What are word processors? How does Microsoft Word help?

Most of us beginners start using the computer for simple typing – and that is how we also learn rudimentary two finger typing. This typing can be towards a letter, small notings by way of reminders, a small poem or story, a research thesis or even a whole book. The work being done is known as a document. Now to help us in this work, there are several software programs available known as word processors.  While the start of this was the electric typewriter, WordStar, Word Perfect, Microsoft Word are some of the popular softwares developed that help us when we are working in basic text.

Microsoft Word, MS Word, or simply Word (as also all other word processors) have several basic functions. When you open it, it starts you of with a blank page on which you can type. Every time you type something you can retain (or save it) by giving it a file name and going back to it again after any length of time. This a softcopy and that which has been typed can be retrieved and edited or changed without having to retype it from the beginning, text can be added to it, bits can be deleted or inserted, parts or the whole can be copied and pasted in the same file/ document or used in another. Paragraphs or sentences or phrases can be moved, spellings and grammar can be checked. Corrections and changes can tracked, hidden or made without a trace, as desired.  The document can be made more elegant – using bold, italics, increasing the size (or font) of any bit, giving special headings. Tables, graphs or images can be added and captions given. And by attaching a printer, the file or document can be printed on paper to get a hardcopy.

To help you do this many simple commands are available – Save, Open, Cut, Copy, Paste, Find, Replace, Bold, Italics, Redo, Undo, Headings, Numbering, Styles, Revisions, Track Changes, Spelling And Grammar, Thesaurus, Subscripts and Superscripts, Headers, Footers and Endnotes, Indexes, Cross References, Tables and Captions  to name only a few.

The more you use it, the more features you can learn as you go along.