Word processor (OpenOffice Writer): window, tabs, formatting, tables, documents

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. A school notice, a project report or a job application all start in a word processor. But there is much more to it than typing. Today we will learn OpenOffice Writer: its window, tab stops, formatting, tables and managing documents.

Let us start with the basics. A word processor is software used to create, edit, format and print text documents. Popular examples are OpenOffice Writer, LibreOffice Writer and Microsoft Word. OpenOffice Writer is free and open source, which means anyone can download it and its code is public. Its default file format is .odt, which stands for OpenDocument Text.

Let us look at the Writer window from top to bottom. The title bar shows the name of the open document. The menu bar holds menus like File, Edit, View, Insert, Format and Table. The standard toolbar has buttons for common tasks like New, Save and Print. The formatting toolbar changes the font, makes text bold and sets alignment. The ruler shows margins and tab stops. The status bar at the bottom shows the page number and word count.

A few more parts complete the window. The work area is the white page where you type. The cursor, also called the insertion point, is the blinking line that shows where the next letter will appear. The sidebar on the right gives quick access to properties, styles and the gallery. The scroll bars move the page up, down and sideways.

In a word processor, tabs means tab stops, not browser tabs. A tab stop is a fixed position on the ruler where the cursor jumps when you press the Tab key. A left tab makes text start at the stop. A right tab makes text end at the stop, which is useful for page numbers. A centre tab places text centred on the stop. A decimal tab lines up numbers on their decimal point, like prices in a bill.

There are two ways to set tab stops. Click the small button at the left end of the ruler until it shows the tab type you want. Then click on the ruler at the position where you want the stop. For exact positions, open the Format menu, choose Paragraph, and go to the Tabs tab. To remove a stop, simply drag it off the ruler.

Formatting means changing how text looks, without changing the words. Character formatting changes selected letters or words. Bold makes text dark and thick, with Ctrl+B. Italic slants the text, with Ctrl+I. Underline draws a line below, with Ctrl+U. Superscript raises text, as in a squared number, with Ctrl+Shift+P, and subscript lowers it, as in a chemical formula, with Ctrl+Shift+B. Font name, size and colour are on the formatting toolbar.

Paragraph formatting changes a whole paragraph. Alignment can be left, centre, right or justified, where both edges are straight. Line spacing sets the gap between lines, and you can add space before or after a paragraph. An indent moves a paragraph in from the margin. Page formatting, under Format then Page, sets margins, paper size and orientation, which is portrait or landscape.

Lists and styles save a lot of time. Bullets and numbering turn lines into neat lists. A style is a saved set of formatting with a name, like Heading 1. If you change a style once, every paragraph using it changes too. The Clone Formatting brush copies the look of one piece of text onto another.

Tables arrange information in rows and columns, like a school timetable. To insert one, open the Table menu and choose Insert Table, or press Ctrl+F12. Enter the number of columns and rows, then click Insert. Each box, where a row meets a column, is called a cell. Press Tab to move to the next cell, and Tab in the last cell adds a new row.

Once the table is ready, the Table menu edits it. Insert adds new rows or columns. Delete removes rows, columns or the whole table. Merge Cells joins selected cells into one, useful for a title row. Split Cells divides one cell into several. Table Properties sets borders, background shading and column widths.

Let us try a quick question. A canteen bill lists prices like five point five zero, one hundred twenty point seven five and forty five point zero zero. You want all the decimal points in a straight line. Which tab stop should you use? A decimal tab, because it lines up numbers on the dot.

Document management means creating, saving, opening and closing files. Here are the shortcuts. Ctrl+N creates a new document. Ctrl+O opens a saved one. Ctrl+S saves your work, and you should save often. Save As, with Ctrl+Shift+S, saves a copy with a new name or format. Ctrl+P prints, and Ctrl+W closes the document.

A few more document tasks are useful. You can save as .odt, or as .doc for people who use Microsoft Word. A .docx file opens in Writer, but Writer cannot save in that format. File, Export as PDF makes a copy that looks the same on every device. Writer can save recovery information every few minutes, so a power cut does not wipe out your work. Before sharing, press F7 to check spellings.

Let us revise what we learned today. OpenOffice Writer is a free word processor that saves files as .odt. Its window has a title bar, menu bar, toolbars, ruler and status bar. Tab stops can be left, right, centre or decimal. We format characters, paragraphs and pages, and insert tables from the Table menu. And we manage files with New, Open, Save and Export as PDF.