Harris Web Page
Study Notes - Word

Insertion Point: (also called a cursor) Blinking vertical line which indicates the location the next character will appear. 

Word Wrap: The automatic movement of the cursor and word to the next line when the word would otherwise not fit on the line. 

Hard Return: When the user presses the enter key. Used only at the end of a paragraph or to insert a blank line. 

Soft Return: Computer inserted return when word wrap occurs. 

Save vs. Save As: Save will update the current file with recent changes. Save will automatically (without asking you) overwrite the original file and replace it with the current version in RAM. Save As will ask you to give the file a new name. If you save a document for the first time, Word will automatically take you to the Save As dialog box so that you can give it a new name. 

Font or Type Style: Style of type for the letters in your document. 

Type Size: Fonts are measured in points. 72 points equal one inch. If you wanted to use letters that were about an inch tall, you would specify a type size of 72 points. Use 36 point type for letters approximately a half inch tall. Typewriter size type would be approximately 12 point type. Word defaults to 10 point type - a little smaller than 12 point. 

Cursor Movement keys:

Insert vs. Overtype Mode: Toggle between insert and overtype modes by pressing the Insert (or Ins) key on your keyboard. The default mode is Insert Mode. Overtype mode is called Typeover mode in some other word processing programs. When you are in the insert mode, when you type letters, all of the letters to the right are shifted forward in your document - it inserts the letters as you type. When you are in overtype mode, the letters you type will type over the existing letters in your document - erasing each letter as you type. 

Delete key vs. Backspace key: The delete key erases characters to the right of the insertion point. The backspace key erases characters to the left of the insertion point. They both do the same thing - just in a different direction! 

Selecting Text: