One of the most widely used programs of Microsoft Office suite, MS Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft.
An introduction to MS Word, MS-Word is an application provided by Microsoft Office. In which, we can create resume, CV, letter, Greeting Cards, Envelopes etc. It provides more much tools than Notepad & WordPad to create a document. Its extension is “.docx” in MS-Word 2013. In MS-Word 2007, its extension was “.doc”. .
To know further about the MS Office suite and the various programs included in it, visit the linked article.
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Since MS Word is one of the most used programs of the Office Suite, some basic information regarding its creation and development has been given below:
- Charles Simonyi, a developer and Richard Brodie, a software engineer, were the two creators of MS Word
- This program was initially named “Multi-Tool Word” but later, was renamed as MS Word
- It was introduced in 1983
- Word for Windows is available standalone or as a part of MS Office suite
- MS Word for Mac was introduced by Microsoft as Word 1.0 in 1985
- The extension for any word file is “.doc”
Basics of MS Word
Let us first understand some basic aspects of Microsoft Word.
What is MS Word?
MS-Word is an application provided by Microsoft Office. In which, we can create resume, CV, letter, Greeting Cards, Envelopes etc. It provides more much tools than Notepad & WordPad to create a document.
Where to find MS Word on your personal computer?
Follow these simple steps to open MS Word on your personal computer:
Start → All Programs → MS Office → MS Word.
What are the uses of MS Word?
MS Word enables users to do write-ups, create documents, resumes, contracts, etc. This is one of the most commonly used programs under the Office suite.
How to create an MS Word document?
To create an MS Word doc, follow the steps mentioned above to open Microsoft Word. Then once the program is open, click on “File” followed by “New”. This opens a new doc where something new can be created.
Since it is used by people of all age groups, in schools, in colleges and for official purposes, having proper knowledge of Microsoft Word is a must. The preview of the MS Doc file once it is opened is given below:
For a better understanding of how MS Word works and the features that are included in it, you can refer to the video given below and analyse its functioning easily.
Features of MS Word
Now let us read more about the features and components of an MS Word doc file in detail.
The image given below shows the different elements and categories which are available in MS Word doc:
This has options like font colour, font size, font style, alignment, bullets, line spacing, etc. All the basic elements which one may need to edit their document is available under the Home option.
- Insert (Click Here to know more about Insert Tab)
Tables, shapes, images, charts, graphs, header, footer, page number, etc. can all be entered in the document. They are included in the “Insert” category.
- Design (Click Here to know more about Design Tab)
The template or the design in which you want your document to be created can be selected under the Design tab. Choosing an appropriate tab will enhance the appearance of your document.
- Page Layout (Click Here to know more about Page Layout Tab)
Under the Page Layout tab comes options like margins, orientation, columns, lines, indentation, spacing, etc.
This tab is the most useful for those who are creating a thesis or writing books or lengthy documents. Options like citation, footnote, table of contents, caption, bibliography, etc. can be found under this tab.
- Review (Click Here to know more about Review Tab)
Spell check, grammar, Thesaurus, word count, language, translation, comments, etc. can all be tracked under the review tab. This acts as an advantage for those who get their documents reviewed on MS Word.
Apart from all the above-mentioned features, the page can be set in different views and layouts, which can be added and optimised using the View tab on the Word document. Margins and scales are also available for the benefit of the users.
When compared with MS PowerPoint, MS Word is more of reading while PPT is more of visual and graphical representation of data.
Uses of MS Word
Given below are the different fields in which MS Word is used and simplifies the work of an individual:
- In Education: It is considered as one of the simplest tools which can be used by both teachers and students. Creating notes is easier using MS Word as they can be made more interactive by adding shapes and images. It is also convenient to make assignments on MS Word and submitting them online
- In Workplace: Submitting letters, bills, creating reports, letterheads, sample documents, can all easily be done using MS Word
- Creating & Updating Resume: One of the best tools to create your resumes and is easy to edit and make changes in it as per your experience
- For Authors: Since separate options are available for bibliography, table of contents, etc., it is the best tool which can be used by authors for writing books and adjusting it as per the layout and alignment of your choice
Also, creating a Doc file and converting it into PDF is a more suitable option, so it is highly recommended.