1. Productivity Programs Common Features and Commands
Suppose you want to create different types of documents to present different categories of information. You can use different types of productivity programs to store and present information. Most productivity programs provide features to perform some common tasks. For example, in most productivity programs, you can open and close a file, print a file, and insert, move, modify, and delete text and objects. To help you perform these common tasks, most productivity programs include some common features and commands and have a similar interface to make it easier for you to work with different programs.
In this lesson, you will learn about the common features and commands of various types of productivity programs. You will also learn about the main components of the user interface, keyboard shortcuts, and various key combinations.

2. Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify the main components of the interface.
Identify how to use commands on the menu bar.
Work with the buttons on the toolbar.
Work with the pointer in a program.
Work with text and characters in a program.
Use primary keyboard shortcuts and key combinations.

3. Introduction to the User Interface
Title bar
Menu bar
Toolbars
Work area
Scroll bars
Status bar
All productivity programs have a similar user interface. The user interface of the productivity programs designed to run on the Microsoft Windows® operating system have several common components, such as menu bar, toolbar, and scroll bar. These common components make it easier for you to work in a new program because you can apply what you learn about one program when you use other programs.
The illustration shows the following components of a common user interface:
The title bar is the horizontal bar that contains the name of the window. Most title bars also contain buttons to close, minimize, and resize the window.
The menu bar displays a list of commands that are grouped into sections. Some of these commands have images next to them, so that you can quickly associate the command with the image. This image is also on the button that corresponds to that command.
The toolbar is a block of buttons or menus that you can use to quickly perform common tasks.
The work area is the blank space within the program where you enter information.
Scroll bars are vertical and horizontal bars located at the side or at the bottom of a display area. You can use scroll bars to move to a specific location in the work area.

4. The Menu Bar
Most productivity programs contain menus that provide options to work easily in a program.
Each menu contains commands that allow you to perform different tasks.
All Windows programs contain a menu bar. A menu bar is a rectangular bar that displays a list of commands.
The menu bar has commands grouped in logical sections. For example, the File menu has commands to open, save, and close files; the Edit menu has commands to copy, paste, and delete selected text; and the Format menu has commands to change the appearance of the text.
The menu options mostly perform the same tasks across different programs. When you are familiar with the menus in one program, you can also work with the menus in other programs.
However, you may have some additional menus and commands in certain programs. These commands are specific to the tasks of that program.
You can use the standard menu commands, such as File, Edit, View, Format, and Help, in various programs.

5. The File Menu
The most frequently and commonly used menu is the File menu.
The File menu contains commands that help you create, open, close, save, and print a file.
The File menu contains commands that help you create, open, close, save, and print a file.

6. File Menu: Creating and Opening
New- creates a blank document or accesses templates.
Open- finds and opens an existing file.
Close- will close the open file, but not the entire program.
The New command is used to create a blank document or to access templates
You use the Open command on the File menu to locate and open an existing file in the program.
Similarly, the Close command closes only the file that is open, without closing the program.

7. File Menu: Saving a File
Save vs. Save As
You use the Save command to save the changes in the current file.
The Save As command can save a file in a new location or with a new name.
The File menu contains two commands for saving a file, Save and Save As. Both these commands help you save the changes made to the file. As a result, when you save the changes and open the same file again, you see the file with the changes. If you do not save a file, your changes are lost.
You use the Save command to save the changes in the current file. You can also use this command to save a file for the first time.
However, if you want to save an existing file with a different name or in a different location, you use the Save As command.

8. File Menu: Printing
When you select the Print command from the File menu, the Print dialog box appears.
When you select the Print command from the File menu, the Print dialog box appears.
The Print dialog box contains settings that you can adjust to suit your printing requirements.
You can select the printer, set margins, change the page orientation to horizontal, and specify the number of copies that you want to print.

9. The Edit Menu
You can use the Edit menu to make changes to the text in the file.
Some of the commonly used commands of this menu include Cut, Copy, Paste, Find, and Replace.
The Edit menu contains commands that help you modify the content of your file.
Some of the commonly used commands of this menu include Cut, Copy, Paste, Find, and Replace.
You may need to use these frequently when working with any type of file, be it a letter, a presentation, or a newsletter.

10. Edit Menu: Cut, Copy, Paste
The Copy and Paste commands to make copies of portions of a file without making changes to the original item.
You use the Cut command and the Paste command to move portions of a file from one location to another.
When you use the Cut command, the program will store a copy of your highlighted text on its clipboard.
When you select the Paste command, this text will be deleted from the original location and inserted at the new one.

11. Edit Menu: Find and Replace
The Edit menu also includes the Find and Replace commands. These commands help you to easily find specific text, symbols, and formatting anywhere in a file, especially when it is several pages long.
The Find command helps you to locate specific text in a file.
The Replace command helps you to replace specific text within the file with different text that you specify.
This is particularly useful when you want to locate an incorrect word in your file and replace it with the correct word.

12. The View Menu
This menu contains commands that help you view your file in different layouts.
Normal
Print
Web Layout
You can use the Zoom command to enlarge or reduce the view of your file contents.
View is another menu that contains commands that are common to many programs.
This menu contains commands that help you view your file in different layouts.
Normal, Web Layout, Print Layout, Zoom, and Toolbars are some of the common commands of the View menu.
The Normal view simplifies the layout of a file so that you can type and edit quickly.
The Print layout displays the file as it appears on the printed page.
You can use the Web Layout command to see how a file appears in a Web browser.
Zoom is another command used in most productivity programs.
You can use the Zoom command to enlarge or reduce the view of your file contents. This allows you to view an item clearly within the file.

13. The Format Menu and Font
Formatting helps you to change the look of items within the file.
This dialog box contains several settings that you can adjust to define the appearance of text in a file.
The Format menu, available in most of the productivity programs, contains commands that help you to change the look of items within the file.
This menu typically includes commands that help you define the style, size, and color of the objects in your file.
The Font command on the Format menu is a frequently used command. When you click this command, the Font dialog box appears. This dialog box contains several settings that you can adjust to define the appearance of text in a file.
In the font dialog box, you can increase or decrease the point size of the selected text. You can change the style and color of the selected text. You can also change the appearance of the text by using bold, italics, and underline options available in this dialog box. Moreover, you can see a preview of how the modified text appears in the Preview space.

14. Tools and Help Spelling and Grammar check
Language: Dictionaries and the Thesaurus
The Help system
Whenever you work with text in a file, proofreading becomes necessary. Most productivity programs provide commands that you can use to proofread your file.
One of the very useful features of productivity tools is the spelling checker. This feature helps you locate and correct spelling and grammatical errors in your file. You can also specify the dictionary that the program uses to check spellings by using the Language command.
Most programs include a help file that provides documentation about the program. You can also use the online help system for finding more updates and information about a particular topic.

15. Toolbars
When you work with a program, you may need to use certain commands frequently. Instead of using the commands from the menu bar, you can directly access the commonly used commands by clicking the corresponding buttons on the toolbar.
These command buttons are grouped together in a section of the toolbar. When you click a button, the corresponding command runs. Therefore, you can use the toolbar to run commands quickly. For example, the toolbar in a word processor includes buttons for changing the appearance of selected text to italic, bold, and underline.
The illustration shows the following toolbar buttons:
New, Open, and Save buttons allow you to create a new file, open an existing file, and save a file.
Font and Font Size buttons allow you to select the font type and the font size from a list.
Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons allow you to cut, copy, and paste text.
Bold, Italic, and Underline buttons allow you to change the appearance of the text in a document.
Notice that the icons that appear on the toolbars
In this topic, you will learn to use the commonly used toolbar buttons. For the purpose of the exercise in this topic, consider that you have finished creating a document with the announcement guidelines for the School of Fine Art. You now want to make changes to the document by using the common toolbar buttons.
You can customize the toolbar to include commands that you use most frequently. In addition, in most programs, you can place the toolbar anywhere on the screen according to your preference.

16. Toolbars
Toolbars contain and organize frequently used buttons for quick access.
You can use this checklist to decide which toolbars will appear or remain hidden in your window.
Toolbars are one of the most important components of programs–they contain and organize frequently used buttons for quick access.
These buttons represent some of the frequently used commands required when working with a file.
Most productivity programs provide a set of common toolbars, such as Standard and Formatting.
The View menu also includes a command to add or view different toolbars available in a productivity program.
When you move your pointer over the Toolbars option in the View menu, you will see a checklist of all the toolbars available to use in your program.
You can use this checklist to decide which toolbars will appear or remain hidden in your window. Just click next to the name of any toolbar to check or uncheck the selection.

17. Toolbars
Notice that the icons that appear on your toolbars are the same as those listed under all the different menu options.
When you apply a command from a toolbar button, it works exactly the same as selecting that command from under a menu.
The toolbar just groups commonly used commands together to make them easier to find.
When you apply a command from a toolbar button, it works exactly the same as selecting that command from under a menu.
Notice that the icons that appear on your toolbars are the same as those listed under the menus options.

18. The Pointer
When you are working with a program, it is important to place the insertion point at the place where you need to add text or graphics. The insertion point is a blinking vertical bar on the screen that marks the location at which the inserted text appears. You can also use the insertion point to select text or graphics in a document. The mouse pointer is an on-screen arrow or other shape that moves when you move the mouse or other pointing device.
You change the location of the pointer by moving the mouse. This helps you to quickly move the pointer within a document and select different commands and text. The area of the screen where the pointer appears is the target for an action when you press one of the mouse buttons. By moving the pointer and then clicking the mouse button, you specify the new location of the insertion point. For example, when working with a word processor, such as Word, you can specify the location of the insertion point by moving the pointer to that location, and then clicking the left button of the mouse. You also use the pointer to point to a menu or button and to select text or graphics in a program.

19. The Pointer
Clicking on a misspelled word will bring up a context-sensitive menu including spelling suggestions and other language options.
When you see the text cursor blinking, you know that you are ready to type.
If not, use your pointer to click on the page in order to begin typing.
Similarly, if you use the right mouse button to click on a word, you will see a shortcut menu that presents you with the command options you are most likely to use in that context.
Double-clicking on a word will let you highlight the entire word. Once you have selected your text, you can replace it with something else simply by typing in the new text.
In this topic, you will learn to use the mouse pointer to navigate within a document and make changes to the text. For the purpose of the exercise in this topic, consider that you have finished creating a document with announcement guidelines for the School of Fine Art. Now, you want to use the mouse pointer to navigate within the document and make changes in the text
The following table contains the steps of an online simulation.

20. Selecting or Highlighting Text
To be more specific, hold down the left mouse button at the beginning of the text you want to select–don’t let go!—and drag the pointer until the text you want is selected.
Once your text is selected, you are ready to cut or copy your selection, check it for spelling errors, or change the font or formatting.
You can select an entire line or paragraph by clicking on it 3 times in a row.

21. Working with Text and Characters
You use a keyboard to enter information into a computer.
The ENTER key completes an action or runs a command.
The SPACEBAR will insert a space between two words.
You use a keyboard to enter information into a computer. To enter information, you must first define where to place the information, and then press the appropriate keys.
You can use the ENTER key to instruct the computer to complete an action. Based on the type of program, you can also use the ENTER key to run a command. In some productivity programs, such as a word processor, pressing the ENTER key ends one line of text and then starts a new line of text.
You can use the SPACEBAR to enter a space character. For example, you can press the SPACEBAR to insert a space between two words.

22. Working with Text and Characters
The SHIFT key can capitalize letters.
Holding down the SHIFT key will let you select text using the arrow keys.
The SHIFT key is also used to create special symbols, like the question mark (?).
You can use the SHIFT key in combination with another key to give the other key an alternative function. For example, you press the SHIFT key in combination with any letter key to type an uppercase version of that letter.
The SHIFT key is also used in various key combinations to create nonalpha-numeric characters, such as a parenthesis, or to perform special operations. For example, you can use the SHIFT key in combination with the UP ARROW or the DOWN ARROW keys to select data.
You can press the CAPS LOCK key to type all alphabetic characters on your keyboard in uppercase. This is much easier than holding down the SHIFT key the entire time that you are typing an entire sentence in uppercase. The CAPS LOCK key does not affect numbers, punctuation marks, or functional keys.

23. Advanced Keyboard Techniques
Function keys can perform special tasks in different programs.
Navigation keys control the movement of the insertion point.
The ESC key can take you back out of a program.
Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that help you quickly perform an action.
You use the function keys for special tasks in different programs. For example, you use the F1 key to display the Help file associated with a program. The tasks of the function keys are specific to each program.
For example, when you press the F5 key in PowerPoint, it starts a slide show, whereas when you press the same key in Word, it displays the Find and Replace dialog box.
You use the navigation keys to control the movement of the insertion point. These keys include HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN and four arrow keys.
The HOME key usually moves the insertion point to the start of a line or a document.
The END key moves the insertion point to the end of a line or a document.
The PAGE UP and the PAGE DOWN keys move the insertion point up or down, one screen at a time. The number of lines that it moves will vary depending on the size of your monitor. You can also use the four arrow keys to move the insertion point vertically or horizontally on the display screen.
You can use the ESC key to move back one level in the menu structure.
Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations usually involving command keys (like ctrl or alt) that help you quickly perform an action without using the menus or toolbar icons.
For example, you can press CTRL+P to print the current document by using the default printer settings.
While working with different programs, you may have to insert special characters and symbols. On a standard keyboard, you do not have dedicated keys for specific characters and symbols.
For example, you may want to enter the copyright symbol in a document. There is no dedicated key for it. However, you can insert special characters by using a combination of specific keys on a standard keyboard.
To enter the copyright symbol, you can press ALT You need to press the numbers on the numeric keypad.

24. Assessment: Common Features and Commands
Productivity programs are designed for specific tasks.
All menus are common across programs.
All productivity programs do not have a user interface.
The menu bar has files grouped in logical sections.
You can also save new versions of an existing document.
The menu bar is a part of the user interface.
You can customize the appearance of the toolbar.
A toolbar contains buttons of frequently used files.
You can often copy and paste text in different programs.
True
False

25. Questions