GoBe Productive - Word Processing

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By default, the application places left-aligned tab stops every 1/2 inches.

GoBe Productive - Word Processing

A word processing document is a text-based environment. Word processing documents are ideal for letters, reports, books, proposals and anything where a lot of text is used.

Character vs. Paragraph Formatting
There are two "levels" of formatting: paragraph formatting and character formatting.
Changing the size, color, and font of individual letters and numbers is character formatting. Changing the indentation, alignment, and line spacing is paragraph formatting. Character formatting only affects the characters you select to format. Paragraph formatting affects an entire paragraph, regardless of how many characters you select in the paragraph.

Formatting Text Appearance
The default font is probably a little plain, so let's dress up the color, size, and text style. Font formatting is character formatting so only the characters you select are formatted.

1. Select a block of text.
2. Click and hold on the Text Font tool in the FormatBar.
3. A list of all the available fonts is displayed. The display shows how each font looks, so it is just for you to select the font you like.

Next, change the size of that text.

1. Make sure the text is still selected.
2. Click and hold on the Text Size tool in the FormatBar. A list of point sizes is displayed.
3. Select a point size for the text and release the mouse button.

Last, add some color to the text.

1. Select some text.
2. Click and hold on the Text Color tool in the FormatBar.
3. Beside the button, a small popup menu appears. The menu displays three buttons that represent different types of text fill.
   - Color
   - Pattern
   - Gradient
4. If you position the cursor over these buttons, a palette of default colors is displayed. Select a color, pattern, or gradient from the palette.

If you want to fine tune a color, pattern, or gradient, "tear-off" the text color tool and create a floating palette. You may then customize any color, pattern, or gradient.

Paragraph Alignment
Alignment is a paragraph formatting feature, so that when you change the alignment of any word or letter in a paragraph, the entire paragraph is aligned that way.

1. Position the I-beam cursor anywhere in a paragraph.
2. Using the alignment buttons on the word processing PartBar, click the alignment you want. By default, all paragraphs are left aligned.

You can also set these and other paragraph formatting options using the Paragraph format dialog box. To access this dialog box, select Paragraph from the Format menu.

Paragraph Indents
Like alignment, paragraph indents are also a paragraph formatting feature. Changing the indent properties of one word or letter in a paragraph will change the entire paragraph.

- If you drag the Left Margin Marker, all selected paragraphs move to be aligned to that marker.
- If you drag the First Line Marker, the first line of all selected paragraphs will move to align to that marker.
- Likewise, the Right Margin Marker changes the right alignment of all selected paragraphs.

You can also set these and other paragraph formatting options using the Paragraph format dialog box. To access this dialog box, select Paragraph from the Format menu.

Using Tabs
Tabs are an easy way to display text in a columnar format or offset text with some extra white space. Moreover, you can use tabs to align text in different ways.

For example, one of the most common uses for tabs is to create a left and right aligned header for pages.

1. From the Document menu, select Insert Header. A header frame is inserted at the top of the page.
2. Position your cursor in the header frame.
3. Type My Report, and press [TAB].
4. From the Format menu, select Insert Page #. This inserts the current page number.
5. Position the cursor in the rule and click once. A small triangle appears. This is a tab stop.
6. Double-click on the new triangle. The Edit Tab dialog box is displayed. This dialog box allows you to modify the location and alignment of tab stops.
7. In the Tab Type box, select the Right option. In the Tab Fill box, make sure none is filled.
8. Click OK.
9. Drag the tab stop triangle over to the far right margin. The text moves and aligns to the right side of the page.

This is one simple example of how to use tab stops. Using the Tab Fill and position you can create all types of layouts.

Checking Your Spelling
The Spelling checker helps clean up your text.

1. From the Document menu, select Spell Check.
2. From the Spell Check submenu, select how you want to begin checking your spelling. The Start From Topoption will begin spell checking at the very first line of the document (or text frame). The Start from Cursor begins the spell checking at where ever the cursor is located.
3. The Spell Checking Bar is displayed. This bar contains buttons to control the spell checking process.
4. Click Begin to start spell checking.
5. When a a misspelled word is discovered, suggestions are displayed in a drop-down list beside the Replace button.
6. Select the replacement you want and click Replace. The misspelled word is replaced and the spell checking resumes.

Not all words the spell checker identifies as misspelled are truly wrong. Technical words, jargon, acronyms, and other terms may not be in the dictionary. If you want to add a word to your user dictionary, click Learnwhen the system highlights the word.

Making a Text Style
Professional writers never write a long document without using styles. Styles are a great way to define a common look for a document. For example, when you start a new section in a document, you probably want to have a heading for the new section. By defining a Heading style, you can have a pre-defined format to apply to text so all your headings will look the same.

- Type some text and format it exactly as you want. Remember to set all the paragraph and character settings.
- From the Styles menu tool, select New Style...; A New Style dialog box is displayed.
- Type in a Style Name.
- Click and hold Style Type. If you want the style to appear in ALL document types, select Basic. If you want the style to appear in only word processing documents, select Basic Paragraph.
- Check the Copy formatting from selection box. This instructs the application to copy the formatting properties from the text you selected. If you leave this option unchecked, the application creates a new "blank" style.
- Click OK.

The Style tool now lists your new style. You can now select any text in a document, apply the style, and all the formatting options you had established for the style are applied to the selected text.

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