must retrieve the file into the computer’s memory. The
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software displays the document on the screen. You then
make entries by moving the cursor to the places in the
document where you want to make changes. Two
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modes of operation are used—typeover and insert. As
the words imply, if you are in typeover mode, you will
replace what is presently there. If you are in insert
mode, the material to the right of the cursor will move to
the right as you enter new material. These, along with
other features, are shown in figure 3-2. Take a few
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minutes to study the figure.
The basic features you will use are as follows:
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Cursor movement keys— Move the cursor up,
down, right, left, to top/bottom of document, to
next/previous page/screen; search to find a
character string or function code in the
document.
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Insert mode— To add letters/characters, words,
sentences, and so on.
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Figure 3-2.—Examples of basic features found in word
processing packages.
Delete key— To take out unwanted characters,
words, sentences, and so on.
Backspace key— To erase words to the left of
the cursor one character at a time. (NOTE: In
some packages this key may be defined
differently.
For example, it may backspace
without deleting.)
Typeover mode— To replace text by typing over
it.
Wordwrap— As you enter text, words
automatically move to the next line when the
right margin is reached. You do not have to press
the return key at the end of each line as you do on
a typewriter.
Cut and paste function— Allows you to move
material from one place in a document to
another.
Function keys— To underline, center, tab,
indent; put text in bold; use subscripts/
superscripts. You can put text in columns; add
headers, footers, footnotes, page numbers, date,
and so on.
Special Features
Many word processing programs include
dictionaries and a thesaurus. These enable you to
check for correct spelling and to look for synonyms.
Some of the dictionary routines even provide a list of
correctly spelled words you might have meant. In this
case, you can correct a mispelled (or is it misspelled)
word by selecting the correctly spelled word from the
list on the display screen. The same is true of the
thesaurus, the software lists synonyms on the screen.
You select the one you want, and it replaces the original
word with the selected synonym.
Some word processing programs have automatic
paragraph numbering and outlining features. Once
you have created the outline or document, you can
delete or add entries, and the software will
automatically renumber/reletter the outline or
paragraphs in the document.
Some word processing programs have indexing
capabilities. You can tell the software which
words/terms are to be included in an index. The
software will then automatically create the index in
alphabetical order, with the appropriate page numbers.
3-8
