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SUBJECT: BASICS OF COMPUTERS AND WINDOWS

CLASS: Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication

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UNIT-I EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER Computers were invented because of mans search for fast and accurate calculating devices. Charles Babbage, a nineteenth Century professor at Cambridge University is considered the father of modern digital computer. He started thinking about building a machine that could compute tables guaranteed to be error free in this process he designed a difference Engine in the year 1822 that could produce reliable tables. The following machine played an important role in aspect of evolution of computer some of those machines are as follows: 1. THE MARK I COMPUTER(1937-44): the mark I computer is also known as automatic sequence controlled calculator. This was first fully automatic calculating machine designed by Howard A. Aiken of Harvard University in collaboration with IBM Corporation. It was an electro-mechanical device based on the techniques already developed for punched card machines. It used over 3000 electrically actuated switches to control its operations and was approximately 50 feet long and 8 feet high. It was capable of performing 5 basic arithmetic operations: addition, substraction, division, and table reference. It took approximately 0.3 second to add two numbers and 4.5 seconds for multiplication of two numbers. This machine was very slow as compared to todays computer. 2. THE ATANASOFF-BERRY COMPUTER (1939-42): Dr. John Atansoff developed an electronic machine to solve certain mathematical equation. This machine was also called as ABC Computer. It used 45 vacuum tubes for internal logic and capacitor for storage. 3. THE ENIAC(1943-46): The Electronic Numerical and Calculator (ENIAC) was the first all electronic computer. It was constructed at the Moore school of Engineering of the university of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. by a design team led by professor J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly. The team developed ENIAC because of military need. It was used for many years to solve ballistic related problem. It took wall space in 20 X 40 square feet room and used 18000 vacuum tubes. It could add two numbers in 200 microseconds and multiply them in 2000 microseconds. 4. THE EDVAC(1946-52): A

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Classification of Computers 1) Mainframe Computers

2) Minicomputers

3) Microcomputers

4) Supercomputers

Mainframe computers are very large, often filling an entire room. They can store enormous of information, can perform many tasks at the same time, can communicate with many users at the same time, and are very expensive. . The price of a mainframe computer frequently runs into the millions of dollars. Mainframe computers usually have many terminals connected to them. These terminals look like small computers but they are only devices used to send and receive information from the actual computer using wires. Terminals can be located in the same room with the mainframe computer, but they can also be in different rooms, buildings, or cities. Large businesses, government agencies, and universities usually use this type of computer. Minicomputers are much smaller than mainframe computers and they are also much less expensive. The cost of these computers can vary from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. They possess most of the features found on mainframe computers, but on a more limited scale. They can still have many terminals, but not as many as the mainframes. They can store a tremendous amount of information, but again usually not as much as the mainframe. Medium and small businesses typically use these computers. Microcomputers are the types of computers we are using in your classes at Floyd College. These computers are usually divided into desktop models and laptop models. They are terribly limited in what they can do when compared to the larger models discussed above because they can only be used by one person at a time, they are much slower than the larger computers, and they can not store nearly as much information, but they are excellent when used in small businesses, homes, and school classrooms. These computers are inexpensive and easy to use. They have become an indispensable part of modern life.

Computer Tasks Input Storage Processing Output When a computer is asked to do a job, it handles the task in a very special way. 1. It accepts the information from the user. This is called input. 2. It stored the information until it is ready for use. The computer has memory chips, which are

designed to hold information until it is needed. 3. It processes the information. The computer has an electronic brain called the Central

Processing Unit, which is responsible for processing all data and instructions given to the computer.

4. It then returns the processed information to the user. This is called output.

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Every computer has special parts to do each of the jobs listed above. Whether it is a multimillion dollar mainframe or a thousand dollar personal computer, it has the following four components, Input, Memory, Central Processing, and Output. The central processing unit (CPU) is the electronic brain of the computer. The CPU in a personal computer is usually a single chip. It organizes and carries out instructions that come from either the user or from the software. The processor is made up of many components, but two of them are worth mentioning at this point. These are the arithmetic and logic unit and the control unit. The control unit controls the electronic flow of information around the computer. The arithmetic and logic unit, ALU, is responsible for mathematical calculations and logical comparisons. The processor is plugged into the computers motherboard. The motherboard is a rigid rectangular card containing the circuitry that connects the processor and all the other components that make up your personal computer. In most personal computers, some of the components are attached directly to the motherboard and some are housed on their own small circuit boards that plug into the expansion slots built into the motherboard.

Input Devices A computer would be useless without some way for you to interact with it because the machine must be able to receive your instructions and deliver the results of these instructions to you. Input devices accept instructions and data from you the user. Some popular input devices are listed below. Keyboard Mouse Scanner Microphone CD-ROM Joystick

Memory A personal computer must have a means of storing information (data) and instructions so that it can perform processing tasks on the data. Personal computers have two types of memory. These are discussed below. Read Only Memory (ROM)

ROM is a small area of permanent memory that provides startup instructions when the computer is turned on. You can not store any data in ROM. The instructions in ROM are set by the manufacturer and cannot be changed by the user. The last instruction in ROM directs the computer to load the operating system.

5 Every computer needs an operating system. This is a special computer program that must be loaded into memory as soon as the computer is turned on. Its purpose is to translate your instructions in English into Binary so that the computer can understand your instructions. The operating system also translates the results generated by your computer into English when it is finished so that we can understand and use the results. The operating system comes with a computer.

Random Access Memory (RAM) This is the area of memory where data and program instructions are stored while the computer is in operation. This is temporary memory. NOTE: The data stored in RAM is lost forever when the power is turned off. For this reason it is very important that you save your work before turning off your computer. This is why we have peripheral storage devices like your computers hard disk and floppy diskettes.

Permanent Memory (Auxiliary Storage)

Your files are stored in permanent memory only when saved to your disk in a: drive or saved to your computer's hard disk, Drive c: In the Floyd College labs, you can also save your work to a network drive. We will discuss this in class.

To better understand how a computer handles information and to also understand why information is lost if the power goes off, lets take a closer look at how a computer handles information. Your computer is made of millions of tiny electric circuits. For every circuit in a computer chip, there are two possibilities: 1. an electric circuit flows through the circuit or 2. An electric circuit does not flow through the circuit. When an electric current flows through a circuit, the circuit is on. When no electricity flows, the circuit is off. An on circuit is represented by the number one (1) and an off circuit is represented by the number zero (0). The two numbers 1 and 0 are called bits. The word bit comes from binary digit. Each time a computer reads an instruction, it translates that instruction into a series of bits, 1s and 0s. On most computers every character from the keyboard is translated into eight bits, a combination of eight 1s and 0s. Each group of eight bits is called a byte. Byte The amount of space in memory or on a disk needed to store one character. 8 bits = 1 Byte Since computers can handle such large numbers of characters at one time, metric prefixes are combined with the word byte to give some common multiples you will encounter in computer literature. Kilo means 1000 Kilobyte (KB) = 1000 Bytes Mega means 1,000,000 M egabyte (MB) = 1,000,000 Bytes

6 Giga Means 1,000,000,000 Gigabyte (GB) = 1,000,000,000 Bytes

Central Processing Unit (CPU) The central processing unit is one of the two most important components of your microcomputer. It is the electronic brain of your computer. In addition to processing data, it controls the function of all the other components. The most popular microprocessors in IBM compatible computers are made by Intel. The generations of microprocessors are listed below.

1981 8088 1984 80286

1987 80386 1990 80486 1993 Pentium 1996 P-6 1998 Pentium III 2000 Pentium IV Your computer has a Pentium IV processor. Output Devices

Monitor Speakers Printer Impact Dot Matrix Non-Impact Ink Jet Laser

Storage Devices Hard disk Floppy disk Tape drive CD-ROM Telecommunications Telecommunications means that you are communicating over long distances usually using phone lines. This enables you to send data to and receive data from another computer that can be located down the street, in another town, or in another country. Telecommunications requires a communication device called a modem, which connects your computer to a standard phone jack.

7 A modem converts the digital signals that your computer uses into analog signals that can be transmitted over the phone lines. To use a modem, you must also have communication software to handle the transmission process. Computer Software

System Software System software will come provided with each computer and is necessary for the computers operation. This software acts as an interpreter between the computer and user. It interprets your instructions into binary code and likewise interprets binary code into language the user can understand. In the past you may have used MS-DOS or Microsoft Disk Operating System which was a command line interface. This form of system software required specific commands to be typed. Windows 95 is a more recent version of system software and is known as a graphical interface. This means that it uses graphics or "icons" to represent various operations. You no longer have to memorize commands; you simply point to an icon and click. Program Software Program software is software used to write computer programs in specific computer languages. Application Software Application software is any software used for specified applications such as: Word Processing Spreadsheet Database Presentation Graphics Communication Tutorials Entertainment, Games FIRMWARE: Computer software in conventional system is supplied on storage media like CDs, floppies, tapes, disks, etc. however, with the advancement in technology and the reduction in hardware cost today software is also being made available by many computer manufacturers on read only memory (ROM) chips. These ROM chips can be easily plugged into the computer system and they form a part of the hardware. Such programs(software) which are made available on hardware are known as firmware. Firmware often refers to a sequence of instructions the computer system architect might decide not to use special electronic circuit to multiply two numbers but instead write instruction to cause the machine to accomplish the ssame function by computer and will be executed whenever the computer has to multiply two numbers. Hence this software will be known as firmware. To be precise firmware is software substituted for hardware and stored in read only memory.

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NETWORK INTERFACE CARD Network interface card also known as NIC or network card is a hardware device which allows a computer to be connected to a network both functionally and physically. The NIC is a printed circuit board which is installed on to one of the expansion slots of the computer and provides a port on the back of the computer to which the network cable is attached. It is one of the several add on cards that the computer have. See the picture below of a network interface card

HUBS Hubs or some time know as switches are used to connect two or more computer with each other in order to transfer data from one computer to another. It is an external device which is used when two or more computer are connected in order to do networking. It is also used to spread internet connect from one computer to rest of computer. See the picture below:

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RJ-45(CONNECTOR) RJ45 is a standard type of connector for network cables. RJ45 connectors are most commonly seen with Ethernet cables and networks.RJ45 connectors feature eight pins to which the wire strands of a cable interface electrically. Standard RJ-45 pinouts define the arrangement of the individual wires needed when attaching connectors to a cable. Several other kinds of connectors closely resemble RJ45 and can be easily confused for each other. The RJ-11 connectors used with telephone cables, for example, are only slightly smaller (narrower) than RJ-45 connectors

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UNIT II What is an operating system? Operating system (os) is an integrated set of program that controls the resource (CPU, Memory, I/O devices, etc...) of a computer system and provides its users with an interface or virtual machine that is easier to use than the bare machine. The two primary objectives of os. are as follows:

1. Make a computer easy to use: an operating system hides details of hardware resources from programmers and other users and provides them with a convenient interface for using a computer system. It acts an intermediary between hardware and software

2. Manages the resource of a computer system: An OS manages all the resources of an computer system this involves performing such asks as keeping track of who is using what resources, granting resource request, accounting for resources usage and mediating conflicting request from different program and users FEASIBILITY OF OPERATING SYSTEM Operating system is system software which deals with hardware resources of a computer. There are various operating systems such as DOS, MAC, UNIX, LINUX WINDOWS etc. are available today in market, depending on their uses and the type of work they perform on hardware as well as the interface operating system provides. Operating system today can be measured on the basis of on the basis of I/O operations, time taken by them to perform a single task as given by the user. Mainly we divide an operating system into two basic categories namely as GUI (Graphical User Interface) and Non- GUI (Non Graphical User Interface). A user can select any operating system

11 as per their own requirements and the type of work they want to perform in the machine. We can categories each operating system on the basis of their function and the amount of hardware it is supporting. Various type of operating system available today in the market is as follows: 1. MS-DOS:

The operating system for many computers is the Disk Operating System (DOS) developed by Microsoft. It is called as disk operating system because much of its work involves managing disks and disk files. DOS is a program that controls every part of the computer system does and how it does. Disk Operating System was released by Microsoft in 1981 and the version was numbered as 1.00. Over the years, the DOS was upgraded and currently MS-DOS is using 6.22 versions. There are two version of DOS which is PC-DOS and MS- DOS both written by Microsoft. 2. UNIX: UNIX is a multi-user, time sharing operating system. Although it can be used on a wide variety of computers, ranging from notebook computers to super computers, it is prevalent especially on RISC Workstations such as those form sun microsystem, HP, IBM and Silicon Graphics. UNIX was developed in the early 1970 at Bell Laboratories by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie for a PDP-11 computer. It was the first operating system to be written in a high level language, C. Normal practice then was to use assembly language for writing operating system due to which operating system were system dependent. That is they were usable only on a system for which they were developed. However, Since UNIX was written in C Language, moving it to a new machine, known as porting it, was much easier. This was an important reason for its popularity and availability on a wide variety of systems. 3. WINDOWS: Microsoft windows operating system was developed by Microsoft to overcome by Microsoft to overcome the limitation of its own MS-DOS operating system. First successful version of this operating system was windows 3.0; released in 1990 subsequently released versions were Windows 95, windows 98, windows 2000, windows XP, windows vista, and windows 7. The number associated with some of these released versions indicates their year of release. Main feature of Microsoft windows are as follows:

a) Its native interface is a GUI. Hence, for a new user it is easier to learn and use a computer system.

b) Microsoft windows was designed to be not just an operating system but also a complete operating environment

c) It is a single user multitasking operating system. That is a user may run more than more than one program at a time. For example while editing a file in foreground, a sorting job can be run in background. Monitors screen can be partitioned into multiple windows and progress of different programs can be viewed on different windows.

4. WINDOWS NT: Microsoft Windows NT is a multi-user, timesharing operating system developed by Microsoft. It was designed to have UNIX like features so that it can be used for powerful workstations, networks and database server. Like UNIX/Linux, Windows NT and its subsequent versions has native support for networking and network services. Such operating systems are classified as Network Operating System (NOS). Its main feature is:

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a) Unlike UNIX, its native interface is a GUI. The look and feel of Microsoft Windows NTs GUI is similar to that of Microsoft windows GUI.

b) It supports multiprogramming and is designed to take advantage of multiprocessing on systems having multiple processors.

c) It has built-in networking and communication features and is designed to take advantage of multiprocessing on systems having multiple processors.

d) It provides strict system security. e) It has rich set of tools for software development and system administrations. f) It can run Microsoft windows and Many UNIX application directly.

5. LINUX: Linux is an open-source operating system enhanced and backed by thousands of programmers worldwide. It is a multi-tasking, multiprocessing operatings system designed originally for use on personal computers. The name LINUX is derived from its inventor Linus Torvalds. Torvald was a student at the University of Helsinki, Finland in early 1990 when he wrote the first version of an UNIX like kernel as a toy project. He later posted the code on the internet and asked programmers across the world to help him build it into a working system. The result was Linux. Torvald the copyright but permits free distribution of source code. That is he oversees development of kernel and owns it trademark. When someone submits a change or a feature, Torvalds and his core team of kernel developers review the merit of adding it to kernel source code.

TYPES OF DOS COMMAND:

We know that a computer works in the presence of an operating system. MS-DOS is an operating system which runs the computer. When an operating system runs the computer system, to establish a link between the user and the hardware provide the facilities of instruction for the user through command interpreter. MS-DOS provides the facility to us through the commands of two types these are INTERNAL and EXTERNAL COMMANDS.

(A) INTERNAL COMMANDS: - these commands are always available with DOS because

these commands are automatically stored in the memory at the time of booting all these

commands are collected in COMMAND.COM program file. Hence these commands are

always available until we switch of the computer. Therefore we can execute the internal

command whenever we feel like. A few examples of internal commands are DIR,

RENAME, COPY, TYPE etc.

(B) EXTERNAL COMMANDS: - External commands are such short programs which are

stored either on floppy disk of hard disk and if needed they are executed and stored in

memory. For example FORMAT, CHKDSK, PRINT, DISKCOPY etc.

Dos commands are of two types:

13 Internal Commands: Cls : This command is used to clear the screen. Ver : This helps us to know the later version of dos. Vol : This command shows the label of the current drive & and its serial number. Date: This command display the current date. Also called as the system date. Time : This command display the current time and also the message to enter the new time. Dir : This command display the list of files and directory in the mentioned directory or drive. Dir/P : This command show all the files pagewise. Once the screen is full of filename a message saying press any key to continue is displayed, he user can take his/ her own time o view the files & its details. Dir/w : This command is used to display the content of disk i.e files width wise i.e:- five filenames perline. Wild Characters : There are 2 wild characters. ?: denoted any one single characters. * : denotes any no of characters.

Type : This command is used to see the content of a specific file on the screen. Rename or Ren : This command is used to change the filename. Del (Deleting) : This command is used to erase the file from the disk. Copy : This commands is used to duplicate the content of one file in to another file. Directories : A directories is a separate area on the disk to store some files. Md Rd Edit : is a Dos Editor. It is an internal command.

14 External Commands :

External commands are ones which requires certain special Dos files for their execution.

Tree : This command display path and optionally list the content of each directory and sub

directory

on the specified drive.

Sort : The sort filter reads input ,sorts the data and then writes the sorted data screen or to a

file

or another device.

Find : Locates all the lines which contain a specific string of text in a file or files.

Print : This command used to print to content of the files.

Chkdsk: This command is used to display the report regarding the status of the disk.

Diskcopy: This command is used to copy the content of one disk to another.

Attrib : Each and every file has some attributes stored for it.

Backup: The hardisk can sometimes suffer a head crash. In such occasion all data on the disk

islost and irrecoverable.

Format : To make a floppy or hardisk capable of storage.

Deltree: It is used to delete all files or directories from the drive or directory from drive or

directory.

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UNIT III GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE :( windows 95/98) MS-DOS is an operating system which has textual interface. In operating system with a vies to end the inconvenience of typing the commands, Microsoft has developed a new program which has named which was named windows. This program provided GUI facility and displays the commands as picture- symbol while various applications programs are presented in rectangular boxes which are called windows. In this interface all the program are displayed as windows on the screen, hence it is called windows. We perform different tasks with the help of application programs, such as creating file on the disk of the computer, writing letters and documents and printing them through printer, preparing report in the suitable form after making calculation listening to music or watching movies creating different design, exchanging information on the internet etc. this mutual relation is called interface. These are the following types of Interface between the computer and the user. 1. Textual interface 2. Graphical user interface.

Graphical user interface are selected by input device (Mouse) and executed. Suppose we have to print a file on printer, we will have to point the icon of printer displayed on the screen by mouse. Thus in GUI the user need not have to type the commands on the keyboard. In the beginning Microsoft developed a program for GUI run by operating system. These were further developed into MS-Windows 3.1 and MS- Windows 3.11 versions conducted by MS-DOS operating system. In 1995, Microsoft company brought a radical change in the field of computers and created an operating system in the GUI , named windows 95. for executing this program now MS-DOS was not needed because it means MS-Windows 95 is a GUI has all the characteristics of operating system on account of which it helps run the application program in GUI stage. After that in 1998 new version of windows was launched and which named as Windows 98. BASIC OPERATION IN WINDOWS 95/98/XP

1. CREATING A FOLDER: A folder is like a box which contains various types of file inside it. It is similar like a bag which we uses to keep our valuables such as books, pens, writing pad etcIn windows we can create folder wherever we want to store our files such as at desktop, my documents or at any particular drive beside this we can also a create folder inside any folder.

We can create a folder with the help of mouse or with the help of keyboard in windows Creating folder with the help of mouse Step 1: select any place where you want to create a folder such as desktop. Step 2: right click the mouse. Step 3: select NEW option from the pop-up menu.

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Creating folder with the help of windows Step 1. Select file menu by pressing Alt + F from key board or by mouse Step 2. Select new option by the help of arrow key or with the help of mouse pointer. Step3 . press enter on the new folder option.

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RENAMING A FOLDER/DIRECTORY Once a folder is created we can rename it by following the following steps. Step 1: right click on the folder Step 2: select rename option from the pop-up menu Step 3: the folder will be highlighted where we can change the name of the folder

Or Step 1: click on any particular folder Step 2: press F2 button from the keyboard Step 3: Type the name of the folder. MOVING FOLDER FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER Step 1: select the folder by left click Step 2: select cut/copy option or press ctrl + C or Ctrl +X Step 3: go to the particular location (where you want to paste the folder) Step 4: right click the folder and select paste option or press ctrl + V

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HIDING THE FOLDER/FILE Step 1: select the folder Step 2: right click on it and select properties option Step 3: select the hidden check box from the properties window of the folder Step 4: select tool option from the menu bar by pressing alt + T or by the help of mouse Step 5: select folder option Step 6: select view tab button from the folder option window Step 7: go to hidden files and folder option and select DO NOT SHOW HIDDEN FILE AND FOLDER OPTION

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UNIT IV DESKTOP: when we switch on our computer (booting) the first thing which appears on

the monitor is know as desktop. It comprises of various icons such as my computer, internet explorer, task bar, explorer, start button, wallpaper etc...

SYSTEM TRAY: the system tray is located in the windows taskbar, usually at the bottom right corner next to the clock. It contains miniature icons for easy access to system. Functions such as antivirus settings, printers, modem, sound, battery status and more. However or click an icon to view and access detail and controls. CONTROL PANEL: We know that hardware and software work combined in a computer and are interdependent. There is a program named control panel to make an adjustment between the hardware devices of computer to its software program. In windows of the control panel program icons related to all the hardware devices are displayed. This program also presents the state of co-ordination of all the hardware Steps to open control panel Step1: click on start button at the task bar Step2: select (click or press enter) control panel option from pull up menu.

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System Tools and Internet Tools As windows (xp, 98, 95) is an operating system which provide user a friendly

atmosphere. Windows incorporates certain tools such as the Disk Defragmenter, the Disk Cleanup the tool to free disk space, the Scheduled Tasks, etc. Almost all of these tools are designed to optimize the behaviour of the computer. Some of the system tools available in windows are as follows. SCANDISK

This tool is used to search errors in the systems units and to repair those errors.

When the computer is turned off in an abrupt manner it is possible that some files may be damage. Normally when the computer is turned on after being turned off abruptly (without using the option shut down from the Start menu) the Scandisk is launched to check the system and repair any error that it may find.

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This tool is usually used when we have a damaged disk. By using it we can fix the possible errors and therefore retrieve the information that it contains. Keep in mind that this tool is not a miracle worker and therefore it is not always possible to retrieve the information.

To open Scandisk click on the icon My Computer on the desktop , and the screen shown here will open up.

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Now select the unit that you want to perform the scandisk on, for example unit (D), and right click it.

A shortcut menu will open, like the one shown select Properties from this menu.

This will cause the window Hard disk (D) Properties to open. Select Tools tab and the window shown on the right will open.

If you click Check Now... , the window Checking hard disk (D) will open.

Here you need to choose one of two options available: Automatically fix file system errors or Search for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Click on Start so that the scan can begin. This process can take a few minutes, depending on the size of the disk.

Once the scan has finalized a confirmation window will appear.

25 THE DISK DEFRAGMENTER

This tool is in charge of reorganizing the information that is stored in the disk, although it can also fix errors on the units.

Windows incorporates this tool because the disk becomes slow as we save new data and delete old data. This is why we need to reorganize the information so that the free spaces between the information disappear and the performance of our disk improves. By doing this we will also be able to access information quicker.

The free spaces that are generated when information from the disk is deleted influence the size that files and programs use. This is the reason why when we see the properties of a file two sizes appear, the real size of the file and the space that the file is using in the disk. If we defragment the disk we will notice that the difference between the two

sizes decreases.

To use this tool follow the steps shown on the previous topic until this screen is reached.

Click on Defragment Now... and the disk defragmenter window will appear, similar to the one shown below.

First select the volume from the list clicking on it, and then you can choose to run the defragmenter directly by clicking Defragment, or check the state of the disk first by clicking Analyze.

Depending on the results, you can choose to defragment the disk or not. When many deletions have been done on the disk a defragmentation in needed because there are many files that are fragmented instead of using a contiguous space on the disk.

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Once the Defragment button has been pressed a window will appear and report the process and it will allow

you to pause or finalize it. Remember that this process will take quite a while.

THE WINDOW MEDIA PLAYER

This new tool that Windows XP incorporates allows us to listen to music from a CD, tune radio stations, play a video, etc. It also lets us burn record songs from a CD to our hard drive so that we can set up a playlist to listen to the songs.

Next we will see the different options that the player offers us.

To run the media player we can click on the shortcut icon that Windows creates when it is installed, we can also access it through the Start menu by selecting All

27 programs and then clicking on Windows Media Player. We can also run it from the quick access bar if it is visible.

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The window shown below is the window that will appear with the media player. The appearance can vary since Windows lets you customize it.

To play a CD or songs that are saved to the hard drive we need to select Now playing, next display the File menu and select Open..., next look for the songs that we want to listen to. To choose several songs use the Ctrl key and then click open. The selected files will appear on the right side of the window in list form.

If what you want is to play a CD it is not necessary to use the File menu since the media player will automatically load the songs on the CD.

If you want to listen to a song on the list simply double-click it and it will begin to play.

The play order will be the same order that the songs appear on the list to the right. If you want to change the order simply select the songs with the left mouse button and drag the song to where you want it.

To change the name of a file from the playlist you have to right click on it and select Edit, then write the new name.

When playing a song, there is an image on the left side; this image has movement and it can be changed. To do this click on the

arrows that appear here .

29 Handling the Player

These are the commands to handle the player .

The large round button is used to play as well as to pause. This means that this button is used to start and pause a song.

This button is used to stop the song or video being played.

The following buttons are used to move ahead or skip back.

The button skips back to the previous song on the list. For example from song 7 to song 6.

The button is used to skip to the next song or video on our playlist.

To move forward or move backward in a song you can also use the bar that indicates the progress of the song we are listening to. Click with the left mouse button on the bar and drag it to the right to move forward of to the left to move back. We can also

control the Volume by dragging the volume bar .

On the top right we can see a small box in which we have the playlist. These lists include files that we have wanted to add, such as creating a list of songs that you like from various CDs. This way you create your own playlists. Next we will discuss playlists in more detail.

How to create a playlist To create a playlist we need to select Library tab.

Click on Playlists and then on New Playlist.... In the dialog box that will appear put the name of the list you want to create and click OK.

Then check in My playlists to see that your new playlist appears.

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Add a file to a play list

To add a file to a playlist select Library tab since it should be in the list of files that the library has in order to add it.

From the list select the files you want and right click to select Add to playlist... option.

This will show you a dialog box with the playlists; select the playlist you want to add the song or songs to and click Ok.

In the same way we can add a file to a playlist, we can also delete it; to do this select the playlist and, from within that playlist, select the file you want to delete. Right click on it and select Delete from playlist. You can also delete it from the library by selecting Delete from library.

NOTEPAD

Using Notepad Notepad is a simple text editor. Just as you use a notepad on your desk, you can use Notepad to take notes onscreen while working in other Windows applications. Notepad is simple, uses little memory and is useful for editing text you want to copy into a Windows or DOS application that lacks editing capability.

Notepad retrieves and saves files in text format. This makes Notepad a convenient editor for creating and altering text-based files. Because Notepad stores files in text format, almost all word processing applications can retrieve Notepad's files. However, if you want the capability of formatting your documents, you'll need a true word processor.

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Starting Notepad To start Notepad, open the START menu and choose PROGRAMS-->ACCESSORIES-->NOTEPAD . Notepad starts up and displays a blank document in the Notepad window. You can begin typing.

You can open an existing file using the FILE menu.

1. Click FILE on the Notepad toolbar, then click OPEN... An Open panel will appear. 2. Choose a file to open and click the OPEN button.

See the notes below about saving your file when you are finished editing.

Working with Documents in Notepad The Insertion Point is the "I-Beam" symbol you see on the editing screen. The insertion point is where the next character you type will be entered. You can move the insertion point by using either the mouse or the keyboard. You can not move the insertion point beyond the last character in the file.

Limited formatting is available from the FILE --> PAGE SETUP command. You can change margins and add a header or footer, but you cannot format characters or paragraphs in any way. You also can use the Tab, Spacebar, and Backspace keys to align text. Tab stops are preset at every eight characters.

With the commands on Notepad's Edit menu, you can cut, copy, and move text from one place in a file to another. Text that you cut or copy is stored in the Clipboard. When you paste text, the contents of the Clipboard is copied from the Clipboard to the document at the location of the insertion point. The contents of the Clipboard are available until replaced by another copy or cut action.

Text in Notepad normally is not wrapped. This means that long lines of text will run beyond the right side of the Notepad window. In order to cause the text to wrap to the size of the window, click on WORD WRAP on the EDIT menu. Note that this has no effect on the way the text will be printed.

Selecting and Editing Text You select and edit text in Notepad the same way you select and edit text in many other Windows applications.

To enter text, you place the insertion point wherever you want to add text and begin typing.

To delete characters, press BACKSPACE (to delete characters to the left) or DELETE (to delete characters to the right).

When you need to work with larger blocks of text, such as words, sentences, or paragraphs, you can use your mouse to select the text using one of the techniques listed below:

32

Selection Action One word Double-click the word. Several words Double-click the first word and drag to the end of the last word. Any amount of text Hold down the mouse button and drag from the beginning to the end of the text.

Between two points

Move the insertion point to the beginning, click, move to the second point, press and hold down Shift, and click at the second point.

To select text with the keyboard, position the insertion point at the beginning of the text you want to select, hold down the SHIFT key, and move the insertion point to the end of the text using the arrow keys. To move the selection a word at a time, hold down the SHIFT and CTRL keys as you press the arrow keys. You can select all the way to the end of a line by pressing the SHIFT and END keys.

After you have selected a block of text, you can delete it using the DELETE or BACKSPACE keys. To move or copy the selected text, use the EDIT-->CUT or EDIT-->COPY keys, as described in Moving and Copying Text.

If you start typing when text is selected, the selected text is replaced with whatever you type. This can be both a blessing and a curse.

Moving and Copying Text You can move or copy text using either the menu commands or the mouse. To move or copy text with the menu commands, follow these steps:

1. Select the text you want to move or copy using one of the techniques described above. 2. Choose EDIT-->CUT, or press CTRL+X.

or Choose EDIT-->COPY, or press CTRL+C.

3. Position the insertion point where you want to move or copy the text. 4. Choose EDIT--> PASTE or press CTRL+V.

While other editing programs permit you to edit by selecting and dragging with the mouse, you can't do that with Notepad.

You can also copy text to and from a Notepad document from or into documents in many other applications. [For example, you can copy text from WinPack into a Notepad document, although not the other way.] To simplify this operation, place the two application windows side by side before you move or copy the text. Alternatly, keep Notepad minimized until you are ready to use it, and then find it on the Taskbar. For example, if you use Notepad in conjunction with a browser, you can minimize Notepad to the task bar, highlight and copy what you want in the browser, click on Notepad on the taskbar and paste the text into it.

Another method for switching between applications is to use the ALT+TAB keyboard shortcut. Using the keyboard only, select text in WinPack, press CTRL+C to copy it, press ALT+TAB to switch to Notepad, press CTRL-V to paste the text into the Notepad file.

33

Finding and Replacing Text Notepad has a Find command but unfortunately does not have a Replace command. The Find command enables you to find a character or string of text, and if you want, to replace the found text with new text.

To find a string of text, follow these steps:

1. Choose SEARCH--> FIND. The Find dialog box appears. 2. In the FIND WHAT text box, type the text string you want to find.

3. o (Optional) Select the Match Case option to find text that has the same case

structure as the text you typed in the Find What text box. o (Optional) Find normally searches from the current Insertion Point location to the

end of the file. If you want to search from the Insertion Point to the beginning of the file, select Up in the Direction box.

4. Click FIND NEXT to find and select the first occurrence of the text. 5. Choose FIND NEXT again to select the next occurrence of the text. 6. When you find the text you're looking for, click CANCEL or press ESC to exit the Find

dialog box.

Even after you close the Find dialog box, you can repeat the last find operation by choosing SEARCH--> FIND NEXT or by pressing F3.

To find and replace a text string, follow these steps:

1. Follow the steps as above for finding the text you want to replace. 2. When you get to the text you want to replace in the file, click CANCEL or press ESC to

exit the Find dialog box. 3. Type the text you want to insert. (Remember that when text is selected, whatever you type

instantly replaces it.) 4. Choose FIND NEXT or press F3 to locate the next occurrence of the text you typed in the

Find What text box. 5. Type the correct text.

or If you don't want to replace this text with the new text, click FIND NEXT again to locate the next occurrence of the text.

Finishing Your Editing Session. When you are finished editing the file, and periodically during your editing session, you should save your work back to disk.

If the file is new and hasn't been previously saved, you must click FILE on the Notepad menubar, and then SAVE AS. When the associated dialog box opens, select a location using the SAVE IN text box, enter a name for the file in the FILE NAME box, and click the SAVE button.

34 If the file has previously been saved, so that it has a name and a saved location, you click FILE-->SAVE.

WORDPAD

WordPad

Microsoft WordPad is a free rich text editor included with Microsoft Windows95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and future releases of Microsoft Windows. Although capable of doing much more than Microsoft Notepad, Microsoft WordPad is not as advanced as Microsoft Word. To the right is an example image of what WordPad looks like in Windows 2000.

Microsoft Word is able to create, edit, and save their documents as a plain-textfile (.txt), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and Word for Windows 6.0 (.doc) format (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME users only -- XP does not support .doc). In Windows 7, users can now save their document in an OpenDocument (odf) format.

Users who are using a version of Microsoft Windows that supports WordPad can run Microsoft WordPad (wordpad.exe) by following the below steps.

1. Click Start 2. Click Run 3. Type "wordpad" or "write" press Enter.

or

1. Click Start 2. Click Programs and then Accessories 3. Click the "Wordpad" icon.

35

Microsoft Paint

Drawing Lines and Shapes

To draw a straight line

1. Click in the tool box. 2. To choose the width the line will be, click a line width from the bottom of the tool box. 3. To choose the color the line will be, click a color. 4. To draw the line, drag the mouse pointer.

Tips Use the left mouse button to draw with the foreground color or the right mouse button to draw with the background color. To draw a perfectly horizontal, vertical, or 45-degree diagonal line, press and hold down SHIFT while dragging the mouse pointer.

To draw a free-form line

1. Click in the tool box, and then click a color from the color box. 2. To draw the line, drag the mouse pointer.

36 Tip To undo a change, click Edit and then click Undo. You can undo up to three changes.

To draw a curve

1. Click in the tool box. 2. To choose the width the curve will be, click a line width at the bottom of the tool box. 3. To choose the color the curve will be, click a color. 4. Draw a straight line by dragging the mouse pointer. 5. Click where you want one arc of the curve to be, and then drag the mouse pointer to adjust the curve. 6. Each curve must have at least one arc but no more than two. Repeat this step for a second arc.

Tip Use the left mouse button to draw with the foreground color or the right mouse button to draw with the background color.

To draw an ellipse or circle

1. Click in the tool box. 2. Click a color from the color box for the shape's outline. 3. To fill the shape, click a color by using the right mouse button, and then click a fill style from the bottom of the tool box. 4. To draw an ellipse, drag the mouse pointer diagonally. 5. To draw a perfect circle, press and hold down SHIFT while dragging the mouse pointer.

To draw a rectangle or square

1. Click in the tool box to create a square-cornered shape, or click to create a round-cornered shape. 2. Click a color from the color box for the shape's outline. 3. To fill the shape with color, click a color by using the right mouse button, and then click a fill style from the bottom of the tool box. 4. To draw a rectangle, drag the mouse pointer diagonally in the direction you want. 5. To draw a square, press and hold down SHIFT while dragging the mouse pointer.

To draw a polygon

37

1. Click in the tool box, and then click a color for the polygon outline. 2. To create a colored fill, click a color by using the right mouse button, and then click a fill style from the bottom of the tool box. 3. To draw the polygon, drag the mouse pointer and click at each corner. Double-click when you're done. 4. To use only 45- and 90-degree angles, press and hold down SHIFT while dragging the mouse pointer.

Putting Text in Pictures

To type and format text

1. Click in the tool box. 2. Create a text frame by dragging the mouse pointer diagonally, and then click the font, size, and style you want. 3. Click inside the text frame, and then type the text. 4. Move or enlarge the text frame as needed. 5. To change the color of the text, click a color in the color box. 6. To insert the text on a colored background, click on the tool box, and then click a color with the right mouse button to change the background color. 7. To insert the text into the picture, click outside the text frame.

Tips You can only paste text when the text tool is selected. You cannot paste graphics when the text tool is selected. You can enter text into a picture only in normal view. If the text toolbar obscures part of the Paint menu, you can drag it anywhere on the window.

Working with Color To fill an area or object with color

1. Click in the tool box, and then click a color from the color box. 2. Click the area or object you want to fill. 3. To fill with the foreground color, click the area with the left mouse button. 4. To fill with the background color, click the area with the right mouse button.

Tip If the shape being filled has any breaks in its border, the filling color leaks through to

38 the rest of the drawing area. To find and close the opening, click View, point to Zoom, and then click Large Size or Custom. To paint with a brush

1. Click in the tool box, and then choose a brush shape from the bottom of the tool box. 2. Click a color from the color box. 3. To paint, drag the mouse pointer.

To create an airbrush effect

1. Click in the tool box. 2. To change the size of the spray area, click a size from the bottom of the tool box. 3. To choose the spray color, click a color. 4. To spray, drag the mouse pointer. Use the left mouse button to spray with the foreground color, or use the right mouse button to spray with the background color.

To create custom colors

1. In the color box, click the color you want to change. 2. On the Options menu, click Edit Colors. 3. Click Define Custom Colors, and then enter new values in either the RGB (red, green, blue) or HLS (hue, saturation, and luminescence) color models. 4. Click Add to Custom Colors.

Tips To save your custom colors, click the Options menu, and then click Save Colors. To use your saved colors, click Get Colors. For Help on an item, click at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

To use black and white instead of color

1. On the Image menu, click Attributes. 2. Click Black and White.

Caution: Once you have changed a color picture to black and white, you cannot change it back to color. If you change back to color, only new work will be in color.

To invert all the colors in a picture

On the Image menu, click Invert Colors.

39 Note: Each color is replaced by its color complement. For example, white becomes black, and red becomes blue.

To change the color of an existing line

1. Click in the tool box. 2. Click a different color in the color box. 3. Position the paint cursor so that it is touching the line, and then click.

Tips To make sure you only change the line color and not the surrounding area, zoom the picture to a larger size. If the line is part of a shape, any connecting vertical and horizontal lines will also change to the new color.

To copy color from one area or object to another

1. Click in the tool box. 2. Click the object whose color you want to copy. 3. Click the object or area where you want the color.

Tip To use a color as a background color or to erase with a color that isn't in the color box, click the color in your picture with the right mouse button.

Erasing

To erase a small area

1. Click in the tool box. 2. To use a smaller or larger eraser, click a shape at the bottom of the tool box. 3. The selected background color shows what color the eraser will leave behind. To change the background color, click a color by using the right mouse button. 4. Drag the mouse pointer over the area you want to erase.

Tips To change a specific color (and nothing else), change the foreground color to the color you want to erase and the background color to the color you want to replace it with. Click the eraser, and then use the right mouse button to change the color.

To erase a large area

40

1. Click or in the tool box, and then drag the mouse pointer to select the area you want to erase. The current background color will be used to fill the cleared area. 2. To choose a different background color, click a color in the color box with the right mouse button. 3. On the Edit menu, click Clear Selection.

To undo changes

1. On the Edit menu, click Undo. 2. To undo previous changes, click Undo again.

Working with Part of the Picture

To select part of a picture

1. To select a rectangular area, click in the tool box, and then drag the cursor diagonally across the area.

2. To select an irregularly shaped area, click in the tool box, and then drag the cursor around the area.

Tip To remove the selection box, click outside the box.

To copy part of a picture

1. Select the area you want to copy by clicking or in the tool box and then dragging the cursor to define the area.

2. Click to insert opaquely.

3. Click to insert transparently. 4. On the Edit menu, click Copy. 5. On the Edit menu, click Paste. 6. Drag the selection where you want it. 7. To remove the selection box, click outside it.

Tips To paste multiple copies of an object, press and hold down CTRL while you drag the pasted object to a new location. Repeat as needed. You cannot paste graphics when the text tool is selected. To undo a change, click Edit and then click Undo. You can undo up to three changes.

41 To save part of a picture into another bitmap file

1. Select an area you want to save by clicking or in the tool box and then dragging the cursor to define the area. 2. On the Edit menu, click Copy To. 3. Specify a file name and location.

Changing How Your Picture Looks on the Screen

To change the size of your picture

1. On the Image menu, click Attributes. 2. Click the unit of measurement you want to use for the width and height. 3. Type the width and height.

Notes: Your current picture will be resized. If your current picture is bigger than the new size, it is cut from the right side and bottom to fit within the smaller area.

To zoom in or out of a picture

On the View menu, point to Zoom, and then click Normal Size, Large Size, or Custom. Note: You can enter text into a picture only in normal view.

To enlarge the size of the viewing area

1. To display only the picture, click the View menu, and then click View Bitmap. 2. You cannot make changes to a picture in this view. To return to your former view, click anywhere in the picture.

Tip You can hide the Tool Box, Color Box, or Status Bar by clicking the View menu and then removing the check mark for each item you don't want displayed.

To display grid lines

1. On the View menu, point to Zoom, and then click Custom. 2. Click a Zoom To size of 400%, 600%, or 800%, and then click OK. 3. On the View menu, point to Zoom, and then click Show Grid.

Tip To get rid of the grid lines, return to normal view, or repeat step 3 to remove the check mark.

42 To flip or rotate a picture or object

1. Click or in the tool box, and then drag a box around the object or area you want to flip or rotate.

2. Click below the tool box to flip or rotate opaquely.

3. Click below the tool box to flip or rotate transparently. 4. On the Image menu, click Flip/Rotate. 5. Click the option you want.

To stretch or skew an item

1. Click or in the tool box, and then drag a box around the item you want to change. 2. On the Image menu, click Stretch/Skew. 3. Click the stretching or skewing option you want, and then enter the amount.

4. Click below the tool box to stretch or skew opaquely.

5. Click below the tool box to stretch or skew transparently.

Printing

To print a picture

On the File menu, click Print.

Tips To see how the printed picture will look before you print, click the File menu, and then click Print Preview. To set margins or change orientation, click the File menu, and then click Page Setup.

Using Paint with Other Programs

To copy information into another document

1. In the document that contains the information you want to copy, select the information by highlighting it. 2. On the Edit menu, click Copy. 3. In the document where you want the information to appear, click the place where

43 you want to put the information. 4. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Tips You can also link or embed information. You can paste the information multiple times.

To copy information into another document

1. In the document that contains the information you want to copy, select the information by highlighting it. 2. On the Edit menu, click Copy. 3. In the document where you want the information to appear, click the place where you want to put the information. 4. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Tips You can also link or embed information. You can paste the information multiple times.

To insert a bitmap into the current picture

1. Select an area to put the picture in by clicking in the tool box and then dragging the cursor to define the area. 2. On the Edit menu, click Paste From. 3. Specify the name of the bitmap file you want to insert. 4. Drag the selection where you want it, and then click outside the selection.

44 UNIT V

INTRODUCTION TO MS-OFFICE Ms-office or Microsoft office is an application software package which includes the following application software:

1. MS - Word 2. MS Excel 3. MS- PowerPoint 4. MS Access 5. MS Photo Editor

1. MS-WORD MS WORD is application software which is generally known as text editor or a word processor in computer terminology. Ms word is used in offices, home etc for typing purpose such as resume making, letter typing, documents etc.

Steps to open MS-Word Step1: click on start button on taskbar Step2: go to program Step3: select ms office and then select MS-Word Or Step 1: click on start button Step 2: select run and type WinWord. The word window The word window consist of following parts

1. tool bar 2. menu bar 3. title bar 4. formatting tool bar 5. standard tool bar 6. drawing tool bar

45

MAIN MENU OPTIONS

The overall functions of all the items of main menu are explained below.

(a) File

You can perform file management operations by using these options such as opening, closing, saving, printing, exiting etc. It displays the following sub menu.

46

File Sub menu

(b) Edit

Using this option you can perform editing functions such as cut, copy, paste, find and replace etc. It displays the following sub menu.

47

Edit Sub menu

(c) View

Word document can be of many pages. The different pages may have different modes. Each mode has its limitations. For example in normal mode the graphical picture cannot be displayed. They can only be displayed in page layout mode. Using the option "View" you can switch over from one mode to other. It displays the following Sub menu.

48 Fig. 9.5 View Sub menu

(d) Insert

Using this menu, you can insert various objects such as page numbers, footnotes, picture frames etc. in your document. It displays the following Sub menu.

Insert Submenu

(e) Format

Using this menu, you can perform various type of formatting operations, such as fonts can be changed, borders can be framed etc. It displays the following Sub menu.

49

Fig. 9.7 Format Submenu

(f) Tools

Using this menu, you can have access to various utilities/tools of Word, such as spell check, macros, mail merge etc. It displays the following Sub menu.

Fig. 9.8 Tool Submenu

50 (g) Table

This menu deals with tables. Using this menu you can perform various types of operations on the table. It displays the following Sub menu.

Table Sub menu

Window

This menu allows you to work with two documents simultaneously. This would require two windows to be opened so that each one can hold one document. Using this menu, you can switch over from one window to another. It displays the following Sub menu.

Window Sub menu

51 MS-EXCEL

Starting Excel

You can start Excel by:

1. Double-clicking on the Microsoft Excel application icon. This application is usually in a folder called Excel. An alias for this icon appears on the desktop of the computers in the Student

Microcomputer Facility. 2. Double-clicking on the icon of any Excel document. When you double-click an Excel

document, Excel opens with the document already loaded.

Exploring the Excel Interface

Components of the Excel Window

Besides the usual window components (close box, title bar, scroll bars, etc.), an Excel window has several unique elements identified in the figure below.

52 Standard Toolbar

The Standard toolbar, located beneath the menu bar, has buttons for commonly performed tasks like adding a column of numbers, printing, sorting, and other operations. Excel let's you customize the toolbar or even display multiple toolbars at the same time. The Standard Excel XP toolbar appears in the figure below.

Formatting toolbar

The Formatting toolbar, located beneath the Standard toolbar bar, has buttons for various formatting operations like changing text size or style, formatting numbers and placing borders around cells.

Formula bar

The formula bar is located beneath the toolbar at the top of the Excel worksheet. Use the formula bar to enter and edit worksheet data. The contents of the active cell always appear in the formula bar. When you click the mouse in the formula bar, an X and a check mark appear. You can click the check icon to confirm and completes editing, or the X to abandon editing.

Name box

The Name box displays the reference of the selected cells.

53 Row and column headings

Letters and numbers identify the rows and columns on an Excel spreadsheet. The intersection of a row and a column is called a cell. Use row and column headings to specify a cell's reference. For example, the cell located where column B and row 7 intersect is called B7.

Active cell

The active cell has a dark border around it to indicate your position in the worksheet. All text and numbers that you type are inserted into the active cell. Click the mouse on a cell to make it active.

Fill handle

The lower right corner of the active cell has a small box called a Fill Handle. Your mouse changes to a cross-hair when you are on the Fill Handle. The Fill Handle helps you copy data and create series of information. For example, if you type January in the active cell and then drag the Fill Handle over four cells, Excel automatically inserts February, March, April and May.

Worksheet tabs

An Excel workbook consists of multiple worksheets. Use the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the screen to navigate between worksheets within a workbook.

Working with Excel documents

Opening and Closing Documents To open an existing Excel workbook, choose Open from the File menu or click the Open tool on

the toolbar.

Excel will display the Open dialog box, which is similar in appearance and function to the Save As dialog box. It contains a File Name: box for you to type a file name or file specification, a Look In: box to designate a location, and a drop-down menu of file types.

54

To open a file, select the appropriate location by clicking on the down pointing arrow next to the Look In: selection box. Excel will display all Excel files found there. Select the file you wish to open and click Open to open the file.

Saving a Document

The lower right corner of the active cell has a small box called a Fill Handle. Your mouse changes to a cross-hair when you are on the Fill Handle. The Fill Handle helps you copy data and create series of information. For example, if you type January in the active cell and then drag the Fill Handle over four cells, Excel automatically inserts February, March, April and May.

To save an untitled Excel workbook, from the File menu choose Save As or click the Save button on the toolbar (shown at right). The Excel Save As dialog box is the same as the Open dialog box

above except it is labeled "Save As"

The Save As dialog box contains a text box for you to type a specific filename, a "Save File as Type:" box to save your workbook in a different format that other programs can read, a selection box to designate the folder and drive in which to save the file, and a "Places Bar" that offers other locations to save your file.

Difference between Save As and Save

Notice on the File menu there is a Save command and a Save As command. Use Save to save an existing workbook with the same name in the same location. Use Save As when you want to save a file with a different name or save it in a different location. For example, suppose you are working on a workbook called BUDGET.XLS. After you edit the workbook, you should save it again using the Save command. The Save command will replace the copy on the hard drive with

55 what is in memory (what you see on your screen). At the end of the day, you might want to save a copy of the file on a diskette to take home. Choose Save As and select the proper drive in the Save As dialog box. This will create another copy of the file on your diskette.

Creating a New Workbook

The lower right corner of the active cell has a small box called a Fill Handle. Your mouse changes to a cross-hair when you are on the Fill Handle. The Fill Handle helps you copy data and create series of information. For example, if you type January in the active cell and then drag the Fill Handle over four cells, Excel automatically inserts February, March, April and May.

If you are already in Excel and you want to create a new workbook, choose New from the File menu or click the New tool on the toolbar. If you choose New from the file menu the Task Pane will open on the right side of the Excel worksheet. To create a blank workbook, click Blank

Workbook in the Task Pane, and a new workbook opens.

Managing Multiple Workbooks

Excel enables you to have more than one workbook open simultaneously. Each open workbook appears on the Window menu. The document with the check next to it is the active document. To switch to another document, simply choose that document from the Window menu.

To navigate between worksheets within a workbook, click the worksheet tab you want to activate. Double-click a worksheet tab to change its name.

Entering and Editing Data

56 Entering Data

You can enter text, numbers and dates in an Excel worksheet. In Excels terminology, numbers and dates are called values and text is referred to as a label. To enter data of any type, click on the cell you want to contain that data, and then type the information you want in the cell. When you begin typing, your data also appears in the formula bar. When you have finished typing the data for the active cell, press the Return or Enter key.

Editing Data

The easiest way to edit the contents of a cell is to select the cell and then retype the entry. The new entry replaces the old contents. For example, to change the number in cell B6 to 199, select cell B6, type 199 and press Return. This method works well with numbers, but is more difficult when editing long text labels or formulas.

The formula bar gives you more flexibility while editing. When the mouse pointer moves into the formula bar, it changes shape to an I-beam, signifying that you can enter or edit text. Text in the active cell appears in the formula bar and you can edit it there. Use the mouse to select the text you want to change in the formula bar and then type the new text. Excel automatically replaces what is selected. Don't forget to press the Return key when you finish editing a cell.

You can also edit labels and values directly in cells. Double-click on the cell you want to edit. This puts an insertion point in the cell. Edit the contents of that cell the same way you would using the formula bar.

Moving the Active Cell

Cell selection and movement around the worksheet are similar operations in Excel. To select a given cell or make it active, simply click on that cell. Use the mouse or the arrow keys to move around the worksheet. For example, if you press the right arrow key twice you move two cells to the right.

Refer to the table below for additional information on using the keyboard to navigate a worksheet.

To move Press this key

One cell left Left Arrow

One cell right Right Arrow

One cell up Up Arrow

One cell down Down Arrow

To top of worksheet (cell A1) Control Home

To last cell containing data Control End

To end of data in a column Control Down Arrow

57

To beginning of data in a column Control Up Arrow

To end of data in a row Control Right Arrow

To beginning of data in a row Control Left Arrow

Go To Command

A quick way to move a large distance on a worksheet is with the Go To command on the Edit menu. When you select the Go To command, a dialog box prompts you to identify the cell. Enter the cell reference and click OK or press Return.

Clearing Cell Contents

To clear the contents of a cell choose Clear from the Edit menu. Then, select what you want to clear from the cell: All, Formats, Contents, or Notes. Most frequently you will want to clear the Contents of a cell. Pressing theDelete key also clears the contents of cells.

Undoing Mistakes

If you make a terrible mistake and you accidentally delete important data. Use the Undo command on the Editmenu or the Undo tool to correct the mistake.

Copying and Moving Data

Copy selected data from one cell to another with the Copy and Paste commands, or with the Drag and Drop procedure. If you want to move data instead, use the Cut and Paste commands, or the Drag and Drop procedure.

These commands and procedures are described below.

Cut The Cut command extracts the selected data and puts it on the Clipboard, a temporary storage area. The contents of the Clipboard are overwritten with each copy or cut. Copy The Copy command puts a copy of the selected data on the Clipboard. Paste The Paste command inserts the Clipboards contents into the active cell. Selected data is replaced by pasted text. Drag and Drop

This procedure does not involve the Clipboard and works best when moving data a short distance. To move cells, position the mouse on the cell borders. Wait until the mouse changes to a left-pointing arrow. When the mouse is this shape, press and drag the data to the new location.

Formatting Data

58

Changing formats using the toolbar

In Excel, you can change text fonts and styles in the worksheet. Excel has a Formatting toolbar to simplify basic formatting tasks. The Formatting toolbar appears in the figure below.

The formatting toolbar has several tools you can use to change formats. The B button makes cells bold, the I button italicizes cells and the U button underlines. Use these buttons to turn formats off as well as on. For example, if cells are bold and you want to turn off that format, select the cells and click the B button. The toolbar also has buttons to change font and size.

Font tab in Format Cells

The formatting toolbar offers quick access to varying text formats. For a more complete selection of formatting options, use the Font tab in the Format Cells dialog box.

In the Font section you can select Font, Size, Style, Color and Effects. Notice the Preview area in the dialog box. This shows a preview of the font and style you select before you click the OK button.

59 Alignment

By default, Excel left-aligns labels and right-aligns values in a worksheet. You can change cell alignment using the toolbar or the Format Cells command.

The toolbar has text alignment icons next to the bold and italic icons. You can left-align, right-align, or center text within a cell using these buttons. Select the cell(s) you want to align and click the appropriate alignment button on the toolbar.

The toolbar also has a button that will center a label over a range of cells, for example centering a title over a report. To center data over a range of cells, select the cell you want to center and the

columns you want to center it over and click the Center over Cells button (shown at right).

Format Alignment command

You can also change the alignment of data within cells using the Alignment section of the Format Cells dialog. This dialog box also has options to change the orientation of text (i.e. sideways or vertical) and a box to wrap text within a cell.

Changing Numeric Formatting

To change the format of a number, choose the Cells command from the Format menu. In the Format Cells dialog box, Excel displays different tabs for various formatting types. To change numeric formats, click the Number tab. Select the category you want and then the actual format. For example, to display numbers as currency with two decimal places, select the Currency category, enter 2 for the number of decimal places, and select the appropriate currency symbol. Or to display a number as a percentage, choose the Percentage category and select the number of decimals you want to display.

60 Placing borders around cells The toolbar has a button for placing borders around cells. You can also use the Border section of the Format Cells dialog box, which provides more options. Select the cells you want a border on

and choose the desired format from either the toolbar or the Format Cells dialog box.

Shading cells To apply a specific pattern or color to a range of cells, use the Patterns section of the Format Cells dialog box. The sample area in the Patterns dialog box displays what the selected colors and patterns will look like. You can also apply a solid color using the Fill Color tool on the

Formatting toolbar.

Changing column width with the Format menu

To change column width using the Format menu, select the column or columns you wish to change and choose Column then Width. In the Column Width dialog box, type a number for the width of the column. The number represents the number of characters that can fit in the cell. The default column width is 10, which means a column is wide enough for ten, Helvetica 10-point characters. Choose Best Fit to automatically widen a column to accommodate the widest label, or click the Hide button to hide the column completely. Hiding columns is useful when you have data that you do not want to print.

* Changing row height is similar to changing column width. Select the row(s) you wish to change and choose Row then Height from the Format menu.

Changing column widths by dragging column borders

You can change column widths by dragging column borders with the mouse. Move the mouse pointer to the right hand border of the column you wish to change. The mouse pointer will change shape to a left and right pointing arrow as seen below.

Click and drag the mouse to adjust the column width. Note that when you are adjusting the width in this way, a numeric width indicator appears in the upper left part of the formula bar.

Formulas and Functions

Formulas and functions that perform calculations are the true power of spreadsheets.

61 Formulas

To build a formula, first select the cell in which you want the results to appear. In Excel, all formulas start with the = sign. After the = sign, type the cells you want to add or subtract along with the mathematical operation you wish to perform. For example, to add the January sales in the worksheet below, the formula would be =B3+B4+B5. If you want to subtract February Widget Sales from January Widget sales, the formula would be =B3-C3.

Building many formulas can quickly become tedious. Fortunately, the Copy command described earlier also works with formulas.

Copying Formulas

The easiest way to copy a formula is with the Fill Handle in the lower right corner of the cell. Create your initial formula and then position the mouse on the Fill Handle. When the mouse changes shape to a cross-hair, press and drag over the adjacent cells you want to copy the formula to.

SUM( ) function

The SUM( ) function is probably the most common function in Excel. It adds a range of numbers. To build a SUM( ) function, begin by typing the = sign; all functions begin with the = sign. Next type the word SUM followed by an open parenthesis. You must now tell Excel which cells to sum. Using the mouse, click and drag over the range of cells you wish to add. A dotted outline will appear around the cells and the cell range will be displayed in the formula bar. When you have the correct cells selected, release the mouse button, type a closing parenthesis and press the key.

If you do not want to use the mouse, type in the references of the cells you want to sum. For example, to add cells B3 through B5, type =SUM(B3:B5). Excel interprets B3:B5 as the range of cells from B3 to B5.

AutoSum button In Excel, the standard toolbar has a button that simplifies adding a column or row of numbers. The AutoSum button, which resembles the Greek letter Sigma (shown at right), automatically creates a SUM( ) function. When you click the AutoSum button Excel creates a sum function for the column of numbers directly above or the row of numbers to the left. Excel pastes the SUM( ) function and the range to sum into the formula bar. If the range is not correct, simply select the

62 proper range with your mouse on the worksheet. When you have the correct range entered, press

the key to complete the function.

Using the Insert Function Button The Insert Function Button is located by the Formula Bar. Click the Insert funtion button in to activate the Insert Function dialog window.

First, choose the Function Category you are interested in from the select a category drop down menu.

Then select the function you want in that category. When you have selected the proper function click OK.

In the Function Arguements dialog box you specify the cells the function will operate on, which are called its arguments. Select the cells with the mouse and click OK. Notice the creation of the function in the formula bar.

63

Adjusting Page Setup settings

Before you actually print a worksheet, you should provide Excel information about margins, headers, footers, and page orientation. You change these settings using the Page Setup option on the File menu.

The Page Setup dialog box, shown below, has controls for margins, page orientation, headers and footers and whether gridlines and row and column heading should be printed.

To change page margins

To change your margins, click the Margins tab, and enter the measurement for your margin, in inches, in the appropriate text box.

64 To change page orientation

If you want to change the orientation of the page from portrait (vertical) to landscape (horizontal) click the appropriate button in the Page Orientation section of the Page tab.

To change the header or footer

A header is text that prints at the top of each page. A footer is text that prints at the bottom of each page. Headers and footers often include the name of the file being printed or an alternative title, the date, page number, or additional descriptive information. To change the header or footer, click on the Header /Footer tab in the Page Setup dialog box. The current header and footer will appear at the top and bottom of the dialog box respectively. Click the Custom Header or Custom Footer button to change the existing header or footer.

The header and footer are divided into three sections (left, center and right). Press or to move from section of the header or footer to another.

Printing

Print preview Before you actually print, its a good idea to preview your output on the screen.Choose Print Preview on the File menu to preview your output on screen. Excels Print Preview screen displays how the document will print on the page, but it is difficult to actually read the text. Notice that the mouse pointer takes the shape of a magnifying glass. You can enlarge the printed image by clicking the Zoom button or by using the magnifying glass. Simply click the

magnifying glass on a part of the page you want to enlarge.

65 The Print Preview screen also has several buttons at the top of the screen for making adjustments. For example, the Setup button opens the Page Setup dialog box and the Margins button lets you change page margin and column widths to fit more information on one page.

If you are satisfied with how the output appears in the Print Preview screen, the Print button lets you send your output directly to the printer.

Sending your workbook to the printer Choosing the Print option on the File menu or clicking the Print button on the toolbar opens a dialog box that lets you change print settings and specify the number of copies to print. The Print

dialog box appears below.

Within the Print dialog box, you can select what you want to print, how many copies and which pages. For example, if you only want to print the selected cells, or the entire worksheet you can choose those options.

66 MS-POWERPOINT

Starting A Presentation

Start PowerPoint by either of two methods:

1. Go to the Start menu. Choose Programs and then click on Microsoft PowerPoint. 2. Double-click the icon of any PowerPoint document. When you double-click a

PowerPoint document, PowerPoint opens with the document already loaded.

A PowerPoint presentation consists of slides that can contain text, graphics, charts, and other data types. When you start PowerPoint, you can start with a blank presentation, or you can begin from a template or use the AutoContent Wizard.

The AutoContent Wizard is series of step-by-step instructions designed to assist you. The Template button accesses slide templates to help create a consistent, professional look for your slide presentation.

Choose Blank Presentation if you want to start with a clean slate. This method is recommended because it provides the most flexibility and lets you focus on content first rather than appearance.

67 After you choose Blank Presentation, select the layout of your slides from the New Slide dialog box. Choose from slides with titles and bullets, titles only, titles and clip art, and other options. For example, choose the Title Slide and click OK.

Save a PowerPoint Presentation

Changes you make to a document are not saved to disk until you issue a Save command. Saving is quick and easy, and you should save often to minimize the loss of your work. PowerPoint has two save commands, Save and Save As, that work similarly. Both commands are on the File menu.

Save

When you save a new presentation for the first time, PowerPoint displays a dialog box similar to the Open dialog box. Select the disk in which to save the presentation and specify a name for the file. When you save an existing document that you have been editing, the newly saved version replaces the older version.

Save As

68 This command displays a dialog box where you can choose a document name and destination folder or disk. Use the Save As command whenever you want to save a copy of the current document with a different name or in a different folder or disk. The newly saved copy becomes the active document

A presentation is normally saved as name.ppt file type. However, PowerPoint Show with the extension of name.pps is also a useful file type so that your file is able to run regardless of OS. You can also create your own template and save it as pot file.

Explore the PowerPoint Interface

Besides the usual window components, the PowerPoint window has several unique elements, identified in the figure below.

Standard Toolbar

The Standard toolbar, located beneath the menu bar, has buttons for commonly performed tasks like printing, saving, inserting clip art, and other operations. You can customize the toolbar or even display multiple toolbars at the same time.

69

Formatting toolbar

The Formatting toolbar, located beneath the Standard toolbar bar, or possible to the side of it, has buttons for various formatting operations like changing text size or style, changing alignment, formatting bullets, and animation.

Drawing Toolbar

The Drawing toolbar on the bottom of the PowerPoint window contains drawing and text tools for creating graphics.

PowerPoint Views

PowerPoint has three different views. Normal View provides a comprehensive view for each slide with notes and outline. Slide Sorter View displays multiple slides and lets you quickly change their order in the presentation. Finally, the Slide Show view is also called preview. It is used to run the whole presentation.

Use the three buttons at the bottom left of the window to change slide views. For example, you can switch from Normal view to Slide Sorter view by clicking one of these buttons.

Edit and Format a Slide

Enter and Edit Text in Outline View

PowerPoint's Outline Area lets you focus on the content of your presentation, by typing up the outline prior to laying the presentation out. After you type an outli