Microsoft® Word 97 Quick Reference
This section of Microsoft Word 97 Quick Reference gets you started with some fundamental tasks that you will use frequently in Word. You can use the procedures and ideas that you learn here in many of your Word operations.
In this section you are reminded of how to start Word, create a new file, and open existing files. You can also reference common word processing tasks such as indenting, navigating in the document, selecting information, and moving and copying text. Special features help you create documents and enter information more quickly, such as the Letter Wizard, templates, AutoComplete, AutoCorrect, and AutoText. You also learn how to use the powerful Undo and Redo commands.
In addition, you'll discover how to quickly obtain help while using Word. For example, you learn how to use the new Office Assistant to provide detailed assistance as you complete a task.
As you type, Word will automatically offer suggestions to complete the rest of a word or phrase you are typing after you have typed the first three or more letters of a common word or phrase. This can greatly increase your speed when using common words or phrases such as the current date, the day of the week, any month, your name or company name, or AutoText entries.
With AutoCorrect you can type a word or abbreviation and Word will replace it with the text or graphics you specified in the AutoCorrect dialog box. This feature makes legal, medical, or other specialized typing more productive. Type an abbreviation, and AutoCorrect will convert it to the correct word or phrase.
A large, built-in list of corrections and abbreviations makes common spelling or typing errors transparent. When you type a word incorrectly, if it is in the list, it will automatically be corrected. By default, the AutoCorrect feature already includes many commonly misspelled words; you can, however, add your own problem words to the AutoCorrect list. You can also add an AutoCorrect entry while in the Spelling dialog box. Accidental usage of the Caps Lock key is also corrected. (See also "Spelling: Checking.")
NOTE: Word AutoCorrects an entry as you type one of the Replace words followed by a space, punctuation mark, or pressing the Enter key. If you want to prevent all automatic corrections, choose Tools, AutoCorrect and clear the Replace Text as You Type check box.
The AutoText feature is like word processing shorthand. It saves you time by storing frequently used text and graphics (with or without formatting) for you to use repeatedly. If you have text or graphics that you use over and over, creating an AutoText entry may save you hours of time. Not only do you have the entry to use repeatedly, you will be certain repetitive information is typed correctly and consistently. If you have already typed information you would like to use for an AutoText entry, you can make any formatting changes or corrections to the text before selecting the text for the AutoText entry. You can also type and format new text. (See also "AutoText: Inserting" and "AutoText: Editing.")
TIP: You can turn on the AutoText toolbar if you have a number of entries to add at one time. Choose View, Toolbars, and click the AutoText option. Use the New button to create new entries quickly.
Word 97 contains more than 40 predefined AutoText entries. You can use these entries as they are or redefine them. For example, the Sincerely, entry, as defined, will insert Sincerely,. You can make this entry more useful by redefining it to insert Sincerely, four blank lines, your name and title, and any other standard text you normally include in the closing for a letter.
The AutoText feature enables you to be more productive and consistent in creating Word documents. For example, if you have a long company name that you type repeatedly, you can abbreviate it as an AutoText entry and insert it with a few keystrokes. Microsoft provides more than 40 AutoText entries for you to use as is, or modify to include your specific information. Once you have created or modified an AutoText entry it is easy to use in your documents.
NOTE: If your AutoText entry name is longer than three characters and you have the Show AutoComplete Tip for AutoText and Dates option turned on, you will see a ScreenTip for the AutoText entry. You then can press Enter instead of pressing F3 to insert the entry. (See also "AutoComplete: Entering Duplicate Data.")
(See also "AutoText: Creating.")
You can use the Clipboard to easily copy and paste data between Windows applications. The Clipboard is a temporary storage area for cut or copied items. When you cut or copy text or objects in one of the programs, Windows places that item on the Clipboard. You can then paste that item to the same document, a different document, or a different program. You can continue to paste the same item over and over again until you cut or copy another item.
NOTE: If you want to delete the original text and paste it somewhere else, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+X or the Cut button on the Standard toolbar in the previous Step 1. Remember if you "cut" or delete the original text, it removes it from the original location. Copy leaves the original text intact and allows you to paste it in a new location. You can also use the right mouse button to access the shortcut menu with the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands.
(See also "Linking and Embedding: Existing Data" in the "Special Features" part of this book.)
In Word, you can copy information within one document, between documents, or even between Word and another application. (See also "Copying: Information Between Applications.")
(See also "Copying Formats Using Format Painter" in the "Formatting" section of this book and "Selecting: Using the Keyboard" and "Selecting: Using the Mouse" in this section.)
The Document Map is a very functional way to move quickly through long or online documents. It will also keep track of your current location. When you use the Document Map, a vertical pane is displayed to the left of your document window.
TIP: If you prefer to use the keyboard, press F6 to move to the Document Map pane. Your arrow keys and the Enter key will move you to the desired location in the document.
If you need to go to another location in the document, and you know the name for that location, using the Go To command is the quickest way to get there. You can choose to go to a specific page, section, line, bookmark, comment, footnote, endnote, field, table, graphic, equation, object, or heading. (See also "Bookmarks: Creating," "Comments: Adding," "Endnotes: Inserting," "Footnotes: Inserting," and "Sections: Inserting Breaks" in the "Large Documents" part of this book.)
TIP: If you prefer a one-finger shortcut or are accustomed to using the Go To command in Excel, F5 is also a shortcut for Go To.
NOTE: If you need to go back to one of the last three locations where an action occurred in the document, press Shift+F5. Each time you press Shift+F5 the insertion point returns to the last action, up to three actions. Pressing Shift+F5 a fourth time returns the insertion point to the location it was when first pressed.
Pressing Shift+F5 after you have opened a document returns the insertion point to the last place a revision occurred before you saved and closed the document.
(See also "Navigating: In a Document.")
Dialog boxes include a question mark in the title bar (next to the Close button), which enables you to obtain Help information on the options and buttons displayed in the dialog box.
Word provides an extensive online Help system to get you up to speed on word processing tasks. At any point you can access Help to provide assistance, display definitions of common features, and access tips you can use to perform a task more quickly. The Help Contents and Index feature enables you to find detailed Help information on a specific topic.
NOTE: Use the Contents tab as you would use the table of contents in the front of a book, and the Index tab as you would the index in the back of a book.
TIP: Use the Index tab in the Help Topics dialog box if you want to look up specific words that are listed in an index format. Click the Index tab and begin typing the word you are searching for. Then, click the desired index entry in the list box and click Display.
You can print most of Word's online Help information for easy reference when you are working with Word. (See "Help: Help Contents and Index," "Help: Searching for Topics," or "Help: The Office Assistant" before you complete this task.)
When you're not sure where to find a Help screen on a certain topic, you can use the Find tab to search for Help using specific keywords, and then choose from a list of selections.
NOTE: The first time you use Find, Word builds a word list of Microsoft Word terms. This may take a few minutes.
The Office Assistant, a new feature included with Word and other Microsoft Office applications, provides tips, Help information, and interprets what Help you might need based on your current actions. The Office Assistant is an on-screen, interactive program that can be customized to provide help as you work in Word.
If you are experienced in Word and find the Office Assistant to be somewhat bothersome, you can temporarily close the Office Assistant to remove it from the screen. You also can customize options that specify when the Office Assistant should appear.
You may decide that you want to hide the Office Assistant and display it only when you need it. To hide the Office Assistant, click the Close button on the Office Assistant. Click the Office Assistant button in the Standard toolbar to redisplay the Office Assistant.
To customize how the Office Assistant works, right-click the Office Assistant and choose Options. Select the options you want to use; then click OK.
TIP: When a light bulb appears in the Office Assistant, click it to display a tip related to what you are doing. If the Office Assistant is not visible, click the Office Assistant button in the Standard toolbar, then click the light bulb to display the tip.
TIP: To change the look of your assistant, right-click the Office Assistant and select Choose Assistant. In the Gallery tab, use the Next and Back buttons to scroll through the different assistants. Insert your Office 97 CD and when you see the assistant you want to use, click OK.
The Tip of the Day feature provides an easy way to familiarize yourself with some of Word's capabilities. When this feature is enabled, a tip on using Word appears each time you start Word. To see additional tips while you are using Word, you can access the Office Assistant and click the Tips option. (See also "Help: The Office Assistant.")
TIP: If you see a light bulb displayed next to the Office Assistant, click it to see a helpful TIP: on your current actions.
Word provides ScreenTips to help you remember the names and functions of the toolbar buttons. ScreenTips are the small pop-up labels that appear next to a toolbar button when you move the mouse pointer onto the button and pause.
TIP: To turn Screentips on or off, choose View, Toolbars, Customize; then click the Options tab, and select (or clear) the Show Screentips on Toolbars check box. Click Close.
A document's margins are determined by selections made in the File Page Setup dialog box. While margins apply to the entire document or sections within the document, paragraph indents apply to one or more paragraphs. If you want to draw the reader's attention to a specific area in your document, indent both the left and right sides of the paragraph to call attention to the paragraph.
You may like the modified block style for letters or documents. To have the first line of every paragraph indented (looks like you pressed Tab at the beginning of each paragraph), you can use the Format, Paragraph command.
You may want to indent the entire paragraph from the left margin. You can use the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons on the formatting toolbar to quickly apply indents. The formatting toolbar buttons rely on existing tab settings to determine the position of indents. If you have not changed Word's default tabs, they are still set every 0.5" across the line.
A hanging indent is useful for bulleted or numbered lists, glossary items, and bibliography entries. The first line of the paragraph doesn't move, while the remaining lines of the paragraph move to the right at the indent location.
(See also "Bullets: Adding" and "Paragraph Numbering: Creating Numbered Lists" in the "Formatting" section of the book.)
If you are a touch typist, you might appreciate being able to create indents using keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts rely on existing tab settings to determine the position of indents. If you have not changed Word's default tabs, they are still set every 0.5" across the line.
Shortcut Indentation Type Ctrl+M Moves the left indent to the next tab stop Ctrl+Shift+M Moves the left indent to the preceding tab stop (but not beyond the left margin) Ctrl+T Creates a hanging indent Ctrl+Shift+T Moves the body of the paragraph back to the preceding tab stop
NOTE: Just as you can use shortcuts to indent a paragraph, you can use a shortcut to remove indents. Select a paragraph and press Ctrl+Q to remove the indents.
The Letter Wizard takes you step-by-step through creating a letter. You can select the elements you want to include in the letter and choose the overall design for the letter.
In Word, you can move (cut) information within one document, between documents, or even between Word and another application. (See also "Dragging: Data Between Programs" in the "Special Features" part of this book.)
TIP: To quickly move text or graphics to another location in the same document, select the information you want to move. Move the mouse pointer onto the selected area and drag the selection to the desired location. This feature is called drag and drop.
To enter information in a document, select text or graphics, and view areas of the document, you must first move the insertion point (cursor) to the position you want to manipulate. The insertion point in the document is indicated by a vertical flashing bar. In Word, you can move the insertion point with both the mouse and keyboard.
| Key | Action |
| [arrowdown] or [arrowup] | Moves down or up one row |
| -> or <- | Moves right or left one character |
| Ctrl+-> or <- | Moves right or left one word |
| Ctrl+[arrowdown] or [arrowup] | Moves down or up one paragraph |
| Key | Action |
| Home | Moves to the beginning of the current line |
| End | Moves to the end of the current line |
| Ctrl+Home | Moves to the beginning of the document |
| Ctrl+End | Moves to the end of the document |
TIP: Page Down or Page Up moves the document down or up one screen at a time, leaving the insertion point in the same location on the screen. Before you begin editing, make sure you notice where the insertion point is located.
(See also "Go To: Using.")
The Microsoft IntelliMouse pointing device includes a small wheel between the left and right mouse buttons. The wheel rolls forward and backward and depresses. The IntelliMouse makes navigating in Word 97 easier.
NOTE: The wheel button on the IntelliMouse will function only if you install IntelliPoint 2.0 (or later) software and you are using applications that take advantage of the IntelliMouse.
(See "Zoom: With the Microsoft IntelliMouse" in the "Customizing" part of this book.)
To start working on a document, you must first start a new file (document). When you start the Word program it opens with a blank document window, ready for you to begin typing. There will probably be times when you need to start a new document while you are in the program.
(See also "Opening: Files" and "Saving: Files.")
NOTE: If you use the File, New command, a New dialog box will appear giving you choices for the type of file you would like to create, click OK to create a blank document. (See also "Templates: Creating New Documents.")
When you have saved a document, you give it a name and a location to be saved in. When opening existing documents you need to know the location where you saved the document to be able to find it again.
(See "Saving: Files" in this section and "Files: Searching for Files," "Opening: Documents from Within Explorer," and "Opening: Files Saved in Other File Formats" in the "File Management" part of this book.)
NOTE: You can use the Open dialog box to search for files. (See also "Files: Searching for Files" in the "File Management" part of this book.)
(See "Saving: Files" in this section and "Opening: Documents from Within Explorer" and "Opening: Files Saved in Other File Formats" in the "File Management" part of this book.)
TIP: You can also open a file from the list of the recently used files that appears at the bottom of the File menu. Choose File, then select one of the files listed on the bottom of the menu. To change the number of files displayed on the File menu, choose Tools, Options, the General tab, then change the number of entries for the Recently Used File list option.
While you are creating a document, it is important to be able to save your information to use later or for reference. There are many options when saving a file. (See also "Documents: Adding Summary Information," "Saving: Automatically Saving Documents," and "Saving: Documents as Different File Formats" in the "File Management" part of this book.)
NOTE: If you are comfortable typing path names, you can save a file to another drive or folder by typing the path name and file name in the File Name text box.
(See also "Files: Changing the Default Folder" in the "File Management" part of this book.)
In many instances you will need to select information; change the character or paragraph format, copy or move information, or delete information. As with most Windows applications, Word works on the "select, then do" principle. If you are a touch typist, you don't have to move your fingers off the keyboard to select text.
| Key | Action |
| Shift+[arrowdown] or [arrowup] | Select one line at a time |
| Shift+-> or <- | Select one character at a time |
| Shift+Ctrl+-> or <- | Select one word at a time |
| Shift+Ctrl+[arrowdown] or [arrowup] | Select one paragraph at a time |
| Key | Action |
| Shift+Home | Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the current line |
| Shift+End | Select from the insertion point to the end of the current line |
| Shift+Ctrl+Home | Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the document |
| Shift+Ctrl+End | Select from the insertion point to the end of the document |
| Ctrl+A | Select the entire document, regardless of where the insertion point is |
TIP: If you want to select a large range that is not entirely visible on-screen, you can combine the F8 (Extend Selection) key with the Ctrl+G (Go To) command. Press F8, press Ctrl+G, select the item you want to move to, press Enter, press Esc to close the Find and Replace dialog box, and press Esc again to turn off the Extend Selection mode.
(See "Navigating: In a Document.")
Selecting text with the mouse is easy and convenient. You can select any amount of text, from a single character to an entire document. If you have good control when using the mouse and don't know the navigation keyboard shortcuts, it may be easier for you to select text using the mouse instead of the keyboard.
| To Select | Mouse Action |
| A word | Double-click the word |
| A sentence | Press Ctrl and click anywhere in the sentence |
| A line | Click the selection bar (blank margin to left of text) |
| Multiple lines | Click the selection bar and drag up or down |
| A paragraph | Double-click the selection bar |
| A document | Triple-click the selection bar |
| Rectangular | (not Click the top left of the column to be block or column selected, then hold Alt while you within a table) drag to select the text (See also "Navigating: In a Document.") |
With Word's dictionary, you can check the spelling of one word, a selected section of the document, or the entire document. Microsoft Office applications all use the same spelling checker and dictionaries.
You also can check against a custom dictionary that contains abbreviations or words specific to your clients or industry.
| Option | Description |
| Ignore | Ignore this word and continue. |
| Ignore All | Ignore this word throughout the document. |
| Add | Add this word to the current dictionary. |
| AutoCorrect | Add this misspelling and the correction to the list of AutoCorrect entries. |
| Undo | Undo the most recent spell check correction. |
| Cancel | Stop the spell check. |
| Check Grammar | Clear this check box if you do not want to check grammar. |
NOTE: If no misspelled words are found, the Spelling and Grammar dialog box never appears. Instead, a message box appears and tells you that the spelling and grammar check is complete.
To start the Word program, you first must start Windows 95. If you have not yet installed Word, follow the installation instructions provided with the program.
(See also "Startup: Setting Options" in the "Customizing" part of this book.)
When you are working with a group of people, you may find the need to use styles, AutoText entries, macros, custom toolbars, or keyboard shortcuts that someone else has defined. If someone else has created a template with any or all of these items, you can attach his template to your document(s).
NOTE: If styles in the template and document have the same name, Word updates the document styles to match the template styles.
(See also "Templates: Creating Document Templates.")
You may have created a document that contains most of the text, formatting, and settings you want to use repeatedly. Rather than opening and editing this document and saving it with a new name, it is more productive to create a template based on the existing document.
(See "Templates: Creating New Documents.")
When you get ready to type a standard business document, use the File, New command to see the templates that come with Word 97. You may find the type of document you need to create has already been created for you in the form of a template.
Templates are files that contain the parts of a document and features used for a specific type of document. Templates can contain text, pictures, graphs, formatting, styles, macros, AutoText, buttons on the toolbar, field codes, custom menu commands, and shortcut keys.
TIP: The New dialog box will only be displayed if you use the File, New menu command. Using the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+N, and selecting the New tool on the standard toolbar will open a new document based on the normal template.
You may find that the templates that come installed with Word are very close to what you would like to use; however, you may need to modify the template to fit your business formats more closely. For example, you may want to add your company name and address, AutoText entries, and styles to an existing template.
Word provides a built-in safety net, the Undo command, that enables you to reverse your most recent actions and return your document to its previous state. You must use Undo immediately after the action to undo only that action. You can undo a number of actions in consecutive order until a command that cannot be reversed is executed. It is a good idea to undo an action as soon as you realize you made a mistake. If you execute a command that cannot be reversed, you will not be able to undo any earlier actions.
If you want to repeat the last command, use the Redo command. The Undo command changes to show you the last command it can undo. You can use the Undo or Redo commands multiple times to step back through your most recent actions, or to redo the last set of actions that have been undone. Not all commands can be undone or repeated; for example, you cannot undo a save operation.
NOTE: The command name in the Edit menu changes to Can't Undo if you cannot undo the most recent action.
TIP: If you want to undo or repeat multiple actions (not just the most recent action), click the arrow beside either the Undo or Redo button on the Standard toolbar. A drop-down list of the previous actions that can be undone or redone appears. Select the actions you want to undo or redo.
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