
flexible but slow.

ADVANTAGES OF ROM
Non-volatile in nature
These cannot be accidentally changed
Cheaper than RAMs
Easy to test
More Reliable than RAMs
These are static and do not require refreshing
Its contents are always known and can be verified

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COMPUTER PORTS

WHAT IS A PORT?
A computer port is a physical docking point using which an external device can be
connected to the computer.

A computer port can also be programmatic docking point through which information
flows from a program to computer or over the internet.

CHARACTERISTICS
External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.

Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.

Examples of external devices attached via ports are mouse, keyboard, monitor,
microphone, speakers, etc.

Following are few important types of ports:

SERIAL PORT
Used for external modems and older computer mouse.
Two versions: 9 pin, 25 pin model.
Data travels at 115 kilobits per second.

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PARALLEL PORT
Used for scanners and printers
Also called printer port.
25 pin model.
Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port.

PS/2 PORT
Used for old computer keyboard and mouse
Also called mouse port.
Most of the old computers provide two PS/2 ports, each for mouse and keyboard.
Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port.

UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (OR USB) PORT

Can connect all kinds of external USB devices such as external hard disk, printer,
scanner, mouse, keyboard, etc.
Introduced in 1997.
Most of the computers provide two USB ports as minimum.
Data travels at 12 megabits per second.
USB compliant devices can get power from a USB port.

VGA PORT
Connects monitor to a computer's video card.
Has 15 holes.
Similar to serial port connector but serial port connector has pins, it has holes.

POWER CONNECTOR

Three-pronged plug
Connects to the computer's power cable that plugs into a power bar or wall socket.

FIREWIRE PORT

Transfer large amounts of data at very fast speed.

Connects camcorders and video equipments to the computer
Data travels at 400 to 800 megabits per second.
Invented by Apple
Three variants: 4-Pin FireWire 400 connector, 6-Pin FireWire 400 connector and 9-Pin
FireWire 800 connector

MODEM
Connects a PC's modem to the telephone network.

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ETHERNET PORT
Connects to a network and high speed Internet.
Connects network cable to a computer.
This port resides on an Ethernet Card.
Data travels at 10 megabits to 1000 megabits per second depending upon the network
bandwidth.
GAME PORT
Connect a PC to a joystick.
Now replaced by USB.

DIGITAL VIDEO INTERFACE, DVI PORT

Connects a Flat panel LCD monitor to the computer's high-end video graphic cards.
Very popular among video card manufacturers.

SOCKETS
Connect microphone, speakers to sound card of the computer

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SOFTWARE
As you are aware, computer cannot do anything on its own. It is the user who instructs computer;
what to do, how to do and when to do. In order to perform any task, you have to give a set of
instructions in a particular sequence to the computer. These sets of instructions are called
Programs. Software refers to a set of programs that makes the hardware perform a particular set
of tasks in particular order. Software can be classified mainly into following categories and sub-
categories are shown in below Figure;

CLASSIFICATION OF SOFTWARE

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
When you switch on the computer the programs stored in ROM are executed which activates
different units of your computer and makes it ready for you to work on it. This set of programs
can be called system software. System softwares are sets of programs, responsible for running
the computer, controlling various operations of computer systems and management of computer
resources. Operating System (OS) falls under this category.

Or
The system software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control and extend the
processing capabilities of the computer itself. System software are generally prepared by
computer manufacturers.

These softwares comprise of programs written in low level languages which interact with the
hardware at a very basic level. System software serves as the interface between hardware and the
end users.

Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter, Assemblers,
etc.

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FEATURES OF SYSTEM SOFTWARE ARE THE FOLLOWING:

Close to system.
Fast in speed.
Difficult to design.
Difficult to understand.
Less interactive.
Smaller in size.
Difficult to manipulate.
Generally written in low-level language.

An operating system: is system software that provides an interface for a user to communicate
with the computer, manages hardware devices (disk drives, keyboard, monitor, etc), manages and
maintains disk file systems and supports application programs. Some popular Operating systems
are UNIX, Windows and Linux. Although operating system provides all the features users need
to use and maintain their systems, inevitably, they still do not meet everyones expectations. This
has led to another type of system software called "Utilities". These are programs that bridge the
gap between the functionality of an OS and the needs of users. Utility programs are a broad
category of software such as compress (zip)/ un-compress (unzip) files software, antivirus
software, split and join files software, etc.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Application software is a set of programs, which are written to perform specific tasks, for
example: An application package for managing library known as library information system is
used to manage information of library such as: keeping book details, account holder details, book
issue details, book return details etc. Another application package for managing student details is
called students information system, manages students roll no, name, parents name, address,
class, section, processing of examination results etc. Application software can be broadly
classified into two types:

EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARES ARE THE FOLLOWING:

Payroll Software
Student Record Software
Inventory Management Software
Income Tax Software
Railways Reservation Software
Microsoft Office Suite Software
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint

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FEATURES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE ARE THE FOLLOWING:

It is close to user.
It is easy to design.
More interactive.
Slow in speed.
Generally written in high-level language.
Easy to understand.
Easy to manipulate and use.
Bigger in size and requires large storage space.

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DATA & INFORMATION

WHAT IS DATA?
Data can be defined as a representation of facts, concepts or instructions in a formalized manner,
which should be suitable for communication, interpretation or processing by human or electronic
machine.

Data is represented with the help of characters like alphabets (A-Z, a-z), digits (0-9) or special
characters(+,-,/,*,<,>,=, etc.).

WHAT IS INFORMATION?
Information is organised or classified data so that it has some meaningful values to the receiver.

Information is the processed data on which decisions and actions are based.

For the decision to be meaningful, the processed data must qualify the following characteristics:

Timely - Information should be available when required.

Accuracy - Information should be accurate.

Completeness - Information should be complete.

DATA PROCESSING CYCLE

Data processing is the re-structuring or re-ordering of data by people or machine to increase their
usefulness & add values for particular purpose.

Data processing consists of basic steps input, processing and output. These three steps constitute
the data processing cycle.

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Input - In this step, the input data are prepared in some convenient form for processing.
The form will depend on the processing machine. For example, when electronic
computers are used, the input data could be recorded on any one of several types of input
mediums, such as magnetic disks, tapes and so on.

Processing - In this step, input data are changed to produce data in a more useful form.
For example, pay-checks may be calculated from the time cards or a summary of sales for
the month may be calculated from the sales orders.

Output -Here, the results of the proceeding processing step are collected. The particular
form of the output data depends on the use of the data. For example, output data may be
pay-checks for employees.

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NETWORKING
WHAT IS A COMPUTER NETWORK?
A computer network is a system in which multiple computers are connected to each other to
share information and resources.

CHARACTERISTICS
Share Resources from one computer to another

Create files and store them in one computer, access those files from the other computer(s)
connected over the network

Connect a printer, scanner or a fax machine to one computer within the network and let
other computers of the network use the machines available over network.

Following is the list of hardwares required to set up a computer network:

Network Cables

Distributors

Router

Internal Network Cards

External Network Cards

NETWORK CABLES
Network cables are used to connect computers. The most commonly used cable are
Category 5 cable RJ-45.

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DISTRIBUTORS
Each and every computer can be connected to another one via a serial port, but if we need
to connect many computers to produce a network, this serial connection will not work.
The solution is to use a central body to which other computers, printers, scanners, etc.,
can be connected and then this body will manage or distribute network traffic.

ROUTER
A router is a type of device, which acts as the central point among computers and other
devices that are part of a network.

A router is equipped with holes called ports.

Computers and other devices are connected to a router using network cables.

Nowadays, router comes in wireless modes using which computers can be connected
without any physical cable.

NETWORK CARD
Network card is a necessary component of a computer without which a computer cannot
be connected over a network.

Also known as network adapter or Network Interface Card (NIC).

Most of branded computers have network card pre-installed.

Network cards are of two types: Internal and External Network Cards

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INTERNAL NETWORK CARDS

Motherboard has a slot for internal network card where it is to be inserted.

Internal network cards are of two types:

First type uses Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) connection.

Second type uses Industry Standard Architecture (ISA).

Network cables are required to provide network access.

EXTERNAL NETWORK CARDS

Comes in two flavors: Wireless and USB based.

Wireless network card needs to be inserted into the motherboard but no network cable is
required to connect to network.

USB cards are easy to use and connect via USB port.

Computer automatically detects USB card and can install the drivers required to support
the USB network card automatically.

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF NETWORKS

Depending upon the geographical area covered by a network, it is classified as:

Local Area Network (LAN)

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

Wide Area Network (WAN)

LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN)

A LAN is a network that is used for communicating among computer devices, usually within an
office building or home.

LANs enable the sharing of resources such as files or hardware devices that may be needed by
multiple users

Is limited in size, typically spanning a few hundred meters, and no more than a mile

Is fast, with speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps

Requires little wiring, typically a single cable connecting to each device

Has lower cost compared to MANs or WANs

LANs can be either wired or wireless. Twisted pair, coax or fibre optic cable can be used in
wired LANs.

Every LAN uses a protocol a set of rules that governs how packets are configured and
transmitted.

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TOPOLOGY
There are three topologies used in LANs.

BUS TOPOLOGY:
All devices are connected to a central cable, called the bus or backbone. Bus networks are
relatively inexpensive and easy to install for small networks. Ethernet systems use a bus
topology.

RING TOPOLOGY:
All devices are connected to one another in the shape of a closed loop, so that each device is
connected directly to two other devices, one on either side of it. Ring topologies are relatively
expensive and difficult to install, but they offer high bandwidth and can span large distances.

STAR TOPOLOGY:
All devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and
manage, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through the hub. These topologies
can also be mixed. For example, a bus-star network consists of a high-bandwidth bus, called the
backbone, which connects a collection of slower-bandwidth star segments.

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METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK (MAN)

A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a large computer network that usually spans a city or a
large campus.

A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks of

buildings to entire cities.

A MAN might be owned and operated by a single organization, but it usually will be used by
many individuals and organizations.

A MAN often acts as a high speed network to allow sharing of regional resources.

A MAN typically covers an area of between 5 and 50 km diameter.

Examples of MAN: Telephone company network that provides a high speed DSL to customers
and cable TV network.

WIDE AREA NETWORK (WAN)

WAN covers a large geographic area such as country, continent or even whole of the world.

A WAN is two or more LANs connected together. The LANs can be many miles apart.

To cover great distances, WANs may transmit data over leased high-speed phone lines or
wireless links such as satellites.

Multiple LANs can be connected together using devices such as bridges, routers, or gateways,
which enable them to share data.

The world's most popular WAN is the Internet.

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INTERNET
Internet is a world-wide/global system of interconnected computer networks.

Internet uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Every computer in internet is identified by a unique IP address.

IP Address is a unique set of numbers (such as 110.22.33.114) which identifies a

computer location.

A special computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is used to give name to the IP Address
so that user can locate a computer by a name.

Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.

INTRANET
Intranet is system in which multiple PCs are networked to be connected to each other.

PCs in intranet are not available to the world outside of the intranet.

Usually each company or organization has their own Intranet network and
members/employees of that company can access the computers in their intranet.

Each computer in Intranet is also identified by a IP Address, which is unique among the
computers in that Intranet.

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SIMILARITIES IN INTERNET & INTRANET

Intranet uses the internet protocols such as TCP/IP and FTP.

Intranet sites are accessible via web browser in similar way as websites in internet. But
only members of Intranet network can access intranet hosted sites.

In Intranet, own instant messengers can be used as similar to yahoo messenger/g talk over
the internet.

DIFFERENCES IN INTERNET & INTRANET

Internet is general to PCs all over the world where Intranet is specific to few PCs.

Internet is wider access and provides a better access to websites to large population
whereas Intranet is restricted.

Internet is not as safe as Intranet as Intranet can be safely privatized as per the need.

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INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT WORD

Microsoft Word: is a full feature word processing program that allows the user to design
documents. The many formats available easily enable the user to produce professional reports,
letters, essays and other documents incorporating the use of tables, charts, and graphics. Word is
part of Microsoft Office, which includes other software applications.

LAUNCHING WORD
There are six Open Access Labs (OAL's) on campus. A user can start Word from any of them.

To start Word from a station in the Open Access Labs:

1. Click the Start button1= at the bottom left corner of the screen.

2. Select the All Programs option.

3. Select the Microsoft Office folder.

4. Click the Microsoft Office Word icon.

WORKING WITH THE WORD USER INTERFACE

Word includes many enhancements to make working with the document easier, and to make the
document more professional looking. The redesigned user interface includes the components
illustrated in Coming Figure. Refer to below Table , for a brief description of each item.

TABLE - WORD USER INTERFACE COMPONENTS

Item Description
Title Bar Contains the title of the document and the application
Office button Grouping of commands to save, open, print, and perform other
commands common to all Office applications
Quick Access Collection of buttons to quickly access regularly used features of
Toolbar the application
Ribbon Contains many features formerly found in menu structures
Tabs Individual collections (groups) of commands within the Ribbon
Insertion A flashing line on the screen that indicates where text will be entered
Point into a document
Scroll Bars Move through the document, up or down, left or right
View Options Word provides several different ways to view a document
Dialog A control for accessing more features contained within a group on the
Launcher Ribbon
Page Indicator Indicates the active page in the document
Magnification Controls the magnification of the document
Control
Word Count Continuous display of the number of words in the document

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In addition to the items described in Table 1, the user interface also contains a set of tabs called
contextual tabs. Contextual tabs only appear above the tabs in the Ribbon when specific objects
such as tables and pictures are selected. These tabs contain groups of commands that are relevant
only to those specific objects. Contextual tabs are colored differently from the normal tabs on the
Ribbon to alert the user that additional commands are available for the object selected.

USING THE OFFICE BUTTON / APPLICATION BUTTON:

Word provides a collection of commands common to all Office applications that are grouped
under the Office Button. Clicking the Office Button (see below Figure) will open a dialog box
displaying the commands available.

USING THE QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR

The Quick Access Toolbar is located above the Ribbon and contains common, frequently used
commands. The commands available from the Quick Access Toolbar are always visible, which
eliminates searching through the Ribbon or tabs.

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CREATING, SAVING, AND CLOSING DOCUMENTS

Whenever the Word application is launched from the Main menu, a new document is opened
automatically. Users can also create a new document while an existing document is open. Once a
document is opened or created, text can be entered at the blinking insertion point, using the
keyboard. The insertion point can be moved by pressing the [Enter] key. When entering text into
a document, it is not necessary to press the [Enter] key at the end of each line because Word will
automatically move the insertion point to the beginning of the next line. The [Enter] key must be
pressed when beginning a new paragraph.

TO CREATE A NEW DOCUMENT WHILE AN EXISTING DOCUMENT

IS OPEN:
1. Click the Office Button then click the new button in the available options. The New
Document dialog box opens.
2. Click the Blank and Recent option in the Templates section of the dialog box.
3. Select the Blank Document option in the Blank and Recent section of the dialog box.
4. Click the Create button A new blank document will open in a Microsoft Word window
independent of the existing document and the dialog box will close.

TO SAVE A NEW DOCUMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME:

1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar. The Save As dialog box opens.
2. Enter a name for the document in the File name: text box

NOTE: By default, documents are saved in the My Documents folder on the main drive of the
computer. If the user wants to save the document in a different folder or drive, click the drop-
down arrow and select a different location.

3. Click the Save button to save the file. The dialog box will close.

USING SAVE AS
To use the Save As option:

1. Click the Office Button to display the commands within the Office Button group.
2. Hover the mouse over the Save As button to display the options available.
3. If compatibility with previous versions of Word is desired, select the Word 91-2013
Document option.
4. The Save As dialog box will open with the Word document file format automatically
selected.
5. If a different format is desired (such as a template or web page format) then click the
drop-down arrow and select the appropriate format.
6. Enter a name for the file in the File name: textbox.
7. Click the Save button to save the document in a different format.

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CLOSING A DOCUMENT/EXITING WORD

If a document has been saved, a user can close the document (and the Word application) by
either clicking the Close button in the upper right corner of the Microsoft Word window or by
clicking the Office Button and then clicking the Close button at the bottom of the list of options.
Clicking the Close button in the right corner of the title bar will close the Word application.

OPENING AN EXISTING DOCUMENT

After creating and saving a document, the file resides on a disk. To view or edit an existing
document, it must first be opened from the disk.

1. To open an existing document:

2. Click the Office Button.
3. Click the Open button in the list of available options.
4. The Open dialog box appears.

EDITING A DOCUMENT
Editing a document can consist of the addition or removal of characters. To edit a document, the
text to be edited must be selected. Text can be selected using the dragging and highlighting
method with the mouse.

SELECTING TEXT
Selecting text will be an important step in cutting, copying, pasting, deleting, and editing within a
document. Table 2 describes different options for how to select text.

TABLE - OPTIONS FOR SELECTING TEXT

Action Descriptions
Selecting a word Double-click the word
Selecting a sentence Hold down the [Ctrl] key on the keyboard then click
anywhere in the sentence to be selected

Selecting a paragraph Move the pointer to the left of the paragraph until it changes to a
right-pointing arrow, and then double-click (a single-click will select
the entire line).

Selecting any amount of text Place the mouse in front of the text to select (it turns into an I-
beam shape) then click and drag the mouse over the text
Selecting the entire document Either move the pointer to the left of any document text until it
changes to a right-pointing arrow, and then triple-click, or simply
press the [Ctrl+A] key combination on the keyboard

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CUT, COPY, AND PASTE

When editing a document, it may be necessary to move or copy text, either within the same
document or between documents. The text that is cut or copied will be placed onto the
Clipboard (a special area in the application from which material that has been cut or copied
can be retrieved).

CUT
The Cut feature removes the selected text from the document.
To cut text:
1. Select the text to cut.
2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Cut button in the Clipboard group. The text is cut from its original
location and stored on the Clipboard.

COPY
The Copy feature is similar to the Cut feature except that the Copy feature does not remove the
text from its original location. It creates a copy of the selected text.

PASTE
The Paste feature inserts the contents of the clipboard at an insertion point or over a selected
area.

To paste the last item cut or copied:

1. Select the location to paste the text.

2. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group.

NOTE: The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands can also be executed by right-clicking the selected
text with the mouse. A shortcut menu will appear containing these commands.

FORMATTING A DOCUMENT
Formatting the characters in a document can enhance the appearance of the document and
provide a more professional appearance to the entire document.

LIVE PREVIEW
In the case of character formatting, Live Preview applies to the Font typeface, Font size, and
Font color. Live Preview allows the user to visualize how a different typeface, size, or color will
appear within the document. Live Preview temporarily displays any changes to a selected object
or selected text in the document without actually changing it.

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THE MINI TOOLBAR

The Mini Toolbar contains frequently used formatting commands and appears in a semi-
transparent mode whenever text is selected for formatting. Moving the mouse over the toolbar
activates it and makes the options available for use. Most of the formatting options on the Mini
Toolbar are discussed in the following sections.

CHARACTER FORMATTING
Character formatting enhances the appearance of text, and includes font typeface, font size, font
style, and font color. Character formatting is applied using the features on the Home tab of the
Ribbon in the Font group

CHANGING FONT TYPEFACE

To change the font typeface for selected text:

1. Select the text to change.

2. Click the Font Typeface drop-down arrow the Font group.
3. A list of available fonts will appear.
4. Select the desired font name to change the font typeface.

CHANGING FONT SIZE

Font size refers to the height of printed text on a page and is measured in units called points.
There are 72 points in one inch. The higher the number entered for the font size, the larger the
text will be. The default font size for new documents in Word is 11 points.

To change the font size for selected text:

1. Select the text to change.

2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Font Size drop-down arrow will appear in the Font group. A list of available
font sizes will appear.
4. . Select the desired font size.

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NOTE: Font sizes are not listed in increments of one point. If a desired font size is not listed in
the Font Size drop-down list, click the number instead of the drop-down arrow, manually enter
the desired font size and press the [Enter] key to apply the new font size.

CHANGING FONT STYLE

Font style refers to font type enhancement. See below Table for examples of the available font
styles.

Font Styles

Button Font Style Example

B Bold Example of Bold text
1 Italic Example of Italicized text
U Underline Example of Underlined text
abc Example of Strikethrough text
XO Subscript Example of Subscripted text
X O
Superscript Example of Superscripted text
Aa Change Case Changes the case of the selected text

CHANGING FONT COLOR

Two aspects of font color can be styled. The background color of the text (also known as the
Text Highlight Color) can be changed from the default color of white and the color of the font
itself can be changed from the default color of black.

To change the Text Highlight Color for selected text:

1. Select the text to change.

2. Click the Text Highlight Color drop-down arrow on the Text Highlight Color button in
the Font group. The available highlight colors will appear
3. Select the desired color.

To change the font color for selected text:

1. Select the text to change.

2. Click the Font Color drop-down arrow on the Font Color button in the Font group.
3. The available font colors will appear.
4. Select the desired color.

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PARAGRAPH FORMATTING
There may be times when it is necessary to make paragraphs in a document stand out from other
text. It is possible to change the line spacing, use indentations, or set tab stops so the text can
appear in fixed locations across the page. Paragraph formatting can be applied by using the
Paragraph dialog box, the Horizontal Ruler, or shortcut buttons and keystrokes, depending on
which type of paragraph formatting will be applied.

PARAGRAPH ALIGNMENT
Paragraph alignment refers to the horizontal alignment of a paragraph. See below Table for
descriptions of the different paragraph alignments that can be applied. Paragraph alignments can
be applied either by using the alignment buttons on the Formatting toolbar or by using the
Paragraph dialog box.

Table: Paragraph Alignment Options

Button Description

Align Left Left alignment aligns text to the left margin and produces a ragged
(uneven) right margin. Align Left is the default

Center alignment centers text to the middle of the page

Center
(between the left and the right margins).
Right alignment aligns text to the right margin and produces a
Align Right
ragged (uneven) left margin.

Justified alignment aligns text to the both left and right margins
Justify
so that neither margin is ragged.

To apply paragraph alignment using the shortcut buttons:

1. Place the cursor within the paragraph to apply paragraph alignment.

2. Click the desired paragraph alignment button in the Font group.

To apply paragraph alignment using the Paragraph dialog box:

1. Place the cursor within the paragraph to apply a new paragraph alignment.
2. Click the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher r' in the Paragraph group. The Paragraph dialog box
opens See figure.
3. Select the Indents and Spacing tab if it is not selected.
4. Click the Alignment: drop-down arrow in the General section
5. Select the desired paragraph alignment option.
6. Click the OK button.

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LINE SPACING
Line spacing refers to the distance between every line in a paragraph. Line spacing can be adjusted in the
Paragraph dialog box, or by selecting the Home tab on the Ribbon and using the Line Spacing drop-down list
button in the Paragraph. Spacing options in the list include 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0.

To apply line spacing using the Paragraph dialog box:

1. Place the insertion point within the paragraph where the line spacing will be applied.
2. Click the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher in the Paragraph group. The Paragraph dialog
box opens (see Figure)
3. Select the Indents and Spacing tab, if it is not selected.
4. Click the Line spacing: drop-down arrow in the Spacing section.
5. Click the desired selection (see Table).
6. If necessary, enter a value in the At: spin box
7. Click the OK button.
Table - Line Spacing Options

Option Description
Single Accommodates the largest font in the line with a small amount of extra
1.5 Lines space
One-and-one-half times that of single line spacing
Double Twice that of single line spacing
At Least Specifies the minimum line spacing to fit the largest font on the line (specify
point size in the At: spin box)
Exactly Specifies fixed line spacing that Word does not adjust (specify point size in the
At: spin box)
Multiple Sets line spacing that is increased or decreased from single line spacing by a
percentage specified in the At: spin box (a value of 1.2 would increase line
spacing by 20% of single spacing)

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To apply line spacing using shortcut keystrokes:

Place the insertion point within the paragraph where the line spacing will be applied.

Press the keystroke combination for the desired line spacing (see below Table).

Table - Keystroke Combinations for Setting the Line Spacing

Keystroke Line Spacing Applied

[Ctrl+1] Single Line Spacing
[Ctrl+2] Double Line Spacing
[Ctrl+5] 1 Line Spacing

INDENTATIONS
An indentation is the space between the text and the left and/or right margins. Indentations can
be applied by using the indentation markers on the Horizontal Ruler. See below Table for
descriptions of different types of indentations available.

INDENTATION TYPES
Indentation Description
Left and Right Indent Indents the entire selected paragraph from the
Left/Right margin
First Line Indent Indents only the first line of the selected paragraph from
the Left margin
Hanging Indent Indents all lines of a paragraph other than the first line
from the left margin

The Horizontal Ruler (see below Figure) should display automatically when Word 2 is launched.
If not, display it by selecting the View tab on the Ribbon and checking the RULER check box in
the Show/Hide group or by clicking the View Ruler button located above the Vertical scroll bar
on the right side of the Word interface.

SETTING TAB STOPS

At times it is necessary to have text appear at fixed locations across the page. Tab stops can be
used to space text in a paragraph. Each paragraph can have a different combination of tab stops.

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Tab stops can be set by using the Tab Stop button on the Horizontal Ruler (see above Figure).
Table in below describes the different types of tab stops available.

To set tab stops using the Horizontal Ruler:

1. Place the insertion point within the paragraph where the tab stops will be set.
2. Click the Tab Stop button at the far left of the Horizontal Ruler until it changes to the
type of tab desired (See Previous Table).
3. Click the Horizontal Ruler where to set a tab stop. A tab stop marker will appear.

CHANGING STYLES
Styles are predefined combinations of character and paragraph formatting. Styles can be used to
identify headings at the beginning of a section of a document, or applied to the text within a
paragraph. By using styles, it is easier to apply different character and formatting attributes
simultaneously instead of having to apply them individually. When creating a new document
approximately 16 different styles are available (see Figure). Whenever a new formatting style
is applied to the text of the document, a new style is created for that document so it can be
used to apply the same formatting attributes to another section later on with a single click.

To apply a heading style:

1. Select the text where the style will be applied.

2. Click the More drop-down arrow in the Styles group.
3. Select the desired heading style. The style will be applied immediately to the selected
text.

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NUMBERS AND BULLETS

When presenting a list of items, it is possible to number or bullet each item to distinguish one
from the other. A bulleted list is used for basic item lists while a numbered list is often used
when the order is important (i.e. instructions). It is also possible to develop multilevel lists where
each line in the list is indented

To create a bulleted list:

1. Select the text where bullets will be applied.

2. Click the Bullets button in the Paragraph group.

To create a numbered list:

1. Select the text to add numbers to.

2. Click the Numbering button in the Paragraph group.

To create a multilevel list:

1. Select the text where bullets will be applied.

2. Click the Multilevel List button in the Paragraph group.

SETTING BREAKS
Documents can also be formatted with the inclusion of breaks. There are four types of breaks:
Page Break, Column Break, Section Break, and Text Wrapping Break.

Page Break is an efficient way to insert text onto a new page without using the [Enter] key
multiple times.

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In a page with multiple columns, a Column Break is used to wrap text from the bottom of one
column to the top of the next.

Text Wrapping Breaks are applicable only to web pages.

Section Breaks allow a page to be broken into sections (parts) that are independent of each
other. Sections breaks can have their own formatting, page layout, columns, headers or footers.

There are four types of Section Breaks that can be used in a document: the Next Page break, the
Continuous break, and the Even or Odd Page break. A Next Page break is similar to a Page
Break in that it ends the current page and begins the new section on the following page. A
Continuous break inserts the new section on the current page and continues the section until a
new section is designated. An Even or Odd Page break inserts a break and begins the new section
on the next even or odd page, depending on the break chosen.

To insert a break into a document:

1. In the document, place the insertion point where the breaks will be located.
2. Select the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the drop-down list (button) in the Page Setup group to display the available breaks
(see Figure).
4. Select the appropriate break.

CHANGING MARGINS
Margins control the space between the top, bottoms, left, and right edges of the paper and the
text. The dark section of the Horizontal Ruler represents the margin, and the white section
represents the width of the work area of the document (see coming Figure).

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To change the margins of a document:

1. Select the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.

2. Click the Margins drop-down list in the Page Setup group to display the margins
options available.

NOTE: If the desired margins are not available, custom margins can be applied by using the
Page Setup dialog box (see below Figure).

To set custom margins

1. Click the Custom Margin option in the Pre-Set Margins list

2. Click the Page Setup Dialog Box Launcher in the Page Setup group. The Page Setup
dialog box opens.
3. Select the Margins tab if it is not already selected.
4. Enter the desired margin widths in the Top: Bottom:, Left:, and Right: spin boxes under
the Margins section.
5. Click the OK button.

VIEWING THE DOCUMENT

Word provides several different ways to view a document. The document can be magnified to
make it easier to read, or the magnification can be reduced to view more of the document, in
order for the user to get a better view.

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SWITCHING DOCUMENT VIEWS

There are five different view styles to choose from. See Table in below for the descriptions of the
different view options. By default, new documents open in Print Layout view. Document views
can be changed by clicking the appropriate button in the Document Views group in the View tab
or the appropriate button on the bottom right of the Word User Interface.

Table Document View Options

View Option Description

Print Layout View the document as it will appear when printed
Full Screen Reading Maximizes the space used in the window
Web Layout View the document as it would look as a Web page
Outline View the document as an outline and show the outlining tools

Draft Allows for quick editing of text; no headers or footers are

visible

MAGNIFYING A DOCUMENT
Magnifying documents makes them easier to read. The magnification level can be set to a
percentage of the actual size, or to view the entire width of the page. Changing the magnification
does not change the document on paper; it only changes how the document appears on the
screen.

To magnify a document:

1. Select the View tab on the Ribbon.

2. Click the Zoom button in the Zoom group. The Zoom dialog box will open (see Figure).
3. Choose the desired magnification level in the Percent: spin-box or one of the preset levels
by clicking an option button
4. Click the OK button

NOTE: The magnification level can also be changed using the Zoom slider control located on
the Status Bar

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PRINTING A DOCUMENT
Printing options in Word are accessed by clicking the Office Button and hovering the mouse over
the Print button to display the options available (see below Figure). Word prints the entire
document using the formatting and margin settings as defined in previous sections. The options
available in the Print menu of the Office Button include Print (which opens the Print dialog box
and allow the user to change printer settings), Quick Print (which sends the entire document to
the printer without opening the Print dialog box), and Print Preview (which allows the user to
view the document in final form before printing).

PREVIEWING A DOCUMENT
Before printing, it is best to preview the document to see how the text appears on each page. The
Print Preview feature displays the pages as they will appear when printed. Using the Print
Preview feature can avoid wasting time and paper by viewing the draft version of the document.

To use Print Preview:

1. Click the Office Button.
2. Hover the mouse over the Print button to display the printing options.
3. Click the Print Preview option.

NOTE: Print Preview opens with one page of the document sized to fit in the window. The
document magnification can be changed by using the Zoom slider control as described in the
Viewing the Document section of this handout.

4. To exit Print Preview, select the Preview Tab on the Ribbon

5. Click the Close Print Preview button in the Preview group.

PRINTING OPTIONS

Printing options found in the Print dialog box (see below Figure) include printing the current
page, selected text, a range of pages, or the entire document.

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Printing the Current Page

When printing a document, it is possible to print only the current page. This option is useful if
there were changes made to only one page after printing the entire document.

To print the current page

Make sure the insertion point is within the page to print.

1. Click the Office Button.

2. Click the Print option. The Print dialog box will open.
3. Click the Current Page option button in the Page range section.
4. Click the OK button.

Printing Specific Pages

If needed, Word can print specific pages within a document. The pages do not have to be
consecutive or in any particular order.

To print a selected page:

1. Click the Office Button.

2. Click the Print option. The Print dialog box will open.
3. Click the Pages: option button in the Page Range section.
4. Type in the page numbers to print, using commas to separate pages, or hyphens to print
adjacent pages. For example, 1-12 (pages 1 through 12 will print), or 14, 19, 24 (only the
individual pages 14, 19, and 24 will print).
5. Click the OK button.

Printing a Selection from the Document

Printing only a selection is useful to save time and paper if only an excerpt of a document is
required.

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To print only the selected text from the document:

1. Highlight the portion of the document to print.

2. Click the Office Button
3. Click the Print option. The Print dialog box will open.
4. Click the Selection option button in the Page Range section.

NOTE: If there is no text in the document selected before opening the Print dialog box, the
Selection option will not be available.
5. Click the OK button

Printing Multiple Copies

There are times when it is necessary to print multiple copies of a document.

To print multiple copies:

1. Click the Office Button.

2. Click the Print option. The Print dialog box will open.
3. Enter the number of copies to print in the Number of copies: box in the Copies section.
4. Click the OK button.

DOCUMENT FORMATTING
To remove formatting:

1. Select the entire document by pressing the [CTRL+A] key combination, or use the mouse
to select the portion of the document to be changed.
2. Press the [CTRL+SHIFT+N] key combination. The formatting will be removed from the
document/selection.

SECTIONS
Documents can be broken into sections. A section is a portion of a document that can include as
little as one paragraph to as much as the entire document. Sections can be formatted differently
from the main body of the document.

Inserting a Section Break

A section break is a mark inserted to show the beginning and the end of a section. A section
break stores the section formatting elements, such as the margins, page orientation, headers and
footers, and sequence of page numbers. In Normal View, a section break appears as a double
dotted line that contains the words "Section Break (Continuous)" and the type of break (see
below Figure).

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There are four types of section breaks. Each one is used differently. See below Table for a
description of each type.

Table - Section Breaks

Break Type Description

Used to insert a section break at the top of the next page. For
Next page example, it is possible to print one page in landscape orientation
and the rest of the document in portrait orientation.
Used to create a new section on the same page as the previous
Continuous section. This type of section break can be used in adding
newspaper style columns to one part of a page.

Even page Inserts a section break at the next even-numbered page (usually a
left page) and may leave an odd-numbered page blank.
Inserts a section break at next odd-numbered page (usually a
Odd page right page). If the section break falls on an odd-numbered page,
Word leaves the intervening even- numbered page blank.

Inserting a section break at a certain point in the document marks the location of the break; this
allows Word to identify where the separate sections belong.

To insert a section break:

1. Position the insertion point where a new section will be created.
2. Select the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
3. Select the drop-down arrow. The Breaks drop-down menu opens (see Figure).
4. Under the Section Breaks section, select the desired type of section break OK button.

FORMATTING A SECTION
Once a section is created, different formatting and layout elements (such as the margins, page
orientation, headers and footers, and/or sequence of page numbers) can be applied to each section
in the document.

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To format a section:

1. Position the insertion point in the section to format.

2. Select the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Page Setup dialog box launcher. The Page Setup dialog box opens (see Figure).
4. Apply layout changes, such as margins and page orientation.
5. Click the Apply to: drop-down arrow under the Preview section.
6. Select the appropriate option OK button.

PAGE NUMBERING
Documents with numbered pages are often easier to reference and read. Page numbering can start
in any section and at any number specified.

To insert page numbers:

1. Position the cursor in the page where the numbering will start.
2. Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon. Click the Page Number drop-down arrow to open the
Page Number drop-down menu (see Figure).
3. Select the positioning option from the drop-down menu.

NOTE: Each position option will open to an extensive menu of options available for that
particular position. These options include the format of the size of the page number and the
orientation in the page (i.e., aligned left, center, or right).

4. To format the page numbers themselves, select the Format Page Numbers... option in the
drop-down menu. The Page Number Format dialog box opens (see Figure).
5. Select the numbering style from the Number format: drop-down list.
6. If necessary, select the Continue from previous section option button in the Page
numbering section to number the pages in continuation from the previous section.
Selecting the Start at: option button allows the user to specify the page number to start
OK button.

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PARAGRAPH FORMATTING
Paragraphs are building blocks of any document. With each stroke of the [Enter] key, a
paragraph mark is inserted. A document, therefore, may consist of many paragraphs with each
paragraph being formatted individually or identically to all the others. The next sections describe
using the Paragraph dialog box.

To open the Paragraph dialog box:

1. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.

2. Click the Paragraph dialog box launcher. The Paragraph dialog box opens.

INDENTATIONS
An indentation is the space between the text and the left and/or right margins.

To apply indentations by using the Paragraph dialog box:

1. Place the insertion point within the paragraph to which indentations will be applied.
2. Open the Paragraph dialog box.
3. Select the Indents and Spacing tab if necessary.
4. Click on the Left: and/or Right: spin boxes in the Indentation section to adjust left and
right indentations.
5. Click the Special: drop down arrow to apply a First line or Hanging indentation.
6. Click the By: spin box to set the size of the Special: indentation.

NOTE: It is possible to indent to both the left and right sides of the paragraph. A sample of the
changes is provided in the Preview window. Clicking the OK button will apply the changes.

CHANGING PARAGRAPH SPACING

Sometimes it is necessary to add a blank line before and/or after a paragraph to make it stand out.
This can be done in one of two ways; either by pressing the [Enter] key twice or by adjusting the
line spacing.

NOTE: Pressing the [Enter] key twice will leave a paragraph mark as described above. If the
document is meant to be accessible to people with disabilities, then the use of paragraph marks to
separate paragraphs should be avoided.

To change the spacing before and/or after a paragraph(s):

1. Position the insertion point within the paragraph, or select the paragraphs to which the
spacing will be applied.
2. Open the Paragraph dialog box.
3. Select the Indents and Spacing tab.

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4. In the Spacing section, click the Before: and/or After: spin boxes to select the amount
of blank space to insert between paragraphs.

NOTE: Spacing is measured in points, with each point equivalent to 1/72 of an inch.

5. Preview changes in the preview box OK button.

INSERTING TAB STOPS

The Tabs dialog box provides additional options for setting tabs.

To set tab stops using the Tabs dialog box:

1. Place the insertion point within the paragraph where the tab stops will be set.
2. Open the Paragraph dialog box and click the Tabs... button. The Tabs dialog box
opens.
3. Enter the number (in inches) in the Tab stop position: text box where the tab stop will
be set.
4. Select how the text will be aligned relative to the tab stop by clicking the
corresponding option button in the Alignment section.
5. If desired, select a leader style for the tab stop in the Leader section.
6. Click the Set button to set the tab stop OK button.

Line and Page Breaks

The user can control how paragraphs are positioned relative to these page breaks, for example,
while preventing page breaks within boxed or shared paragraphs. To control such page breaks,
use the options in the Line and Page Breaks tab of the Paragraph dialog box.

To access the Line and Page Breaks tab:

1. Open the Paragraph dialog box.

2. Select the Line and Page Breaks tab (see Figure).
3. Select the desired check boxes.

NOTE: See Table below to identify each element in the dialog box.

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Table Line and Paragraph Elements

Element Description
Widow/Orphan Word will not let a single line from a paragraph appear by itself. A Widow
control is the final line of a paragraph that jumps to the top of the next page. An
Orphan is the first line of a paragraph appearing at the end of a page with the
remainder of the paragraph appearing on the next one.

Keeps lines Word will not split the paragraph into separate pages. This is useful when
together working with lists.

Keep with Word places the paragraph with the next paragraph. Useful when working
next with captions and lists.

Page break Word places the paragraph on top of the next page. This is useful when
before working with figures, tables, and graphics.

Suppress line Removes line numbers from the selected text if the document displays line
numbers numbers.
Do not Exclude the selected paragraph from automatic hyphenation.
hyphenate

AUTOCORRECT
The AutoCorrect feature allows the user to select or deselect automatic corrections while typing.
It can be helpful when Word corrects typing errors, such as capitalizing the first word after the
period that ends a sentence to configure the AutoCorrect feature:

1. Click the Office Button.

2. Click the WORD OPTION BUTTON. The Word Options dialog box opens.
3. Click the PROFFING button in the left hand column.
4. Click the AUTO CORRECTION BUTTON. The AutoCorrect dialog box
opens.
5. Select the AutoCorrect tab.

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FIND AND REPLACE

The Find feature is used for finding specific text in an open document and, if desired, replacing it
with different text. When Word finds the text, it indicates so by selecting it. The Find and
Replace feature is not limited to finding only text, it can also be used to find special characters or
to find characters with a certain formatting.

To use the Find feature:

1. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.

2. Click the Find button in the Editing group. The Find and Replace dialog box opens
with the Find tab active (see below Figure).

NOTE: There are three tabs on the Find and Replace dialog box. The Replace tab allows the user
to search and identify specific text and replace it with a specific string of characters. The Go To
tab is used to direct Word to a specific location within the document such as a page, paragraph,
or section.

3. Type the word or phrase to search for in the Find what: text box.
4. Click the Find Next button as many times as needed until message window opens
notifying the user that Word has finished searching the document OK button.

NOTE: Selecting the More>> button expands the search criteria available. There are additional
criteria available for searching (see below Table and Figure). To have the specific search word
highlighted every time it is found in the document, click the Reading Highlight drop-down arrow
and select the Highlight All option.

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- Find Tab on Find and Replace Dialog Box

Additional Find and Replace Search Criteria

Table - Find Word Search Options

Search Option Description
Match Case Word only finds text that exactly matches the characters in the Find what: box,
including upper and lowercase

Find whole words characters.

Ignores text that appears as part of another word.
only
Use wildcards Allows the use of an asterisk * or question mark? To search for words that fit
a pattern. For example s?t finds sat,set,or sit. S*t finds shirt, shot,and sport.

Sounds like For words that have multiple correct spellings, like theatre or theater.

Find all word Finds both singular and plural forms of the search text if it is a noun. Finds all
forms possible tenses of the root form if it is a verb. (This option is unavailable if either the
Use Wildcards of Sounds like option is selected.)

Match prefix Finds all words that begin with a specific prefix such as "tri"

Match suffix Finds all words that end with a specific suffix such as "ed"

Ignore punctuation Ignores punctuation such as periods, exclamations, questions, quotations,

characters commas..
Ignore white- space Ignores white-space characters that include paragraph marks, tabs, and
characters spaces

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WORKING WITH TABLES

It is sometimes useful to organize information by using tables in documents. A table is composed
of horizontal rows and vertical columns. The intersection of a row and a column is referred to as
a cell.

To insert a table into a document:

1. Place the insertion point where the table will be inserted.

2. Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Table drop-down arrow in the Tables group. The Tables drop- down menu
opens (see below Figure).
4. Drag the mouse over the cell grid until the desired number of rows and columns are
highlighted. Figure illustrates selection of a table two columns wide and two rows deep.
5. When the rows and columns have been selected, release the mouse to insert the table into
the document

TABLES CONTEXTUAL TABS

Once a table has been inserted into a document and it is selected, two contextual tabs are
available to manipulate the table layout and design. Figure A and Figure B show the groups
available in the two contextual tabs while below Table provide a brief description of the groups.

Figure A Table Design Contextual Tab

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Figure B Table Layout Contextual Tab

Table - Groups in the Table Contextual Tabs

Command Description
Table Style Options provide special formatting for an entire table.
Options

Draw Borders The user can use these commands to draw a table free-hand one
cell at a time.
Table Styles Provides instant formatting options for rows and columns in table

Table Selection options, gridline options, and table properties.

Rows & Columns Insertion and deletion options for a selected table
Merge Options to combine or split selected cells

Cell Size Tools to adjust cell height and width and distribute rows and
columns evenly
Alignment Alignment options for rows, columns, and individual cells
Data Sort options, repeat headers, and formula development in
individual cells

CREATING COMPLEX BULLETED LISTS

To create a bulleted list:

1. Highlight the list of items that will be bulleted.

2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Select the Bullets drop-down arrow in the Paragraph group. The Bullet
Library drop- down menu opens (see below Figure).
4. Select the bullet style from the list of options OK button

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To use a symbol as a bullet:

1. Select the bulleted items to change or where the list will be created.
2. Open the Define New Bullet dialog box as described above.
3. Click the Symbol... button. The Symbol dialog box opens (see below Figure)
4. Select the desired symbol bullet from the given choices OK button.

MULTILEVEL LISTS
To create an outlined number list:

1. Place the insertion point where the outline numbered list will begin or highlight the
affected items.
2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Select the Multilevel List drop-down arrow. The Multilevel List drop- down menu opens
(see below Figure).
4. Select the desired outlining scheme.

NOTE: If none of the predefined bullet or numbering schemes meets the desired requirements,
customize the bulleted or numbered list style. To customize the selected style, continue with step

5. Select the Define New List Style option.

The Define New List Style dialog box opens (See Figure).

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6. Make the desired changes in the Define New List Style dialog box OK button.

USING MAIL MERGE

The Mail Merge function provided by Word enables the user to create letters, faxes, e-mail
messages, envelopes, labels and directories once and use them many times with the data saved
in a mailing list database or an address list in the Microsoft Outlook Contacts List. With this
feature, the user can create and send projects like a direct mail campaign to many people or
organizations. It can also be used to make mailing labels to affix to catalogs or an address listing
of all clients in various databases.

USING THE MAIL MERGE WIZARD

The Mail Merge Wizard provides all the basic steps to create, open and modify both the main
document and the data source. Some of the terms used in the Mail Merge Wizard are described
in Table 1. The Mail Merge task pane provides instructions for each step in the process. In
addition, it is possible to go back to any previous step to review or modify the mail merge.

Table: Terms about Using Mail Merge Wizard

Terms Description
Contains the information common to all merged documents. It can be a
Main document letter, email, envelope, or label into which the data will be merged. It can
conclude text, images, borders, colors, shades, tables and more.
The file from which the merge data is taken. It contains the variable
Source file information that will be inserted into the merge fields in the main
document.

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Merge fields Identifiers inserted in the text that indicate to Word the position and
type of data to be inserted at that point in the document.
Address block Includes name and address information.
Greeting line Adds the opening salutation, along with the name of the recipient selected.

To use the Mail Merge Wizard:

1. Select the Mailings tab on the Ribbon.
2. Click the Start Mail Merge drop down arrow in the Start Mail Merge group.
3. Click the Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard option in the drop-down menu (see Figure X). The Mail
Merge task pane opens (see Figure Y).
4. Select the type of document in the Select document type section.
5. Click the Next Starting Document link to advance to step 2 (see Figure Z).

Figure X Figure Y Figure Z

Start Mail Merge Drop-Down Menu Mail Merge Wizard Step 1 Mail Merge Wizard Step 2

6. Choose the appropriate option in the Select starting document section (see Figure Y).
7. Click the Next: Select recipients link (see Figure AX). The third step of the Mail Merge
process opens (see Figure Z).Word provides three options to select the recipients; two of the
methods are detailed in the following sections of this handout.

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TYPING A NEW LIST

The Type a new list option allows users to create a new list of Mail Merge recipients.

To type a new list:

1. Click the Type a new list option button in the Select Recipients section of the Mail Merge
task pane.
2. Click the Create... link to open the New Address List dialog box (see Figure AX).
3. Enter the information for the person or company.
4. After completing the record, click the New Entry button to add a record.

NOTE: Clicking the Customize Columns... button allows the user to add, delete, rename and
reorder fields (see Figure AY).

5. When finished adding to the new list, click the OK button to close the dialog box. The
Save Address List dialog box opens.
6. Enter a name for the file and click the Save button. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog
box opens (see Figure AZ). The information is displayed in the Mail Merge Recipients dialog
box allows users to sort, rearrange and select or deselect recipients.

NOTE: Users can edit the list by selecting the list in the Data Source section and clicking the
Edit button. The Edit Data Source dialog box will open (it looks and functions exactly the same
as the New Address List dialog box).

7. When finished selecting recipients, click the OK button.

Figure AX Figure AY

Mail Merge Wizard Step 3 New Address List Dialog Box

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Figure AZ

MAIL MERGE RECIPIENTS DIALOG BOX

USING AN EXISTING LIST

Using an existing list allows the users to use an existing file as data source that contains the
information to be merged into a document, for example, a Microsoft Excel worksheet or a
Microsoft Access database.

To use an existing list:

1. Select the Use an existing list option button in the Select recipients section of the task
pane (see Figure AC). Select the BROWSE link on the task pane. The Select Data
Source dialog box opens.
2. Navigate to where the list is stored, select the data list and open the file. The Mail Merge
Recipients dialog box opens (see Figure AZ).

NOTE: If a data source is opened that contains multiple tables (such as a database file), the
Select Table dialog box will open first. After selecting a table, the Mail Merge Recipients dialog
box will open.
3. Select the recipients by checking the check box next to their name. When finished, click
the OK button.

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Figure Figure AC

Mail Merge Task Pane after Recipient List is selected using an Existing List

INSERTING MERGE FIELDS INTO A DOCUMENT

Once the document and the recipients have been selected, the next step involves adding the
placeholders in the document where the data will be inserted for individual recipients.

TO ADD MERGE FIELDS:

1. Click the Next Write Your letter link to

2. Position the insertion point to the desired location of the first merge field in the
document.
3. In the Write your letter section of the task pane (see Figure BJ), click the necessary link
to complete the letter.

Table Merge Fields that can be inserted in the document (Wizard step 4)

Fields Description
Address Displays the Insert Address Block dialog box so that the user can add name,
Block address and city, state and ZIP code at the insertion point.

Greeting Displays the Greeting Line dialog box that allows the user to select the
Line salutation to be used as well as the format for the recipient name.

Electronic Enables the user to work with electronic postage if that feature is installed.
Postage

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More Items Displays the Insert Merge Field dialog box, giving the user the option of
adding additional fields to the main document.
NOTE: Clicking the link for an item will open its corresponding dialog box (see Figure AA,
Figure AB, and Figure AD), from which the desired formats and options can be selected.

Figure BJ

Figure AA

Figure AB

Figure AD

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INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT EXCEL

Microsoft Excel is a software application that can be used a spreadsheet for creation of small
databases, data management, or for chart creation. The electronic spreadsheet portion of Excel
allows the users to perform sophisticated calculations and the creation of formulas that
automatically calculate answers. Data management capability allows the manipulation of lists of
information such as names, addresses, inventory items, prices, etc. The information created in an
Excel spreadsheet or database can be used to create Excel charts.

WORKING WITH THE EXCEL INTERFACE

Excel launches with a new blank workbook with three blank worksheets (see below Figure). The
Title Bar displays the name of the current workbook and the name of application. By default, a
new blank workbook is called "Book l" and the three blank worksheets are named "Sheetl,"
"Sheet2," and "Sheet3." A workbook is a collection of individual worksheets. A worksheet is a
grid composed of 256 columns and 65,536 rows. The intersection of a row and column is called a
cell. Cells are used to store data entries. Each cell is referred to by its cell address consisting of
the column letter and the row number. For example, the address of the cell in the first column
and the first row of a worksheet is "Al." The active cell is the currently selected cell where data
can be enter and edited. The active cell has a thick black border around it, and its address appears
in the Cell Name Box. Only one cell can be active at a time. Excel includes many enhancements
to make working with the workbook and worksheets easier, and to make it more professional
looking. Refer to Table 1 for a brief description of each item.

Table - Excel Interface and Components

Item Description
Title Bar Contains the title of the workbook and the application
Office button Grouping of commands to save, open, print and perform other
commands common to all Office applications
Quick Collection of buttons to quickly access regularly used features of the
Access application
Toolbar
Ribbon Contains many features formerly found in menu structures
Tabs Individual collections (groups) of commands within the

Ribbon
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Scroll Bars Move around a worksheet, up or down, left or right

View Options Excel provides several different ways to view a workbook
Dialog Launcher A control for accessing more features contained within a group on the
Ribbon
Worksheet Tab Indicates the worksheet name and which worksheet is active
Zoom Control Controls the magnification of the slide
Cell Name Box Indicates the active cell or the upper, left cell in a range of cells.

Formula Bar Indicates the data value in a cell, or a formula (if present)
The redesigned user interface includes the components illustrated in below Figure

USING THE OFFICE BUTTON

Excel provides a collection of commands common to all Office applications that are grouped under the
Office Button. The Office Button replaces the File menu that was found in previous versions of Microsoft
Office. Clicking the Office Button will open a dialog box displaying the commands available (see below
Figure).
In addition, Excel can be customized by clicking EXCEL OPTIONS the button at the bottom of the dialog
and selecting or deselecting the options available.

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QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR

The quick access toolbar is a customizable toolbar that contains commands that you may want to
use. You can place the quick access toolbar above or below the ribbon. To change the location
of the quick access toolbar, click on the arrow at the end of the toolbar and click Show Below the
Ribbon.

MINI TOOLBAR

This is a floating toolbar that is displayed when you select text or right-click text. It displays
common formatting tools, such as Bold, Italics, Fonts, Font Size and Font Color

Excel offers a wide range of customizable options that allow you to make Excel work the best for
you. To access these customizable options:

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Click the Office Button

Click Excel Options

POPULAR
These features allow you to personalize your work environment with the mini toolbar, color
schemes, default options for new workbooks, customize sort and fill sequences user name and
allow you to access the Live Preview feature. The Live Preview feature allows you to preview
the results of applying design and formatting changes without actually applying it.

FORMULAS
This feature allows you to modify calculation options, working with formulas, error checking,
and error checking rules.

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PROOFING
This feature allows you personalize how word corrects and formats your text. You can customize
auto correction settings and have word ignore certain words or errors in a document through the
Custom Dictionaries.

SAVE
This feature allows you personalize how your workbook is saved. You can specify how often
you want auto save to run and where you want the workbooks saved.

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ADVANCED
This feature allows you to specify options for editing, copying, pasting, printing, displaying,
formulas, calculations, and other general settings.

INSERT CELLS, ROWS, AND COLUMNS

To insert cells, rows, and columns in Excel:

Place the cursor in the row below where you want the new row, or in the column to the
left of where you want the new column
Click the Insert button on the Cells group of the Home tab
Click the appropriate choice: Cell, Row, or Column

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DELETE CELLS, ROWS AND COLUMNS

To delete cells, rows, and columns:

Place the cursor in the cell, row, or column that you want to delete
Click the Delete button on the Cells group of the Home tab
Click the appropriate choice: Cell, Row, or Column

FIND AND REPLACE

To find data or find and replace data:

Click the Find & Select button on the Editing group of the Home tab
Choose Find or Replace
Complete the Find What text box
Click on Options for more search options

GO TO COMMAND

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The Go To command takes you to a specific cell either by cell reference (the Column Letter and
the Row Number) or cell name.

Click the Find & Select button on the Editing group of the Home tab
Click Go To

SPELL CHECK
To check the spelling:

On the Review tab click the Spelling button

BASIC WORKBOOK SKILLS

Entering Data
There are different ways to enter data in Excel: in an active cell or in the formula bar.
To enter data in an active cell:

Click in the cell where you want the data

Begin typing

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To enter data into the formula bar

Click the cell where you would like the data

Place the cursor in the Formula Bar
Type in the data

CHANGING COLUMN WIDTH

A cell entry can contain up to 32,768 characters. By default, column width is 8.43 characters. If
the user enters a value that does not fit within the column width, the characters "spill over" into
the next column cells (appears to occupy the cell(s) to the right). A number that does not fit
within a column is displayed as a series of pound signs (114141414). To accommodate the length
of data in a cell, change the width of a column.

To change a column width:

1. Position the mouse pointer between column headers. The pointer will change to a two-
direction arrow with a vertical line.
2. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the line to the right or left.

To set the width of the column to fit the widest cell:

1. Move the pointer between the column header of the column to adjust and the column
header immediately on the right.
2. Double-click the left mouse button

CHANGING ROW HEIGHT

Row height is automatically adjusted to accommodate larger font sizes, but users may also adjust
them manually.

To adjust a row height:

1. Position the mouse pointer between row headers. The pointer will change to a two-
direction arrow with a horizontal line.
2. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the line up or down.

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Adding a border to selected cells or cell ranges is a convenient way to distinguish those cells
from others.

To select cell borders:

1. Select the cell or cell range around which to place a border.

2. Click the Borders drop-down arrow in the Font group.
3. Select the desired border.

FORMATTING NUMBERS
Cells can be formatted to change the appearance of a number in a cell. Formatting modifies the
appearance of the worksheet. Using formatting, the user can add features such as dollar signs ($),
percent symbols (%), commas (,), and the fixed number of decimal places that will be displayed.

To format a currency value:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to format.

2. Click the Accounting Number Format button group.

To format a cell in a percent style:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to format.

2. Click the Percent Style button % in the Number group.

To format a cell in a comma style that denotes units of thousands:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to format.

2. Click the Comma Style button U in the Number group.

To increase the number of decimal places in a number:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to format.

2. Click the Increase Decimal button oo in the Number group.

To decrease the number of decimal places in a number:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to format.

2. Click the Decrease Decimal button in the Number group.

USING SIMPLE FORMULAS

Excel allows users to perform sophisticated calculations and create formulas. The advantage of
using formulas is that when data in the worksheet changes, all the formulas are recalculated and
the results displayed automatically. This feature assists in developing budgets, forecasting
models, creating sales plans, estimating marketing projections, calculating invoices, generating

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banking statements, or any other applications that may involve formulas and functions. Formulas
begin with an equal sign (=) because they contain cell addresses. The equal sign prevents Excel
from interpreting the formula as text, since text addresses begin with letters.

+ Addition

- Subtraction

* Multiplication

/ Division

ADDITION

1. Type Add in cell A1

2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
3. Type 1 in cell A2.
4. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
5. Type 1 in cell A3.
6. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
7. Type =A2+A3 in cell A4.
8. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel adds cell A1 to cell A2 and displays the
result in cell A4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

SUBTRACTION

1. Press F5. The Go To dialog box appears.

2. Type B1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell B1
4. Type Subtract.

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5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.

6. Type 6 in cell B2.

7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.

8. Type 3 in cell B3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =B2-B3 in cell B4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel subtracts cell B3 from cell B2 and the
result displays in cell B4. The formula displays on the Formula bar

MULTIPLICATION
1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box appears.
2. Type C1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C1
4. Type Multiply.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 2 in cell C2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell C3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =C2*C3 in cell C4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel multiplies C1 by cell C2 and displays the
result in cell C3. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

DIVISION

1. Press F5.
2. Type D1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell D1.
4. Type Divide.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 6 in cell D2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell D3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =D2/D3 in cell D4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and displays
the result in cell D4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

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When creating formulas, you can reference cells and include numbers. All of the following
formulas are valid:

=A2/B2

=A1+12-B3

=A2*B2+12

=24+53

FORMATTING CELLS IN A WORKSHEET

Formatting can be used to enhance the appearance of a worksheet. A worksheet can be formatted by
changing the appearance of the text, numbers, and cells; either one at a time or simultaneously.
Applying the appropriate formatting conveys a professional image.

FORMATTING WITH SPECIAL EFFECT

Formatting with special effects includes rotating, wrapping, shrinking, merging, and also changing
the indentation of text. Besides special effects, there are predefined and conditional formatting options
for worksheet data.

ROTATING TEXT IN A CELL

Text can be displayed in horizontal or vertical orientation. To change the orientation of text, specify a
display angle. This is often used to draw attention to text. Text can be rotated in one- degree
increments up to a 90 degree angle.

To change the orientation of text in a cell:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to rotate.

2. Select the Format menu Cells... command. The Format Cells dialog box opens.
3. Select the Alignment tab.
4. Under the Orientation section, enter the angle of rotation in the Degrees spin box.
5. Click the OK button

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WRAPPING TEXT IN A CELL

When text exceeds the length of the cell, it may display in the adjacent cell. In this case, Excel can wrap the text
into one cell without adjusting the column width.

To wrap a text in a cell:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to wrap.

2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Alignment dialog box launcher r The Format Cells dialog box opens.
4. Select the Alignment tab.
5. Under the Text Control section, check the Wrap text check box.
6. Click the OK button.

NOTE: The text can be restored to its original format by deselecting the Wrap text check box.

SHRINKING TEXT IN A CELL

Besides wrapping, Excel can decrease the size of the text allowing it to fit into a cell without spilling over to
the next cell.

To shrink text to fit in a cell:

1. Select the cell or range of cells to shrink the text.
2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Alignment dialog box launcher, The Format Cells dialog box opens.
4. Select the Alignment tab.
5. Under the Text Control section, check the Shrink to fit check box.
6. Click the OK button.

NOTE: The text can be restored to its original format by deselecting the Shrink to fit check
box.

MERGE AND CENTER

Sometimes, particularly when you give a title to a section of your worksheet, you will want to
center a piece of text over several columns or rows. The following example shows you how.

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1. Go to cell B2.
2. Type Sample Worksheet.
3. Click the check mark on the Formula bar.
4. Select cells B2 to E2.
5. Choose the Home tab.
6. Click the Merge and Center button in the Alignment group. Excel merges cells B2,
C2, D2, and E2 and then centers the content

USING CELL STYLES

Formatting data using predefined styles provides a consistent look to the worksheet and can be
useful for visually organizing data. Cell styles provide different colors, shadings, and font
effects to the cells where the style is applied.

To apply a Cell Style:

1. Drag to select the range to format.

2. Select the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Cell Styles drop-down arrow (see above Figure).
4. Select the style from the drop down menu (see below Figure).

NOTE: Users can define custom cell styles by selecting New Cell Style the drop-down menu and setting
the style options.

MANAGING WORKSHEETS

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Worksheets in previous versions of Excel contained 65,536 rows and 256 columns, with a single
workbook containing up to 1,024 worksheets. Excel has greatly expanded the amount of
information that can be stored in a workbook. Each workbook is still limited to 1,024
worksheets, but each worksheet is now capable of containing 16,385 columns and 1,048,576
rows. Consequently, navigating within a worksheet and between various worksheets can be quite
difficult. To simplify this process, Excel provides freeze panes, scroll bars, and navigation
buttons.

USING LARGE WORKSHEETS

Occasionally a worksheet is so large that it is difficult to view the column and row headings and
all the data at the same time because the row and column headings scroll out of view. To solve
this problem, Excel allows freezing worksheet titles in panes. Freezing panes prevents the row
and column headings from scrolling out of view while navigating the worksheet.

TO FREEZE PANES:

1. Select the View tab on the Ribbon.

NOTE: If it is desired to freeze both a set of rows and columns then the cell below the row and
to the right of the column to be frozen must be selected first.

2. Click the Freeze Panes drop-down arrow.

3. Select appropriate option from the menu.

TO UNFREEZE PANES:

1. Select the View tab on the Ribbon.

2. Click the Freeze Panes drop-down arrow.
3. Select the Unfreeze Panes option.

NOTE: When a portion of the worksheet is frozen, the frozen pane is indicated by a solid dark
line separating it from the rest of the cells.

CREATING AND MODIFYING CHARTS

Creating charts is one of the most powerful features in Excel. A chart uses values in a worksheet
to create a graphical representation of their relationship. With Excel charts, the user can
summarize, highlight, or reveal trends in the data that might not be obvious when simply looking

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at the numbers. When creating a chart, each column of data on the worksheet will make up a data
series. Each individual value within the row or column is called a data point.

TO CREATE A CHART:

1. Highlight the data that will be charted. The highlighted area will be shaded.
2. Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon
3. Click the chart category drop-down arrow for the appropriate chart sub-type in the Charts
group.
4. Select the chart sub-type from the drop-down menu. The chart will be created and
embedded in the active worksheet.

NOTE: The user may also click the Charts dialog box launcher to open the Insert Chart dialog
box and select the chart type from there.

As an example, below Figure is sample data that was used to create the chart represented in
Figure

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Simple data used to create a chart

IDENTIFYING CHART OBJECTS

Excel charts contain several elements called objects. Refer to below Table for chart object
descriptions.

Table Identification Chart Object

Chart Object Description

Chart Area The entire area within the chart borders including the chart and
all related elements.
Plot Area The area in which Excel plots data.
Category Axis (x-axis) The axis that contains the categories being plotted. It is usually
the horizontal axis.
Value Axis (y-axis) The axis that contains the values being plotted. It is usually the
vertical axis.
Chart Title Text describing the chart that is automatically centered and
placed at the top of the char
Legend Describes the data series being plotted.

Gridlines Lines that extend from an axis across the plot area to help guide
the eye from the data point to its corresponding value.

ADDING A CHART TITLE

By default, charts are not created with titles. The title object must be added after the chart is
created.

To add a title to the chart:

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1. Click anywhere on the chart to activate it.

2. Select the Layout contextual tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Chart Title drop-down arrow in the Labels group.
4. Select the appropriate option from the drop-down menu.
5. Type the chart title into the text box that appears on the chart.
6. To format the chart title, click the More Title Options... option. The Format Chart Title
dialog box opens.

PRINTING COMMENTS
The comments can be printed on a separate page at the end of a printed worksheet or as they
appear on the worksheet. Comments that print on a separate page at the end of the printed
worksheet display the cell address, the author of the comment, and the text that appears in the
comment.

TO PRINT THE COMMENTS IN A WORKSHEET:

1. Select the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
2. Open the Page Setup dialog box by clicking the Page Setup dialog launcher
3. Select the Sheet tab.
4. In the Print section, click the Comments: drop-down list box and select either the At end
if sheet or the As displayed on sheet option.

NOTE: If the As displayed on sheet option is selected, the comment(s) must be set for
permanent display. Otherwise, comments will not be printed.

5. Click the Print button OK button.

WORKING WITH THE DATABASE

Although manipulation of numeric data is Excel's primary purpose, the row-and-column format
lends itself in creating and storing databases. Generally, a good rule of thumb is that if the

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worksheet grows to more than 2000 rows, then the data should be stored in a data warehouse or
relational database such as Microsoft Access.

USING A DATABASE
A database is a collection of information arranged in a way that makes it easy to access. For
example, a telephone book is a static database arranged in alphabetical order. Because it is static,
the information cannot be rearranged. In real-world applications, the capability is needed to
manipulate a database. This capability is known as database management.

Excel has built-in database management capabilities. The user can treat a worksheet, or portions
of a worksheet, as a database. An Excel database can help in entering, editing, locating, sorting
and analyzing information. In Excel, the user can define any continuous collection of data as a
database. The columns contain the field categories and the rows contain the record data.
Additional rows can also be inserted as records are added to the database. A valid database does
not contain any blank columns or rows.

CREATING AND SAVING A DATABASE

Before creating a database the user must consider the specific information to collect (that is, the
fields or categories of information). For example, it is necessary to track a client name, address,
city, state, zip code, telephone number, invoice number, date of invoice, amount of invoice and
the sales representative's commission. One field can be created (or one column used) for each
type of information.

A field occupies a single column of a database and contains a single piece of information in each
record. For example, a "Salary" field might contain salary information for each employee record.
The user can enter text, numbers, formulas, dates, or functions into a field. A computed field
contains formulas or functions. Excel uses the top row of the list (the column label) as the field
name

Proper planning can save hours of additional work at a later date. For example, to sort a database
by last name, it is necessary to create two fields (one for the first name and one for the last name)
It is difficult to enter the first and last names in a single field and then sort by last name

Once the field names for a database have been created, it is time to enter records. Each row of a
database contains one record. A record contains all the information related to one entry. For
example, an employee record could contain the name, address, telephone number, and salary

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information of a single employee. Although each record contains all the fields in the database,
every field is not necessarily required to contain data.

TO CREATE A DATABASE IN EXCEL:

1. Create a new Excel file and input the data as is normally done.
2. Select the cell to enter the first column label.
3. Type in the desired column label.
4. Press the tab key on keyboard to move to the next cell in the row.
5. Enter additional database field labels as needed.
6. When the fields have been labeled, enter records for each field.

MODIFYING A DATABASE
A user can modify a database by adding and/or deleting records and fields. New records can be
added to the end of the database or a new row can be inserted in the database to add a record in a
particular location. The user can also delete records by deleting the row that contains the record.
When a row is deleted, Excel adjusts any database ranges as needed. If the user simply clears the
contents of a record, the blank row will cause problems when sorting and locating records within
the database.

After a database has been created, sometimes there is a need to track additional information. The
user can insert columns into the database to create additional fields as needed. Conversely, the
fields that no longer need to be tracked can be deleted.

Deleting unnecessary fields produces a more efficient database and faster sorts and queries.
Modifying a database by editing the information happens the same way as editing any worksheet.
The user can change the information in any field by editing it on the Formula bar or by typing
over the old information in the cell. The information can also be copied from one cell to another.
A valid database list cannot contain any blank columns or rows.

NOTE: A database can be formatted using of any of the Excel formatting features.

When a row is deleted, all the information in that row is deleted across the entire worksheet.
Before deleting a row, make sure that there is no information in the row that should be retained.

VIEWING RECORDS USING THE DATA FORM

Viewing records in the data form allows easy navigation between records. The data form
displays one record at a time. If a list has hundreds of records, the data form allows quick
scrolling to the desired record. When the scroll box in the scroll bar is dragged, the counter in the
upper right corner of the data form indicates which record will appear when the mouse button
releases. The data form can only be accessed by customizing the Quick Access Toolbar.

To customize the Quick Access Toolbar and view records using data form:

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Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop-down arrow

Select the More Command option.
The Excel Options dialog box opens.
Set the Choose commands form, drop- down list to all commands.
Scroll down the list of available commands and select Form
Click the add button to add the command to the toolbar OK button.
Place the cursor in a field in the first record.
Click the Form button on the Quick Access Toolbar. The record will open in the data
form (see below Figure).

EDITING RECORDS USING THE DATA FORM

The data form can be used to edit records. In the data form, each field appears in its own text
box. The data in the text boxes are edited the same way as in a worksheet.

To edit a record in data form:

1. Open the records in the data form.

2. Display the record to edit.
3. Select the text in the field to edit.
4. Edit the text as desired.
5. Press the [Enter] key.

ADDING RECORDS USING THE DATA FORM

Records can be added to the database by using the data form. New records are appended to the
end of the database. Any existing named ranges in the list do not expand to include the new
records.

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NOTE: Pressing the [Tab] key or the [Shift+Tab] key combination moves to the next and
previous fields, respectively. The insertion point moves to the New button when the [Tab] key is
pressed from the last field in a record.

TO ADD A RECORD USING THE DATA FORM:

1. Open the records in the data form.
2. Click the New button. A new record appears in the dialog box with all blank fields.
3. Type the information in the field(s) of the dialog box.
4. Click the Close button to close data form. Scroll as necessary to verify that the new
record appears correctly at the end of the database.

DELETING RECORDS USING THE DATA FORM

When a user no longer needs a record or it becomes irrelevant, the record can be deleted from the
data form. The record is deleted from the worksheet as well.

TO DELETE A RECORD FROM THE DATA FORM:

1. Open the records in the data form.
2. Display the record to delete.
3. Click the Delete button. A message box asking for confirmation of the deletion appears.
4. Click the OK button.

NOTE: The Delete button in the data form dialog box should be used with caution. Once a
record is deleted from the data form, it cannot be restored.

SORTING DATABASE RECORDS

Users can sort data in a table according to the entries in a particular column. A table is a range of
cells organized with similar sets of data in each column. For example, the user may have a table
containing employee data, with columns for the first name, last name, department, salary, and
age. Users can sort the list alphabetically by employee name or numerically by salary. It is also
possible to group the employees alphabetically by department.

EXCEL USES THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES WHEN SORTING DATA:

1. Rows with duplicate items in the sort column remain in their original order.
2. Rows with blank cells in the sort column are placed last in the sorted list.
3. Hidden rows are not moved.

NOTE: If the user wants to be able to restore a list to its original order, a column must be
included containing sequential numbers to denote the original position of each row before the

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data is sorted. The table can then be sorted by this additional column to restore the list to its
original order.

Lists can be sorted by more than one column by selecting the Data tab on the Ribbon and
clicking the Sort button in the Sort & Filter group. The Sort dialog box opens and allows the user
to specify any number of columns to sort by. Additional columns can be specified by clicking the
add Le el button on the Sort dialog box. An order of precedence is followed in the sort schema.
Users should designate the first column to sort by as the most general and the last column as the
most specific.

POWER POINT

INTRODUCTION
PowerPoint enables anyone to produce, with a little practice, beautifully laid out presentations,
either as on-screen shows, or as OHP slides. The aim of these notes is to introduce you to the
basics of PowerPoint. It will tell you how to create attractive animated presentations that include
animation, images, charts, tables, and links to other software.

STARTING POWERPOINT

To use PowerPoint you first need to start up your computer and log on with your usual username
and password. Click the Start button and select All Programs, then from the sub-menu, select
Microsoft Office, then select Microsoft Office PowerPoint. When PowerPoint loads you will
see the following screen. The area in the centre displays the slide layout. The area on the left
displays the structure of your presentation as it builds. The area below the slide is labeled Click
to

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add notes. You can use this area to write notes, which you can read from as you deliver your
presentation, these notes can be printed out and are not visible whilst you show the slides.

The three buttons on the bottom left of the screen offer you different views of the presentation.

1. The normal view shows all elements of the PowerPoint screen as above.
2. Slide sorter view shows all slides together, allowing you to re-order the slides.
3. Presentation view lets you see each slide as it will appear in the presentation.

BUILDING SLIDES
PowerPoint presentations consist of a series of slides. In building up a presentation you construct
each slide adding titles, list points, and graphics as necessary. You can either start with a blank
slide, or start with a template with ready-made entries for titles, lists and graphics.

With PowerPoint loaded, you can build your first slide. To add a title to your slide click on the
text labeled Click to add title. As soon as you click, the text will disappear and be replaced by a
flashing insertion point. Type in text from the keyboard, using the Backspace and Delete keys to
correct mistakes. When you have entered the title you can click on the next area of the slide to
enter a subtitle in the same way.

To add a new slide to your presentation, from the Slides group on the Home tab, click the top of
the New Slide button to add a general slide. Alternatively, click the bottom of the New Slide
button to reveal a menu of slide designs.
You will see a collection of slide themes, which contain various combinations of titles and
content. Content is represented as a large, rectangular box, with a dotted border, containing a
palette of coloured icons. The dotted box is used to create a bulleted list, and each icon can used
to include a table, picture, or media clip. In creating each slide, you use whichever content
element that you require and ignore the other tools, the icons and dotted line do not appear on the
finished presentation.

TEXT
Text on PowerPoint slides needs to be formatted to be easily visible to all audience members.

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To enter text in a title field, click inside the field and type in your text.
To change the appearance or colour of any text, select the text, then use either the tools in
the Font and Paragraph groups on the Home tab.
To add an additional text area to your document, click the Insert tab, then from the Text
group, click the Text Box button. Drag a box onto the slide using the mouse.
To reposition text on your slide click the border of the text area, then drag it to its new
position. To remove a text area from your slide, click the border of the text area, then
press the Delete key.

BULLETED LISTS
Most presentations use bulleted lists to summarize points that the speaker can elaborate upon. To
use bulleted lists it is best to choose a slide theme that includes a bulleted list area.

When you click inside the bulleted list area you get a single bullet point and a flashing insertion
point. Type in the text for your first point and apply formatting if necessary. To create
subsequent bullet points, simply press the Enter key to start a new line with a new bullet point.

If you wish for any of your text lines to be displayed without a bullet you can click in the line,
then click the bulleted list button to remove the bullet point.

To create multi-level bulleted lists, type in the text lines as usual. Click at the start of any lines
that you wish to appear as a lower level list then press the Tab key from the keyboard. The
selected lines will receive an additional indent and will get a different bullet symbol. Using the
Backspace key produces the opposite effect.
To change the bullet symbols used, first click in one text line of the list level that you wish to
change. Next, click the down arrow to the right of the bulleted list button in the Paragraph
group on the Home tab. Choose a bullet design from the displayed collection.

To choose a different button, click the Bullets and Numbering option, then in the dialog box
that
appears, click the Customize button.

PICTURES

To place a picture in a new slide, choose a slide theme which contains a content area, then click
the Insert picture from file icon. To add a picture to an existing slide, go to the Insert tab and in

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the Illustrations group click Picture. In the dialog box, locate and select your image file, then
click the Insert button.

A small version of the picture will appear in the current slide. You can click and drag any of the
circles located in each corner of the picture, to change the size of the picture, or you can click
anywhere within the picture and drag it to a new position.

To put a clipart image into your document, click the Clip Art button on a new slide, or in the
Illustrations group on the Insert tab for an existing slide. In the pane that appears on the right,
type in a keyword to search through the clipart gallery.

TABLES
To place a table in a new slide, choose a slide theme which contains a content area, then click the
Insert Table icon. To add a table to an existing slide, go to the Insert tab, and from the Tables
group, click the Table button.

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Use your mouse on the grid to select the number of rows and columns that your table will have,
here a 7x4 table is being created. As you select cells in the grid the corresponding table will be
drawn in your document. When you release the mouse button the table will be created.

GRAPHS
To place a graph in a new slide, choose a slide theme which contains a content area, then click
the Insert Chart icon. To add a graph to an existing slide, go to the Insert tab and in the
Illustrations group click the Chart button. In the dialog box that appears, click the style of chart
that you require, then click the OK button.

WEB LINKS
Any text or graphic on any slide can be made to access a web page. During a presentation the
speaker need only click on the link to start up a web browser and display the specific page.
To do this highlight the text or select the graphic, then go to the Insert tab and in the Links
group click the Hyperlink. In the dialog box, type in the web page address in the box labeled
Address then click the OK button. When you run the presentation you can click on the link to
start up your web browser.

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In the dialog box, type in the web page address in the box labelled Address then click the OK
button. When you run the presentation you can click on the link to start up your web browser.

OBJECTS FROM OTHER SOFTWARE

Although you can create objects from within PowerPoint, you can also import existing objects
from other software. So rather than create a chart or a table, you may find it easier to import an
existing chart from Excel, or an existing table from Word, for example.

COPY AND PASTE

The most straightforward way to place existing objects into PowerPoint is to use standard
Windows Copy and Paste.

To copy a Word table, for example, you would start Word and open the file that contains the
table. You would select the table then, within Word, click the Copy button.

Next you would return to PowerPoint, open the slide where you wished to place the table, then
within PowerPoint, click the Paste button. The Word table would then be copied into
PowerPoint.

Naturally this procedure works for objects that can be selected in any Windows software.

PASTING LINKS
The disadvantage of the above method is that objects pasted into your presentation remain fixed.
If the underlying file changes then your presentation is out of date.
An alternative method is to paste a link into your presentation. This links your presentation to
the file that contains the data, and if that data file changes then your presentation will be updated
automatically.

To paste such a link, copy the object from the original file as above, then return to your
PowerPoint slide. Then go to the Clipboard group on the Home tab as usual, but instead of just

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clicking the Paste button, click the down arrow below, then from the menu that appears, select
Paste Special

In the dialog select the Paste link option, and select the appropriate object. Click OK and the
object will be pasted into your slide. If the underlying object changes at any point in the future,
your slide will be updated accordingly.

RE-ORDERING YOUR SLIDES

To change the order of your slides, or insert a new slide into the middle of a presentation, it is
worth switching to slide sorter view. Go to the View tab and in thePresentation Views group,
click the Slide Sorter button, or click the Slide Sorter View button at the bottom of the screen to
see the following layout:

From here you can delete any slide by clicking it then pressing the Delete key. You can re-order
slides by dragging any slide to a new position, and you can add a new slide anywhere by clicking
between two existing slides and clicking the New Slide button, from the Slides group on the
Home tab.

MODIFYING THE THEME

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Once you have applied a theme, you can modify it using tools in the Design tab. In the Themes
group there are three buttons that let you change the Colours, Fonts and Effects used in the
chosen theme. Click any button to reveal a menu of options. In the Background group is a
Background Styles button, which lets you modify the style of the background used in the theme.

TRANSITIONS BETWEEN SLIDES

As you move from slide to slide during the presentation, you can have PowerPoint display an
animated effect. To choose an effect, go to the Animations tab.

In the Transition to This Slide group, click the bottom button in the column of three to the right
of the palette. Click any transition to see the effect played out on your presentation slides in the
background. When you have chosen an effect it will work when you move to this current slide.
You can have the effect work on every slide in your presentation by clicking the Apply to All
button.

ANIMATED BULLET POINTS

To increase suspense in your presentation, and to keep your audience focused on the current
issue you can introduce points on a slide one at a time. To do this go to the Animations tab, and
in the
Animations group, click Custom Animation button. A pane will appear on the right of your

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screen.

Your slide may have a title, some text and a graphics object, select any object that you wish to be
animated, then click the Add Effect button.

In the menu structure, choose an animation effect for the entrance of each component of your
slide.

In the right-hand pane, you can then specify the speed and direction of the animation. Using the
list at the bottom of the pane you can reorder the animation to ensure that the slide components
appear in the correct order.
THE PRESENTATION
To deliver your presentation to an audience from the computer, start PowerPoint and load your
presentation file. Click the Slide Show tab, click the From Beginning button in the Start Slide
Show group.

Use the left mouse button, Enter key, Page Down key to advance through the slides, use the
Backspace, Page Up keys to retreat through the slides. To jump to a specific slide, right-click
the presentation, select Go to Slide then from the submenu select the required slide.

If you wish to emphasise a point you can use the Pointer Options entry from this menu to
change the cursor into a pencil and you can underline or circle any part of a slide, without
changing the underlying file.

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CREATING A SHOW
When your presentation is complete you can save it as a show. When it is opened it starts directly
in a slide show, independent of the PowerPoint environment.

To save your presentation as a show, click the Office button, then from the menu position the
mouse cursor over Save As. In the submenu that appears select the PowerPoint Show option.
Provide a name, then click the Save button.

PRINTING SLIDES
PowerPoint allows you to print out several useful versions of your presentation. Click the Office
button, then from the menu select Print to get the following dialog box:

By default, you will print out the slides, one per sheet, suitable for producing OHP slides.
However, in the Print what section, expanded above, you can select audience handouts, in
which case the Handouts section of the dialog box will become active and you can specify
whether to print 2,3,4,6 or 9 slides per sheet.

Three slides per sheet is particularly useful as it gives the audience an area in which to add their
own notes. If you have included speakers notes in your presentation you can print these out also.

When you have made your selections, click the OK button to print your presentation.

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MICROSOFT OUTLOOK
Microsoft Outlook is a comprehensive desktop information management program built to meet
multiple communication needs. Users can use Outlook as a central inbox for all internal and
external e-mail messaging systems. Users can also use it to manage their contacts, organize their
calendar, schedule appointments, and maintain a journal of their activities. Additionally, Outlook
integrates a number of features to help users manage their files, folders, and system resources.
The purpose of this handout is to provide step-by-step instructions on how to set up and use
Outlook.

STARTING OUTLOOK
To start Outlook, click the Outlook icon on the desktop or:

1. Select the Start menu, All Programs, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Outlook. The
Enter Network Password dialog box will open (see below Figure).
2. In the User Name: text box type user name
3. Enter the user password in the Password: text box OK button.

USING THE OUTLOOK INTERFACE

Microsoft Outlook , like other Windows programs, opens within a window and includes
the Title Bar with control buttons (Minimize, Maximize/Restore, and Close). A Menu Bar
appears at the top of the window containing short and full menus. When first selecting a
menu, only a short menu of commands appears. Clicking the drop-down arrows '4 at
the bottom of each short menu displays the full menu; waiting a few seconds will
provide the same result automatically. When a command is chosen on the full menu, it
will appear on the short menu the next time it is displayed. The Standard toolbar appears
under the Menu Bar and the Status Bar appears at the bottom of the window. By using
the Navigation Pane buttons, users can quickly access the Outlook components and
folders and control which folder is displayed in the View Pane. The area immediately
right of the Navigation Pane is the View Pane; it displays items in the selected folder,
application, or shortcut. For example, when the Inbox folder is selected, the View Pane
displays the date and time of receipt for messages within the Inbox folder. Users may
change the way information appears by sorting, grouping, and filtering items. To the
right, the Reading Pane allows users to view e-mail without opening them in a separate
window. On the right side of the Reading Pane is the To-Do-Bar that summarizes
appointments and tasks in one location.

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Table - Outlook Menu and Toolbars

Item Description
Menu Bar Contains all of the tools and commands for use with Internet
Explorer.
Standard Toolbar Contains shortcuts for standard actions and tools in Internet
Explorer.
Navigation Pane Contains shortcuts to folders and locations and to a
hierarchical list of folders.
View Pane Displays the content of the selected folder.
Reading Pane Displays the content of the selected e-mail message.
Title Bar Displays the application name and the selected function.
To-Do-Bar Displays the Date Navigator, Appointments, and Task List all in
one location.

USING THE NAVIGATION PANE

The Navigation Pane provides the tools to access the main folders in Outlook. The Navigation
Pane is made up of two sections. The bottom section displays large and small buttons used to
navigate Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, Folder List, and Shortcuts. In addition, the
Configure buttons button can be used to display a menu for customizing the Navigation Pane.
The top section of the Navigation Pane displays shortcuts to corresponding folders, views, and
links to shared folders. The content of this section changes depending on the selected pane. For
example, in the Mail pane, the top pane displays Favorite Folders and All Mail Items, while in
the Contacts pane it displays the My Contacts and Current View panes.
NOTE: To hide or display the Navigation Pane, select the View menu, Navigation Pane, off.

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Table Navigation Pane Buttons

THE STANDARD TOOLBAR

Depending on the e-mail editor, other toolbars may be available when users are creating a
message. Figure 8 shows the Standard toolbar for the Mail option.

TO DISPLAY OR HIDE TOOLBARS:

1. Select the View menu Toolbars (all available toolbars are listed in a submenu).
2. Click the toolbar to display or hide.

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USING OUTLOOK E-MAIL FEATURES

Outlook can serve as a universal inbox for all e-mails. Besides composing, sending, receiving,
reading, and responding to messages, users can also use several advanced features such as
attaching files (e.g., documents, spreadsheets, pictures, etc.), forwarding messages, and using
auto-reply.

CHECKING E-MAIL MESSAGES

Check for new e-mail messages using either of the following methods:

1. Click the Send/Receive button - on the Advanced toolbar.

2. Press the key combination [Ctrl + M].

Message indicators identify the status of a message in the Inbox. Some of the different message
indicators are listed below in below Table.

Table - Message Indicators

COMPOSING E-MAIL MESSAGES

Messages are composed and sent using a Message Form.

A Message Form can be opened with one of the following methods

1. Click the New button. The Message Form opens.

2. Enter the e-mail address (es) using the To... button and Cc... button (if necessary) to
quickly access e-mail address(es) in your Contacts list. Users can also type the name or
address of a recipient directly.

3. Type a title or subject for the message in the Subject text box.
4. Enter the message text in the main body of the Message Form
5. Click the Send button

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USING THE CARBON COPY (CC) AND BLIND CARBON COPY (BCC) FEATURES

The Cc... feature enables users to send a carbon copy of a message to another recipient. The
email address (es) entered in the Bcc... text box will not be displayed to any recipients to whom
the message is sent. Multiple recipients in the To..., Cc..., or Bcc... text boxes must be separated
with a semicolon[;].

TO ADD BLIND CARBON COPY (BCC...) RECIPIENTS TO A MESSAGE:

1. Click the New button 1-.11r'le,' to compose a new e-mail message.

2. Select the Options tab on the Ribbon.
3. Select the Show Bcc command in the Fields group. A new text box named Bcc..., is
added to the message.
4. Enter the address or addresses in the Bcc... text box.

E-MAIL MESSAGE FORMAT

When composing a message, there are three ways the message can be formatted: HTML, Rich
Text, and Plain Text. HTML will allow enhancement of e-mail messages with anything that can
be placed into a Word document such as bulleted lists, background images, and borders. It is the
default format used by Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook.

Most of the e-mail clients will be able to read this format. Rich Text is a format proprietary to
Exchange so its use is not recommended because of compatibility issues. Plain Text format is the
simplest and is guaranteed to be read by any e-mail client. To switch to Plain Text when
composing an e-mail, click the appropriate button in the Format group of the Options tab on the
Ribbon.

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INSERTING ATTACHMENTS TO E-MAIL

Files created in other applications (e.g., Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets,
PowerPoint presentations, or image files) can be sent along with e-mail messages. A file that is
attached to a message is delivered with the message and can be opened by the recipient(s). Files
sent with the messages are known as file attachments.

To attach a file to a message:

1. Compose a new message.

3. Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
4. Click the Attach File button in the Include group. The Insert File dialog box opens.
5. Navigate to the drive and directory where the file is stored and select it.
6. Click the I Insert H button to attach the file to the message. Users can choose to attach the
file as text only by selecting the option from the Insert drop-down arrow.

NOTE: Outlook disables many of the features that allow viruses to spread quickly. It blocks
access to attachments that contain ".exe" (executable files), as well as some other file types.
Users cannot open these files from Outlook or save them to the local system. If users try to
forward a message containing an ".exe" file, Outlook will not include the attachment in the
forwarded message.

REPLYING TO AN E-MAIL MESSAGE

Users can reply to an e-mail message from the Inbox folder by selecting the message and
clicking the REPLY button to respond to the sender, or by clicking the REPLY to All button to
respond to all message recipients, including the sender.

When the user replies to a message, Outlook opens a Message Form. This form will
automatically insert RE: in front of the original message subject in the SUBJECT text box. The
original message will be displayed in the Message Body text box with the insertion point above
it. The original message and the response will be separated by a line with the response on top.
When the response has been composed, clicking the Send button will transmit the response.
Once the user replies to a message, a colored, left-pointing arrow appears attached to the
envelope symbol next to the message

NOTE: The reply will be sent to the person who sent the latest message to the user. If the user
selected the

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Reply to All option, the response will be sent to the originator, plus anyone who was I isted i n
the Cc... or Bcc... text boxes.

FORWARDING AN E-MAIL MESSAGE

Users can forward messages to other recipients directly from the Inbox view or another folder if
the message is not stored in the Inbox folder. Outlook opens a Message Form that includes all the
information from the original message. Users can also add their own comments that will appear
at the top of the message. The only difference between forwarding and replying to a message is
that the user may have to click the Address Book button in the Names group on the Message tab
of the Ribbon.

SAVING A MESSAGE
Users can save unsent/unfinished messages in the Drafts folder by clicking the Save button E on
the Quick Access Toolbar. If the user clicks the send button without being connected to an e-
mail service, Outlook will save the message in the Outbox folder. Outlook will automatically
send the message(s) when a connection to an e-mail service is established.

ORGANIZING MESSAGES
The ability to organize messages is an important feature available in Outlook. Users who
experience a high volume of e-mail message traffic will find these features particularly useful to
sort and move large numbers of messages. Features such as importance, flagging, color coding,
and rules are useful to maintain a system of organized messages.

SORTING MESSAGES
Messages can be sorted by clicking the column header that is desired as the sort criterion. The
sort order can be switched between ascending and descending by clicking the column header
again.

TO SORT MESSAGES:
1. Select the Inbox folder.
2. Click the View menu Arrange By. A list of sorting views appears. Select a view.

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ADDING NEW FOLDERS TO THE FOLDER LIST

Creating a new folder in the Folder List is another way to organize Outlook items.

To add new folders to the Folder List:

1. Click the NEW drop-down arrow on the Standard toolbar. A drop-down menu appears.
2. Select the FOLDER.... option. The Create New Folder dialog box opens.
3. Enter the name of the new folder in the Name: text box.
4. Select the category of items the new folder will contain in the Folder contains: drop-
down list.
5.
button.

MESSAGE IMPORTANCE
Message importance is a useful feature for classifying e-mails according to priority. Importance
labels draw the attention of the e-mail receiver in the View Pane. Messages can also be sorted by
importance level by clicking the importance column heading Every message is prioritized
Normal by default.

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To set message importance:

1. Right-click over the selected message and select Options. The Message Options dialog
box opens .
2. In the Message settings section, click the Importance: drop-down arrow and choose from
the three levels of importance: High, Normal, and Low.
3. Click the Close button to close the dialog box. Outlook will ask if the user wants to save

FLAGGING MESSAGES
While Importance gives information to the recipient about the urgency of the e-mail, Flagging is
a more elaborate way to classify e-mails into categories for the attention of both the sender and
the receiver. It also serves as a means to instruct people pertinent to the message on how to
follow up on the message.

A message can be flagged by right-clicking the message, selecting the Follow Up option, and
then selecting from the menu. The same options can also be accessed by opening the message
and then clicking the Follow Up button in the Options group on the Message tab of the Ribbon.

Once a message has been flagged for follow up, a follow up header will appear at the top of the
message when it is opened or it appears in the Reading Pane for an example, When or if follow
up is no longer required for a message, the user can go to the Follow Up menu and select the
CLEAR FLAG option to remove the flag.

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NOTE: The message CLEAR FLAG option will not appear in the menu unless a flag has
already been set on the message.

COLOR-CODING MESSAGES
If the user wants to further organize the messages, Outlook has the capability to automatically
apply colors of choice to messages based on criteria.

TO COLOR-CODE THE MESSAGES:

1.
View Pane.
2. Click the Using Colors button.
3. Apply the desired coloring by clicking the corresponding drop-down arrows. For
example, color-code the messages from "jelly" with the color "Purple".
4. Click the Apply Color button. All e-mails from "jelly" will now be highlighted in purple.

Figure Using Color Features

USING FOLDERS AND USING VIEWS

Besides Using Colors, users can also organize the Inbox by Using Folders and Using Views. The
Using Folders option allows a user to move a message directly into a specific folder. For
example, the user could move the current message to the "trainme" folder. If necessary,
additional folders can be created by clicking the New Folder... button.

Figure Using Folder Features

With Using Views, the user can change the way messages are viewed, or organize them based on
specific criteria, such as "By Sender" or "By Conversation Topic".

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Clicking the Customize Current View... button will open the Customize View: Message Timeline
dialog box where specific criteria can be chosen.

CREATING AN AUTOSIGNATURE
Users can automatically add a signature to each newly created message. The signature can
include formatted text, graphics, e-mail addresses, and hyperlinks in the signature lines.

TO CREATE AN AUTOSIGNATURE:
1. Select the Tools menu Options.... The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select the Mail Format tab.
3. Click the Signatures... button. The Signature and Stationary dialog box opens.
5. Click the New button. The New Signature dialog box opens.

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6. Enter the name of the signature OK button.

7. In the Edit signature section of the Signatures and Stationary dialog box, enter the
signature as it should appear in the e-mails OK button OK button.

SETTING OR CHANGING THE DEFAULT SIGNATURE

Once a signature has been created, it can be modified.

TO SET OR CHANGE THE DEFAULT SIGNATURE:

1. Select the Tools Menu > Options... > Mail Format tab > Signatures... button.
2. Select the signature in the Select signature to edit
3. Select the signature to use/edit.
4. Make the changes in the Edit Signature section > OK button > OK button.

USING THE ADDRESS BOOK

The Outlook Address Book is a resource for storing contact information. It also provides a view
into the Contacts folder. The Outlook Address Book provides contact information for an
individual or organization. The Contacts folder is more detailed in nature and provides details
besides notification information.

The Address Book is used to look up and select names, e-mail addresses, and distribution lists
when addressing messages. When typing a name in the To, Cc, or Bcc text boxes of an e-mail
message, Outlook automatically checks to see if the typed name matches a name in the Address
Book before a message is sent. If Outlook finds an exact match, the name appears underlined. If
more than one match is found, the names appear with a red, wavy underline. Users may then
right-click on the name to display detailed information for each of the matches. Users can also
use the Check Names button in the Names group on the Message tab of the Ribbon to manually
check the names in an untitled Message Form.

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Click the Contacts button on the Navigation Pane to view the Contacts.

To use the Address Book when composing a message:

1. Click the NEWA new Message Form opens

2. Click the Address Book button in the Names group on the Message tab of the Ribbon.
The Select Names dialog box opens.
3. Select which address book to use in the Address Book drop-down list.
4. Type the last name of the user who will receive the message in the Go text box.
5. If the name exists in the address book, it will automatically be highlighted.
6. Click the type of addressee button for the recipient (To, Cc, or Bcc) > OK button.

CREATING A NEW CONTACT ENTRY

The Contact form is used to create a new contact entry. It can be accessed by opening the New
drop-down menu and selecting CONTACT

The Contact dialog box includes a variety of fields that can store information about a contact.
After adding the appropriate information, click the Save & Close button to add or update the
contact information.

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CREATING A DISTRIBUTION LIST

A distribution list is a collection of names and addresses. Users can use a distribution list to quickly
address a message to a group of recipients.

TO CREATE A DISTRIBUTION LIST:

1. Select 'Distribution Lift from the New drop-down menu. The Distribution List form opens.
2. Enter a name for the distribution list in the Name: text box.
3. Click the Select Members button in the Members group of the Distribution List tab on the
Ribbon. The Select Members dialog box appears.
4. Select the address book to use in the Address Book drop-down menu.
5. Search for a member by typing their last name in the Search: text box.
6. When the name is found, click the members button to add them to the list queue.
7. When all members have been placed in the queue, click the OK button to add them to the list and
close the Select Members dialog box.
8. Click the Save & Close button in the Actions group on the Distribution List tab of the Ribbon to
create and close the Distribution List form.

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Quizzes;

Q. Define Computer and its characteristics.

Q. Computer is widely used in our day to day life; elaborate its usage and importance.
Q. Explain in detail the Block Diagram of the computer.
Q. Elaborate computers history and its generation.
Q. Computer is made up of different devices, explain input, output devices.
Q. How many types of memory does computer use? Explain in your own words.
Q. Briefly describe RAM and ROM.
Q. Differentiate between hardware and software and its types in detail.
Q. Define and explain Network and its types.

Assignments:
Topic1.
Explain 1st and 3rd generation of computer.
Topic2.
Explain 2nd and 4th Generation of computer.
Topic3.
Explain block diagram of computer with sketch.
Topic4.
Define and explain Input devices of computer.
Topic5.
A detail note on Ms Office and overview of Ms Word, Ms Excel and PowerPoint, with some
examples of Key board shortcuts and formulas.

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