NAME: ORAPA NICHOLAS

REG NO: 10/U/426

STUDENT NO: 210001346
PROGRAMME: BSC.AGRIC
COURSE: INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

Course Code: AEN 1202

Course Description:
This is a hands-on course that introduces

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................................................1
......................................................................................................................................6
...............................................................................................................................................6
COURSE CONTENT AND METHOD OF INSTRUCTION........................................................................7
1.5.3 The CPU...............................................................................................................................................................13
2.0 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................19
Desktop: This is your work space on the computer screen.......................................................................21
Document: This is a file you create when you save your work in a program...........................................21
Icon: This is a picture representing a program, disk, drive, folder, file or other item. For example on a
toolbar there are icons representing various functions and program files................................................21
Internet: This is a world wide network of computers. If you have access to the internet, you can retrieve
information from millions of sources such as institutions, government offices, businesses and
individuals connected to the internet.........................................................................................................21
World Wide Web (The Web): This is a graphical, multimedia portion of the internet. It consists of
millions of web pages...............................................................................................................................21
Web page: This is a location of the World Wide Web, usually part of a web site. You need a web
browsing soft ware to explore the web. Examples of such soft ware include Internet Explorer, Netscape
Navigator etc.............................................................................................................................................21
Web browsing software: This is software you use to explore the World Wide Web...............................21
Website: This is a group of related web pages..........................................................................................21
Log on: This is to identify your self and gain access to a computer. You will encounter this when
starting up your computer. You will be asked to type in the user name and password............................21
Cursor: A blinking character on the screen that shows where the next character will appear..................21
Menu: A list of commands that appear on top of your window................................................................21
Window: The rectangular portion of your screen that displays on open program or contents of a folder
or disk. You can have multiple windows open at the same time..............................................................21
Mouse pointer: This is usually an arrow that appears on your screen and is controlled by the movement
of the mouse. The mouse moves the pointer in order to work with menus, icons, links and other screen
objects.......................................................................................................................................................21
My Computer: This is a feature which can be used to manage files stored in your computer or network
driver. It has an Icon that appears on the desktop.....................................................................................21
Path: Is the means of navigating to a specific location on a computer or network. A path can include a
disk drive, labels, folder names, Directory names and a file name...........................................................21
Taskbar: This is a tool used to open programs and navigate your computer. It is usually found at the
bottom of your screen. The taskbar contains the start button, toolbars, a clock and other features.
Buttons on the taskbar show you which windows are open, even if some windows are minimized or

1
 hidden beneath another window. You can easily switch to a different window by clicking its taskbar
button........................................................................................................................................................22
Toolbar: This is a set of buttons you click to perform common tasks......................................................22
Browse: This refers to navigation of the internet or the contents of your computer................................22
Client: This is a computer that connects to another central computer called a server..............................22
Server: This is a computer that controls user’s access to a network. A server stores and controls shared
resources that can be used by other computers called clients...................................................................22
Default: This is a predefined setting.........................................................................................................22
Dialog box: This is a window in which you provide information to a program.......................................22
2.2 Starting your computer............................................................................................................................22
2.3 The Start Button......................................................................................................................................22
2.4 Using the Desktop...................................................................................................................................23
2.4.1 My Computer icon...........................................................................................................................23
2.4.2 Recycle bin.......................................................................................................................................23
2.6 Starting and quitting Programs...............................................................................................................23
2.7 Managing Files and Folders....................................................................................................................23
2.7.1 Creating Folders...............................................................................................................................23
2.7.2 Finding Files and Folders ................................................................................................................24
2.7.3 Opening Files and Folders...............................................................................................................24
2.7.4 Renaming Files and Folders.............................................................................................................24
2.7.5 Copying and Moving files................................................................................................................24
2.7.6 Deleting Files...................................................................................................................................24
2.7.7 Working with frequently used files..................................................................................................25
Click on Desktop (Create Shortcut)................................................................................................................................25
With a word processor one can;.....................................................................................................................................29
Read and revise a document on screen...........................................................................................................................29
Change the formatting to get the desired visual effect....................................................................................................29
Increase productivity by automating..............................................................................................................................29
Improve proof reading....................................................................................................................................................29
Produce as many copies as needed.................................................................................................................................29
Save a document and work on it later.............................................................................................................................29
Some of the best known word processing packages are;................................................................................................29
3.1 Creating a document...............................................................................................................................29
3.1.1 Running MS-Word...........................................................................................................................29
Sample text developed using Word................................................................................................................................31
......................................................................................................................................................................................31
By typing the text in the document window you have created a document....................................................................31
3.1.2 Editing a document..........................................................................................................................31
You must be familiar with the difficulties you face while making written communication. Whether it is a letter to a
friend or any other piece of writing, you usually feel that the first draft is not quite good. You wish you could make
some changes to it like replacing some words with more appropriate ones. Or you might also desire to change the order
of some sentences so that your composition reads more coherently. All these changes are not possible on paper without
making the article look untidy. Your other option is to rewrite the whole thing.............................................................31
With a word processor like Word, many of the problems above can be solved with minimum effort. You can open a
document and modify it the way you want. Changes in a Word document can be made using the Edit features;..........31
3.2 Formatting text and paragraphs...............................................................................................................32
3.2.1 Font..................................................................................................................................................32
3.2.2 Aligning text....................................................................................................................................33
3.2.3 Features available on the tool bar.....................................................................................................33
Indenting text.................................................................................................................................................................33
Bolding text (B)..............................................................................................................................................................33
Italics (I).........................................................................................................................................................................33
Underline (U).................................................................................................................................................................33
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Bulleted lists...................................................................................................................................................................33
Numbered lists...............................................................................................................................................................33
Undoing and redoing......................................................................................................................................................33
Screen size......................................................................................................................................................................33
Copying..........................................................................................................................................................................33
Pasting............................................................................................................................................................................33
Printing...........................................................................................................................................................................33
Saving a file...................................................................................................................................................................33
Opening a file.................................................................................................................................................................33
Spelling and grammar....................................................................................................................................................33
New blank document......................................................................................................................................................33
3.3 Find and replace text...............................................................................................................................33
4.4 Working with tables................................................................................................................................33
4.4.1 Inserting a table................................................................................................................................34
4.4.2 Deleting a table or row or column or cell........................................................................................34
4.4.3 Other features...................................................................................................................................34
For the text in the table, the following can be done; ......................................................................................................34
Bolding...........................................................................................................................................................................34
Italics..............................................................................................................................................................................34
Underlining....................................................................................................................................................................34
Alignment......................................................................................................................................................................34
Changes in font..............................................................................................................................................................34
Merging cells..................................................................................................................................................................34
4.5 Saving and printing a document..............................................................................................................34
4.5.1 Saving...............................................................................................................................................34
4.5.2 Printing.............................................................................................................................................34
5.0 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................65
5.1 MS-Excel................................................................................................................................................65
5.1.1 Running Excel..................................................................................................................................65
5.1.2 The Excel Worksheet.......................................................................................................................66
5.1.3 Getting Help.....................................................................................................................................67
5.1.4 Building a Simple Spreadsheet........................................................................................................67
5.1.5 Formatting spreadsheets...................................................................................................................69
5.1.6 Introduction to charts.......................................................................................................................71
To create a database................................................................................................................................141
Viewing tables.............................................................................................................................................142
Datasheet view............................................................................................................................................142
To create a table using the Table Wizard................................................................................................144
Navigating in the table................................................................................................................................145
Changing a table in Design view................................................................................................................147
To add a field to a table...........................................................................................................................147
To rename a field to your table...............................................................................................................147
Setting a data type.......................................................................................................................................148
To set a data type ...................................................................................................................................148
Setting field properties................................................................................................................................149
To set field properties.............................................................................................................................149
To add data to a table..............................................................................................................................149
Deleting data from a table...........................................................................................................................150
Sorting records............................................................................................................................................150
To sort records........................................................................................................................................150
Creating forms.............................................................................................................................................151
To create a form......................................................................................................................................151
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 Navigating a form.......................................................................................................................................153
Finding records in a form............................................................................................................................153
To find a record.......................................................................................................................................153
To create a select query in Design view..................................................................................................154
To run a query.........................................................................................................................................155
Setting a parameter for your query..............................................................................................................155
To create a parameter query....................................................................................................................155
To run a parameter query........................................................................................................................156
To create a new report.............................................................................................................................157
To insert a picture in a report..................................................................................................................162
To adjust the position of the picture........................................................................................................163
To create a Data Access Page using the Page Wizard............................................................................163
To change the theme of a page................................................................................................................164
Saving a Data Access Page.........................................................................................................................164
To save a Data Access Page....................................................................................................................164
To open a Data Access Page...................................................................................................................165
Adding live data from the Web to a database.............................................................................................165
To save a Web page................................................................................................................................165
To make a Web page into a Data Access Page.......................................................................................165
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................167
Exploring the Internet.................................................................................................................................167
Useful Buttons in surfing the Net...............................................................................................................168

students to computer technologies and applications and equips them with basic skills
to use up to date computer software for word processing, communication, e learning,
presentation, information processing and other functions.

Contact Hours
Lecture hours: 10 contact hours
Practical hours: 40 hours (1 practical hour =1/4 contact hour)
Total hours: 50 contact hours

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE:

The overall objective of this course is to enable students develop an understanding of

the principles and theory behind computer technologies and applications, to develop
skills in using the computer to collect, analyze and edit data and to manipulate,
process, present and communicate information to different sectors to the agricultural/
rural society.

Specifically through this course the student will be able to:

• Create, edit and format word processing files for the purpose of producing
assignment, research reports, and letters and email messages.
• Know some basic computer trouble shooting tips
• Use the Internet to browse for information and download files and programs.
• Use email software to send and receive messages and attachments.
• Perform file management of a variety of files and back these files up on both
magnetic and optical removable media.
• Use spreadsheet software to manage financial and research data, and perform a
basic statistical analysis of research data.
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 • Use spreadsheet software to create and modify graphical charts.
• Create PowerPoint presentations that are composed of both text and graphical
information.

MAIN READING LIST FOR THE COURSE:

1. Bucki A. Lisa (2005). Learning computer applications projects and
exercises. Prentice hall
2. Katsaropoulos, C. & Skintik, C. (2001). Learning to create a web page with
Microsoft XP. Prentice hall
3. Shelly B. Gary and Vermaat E. Misty. (2001). Discovering computers.
Thompson course technology.
4. Patterson A. David and Hennessy L. John (2004). Computer organization
and Design: The Hardware/ Software Interface. Morgan Kaufmann.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENTS NEEDED:

These include the following
• Laptop/ computer for lecturer
• Computers for students
• Small tool box
• Power point projector
• Printer to print out handouts

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6
COURSE CONTENT AND METHOD OF INSTRUCTION

Table 1

7
TOPIC CONTENT METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
Introduction to • Definition of • 2 hrs of interactive lecture led by
Computers computer the instructor allowing students to
• Characteristics of contribute through questions and
computer lecture notes. In the lecture, the
• Generation of students will get to discuss the
computers following: What a computer is,
• Classification of characteristics of computer,
computers generation and classification of
• Major parts of computers, major parts of
computer computer, storage devices,
computer application packages,
• Storage devices
what a computer virus is, disk
• Computer Application
operating system and what
packages
directories and sub directories are.
• Computer virus
• 1hr of practical led by the
• Disk operating instructor to give students an
system (DOS) opportunity to disassemble a
• Directories and sub- computer and observe its different
directories components

Introduction to • Getting started with • To provide a handout to students

Windows windows giving them details about the
• Windows basics windows operating system
• Program manager • 1 hour lecture led by the instructor
• Starting an to explore the principles upon
application which windows XP is designed and
• Reducing an the specific components involved
application window to in the system
an icon • 3 hours practical led by the
• Windows explorer instructor to enable students
• Renaming a file/ understand how to: create a
folder document using word pad,
organize the contents of the hard
• Creating a directory/
drive using the windows explorer,
folder
communicate instantly with others
using windows messenger, create
an efficient work environment by
using the Control Panel and
Accessibility programs, clean up
the system by using My Computer
and the Recycle Bin
Overview on the • Using different • 1 hour lecture led by the instructor
Internet and the Search strategies and on strategies and techniques used
internet explorer techniques to find to search for information on the
information internet. This will include but not
• Search engines and limited to the words to be used to
directories for finding describe a topic, how to limit a
needed information search and what sources to use for
• Information gateways searching, search syntax, search
and virtual libraries math and Boolean logic.
• Finding specific types • 1 hour lecture led by the instructor
of information on search engines and directories,
information gateways and virtual 8
• Using email
libraries and finding specific types
of information. Through this
Method of Evaluation:
Students’ final course grade will be based upon the accumulated point scores from the
following course components:
Table 2
Maximum
Course Component Score (%)
Course works and
Tests 40
Final Exam 60
Total Score 100

Examination:

The purpose of the examination is to evaluate a student’s understanding of the course

material and his ability to apply the concepts and methodologies to practical
problems.

THEME 1: INTRODUCTON TO COMPUTERS

Objectives
At the end of theme 1, students should be able to
• Know the definition and origin of the computer
• Identify types of personal computers
• Identify the common components of a personal computer
• Be able to perform some basic trouble shooting operations for the computer.
• Know how to use the Disk Operating System (DOS)

Unit 1.1 WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

Definition:

A computer is an electronic machine fed with data, processes, stores, and retrieves it
at a high speed with accuracy and it is versatile. But remember “Garbage in Garbage
out (GIGO)” You can use a computer to type documents, send email, and surf the
Internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting, database
management, presentations, games, and more.

Whether you realize it or not, computers play an important role in our lives. When
you withdraw cash from an ATM, scan groceries at the store, or use a calculator,
you're using a type of computer.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPUTER:

i) SPEED: The computer is capable of performing more than 50,000 manipulations

per second.
ii) DILIGENCE: The computer is capable of performing repetitive routines/tasks over
and over without getting bored, tired and without errors.
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 iii) MEMORY/STORAGE: The computer has the ability to store programs in its memory
and this makes it work independent of human intervention during processing tasks.
iv) ACCURACY: The computer achieves a very high degree of accuracy when
computing numbers: e.g. the variable Pie is given the value 3.1428 but a computer
can calculate it to half a million decimal places
v) VERSATILITY: The Computer is capable of performing almost any kind of task
provided the said tasks are having a program to control them.
vi) DELICACY: Any computer device must be handled with care.

Unit 1.2 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS:

Computers, as data processing tools were developed long ago. Today, we have four
distinct generations of electronic computers that are definable; however this evolution
is still going on.

1.2.1 1st Generation Computers:

Developed between (1951 – 1958): they basically used Punched cards for in put and
out put. The main storage consisted of magnetic drums; their speed of operation was
timed in milliseconds (10-3 of a sec.) They characteristically generated a lot of heat and
were very bulky. Programming was done using machine language.

1.2.2 2nd Generation Computers:

Developed between 1958- 1964; they used both punched cards and magnetic tapes
for input and output. The main storage consisted of magnetic core, which was
expandable; their speed of operation was times in microseconds (10-6 of an esc.) They
generated less heat as compared to their predecessors; the hardware was also bulky.

1.2.3 3rd Generation of Computers:

Developed between 1964-1971; they used simple integrated circuits (ICs); the main
storage consisted of micro circuits printer on silicon chips; their speed of operation
was timed in Nanoseconds (10-9 of a sec.) Typically, the development of the IBM 360
and 1900 series dominated the market.

1.2.4 4th Generation Computers:

Developed between 1971 – late ‘80s; these are the computers we use today; they
typically consist Large Scale Integrated circuits and Very Large Scale Integrated
Circuits (LSIC & VLSICS); their speed of operation was timed in Picoseconds (10-12 of a
esc.)

1.2.5 5th Generation of Computers: (1990 -?)

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There are many predictions that by the year 2000 computers developed will be able to
converse with people in human like manner and that they will be able to mimic human
senses, manual skills and intelligence; they will need more complex Integrated Circuits
and programming languages.

Assignment: Look at the images of all generations of computers

1.3 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS:

Computer can be classified by Size, Type of logic they use and by Purpose they were
developed for.

1.3.1 Size:

In terms of this, Computers are classified into 3 groups: Main frames Minicomputers
and Microcomputers.

A mainframe is a very large and expensive computer usually housed in a computer

centre because it requires a special support staff and environment. They are mainly
used in large businesses, governmental organizations or academic situations because
they support multi-users (over 100 users at a time). In Uganda, UPTL uses it.
Their memory capacities range from 10mb onwards.

A microcomputer (at times called Personal Computers –PCs) is small one-user

computers, which are relatively inexpensive and do not require special environment
and knowledge. They are portable hence mostly used in offices and homes. Their
memory capacities range from 64KB – 640KB.

A minicomputer is the size between the mainframe and the Microcomputer. Their
memory capacity range between 500KB and 3MB and mainly used in computerized
manufacturing/Assembly plants.
NB: this clear-cut definition of computer classification is loosing its meaning due to
the rapid technological developments. We now have PCs with (10 – 20 Mb) main
memory (RAM) as a common feature, Laptops and Notebook computers which can fit
in a briefcase have over 4MB of RAM; this has made the idea of Minicomputers to fade
out.

1.3.2 Types of logic

In terms of this, computers are classified as Analog and Digital. The former calculates
by counting using the Binary System while the later calculates by comparing the
relationship between two physical entities (i.e. a continuously varying phenomenon) –
hence analog computers are basically measuring machines: - Voltmeters, Ammeters,
Speedometers, Thermometers, etc. are example.

1.3.3 Purpose they were developed for:

11
In terms of this, computers are classified as Special purpose and General Purpose. The
former is designed only for one particularly task e.g. Rocket launching, Medical
research while the later is designed to perform a variety of tasks.
In special purpose computers, the sequence of micro operations is fixed like in
controlled light systems in cities: while it’s the reverse for general-purpose computers.

1.4 MAJOR PARTS OF A COMPUTER:

A computer is divided into two major parts:

• Hardware
• Software
Hardware refers to physical parties of a computer. This involves all the tangible and
visible parts. Examples can include mechanical, electrical and electronic circuits in the
systems unit, like disk drives, printers, screen, mouse, joystick, keyboard, etc.

Software refers to programs that run a computer i.e. is any set of instructions that
performs some task on a computer.
Diagrammatically a computer can be represented as below:
Figure 1
COMPUTER

HARDWARE SOFTWARE

INPUT CPU OUTPUT SYSTEM APPLICATION

UNIT UNIT S/WARE S/WARE
1.5 THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER HARDWARE:

These are three; - Input unit

- Central Processing unit (CPU)
- Output unit

LOGICAL STRUCTURE OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM FEATURING THE HARDWARE

Figure 2

THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

12
 ARITHMETIC & LOGIC UNIT (ALU)

OUTPUT
INPUT INTERNAL MEMORY
UNIT (RAM&ROM) UNIT

CONTROL UNIT

KEY:
Flow of Data
Flow of Instruction
Flow of Control

1.5.1 The Input unit:

This consists of the devices responsible for feeding a computer with data. These can
include keyboard, Joystick, Light pen, Scanner, disk drives, mouse, etc.

A device is a machine or unit used to perform a data processing function besides it

being under the control of the CPU, it also plays a significant role to the computer
system in terms of processing.
All that is fed into the computer has to be converted into the binary code. As already
stated, a computer is an electronic machine. This means it can only “understand” the
ON or OFF language, where 0 stands for “OFF” and 1 for “ON” electronically.
Base two (Binary system) has only two digits i.e. 0 and 1(Bits). The word BITS is got
from Binary Digits.

1.5.2 The Output unit:

This consists of devices responsible for providing the results from the computer.
Examples can include Screen/monitor/visual Display Unit, Printers, Plotters, speakers,
etc.

Before the processed information is given out, it has to be converted into the human
language from the machine code.

1.5.3 The CPU

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is made up of three elements, namely The
Arithmetic & Logic Unit (ALU), The Internal memory (ROM & RAM) and The Control
Unit.

i) The internal memory:

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This functions as a “store” – It holds the sequence of programs necessary to solve a
particular task. This internal memory is categorized into two: -
• ROM (Read Only Memory) – This is a section of the memory placed in the computer
by the manufacturer. It gives the CPU the startup process. In other word, it stores
the hard-wired information and the computer operator has no access to this
memory.
• RAM (Random Access Memory)- This is the computer’s Main memory some times
referred to as Primary memory. This is the memory available for storing the
instructions that are to be manipulated. This is the type of memory, which can be
accessed with ease at any one time (Randomly). RAM only exists when the
computer is turned on; it is therefore Volatile (i.e. it loses its contents when power
is turned off)
It is divided into four parts to store:
a) Program instructions
b) Inputs (Raw data)
c) Intermediate results from processing
d) Final results of processing for out
If a computer has a big memory, its speed tends to be high leaving other factors
constant
RAM space is measured in:
8 BITS = 1 Byte
1024 ≈ 1000Bytes = 1 KB (Kilobyte)
1024 ≈ 1000KB = 1 MB (Megabyte)
1024 ≈ 1000MB = 1 GB (Gigabyte)
The Computer main memory is therefore made up of thousands of storage cells called
BYTES. E.g. a number 5 according to this will become 00000101 in the computer.

ii) The Control Element:

The control element controls the general performance of the CPU and it does the
following functions:
• Selects program instructions in the proper sequence.
• Interprets each instruction as it is selected
• It activates the appropriate circuits to carry through the instruction.

iii)The Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU):

This is where data progressing functions are performed. Each arithmetic function is
carried out in form of addition. Addition and subtraction are carried out by a sub-unit
called an ACCUMULATOR containing an overflow bit; multiplication is done by repeated
addition while division by repeated subtraction.

1.6 STORAGE DEVICES:

These are media used for storage of data or information. Examples of these include
Punched cards, Magnetic drums, Magnetic tapes, Diskettes, CDs, etc.

14
Punched cards were used in the 1st generation of computers, they were very slow and
could only store a few characters some thing like 40. This made them to be bulky.

Later, the manufacturers came up with magnetic tapes. These were a modification
of punched cards. They could store a lot of data and were faster than the punched
cards. However, tapes had one major disadvantage and this was serial accessibility.
Some one to retrieve data, he had to roll either forward or rewind the tape.

To solve this, the manufacturers came up with Diskettes that can randomly be
accessed. The first diskettes were single sided and of low density. Later they up
graded to double sided and low density and later they further up graded to double-
sided high density. Today diskettes mainly high density ones are commonly used.

However, because of new big sophisticated software/programs, diskettes also have

also become bulky. This has led to common usage of Compact disks (CDs). Today the
CDs used are single sided but far bigger than diskettes.

1.7 COMPUTER SOFTWARE:

Software is the procedures produced to direct hardware in the execution of

processing. Another name used to mean software is a computer program.
Without the later a computer can not work as an automatic data processing system. It
therefore directs the hard ware step- by-step carrying out the individual operations of
data processing.

In other words, Software refers to the programs that run a computer. In computing,
software is divided into 3 categories:
• System soft ware
• Programming languages
• Application packages.

1.7.1 System software:

This is a set of programs developed to manage the computer system. It does not
produce directly useful output for the computer user but gives support services. It’s
categorized as follows:
i) Operating systems
ii) Utility programs
iii) Data communication soft ware

i) Operating systems (O/S):

An operating System is a set of control programs that govern the operations of

computer. Whenever the computer is running, the operating system is present and
provides the computer with the ability to automatically manage the use of its memory,
interact with peripheral devices and execute application programs. Without the
operating system, the computer never starts and it cannot therefore be used.
The following are examples of O/S.
• TOS – Tape Operating System
• DOS – Disk Operating System
15
• Windows
• CP/M – Control Program for Microcomputers
• UNIX – Operating System for multi-users

ii) Utility Programs:

Utility programs are also known as utility routines. They carry out a given function on
whatever data is presented to them. A variety of these utility routines always come
with the operating system. Examples of these routines include:

• Sort utility: Helps you arrange data in any order as specified by the user either in
ascending or descending order.
• Keyboard enhanced utility: Enables you to specify a number of keystrokes to
be assigned to a single key.
• Merge utility: Enables you to combine two or more files into one big file. These
files may be data files or program files.
• Spell checkers: These enable you to check spellings of the words you use in your
documents. This utility is mainly used in word processors.

There are so many other utility programs that exist which can’t all be listed here.

iii) Communication software:

This kind of software helps in channeling of data across communication like

telephones, telex etc. Data communication software is mainly used for long distance
transfers of data say in a distributed processing (DDP) setup. Examples of this
software are Novell NetWare, Teleware, etc.

1.7.2 Programming Languages:

Programming languages are the medium used by man to write instructions that
command the computer Hardware to perform certain tasks. This is analogous to the
use of English by a manager in giving instructions to his workers. Programming
languages are divided into 3 parts.

a) Machine Language (ML):

Here, instructions in the program are written in Binary code. The disadvantage of this
language is that the programmer has to rot learn the binary code of all the letters,
numbers and special characters. It also becomes difficult to modify a program in
machine code. Machine language also varies according to the architecture of the
machine.

b) Low Level Language/Assembly Language (LLL):

16
This language is a strict abbreviation of the words it stands for and it requires memory
address referencing which should be part of the program statement. It was developed
mainly because of the disadvantages of machine language to ease programming. The
following example shows program statements in Assembly language:

MOV 110, ACC – Copy the contents of location 100 into the accumulator
ADD 111, ACC – Add the contents of 111 to the accumulator
MOV 110, ACC – Copy the sum in the accumulator to location 100
END - Stop this program.

c) High Level Language (HLL):

A High Level Language is a restricted and abbreviated version of a natural language.

It’s more human oriented than the machines because the instructions are given in
English like statements. Examples of HLL are BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN, PASCAL,
ALGOL, C, TURBO C++, etc.

The artificial computer languages have the following characteristics:

i) Vocabulary: A list of words accepted within the language also called keyword
or reserved words.

ii) Grammar: Proper construction of language statements during programming.

iii) Syntax: Rules governing the structure of language statements.

iv) Semantics: Each keyword/Reserved word in the language has only one
meaning attached.

1.7.3 APPLICATION PACKAGES (PROGRAMS)

These are programs developed to solve the users problems or developed for a
particular purpose. They are usually developed from programming languages or other
commercial application packages with programming capability. Application packages
are divided into two:
i) Special Purpose Packages: Application programs designed to perform only one
task e.g. Payroll package, Sales order processing, Accounting packages etc.
ii) General Purpose Packages: Application programs designed to perform a variety
of tasks e.g. Spreadsheets, Database management, Word processing, etc.

The fact that the computer is a machine suggests that its made up of units which
always work together in harmony to achieve their purpose. A computer is a system
that does not work independent of its “Driver”, the software. Software is normally
developed by man to suit his requirements.

1.8 COMPUTER VIRUS:

17
The word VIRUS is an abbreviation standing for Vital Information Resource Under
Siege. These are destructive software. As the name suggests, viruses capture the
important information and some times totally destroy it.
There are so many different types of viruses and every month new ones come up like
the Trojans, variants, boot sector viruses, etc.

Viruses are mainly transferred from computer to computer by floppy diskettes.

However, as technology advances things change today Viruses can be transferred
through Internet and e-mails.

Viruses can be prevented in several ways like installing Virus guards, avoiding
diskettes from other computer, etc. Viruses can be removed from infected Disks or
Diskettes by use of Ant-virus software e.g. Dr. Solomon anti-virus, Norton, etc.

18
THEME 2: INTRODUCTION TO WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM

Instructional Objective:
To enable students learn what windows operating system is and how to work with it.
Specifically at the end of this theme, students should be able to
• Get started with windows
• Know the basics about windows
• Use the program manager, file manager and windows explorer

2.0 Introduction
Microsoft windows are one of the most important operating systems of computers. The
history of windows is related to the users being reluctant to use software developed to
replace MS-DOS i.e. OS/2 operating system. Windows operating systems so far
released include: -
 Microsoft Windows 3.1
 Microsoft Windows 95
 Microsoft Windows 98
 Microsoft Windows 2000
 Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
 Microsoft XP
 Microsoft Longhorn
 Microsoft Vista

Other companies also have released operating systems e.g. Linux and Apple by
Macintosh. In this chapter we shall mainly concentrate on the use of Microsoft
windows 98 since it is the most commonly available operating system in Uganda.
Microsoft windows 98 is easy to use and helps you work faster than versions before it.
It has more new features and accessories. However other versions will also be looked
at briefly and only in certain insta

19
2.1 Important terms to remember when using Windows

20
Desktop: This is your work space on the computer screen

Document: This is a file you create when you save your work in a program.

Icon: This is a picture representing a program, disk, drive, folder, file or other item.
For example on a toolbar there are icons representing various functions and
program files.

Internet: This is a world wide network of computers. If you have access to the
internet, you can retrieve information from millions of sources such as institutions,
government offices, businesses and individuals connected to the internet.

World Wide Web (The Web): This is a graphical, multimedia portion of the
internet. It consists of millions of web pages.

Web page: This is a location of the World Wide Web, usually part of a web site.
You need a web browsing soft ware to explore the web. Examples of such soft ware
include Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator etc.

Web browsing software: This is software you use to explore the World Wide Web

Website: This is a group of related web pages.

Log on: This is to identify your self and gain access to a computer. You will
encounter this when starting up your computer. You will be asked to type in the
user name and password.

Cursor: A blinking character on the screen that shows where the next character
will appear.

Menu: A list of commands that appear on top of your window.

Window: The rectangular portion of your screen that displays on open program or
contents of a folder or disk. You can have multiple windows open at the same time.

Mouse pointer: This is usually an arrow that appears on your screen and is
controlled by the movement of the mouse. The mouse moves the pointer in order
to work with menus, icons, links and other screen objects.

My Computer: This is a feature which can be used to manage files stored in your
computer or network driver. It has an Icon that appears on the desktop.

Path: Is the means of navigating to a specific location on a computer or network. A

path can include a disk drive, labels, folder names, Directory names and a file
name.

21
 Taskbar: This is a tool used to open programs and navigate your computer. It is
usually found at the bottom of your screen. The taskbar contains the start button,
toolbars, a clock and other features. Buttons on the taskbar show you which
windows are open, even if some windows are minimized or hidden beneath another
window. You can easily switch to a different window by clicking its taskbar button.

Toolbar: This is a set of buttons you click to perform common tasks.

Browse: This refers to navigation of the internet or the contents of your computer.

Client: This is a computer that connects to another central computer called a

server.

Server: This is a computer that controls user’s access to a network. A server stores
and controls shared resources that can be used by other computers called clients.

Default: This is a predefined setting.

Dialog box: This is a window in which you provide information to a program.

2.2 Starting your computer

When you switch on your computer i.e. the mains, the CPU and the Monitor, if your
computer has MS-Windows 98 and your operating system starts for the first time, the
welcome to Windows 98 screen appears.

You can also open Welcome to Windows 98 by clicking the start button, pointing to
Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then Welcome to Windows. From this, you
can access Register now, Connect to the internet, Discover Windows 98, and Maintain
your Computer.

2.3 The Start Button

The start contains the following

Table 3
FEATURE USE
• Windows Keep your Computer tuned & get technical support
Update
• Programs View a list of your programs
• Favorites Open your favorite files and Web pages
• Documents Open a recently opened document
• Settings Modify desktop or system settings
• Find Search for files or folders
• Help Get answers to your questions
• Run Open items such as Web pages, programs, and other computer’s
resources
• Log off. … Log off a windows session
• Shut Down Shut down or restart your computer

22
2.4 Using the Desktop
If you start Windows 98, the first thing you see is the desktop I.e. the area on the
screen where you work. The desktop area has several icons, the “Start” button and
the task bar. Icons differ from one computer to another but generally represent
programs, folders or files. Clicking on any of them using your mouse will grant you
access to what they represent.

2.4.1 My Computer icon

My Computer is used for viewing the contents of a single folder or drive. If double
clicked, available drives appear in a new window. When you double click a drive icon,
a Window displays the folders contained on the drive. If you double click the folder
again you will see the files it contains.

2.4.2 Recycle bin

When you delete files or folders, the OS does not delete them permanently. It
maintains a copy in the Recycle bin. If you really need to permanently delete
something then you delete it from the Recycle bin also.

2.6 Starting and quitting Programs

You can either access a program by double clicking on its icon or through the start
menu. Steps
i) Click the start button
ii) Point to Programs
iii) Point the group that contains the program you want to start
iv) Click the program name

You can also access a program by clicking on Run on the start menu, type the path
and name of the program and then click open.

Programs are closed by clicking the close (X) button in the upper right hand corner of
the program window.

2.7 Managing Files and Folders

A folder is a location in which you can store files and other folders. In Windows 98, you
can organize your documents, programs and store files in folders. You can also move,
copy, rename and search for files and folders.

2.7.1 Creating Folders

When you use a program and save your work, you are creating files. You can store
your files in many locations such as on the Hard disk, Floppy Disk, Network or CD if
you have a CD-Writer drive. You can also store your files in folders.

Steps:
1. On the Desktop. Double click My Computer-The computer window opens.
2. Double click the disk drive or folder in which you want to create a folder.
3. On the File Menu, point to New and then click Folder
4. Type a folder name and then press Enter. The new folder appears in the location
you selected.

23
Note: Unlike in MS-DOS where file names can have the maximum number of
characters going up to 8, file names in MS-Windows 98 can be up to 255 characters,
including space. The following are the only ones not allowed: / \ * < > 1.

2.7.2 Finding Files and Folders

You can use the find command to look for a particular folder or file. The Find command
lets you quickly search a specific drive or your entire computer.

Steps:
1. Click the start button, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders
2. In Normal, type the file name you want to find
3. Click the look in down allow or Click Browse to specify where to search.
4. Click Find Now

2.7.3 Opening Files and Folders

Steps:
1. From the desktop double click My Computer. Once the Icon My Computer
windows has opened.
2. Double click the drive that contains the file or folder you want to open
3. Double click the File or Folder you are interested in.

2.7.4 Renaming Files and Folders

Steps:
1. Select the file or folder you want to rename.
2. On the file menu click Rename
3. Type a name and press Enter

2.7.5 Copying and Moving files

Steps:
1. Select the file or folder you want to copy or move
2. On the Edit menu, click Copy the files or click Cut to move the file
3. Double click the folder in which you want to place the file or folder.
4. On the Edit Menu, click paste. The file appears in its new location

2.7.6 Deleting Files

Whenever you delete a file, its temporarily moved to the Recycle Bin on your desktop.
If you change your mind you can restore the file. However, when you empty the
Recycle Bin, all of the items in it are permanently deleted from your computer.
Steps:
1. On the desktop, double click My computer. The my computer window appears
2. Select the file or folder you want to delete
3. On the file menu, click Delete. The confirm file Delete dialog box appears.
4. Click Yes. The file will be moved to the Recycle Bin
5. To permanently delete files
• On the Desktop, Double click Recycle Bin-It will open
• On the file menu, Click Recycle Bin

24
2.7.7 Working with frequently used files
You can quickly open documents and programs that you use often. The start menu
lists the documents used most recently, so that you can quickly reopen them. The My
documents folder on your desktop is a convenient place for you to open and store
frequently used files and folders.

For easy access to a file that you use frequently, you can also create a shortcut to it. A
shortcut doesn’t change the location of a file (It’s just a pointer to your file). If you
delete the shortcut, the original file is not deleted.

To open recently used documents

i) Click the start button
ii) Point to Documents
iii) Click a document of interest in the list.

To move a file to My Documents folder

Drag the file to the My Documents folder.

To create a shortcut to a file

i) Right Click on the file
Click on Desktop (Create Shortcut)

2.8 Scanning Disks:

a) From the Windows Explorer select the drive you want to scan
b) Click File menu
c) Click Properties
d) Click Tools Tab
e) Click Check Now button
f) Select the Type of Test you want
g) Click the Start button

2.9 Disk copying and formatting a diskette using Windows:

These two operations can be done from My Computer icon, which is on the Desktop.
To Format do the following:
a) On the desktop, Double click the My computer icon
b) Select 3½ Floppy (A :)
c) Click File menu
d) Click Format
e) If the diskette to be formatted is Low density one, select 720kb other wise
leave it 1.44mb
f) Select the Format Type
g) Click the Start button

To Disk copy do the following:

25
 a) On the desktop, Double click the My computer icon
b) Select 3½ Floppy (A :) (a diskette must be inserted the floppy drive)
c) Click File menu
d) Click Copy Disk (a Copy Disk dialog box appears with two sides, Copy from
and Copy to)
e) Click Start button
NB: The diskettes (Source and Target) must be of the same size and Format.

2.10 Control Panel:

The control panel is found in the Main window or Main group icon for versions 3x
whereas it is found in the Setting group icon in Windows 95, 98 and above, after
clicking the start button.

Control panel is a tool you can use to adjust your computer’s settings. Some of the
things that can be adjusted by using the control panel include:
- Adding and removing fonts
- Changing screen colors and desktop options.
- Installing or changing settings for hardware and software, and setting up or
changing settings for a network, etc. For example you can change the
settings for the Keyboard, Mouse, Modem, etc

The icons that appear in the Control Panel vary depending on the hardware and
software installed on your computer.

2.10.1 Installing Soft ware:

Steps:
a) Click the Start button, point to Setting, and then click Control Panel.
b) Double-click Add/Remove programs.
c) Follow the instructions on the screen.

NB: To install or set a printer for windows, you can either use the same methods as
above or use the printer setting by:
i) Clicking the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers.
ii) Double-click Add Printer
iii) Follow the instructions on your screen.
iv) When you finish your printer icon will appear in the Printer folder. This means your
printer in ready for use.
NB: If you set up both local and shared network printers, notice that icons are
different.

2.10.2 Switching between applications:

26
To keep track of your all-open applications you Press and hold down the ALT and then
press the Tab key repeatedly (ALT+Tab). As you continue pressing TAB, tittles of
other applications appear in the middle of your screen. This applies to both. With
Windows 95, all the open applications are always displayed in task bar. So to switch
from one to another, you just click its icon in the task bar.

2.11 Windows Accessories:

These are default application/programs found in windows. The accessories involve

many things like Calculator, Note pad, Word pad, Paint brash (for drawing),
Multimedia, Games, etc.
Note pad and Word pad are used for documentation. If you want to type a document
of any kind like a Dissertation, Letter, Resume, etc:
Steps:
i) Point at Programs
ii) Point at Accessories
iii) Click Start
iv) Start typing your letter or document.
v) Click the Save () button to store whatever you type (a Save As dialog box
appears)
vi) Type the File name in the file name box (usually at the bottom of the dialog box)
vii) Click the Save button

To change the drive e.g. A: or folder, click the Save in box (usually on top of the
dialog box.

2.12 Quitting Windows:

Using one of the alternatives suggested below can do this.
• Double clicking the Control menu box of the Program manager window. (For
windows 3x)
• Press ALT+F4 (This applies to any version of windows)
• Use the menu commands of the Program manager (i.e. File, Exit) for 3x.
• Click Start button, Shut down, Yes (to respond to “Are you sure you want to;
Restart the computer in Ms-mode?”), this is for Windows 95, 98 and above.

Some things to note:

• It is always better to shut down your computer before you turn it off.
• If you want to find a file or folder on your computer with Windows 95, Click the
Start button, point at Find, Click Files or Folder…, Click the Named box and
then type the name of the file or folder you want to find, Specify where to
search (i.e. Hard disk or Floppy diskette). To start the search, click Find Now.

CONCLUSION:

27
As new versions of Windows come up, new features come with them. This means the
higher the vision, the more the new and better features and user friendly the windows
become.

Today Internet, E-mail, Faxing and bulletin boards are the talk of the day and now that
we move into the 21st Century, Windows versions that are Y2K compliant are very
much recommended worldwide.

READING LIST
• Katsaropoulos, C. & Skintik, C. (2001). Learning to create a web page with
Microsoft XP. Prentice hall (Chapters 1 – 5)

THEME 3: INTRODUCTION TO MS WORD PROCESSING SOFTWARE

Objective:
At the end of theme 4, students should be able to understand and efficiently use MS
word to make them better professionals

3.0 Introduction

Written communication has always been the most preferred means of

communication throughout the world. Right from the time you enter school
writing plays an important role. Examples of written communication include;
letters to your friends, articles for newspapers, letters of enquiry,
complaints and leave notes. With the advent of computers and the fast
expanding telephone network, people prefer to send electronic mails rather
than converse over the telephone. Written text can take the form of a letter,
memo or report. Collectively these are referred to as documents. Thus a
document is a general term used to specify any form of written matter.

Every piece is written to be read. A text that is attractive, neat and

organized will attract the attention of a reader. Typewriters were widely
used to have neat, organized text. The text is written directly on paper so in
case of any errors, the entire text has to be retyped and paper gets wasted.

With the advent of computers, the scene has changed. Computer software
called Word Processors are now available. These allow us to type text, make
corrections without retyping the entire matter and also have features that
make the text look attractive.

A word processor can be defined as application software that helps in the

production of a document. It is a text editor that allows us to type, edit and
save text. Present day word processor packages offer far more features than
just editing words e.g. they provide spell checking, designing and elaborate
formatting features.

28
With a word processor one can;

Read and revise a document on screen

Change the formatting to get the desired visual effect
Increase productivity by automating
Improve proof reading
Produce as many copies as needed
Save a document and work on it later

Some of the best known word processing packages are;

 MS-Word
 Word Star
 WordPerfect
 Lotus Notes
 Perfect Writer
 Professional Write
 MultiMate
3.1 Creating a document
3.1.1 Running MS-Word
Method 1
• Click on the Start button
• Click Programs
• Click on Word
Figure 3

Method 2
Double click on the Word Icon on the Desktop

29
Figure 4

When you start Word, the above document window opens. This is a blank screen and
is similar to a blank page in your note book. This screen is also the first page of your
document and where you start typing. Once this page is over, Word will automatically
go to the next page. The characters that you type are inserted in front of a vertical bar
called the insertion point.

As you type, you will notice that Word selects a whole lot of critical document settings;
including margins, font, font size, line spacing, tab stops, page dimensions and many
other documents attributes. Unlike with typewriters where you have to hit the return
key whenever you need to end a line, in Word when a word does not fit in a line, it
automatically flows to the beginning of the next line. This feature is called word-wrap.
You only need to press the Enter key to;
 End a short line (One that does not reach the right margin)
 End a paragraph
 Create a blank line

30
Sample text developed using Word

Figure 5

By typing the text in the document window you have created a document.

3.1.2 Editing a document

You must be familiar with the difficulties you face while making written
communication. Whether it is a letter to a friend or any other piece of writing, you
usually feel that the first draft is not quite good. You wish you could make some
changes to it like replacing some words with more appropriate ones. Or you might
also desire to change the order of some sentences so that your composition reads
more coherently. All these changes are not possible on paper without making the
article look untidy. Your other option is to rewrite the whole thing.

With a word processor like Word, many of the problems above can be solved with
minimum effort. You can open a document and modify it the way you want.
Changes in a Word document can be made using the Edit features;
• Cut
• Copy
• Paste

Cut
Cut as the word suggests removes the selected text or image from the document. To
cut, do the following;
 Highlight the text to be cut
 Right click on it
 Select Cut
31
Copy
Sometimes you may want to reuse some data appearing in a document in another
document. The copy feature comes in handy in such a situation. To copy do the
following;
 Highlight the text to be copied
 Right click on it
 Select Copy

Paste
Whatever has been cut or copied can now be placed in the appropriate place using the
Paste feature. To paste, do the following;
 After copying or cutting
 Right click in the location to place the text or image
 Select paste

3.2 Formatting text and paragraphs

It is just as important to make a document look good as it is to present your thoughts
consistently. Word offers a wide variety of formatting features to enable you choose
options that best suit your needs.

3.2.1 Font
With Word, it is possible to modify font style, size, and color

Figure 6.

A B C

A: Used to select font type e.g times New Romans

B: Used to select font size e.g. 12
C: Used to set the font colour e.g. Black

32
3.2.2 Aligning text
Word makes alignment of text effortless by offering four types of alignments i.e. Left,
Right, Center and Justify.

Highlight the text of interest and then click on any of the aligning formats available

3.2.3 Features available on the tool bar

Indenting text
Bolding text (B)
Italics (I)
Underline (U)
Bulleted lists
Numbered lists
Undoing and redoing
Screen size
Copying
Pasting
Printing
Saving a file
Opening a file
Spelling and grammar
 Working with columns
New blank document

3.3 Find and replace text

You would find that sometimes after completing a long document you have made a
mistake while spelling a crucial word wrongly. What is more is that the word has been
repeated several times through your document and you can never be sure that you
have corrected all the entries of the word unless you go through the document with a
magnifying glass. With Word, you can save yourself this trouble by using a feature
that has been built precisely for this kind of situation. The find and replace tool is one
of the most useful aids in eliminating some repetitive manual operations.

To find a given word in the whole document,

 Click on the Edit button on the tool bar
 Select Find
 Type the word in the Find what space
 Click on Find Next

To replace a given word in the whole document,

 Click on the Edit button on the tool bar
 Select Replace
 Type the word to be replaced in the Find what space
 Type the word to replace the above word
 Then select replace or replace all

4.4 Working with tables

Word provides the Table menu using which you can draw, insert, delete, select and
format tables.
33
4.4.1 Inserting a table
 Click on the Table menu in the tool bar
 Select Insert
 Select Table
 Specify the number of columns
 Specify the number of rows
 Specify the Auto fit behavior
 Click OK

4.4.2 Deleting a table or row or column or cell

 Select the table or row or column or cell
 Click on the Table menu in the tool bar
 Select delete
 Select table or row or column or cell

4.4.3 Other features

For the text in the table, the following can be done;
Bolding
Italics
Underlining
Alignment
Changes in font
Merging cells
 Table auto format

4.5 Saving and printing a document

4.5.1 Saving
 Click on File
 Select Save as
 Type the file name
 Click on Save
A password can also be set to protect the document. To do so;
 Click on File
 Select Save as
 Type the file name
 Click on Tools
 Enter the password
 Click Ok
 Click Save

4.5.2 Printing
 Click on file
 Select Print
 Specify the number of pages
 Click on Print

34
 TUTORIALS
SCREEN LAYOUT:

Figure 7

Menus
The menus in Word 2000 display only the commands you have recently used. To view
all options in each menu, you must click the double arrows at the bottom of the menu.
The images below show the Format menu collapsed (left) and expanded (right) after
the double arrows at the bottom of the menu were clicked:

Figure 8

35
Follow the steps below to display menus similar to previous versions of Word with all
the choices listed initially:
1. Select View|Toolbars|Customize from the menu bar.
2. Click on the Options tab.
3. Uncheck the Menus show recently used commands first check box.
Figure 9

Shortcut Menus
The shortcut menu is a feature that allows you to access various Word commands
faster than using the options on the menu bar. The shortcut menu is viewed by right-
clicking with the mouse. The options on this menu will vary depending on the element
that was right-clicked. For example, the shortcut menu below is produced by right-
clicking on a bulleted list.

Figure 10

36
Actions such as "Decrease Indent" and "Increase Indent" are only applicable to lists
and therefore only appear on the list shortcut menu. The shortcut menus are helpful
because they only display the options that can be applied to the item that was right-
clicked and, therefore, prevent searching through the many menu options.
Toolbars
Many toolbars displaying shortcut buttons are also available to make editing and
formatting quicker and easier. Select View|Toolbars from the menu bar to select the
toolbars. The toolbars that are already displayed on the screen are checked. Add a
toolbar simply by clicking on the name.

Figure 11

37
Customizing Toolbars
There may be certain actions on a toolbar that you do not use and there may also be
commands that you execute often but that are not located on any toolbar. Word
toolbars can be customized so these commands can be added and deleted.

38
 1. Select View|Toolbars|Customize and click the Commands tab.

Figure 12

2. By highlighting the command categories in the Categories box, the choices

will change in the Commands box to the right.
3. Select the command you would like to add to the toolbar by selecting it in the
Commands box.
4. Drag the command with the mouse to the desired location on the toolbar and
release the mouse button.
5. Remove a button from the toolbar by clicking and dragging the button off the
toolbar.
4.2 CREATING AND OPENING DOCUMENTS

There are several ways to create new documents, open existing documents, and save
documents in Word:

Create a New Document

1. Click the New Document button on the menu bar.
2. Choose File|New from the menu bar.
3. Press CTRL+N (depress the CTRL key while pressing "N") on the keyboard.

Open an Existing Document

1. Click the Open File button on the menu bar.
2. Choose File|Open from the menu bar.
3. Press CTRL+O on the keyboard.

Each method will show the Open dialog box. Choose the file and click the Open
button.

39
Figure 13

Save a Document
1. Click the Save button on the menu bar.
2. Select File|Save from the menu bar.
3. Press CTRL+S on the keyboard.

Renaming Documents
To rename a Word document while using the program, select File|Open and find the
file you want to rename. Right-click on the document name with the mouse and select
Rename from the shortcut menu. Type the new name for the file and press the
ENTER key.

40
Figure 14

Working on Multiple Documents

Several documents can be opened simultaneously if you are typing or editing multiple
documents at once. All open documents are listed under the Window menu as shown
below. The current document has a checkmark beside the file name. Select another
name to view another open document or click the button on the Windows taskbar at
the bottom of the screen.

Figure 15

Close a Document
Close the current document by selecting File|Close or click the Close icon if it's visible
on the Standard Toolbar.

41
4.3 TYPING AND INSERTING TEXT
To enter text, just start typing! The text will appear where the blinking cursor is
located. Move the cursor by using the arrow buttons on the keyboard or positioning
the mouse and clicking the left button. The keyboard shortcuts listed below are also
helpful when moving through the text of a document:

Table 4

Move Action Keystroke

Beginning of the line HOME
End of the line END
Top of the document CTRL+HOME
End of the document CTRL+END

Selecting Text
To change any attributes of text it must be highlighted first. Select the text by
dragging the mouse over the desired text while keeping the left mouse button
depressed, or hold down the SHIFT key on the keyboard while using the arrow
buttons to highlight the text. The following table contains shortcuts for selecting a
portion of the text:

Table 5
Selection Technique
Whole word double-click within the word
Whole triple-click within the paragraph
paragraph
Several words or drag the mouse over the words, or hold down SHIFT while
lines using the arrow keys
Entire document choose Edit|Select All from the menu bar, or press CTRL+A

Deselect the text by clicking anywhere outside of the selection on the page or press
an arrow key on the keyboard.

Deleting Text

Use the BACKSPACE and DELETE keys on the keyboard to delete text. Backspace will
delete text to the left of the cursor and Delete will erase text to the right. To delete a
large selection of text, highlight it using any of the methods outlined above and press
the DELETE key.

Formatting Text

42
The formatting toolbar is the easiest way to change many attributes of text. If the
toolbar as shown below isn't displayed on the screen, select View|Toolbars and
choose Formatting.

Figure 16

• Style Menu - Styles are explained in detail later in this tutorial.

• Font Face - Click the arrowhead to the right of the font name box to view the
list of fonts available. Scroll down to the font you want and select it by clicking
on the name once with the mouse. A serif font (one with "feet" circled in the
illustration below) is recommended for paragraphs of text that will be printed on
paper as they are most readable. The following graphic demonstrates the
difference between serif (Times New Roman on the left) and sans-serif ("no
feet", Arial on the right) fonts.

• Font Size - Click on the white part of the font size box to enter a value for the
font size or click the arrowhead to the right of the box to view a list of font sizes
available. Select a size by clicking on it once. A font size of 10 or 12 is best for
paragraphs of text.
• Font Style - Use these buttons to bold, italicize, and underline text.
• Alignment - Text can be aligned to the left, center, or right side of the page or
it can be justified across the page.
• Numbered and Bulleted Lists - Lists are explained in detail later in this
tutorial.
• Increase/Decrease Indent - Change the indentation of a paragraph in relation
to the side of the page.
• Outside Border - Add a border around a text selection.
• Highlight Color - Use this option to change the color behind a text selection.
The color shown on the button is the last color used. To select a different color,
click the arrowhead next to the image on the button.
• Text Color - This option changes the color of the text. The color shown on the
button is the last color chosen. Click the arrowhead next to the button image to
select another color.

The Font dialog box allows you to choose from a larger selection of formatting
options. Select Format|Font from the menu bar to access the box.

Figure 17

43
Format Painter
A handy feature for formatting text is the Format Painter located on the standard
toolbar. For example, if you have formatting a paragraph heading with a certain font
face, size, and style and you want to format another heading the same way, you do
not need to manually add each attribute to the new headline. Instead, use the Format
Painter by following these steps:
1. Place the cursor within the text that contains the formatting you want to copy.
2. Click the Format Painter button in the standard toolbar. Notice that your
pointer now has a paintbrush beside it.
3. Highlight the text you want to add the same format to with the mouse and
release the mouse button.
To add the formatting to multiple selections of text, double-click the Format Painter
button instead of clicking once. The format painter then stays active until you press
the ESC key to turn it off.
Undo
Feel free to experiment with various text styles. You can always undo your last action
by clicking the Undo button on the standard toolbar or selecting Edit|Undo... from
the menu bar. Click the Redo button on the standard toolbar or select Edit|Redo... to
erase the undo action.

Tutorial two: (3 hours).

In this tutorial, students will practice formatting of paragraphs and how to use styles,
lists and tables.

4.4 FORMATTING PARAGRAPHS:

Paragraph Attributes

44
Format a paragraph by placing the cursor within the paragraph and selecting Format|
Paragraph from the menu bar.

Figure 18

Moving (Cutting) Text

Highlight the text that will be moved and select Edit|Cut from the menu bar, click the
Cut button on the standard tool bar, or press CTRL+X at once. This will move the text
to a clipboard.
To move a small amount of text a short distance, the drag-and-drop method may be
quicker. Highlight the text you want to move, click the selection with the mouse, drag
the selection to the new location, and release the mouse button.

Copying Text
To copy text, choose Edit|Copy, click the Copy button on the standard toolbar, or
press CTRL+C to copy the text to the clipboard.
Paste Text
To paste cut or copied text, move the cursor to the location you want to move the text
to and select Edit|Paste from the menu bar, click the Paste button on the standard
toolbar, or press CTRL+V.
The Clipboard
The last 12 elements that were cut or copied are placed onto Word's clipboard. You
can view the elements on the clipboard by selecting View|Toolbars|Clipboard from
the menu bar.

Figure 19

45
Place the mouse arrow over each element in the clipboard to view the contents of
each item and click on an element to add its contents to the document. Click Paste
All to add all of the items to the document at once. Click the Clear Clipboard button
(the icon with an "X" over the clipboard image) to clear the contents of the clipboard.

Columns
To quickly place text in a column format, click the Columns button on the standard
toolbar and select the number of columns by dragging the mouse over the diagram.

Figure 20

For more column options, select Format|Columns from the menu bar. The Columns
dialog box allows you to choose the properties of the columns. Select the number and
width of the columns from the dialog box.

Figure 21

46
Drop Caps
A drop cap is a large letter that begins a paragraph and drops through several lines of
text as shown below

Figure 22.

Add a drop cap to a paragraph by following these steps:

1. Place the cursor within the paragraph whose first letter will be dropped.
2. Select Format|Drop Cap from the menu bar.
3. The Drop Cap dialog box allows you to select the position of the drop cap, the
font, the number of lines to drop, and the distance from the body text.
4. Click OK when all selections have been made.
5. To modify a drop cap, select Format|Drop Cap again to change the attributes,
or click on the letter and use the handles to move and resize the letter.

4.5 STYLES

47
The use of styles in Word will allow you to quickly format a document with a consistent
and professional look. Paragraph and character styles can be saved for use in many
documents.
Figure 23

Applying a Style
1. Place the cursor in the paragraph where the style will be applied.
2. Click the Style drop-down menu on the Formatting toolbar and select a style by
clicking on it.
3. To apply the same style to multiple paragraphs, double click the Format
Painter button on the standard toolbar and click in all the paragraphs that
the style should be applied to. Press the ESC key to disable the Format Painter.
Apply a Style from the Style Dialog Box
Choose from a larger selection of styles from the Style dialog box.

Figure 24

1. Click in the paragraph you want to add a style to.

2. Select Format|Style... from the menu bar.
3. From the List drop-down menu, choose All styles to view all the styles
available.

48
 4. The styles are displayed in the Styles list. Preview each style by clicking once
on the name. Paragraph styles are preceded by the paragraph symbol ( ) and
character styles are preceded by an "a" icon ( ). A pointer arrow is located next
to the current style. Highlight the style you want to apply to the paragraph and
click Apply.

Create a New Style from a Model

To create a style from text that is already formatted in a document, follow these steps:
1. Place the cursor in the paragraph you would like to set as a new style.
2. Click the Style box on the formatting toolbar so the style name is highlighted.

Figure 25

3. Delete the text in the field and type the name of the new style.
4. Press the ENTER key to save the new style.

Create a Simple Style from the Style Dialog Box

1. Select Format|Style... from the menu bar and click the New button on the
Style dialog box to access the New Style dialog box.

Figure 26

2. Type the name for the new style in the Name field.
49
 3. Select "Paragraph" or "Character" from the Style type drop-down menu.
4. Click the Format button at the bottom of the window and choose the paragraph
element that will be formatted for the style. Continue to make changes from the
options from the Format button menu, making changes to the dialog boxes for
each element you choose.
5. Click OK to set the style and close the New Style dialog box.
6. Click Apply on the Style dialog box to apply the new style to the current
paragraph.

Modify or Rename a Style

An existing style can be changed from the Style dialog box.
1. Select Format|Style... from the menu bar.
2. Highlight the style from the Styles list that you want to modify and click the
Modify button

Figure 27.

3. Use the same methods to modify the style from the Modify Style dialog box
that were used for the New Style box.
4. To only rename the style, type a new name in the Name field.
5. Click OK when you are finished making modifications.
6. Click Apply to update the style in the document.

Delete a Style
Preset styles created by Word cannot be deleted, but to delete a style you have made,
follow these steps:
1. Select Format|Style... from the menu bar
2. Highlight the style from the Styles list that you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete button.
4. You will be asked if you really want to delete the style. Click Yes.
5. Click Close on the dialog box.

50
4.6 LISTS

To create a bulleted or numbered list, use the list features provided by Word.
Bulleted and Numbered Lists
1. Click the Bulleted List button or Numbered List button on the formatting
toolbar.
2. Type the first entry and press ENTER. This will create a new bullet or number
on the next line. If you want to start a new line without adding another bullet or
number, hold down the SHIFT key while pressing ENTER.
3. Continue to typing entries and press ENTER twice when you are finished typing
to end the list.
Use the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons on the formatting
toolbar to create lists of multiple levels.

NOTE: You can also type the text first, highlight the section, and press the Bulleted
List or Numbered List buttons to add the bullets or numbers.

Nested Lists
To create a nested list, such as a numbered list inside of a bulleted list, follow these
steps:
1. Type the list and increase the indentation of the items that will make up the
nested list by clicking the Increase Indent button for each item.

2. Highlight the items and click the Numbered List button on the formatting
toolbar.

Formatting Lists
The bullet image and numbering format can be changed by using the Bullets and
Numbering dialog box.
1. Highlight the entire list to change all the bullets or numbers, or place the cursor
on one line within the list to change a single bullet.
2. Access the dialog box by selecting Format|Bullets and Numbering from the
menu bar or by right-clicking within the list and selecting Bullets and
Numbering from the shortcut menu.

51
Figure 28

3. Select the list style from one of the seven choices given, or click the Picture...
button to choose a different icon. Click the Numbered tab to choose a
numbered list style.
4. Click OK when finished.

4.7 TABLES
Tables are used to display data and there are several ways to build them in Word.
Begin by placing the cursor where you want the table to appear in the document and
choose one of the following methods.

Insert a Table
There are two ways to add a table to the document using the Insert feature:
1. Click the Insert Table button on the standard toolbar. Drag the mouse along
the grid, highlighting the number of rows and columns for the table.

Figure 29

2. Or, select Table|Insert|Table from the menu bar. Select the number of rows
and columns for the table and click OK.

52
Figure 30

Draw the Table

A table can also be drawn onto the document:
1. Draw the table by selecting Table|Draw Table from the menu bar. The cursor is
now the image of a pencil and the Tables and Borders toolbar has appeared.

Figure 31

2. Draw the cells of the table with the mouse. If you make a mistake, click the
Eraser button and drag the mouse over the area to be deleted.
3. To draw more cells, click on the Draw Table button .

Inserting Rows and Columns

Once the table is drawn, insert additional rows by placing the cursor in the row you
want to be adjacent to. Select Table|Insert|Rows Above or Rows Below. Or, select
an entire row and right-click with the mouse. Choose Insert Rows from the shortcut
menu.

Much like inserting a row, add a new column by placing the cursor in a cell adjacent to
where the new column will be added. Select Table|Insert|Columns to the Left or
Columns to the Right. Or, select the column, right-click with the mouse, and select
Insert Columns.

Moving and Resizing a Table

A four-sided moving arrow and open box resizing handle will appear on the corners of
the table if the mouse is placed over the table. Click and drag the four-ended arrow to
move the table and release the mouse button when the table is positioned where you
want it. Click and drag the open box handle to resize the table. Change the column
widths and row heights by clicking the cell dividers and dragging them with the
mouse.

53
Figure 32

Tables and Borders Toolbar

The Tables and Borders toolbar allows you to add border styles, shading, text effects,
alignment, and more options to your table. Access the toolbar by clicking Table|Draw
Table or View|Toolbars|Tables and Borders.

Figure 33

You will need to highlight the cells of the table you want to format. Click and drag the
mouse over the cells, or use the following shortcuts:
Table 6
Selection Menu Method Mouse Method
Click the bottom, left corner of the cell when a
One cell Table|Select|Cell
black arrow appears
Table|Select|
One row Click outside the table to the left of the row
Row
Table|Select| Click outside the table above the column when
One column
Column a black arrow appears
Several Click outside the table to the left of the row
(none)
rows and drag the mouse down
Several
(none) Click outside the table above the column
columns
Table|Select|
Entire table Triple-click to the left of the table
Table

Table Properties
Use the Table Properties dialog box to modify the alignment of the table with the
body text and the text within the table. Access the box by selecting Tables|Table
Properties.

Figure 34

54
 • Size - Check the Preferred width box and enter a value if the table should be
an exact width.
• Alignment - Highlight the illustration that represents the alignment of the table
in relation to the text of the document.
• Text wrapping - Highlight "None" if the table should appear on a separate line
from the text or choose "Around" if the text should wrap around the table.
• Borders and Shading - Select from a number of border styles, colors, and
widths. Click the Shading tab to change the background color and pattern.

Figure 35

• Options - Click the Options button on the Table Properties window. To

change the spacing between the document text and the table borders under
Default cell margins. Check the Allow spacing between cells box and enter
a value to add space between the table cells.

55
Figure 36

Tutorial Three (3 hours)

In this tutorial students to practice how to use spelling and grammar checks, how to
format pages, how to insert table of contents and how to use MS equation to write
mathematical or scientific equations, use keyboard shortcuts in word.

4.8 SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

AutoCorrect
Word automatically corrects many commonly misspelled words and punctuation marks
with the AutoCorrect feature. To view the list of words that are automatically
corrected, select Tools|AutoCorrect. This may be a hidden feature so click the
double arrows at the bottom of the Tools menu listing if the AutoCorrect choice is not
listed.

56
Figure 37

Many options including the accidental capitalization of the first two letters of a word
and capitalization of the first word of the sentence can be automatically corrected
from this page. If there are words you often misspell, enter the wrong and correct
spellings in the Replace and With fields.

Spelling and Grammar Check

Word will automatically check for spelling and grammar errors as you type unless you
turn this feature off. Spelling errors are noted in the document with a red underline.
Grammar errors are indicated by a green underline. To disable this feature, select
Tools|Options from the menu bar and click the Spelling and Grammar tab on the
dialog box. Uncheck "Check spelling as you type" and "Check grammar as you
type", and click OK.
To use the spelling and grammar checker, follow these steps:
1. Select Tools|Spelling and Grammar from the menu bar.
2. The Spelling and Grammar dialog box will notify you of the first mistake in the
document and misspelled words will be highlighted in red.

57
Figure 38

3. If the word is spelled correctly, click the Ignore button or click the Ignore All
button if the word appears more than once in the document.
4. If the word is spelled incorrectly, choose one of the suggested spellings in the
Suggestions box and click the Change button or Change All button to correct
all occurrences of the word in the document. If the correct spelling is not
suggested, enter the correct spelling in the Not In Dictionary box and click the
Change button.
5. If the word is spelled correctly and will appear in many documents you type
(such as your name), click the Add button to add the word to the dictionary so it
will no longer appear as a misspelled word.

As long as the Check Grammar box is checked in the Spelling and Grammar dialog
box, Word will check the grammar of the document in addition to the spelling. If you
do not want the grammar checked, remove the checkmark from this box. Otherwise,
follow these steps for correcting grammar:
1. If Word finds a grammar mistake, it will be shown in the box as the spelling
errors. The mistake is highlighted in green text.

Figure 39

2. Several suggestions may be given in the Suggestions box. Select the

correction that best applies and click Change.
58
 3. If no correction is needed (Word is often wrong more than it is right), click the
Ignore button.

Synonyms
Word 2000 has a new feature for finding synonyms. Simply right-click on the word and
select Synonyms from the shortcut menu. From the list of suggested words, highlight
the word you would like to use or click Thesaurus... for more options.

Figure 40

Thesaurus
To use the thesaurus, select Tools|Language|Thesaurus from the menu bar or
select it from the Synonyms shortcut menu as detailed above.

Figure 41

A list of meanings and synonyms are given on the windows. Double-click on the words
in the Meanings box or click the Look Up button to view similar words. Double-click
words in the Replace with Synonym box to view synonyms of those words. Highlight
the word you would like to add and click the Replace button.

4.9 PAGE FORMATTING:

Page Margins

59
The page margins of the document can be changed using the rulers on the page and
the Page Setup window. The ruler method is discussed first:
1. Move the mouse over the area where the white ruler changes to gray.

Figure 42

2. When the cursor becomes a double-ended arrow, click with the mouse and drag
the margin indicator to the desired location.
3. Release the mouse when the margin is set.

The margins can also be changed using the Page Setup dialog box:
1. Select File|Page Setup and choose the Margins tab in the dialog box.

Figure 43

2. Enter margin values in the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes. The Preview
window will reflect the changes.
3. If the document has Headers and/or Footers, the distance this text appears
from the edge of the page can be changed.
4. Click OK when finished.

Page Size and Orientation

Change the orientation page within the Page Setup dialog box.
1. Select File|Page Setup and choose the Paper Size tab.

60
Figure 44

2. Select the proper paper size from the drop-down menu.

3. Change the orientation from Portrait or Landscape by checking the
corresponding radio button.

Headers and Footers

A header is text that is added to the top margin of every page such as a document
title or page number and footer is text added to the bottom margin. Follow these
steps to add or edit headers and footers in the document:
1. Select View|Header and Footer from the menu bar. The Header and Footer
toolbar will appear and the top of the page will be highlighted as shown below.

61
Figure 45

2. Type the heading in the Header box. You may use many of the standard text
formatting options such as font face, size, bold, italics, etc.
3. Click the Insert AutoText button to view a list of quick options available.
4. Use the other options on the toolbar to add page numbers, the current date and
time.
5. To edit the footer, click the Switch Between Header and Footer button on
the toolbar.
6. When you are finished adding headers and footers, click the Close button on
the toolbar.

Page Numbers
Follow these instructions for another way to add page numbers to a document.
1. Select Insert|Page Numbers from the menu bar and the following dialog box
will appear.

Figure 46

2. Select the position of the page numbers by choosing "Top of page" or "Bottom of
page" from the Position drop-down menu.
3. Select the alignment of the page numbers in the Alignment drop-down menu.
4. If you do not want the page number to show on the first page (if it is a title page,
for example), uncheck the Show number of first page box.
5. Click OK when finished.

62
Print Preview and Printing
Preview your document by clicking the Print Preview button on the standard toolbar or
by selecting File|Print Preview. When the document is ready to print, click the Print
button from the Print Preview screen or select File|Print.

4.10 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Word will automatically create a Table of Contents page if a document is designed
using Heading and Paragraph styles (see the Styles section). Follow the steps on this
page to create a Table of Contents.

Mark Table of Contents Entries

1. Highlight a heading that you would like to appear in the Table of Contents
(TOC).
2. Press ALT+SHIFT+O and the Mark Table of Contents Entry box will appear.

Figure 47

3. Entry - Rename the entry if you would like a different heading to appear in the
TOC.
4. Table identifier - Select "C".
5. Level - Choose "1" for first-level heading, "2" for second-level heading, etc.
6. Click the Mark button.
7. The document will be toggled to "reveal codes" view and notice the TOC field
code. To hide all codes click the Show/Hide codes button on the standard
toolbar.
8. Select another heading to add to the TOC, or click the Close button on the
Mark Table of Contents Entry dialog box.

Generate a Table of Contents

After you have marked all the headings for your TOC, follow these steps to generate
the Table of Contents.
1. Place the cursor where you would like the TOC to appear in the document.
2. Select Insert|Index and Tables from the menu bar.

63
Figure 48

3. Customize the appearance of the TOC from the Table of Contents tab. You
may choose a preset design from the Formats drop-down menu. A preview of
each design will be shown in the Print Preview window.
4. Check the Show page numbers box if you would like page numbers to show on
the TOC. Check the Right align page numbers box if the page numbers
should appear on the right side, then select the Tab leader between the
heading and the page number. Uncheck the box if the page numbers should
appear right next to the heading.
Click OK.

• Reading List
Refer to reader I

THEME 5: INTRODUCTION TO SPREADSHEETS:

Objectives
• Use spreadsheet software to manage financial and research data, and perform a
basic statistical analysis of research data.
• Use spreadsheet software to create and modify graphical charts

64
 TEACHING NOTES:

5.0 Introduction

In our daily life, many transactions take place and it is humanly not possible to
remember all of them. Hence we record them in a systematic manner for future
references. To assist us in recording, the computer world has given us an electronic
spreadsheet. Spreadsheet application is designed primarily to perform mathematical
calculations. The latest version of spreadsheets can serve as powerful data
management tools. Using a spreadsheet program you can not only store lot of data in
the worksheets but also make use of different functions to arrange the data in a way
you require.

A spreadsheet program refers to application software commonly used for budgets,

forecasting, and other finance-related tasks. In a spreadsheet program, data and
formulas to calculate those data are entered into ledger like forms (spreadsheets or
worksheets) for analysis, tracking, planning, or “what-if” evaluations of the impacts of
real or proposed changes on an economic strategy.

Spreadsheet programs use rows and columns of cells; each cell can hold text or
numeric data or a formula that uses values in other cells to calculate a desired result.
To ease computation, these programs include built-in functions that perform standard
calculations. Depending on the program, a single spreadsheet can contain anywhere
from thousands to millions of cells. Some spreadsheet programs can also link one
spreadsheet to another that contains related information, and can update data in
linked spreadsheets automatically.

Spreadsheet programs may also include macro facilities, and some can be used for
creating and sorting databases. For printed output, spreadsheet programs usually
provide graphing capabilities and a variety of formatting options for printed pages and
text, numeric values, and captions and legends in graphs.

5.1 MS-Excel

EXCEL is a Spreadsheet Program found in the MS-Office Package. It allows an operator

to enter numbers and equations into cells. These cells can be visually checked and
corrected if incorrect. Once you have collected and organized your data, Excel can
help you record, analyze and graphically display your data. Excel can handle Numbers,
Equations, Text and even graphics. What matters is the first character keyed.

5.1.1 Running Excel

Method 1
• Click on the Start button
• Click Programs
• Click on Excel

65
Figure 49

Method 2
 Double click on the Excel Icon on the Desktop

5.1.2 The Excel Worksheet

Figure 50

A worksheet is different from a workbook. A worksheet is just like a page in a book

while the workbook is the book it self. The number of each worksheet appears at the
bottom left of the Excel window. The name of the workbook is found at the top left
corner of the Excel window. By default the workbook will be called book1 if you don’t
save your work (Check the left corner of your Excel window).

Components of an Excel Worksheet

66
 1. Title bar
2. Menu bar
3. Standard tool bar
4. Formula bar
5. Rows and Columns
6. Cells
7. Active Cell
8. Scroll bars
9. Sheet numbers
10. Fill handle

Cell
This is the basic unit of a spreadsheet. Its address is specified using a column letter
and row number. The contents of a selected cell are usually displayed in the formula
bar. The bottom left corner of a cell is referred to as the fill handle. The fill handle is
important in copying the contents of the cell vertically or horizontally across cells.

5.1.3 Getting Help

 Click on Help, select “Microsoft Help” and type your question accordingly then
hold down the ENTER key. When using MS-Office XP, just look to the top right
corner of the Excel window and click inside the “Type a question for help” box
 Hold down the F1 and follow the above procedure
 Click on Help and select “What is this”. Your cursor will change shape. Then
move your cursor to whatever you want to know about and click.

5.1.4 Building a Simple Spreadsheet

Numbers
A spreadsheet program is essentially designed to be a number crunching application.
Using Excel, you can perform financial calculations without knowing much of math.
Excel can handle positive, negative, and fractional numbers. Proof of recognition by
Excel as a number is the shift to the right hand side of the cell.

Steps
 Select the cell of interest by clicking it (Note that the cursor looks like a cross).
Once clicked on, the cell will be highlighted.
 Simply key in the number and use one of the navigation keys or Mouse to move
to another cell. Note that the number you typed in will move to the right side of
the cell. Note also that as you type, whatever you type is repeated in the
formula bar.
 If whatever you typed in is incorrect, just hold down the ESC key or reselect the
cell and click delete or simply type (this will automatically replace the contents
of the cell). Remember that you can also delete a block of cells by simply
selecting them and holding down the Delete Key.

Moving and Copying the Contents of a Cell

67
Note that there is a difference between moving and copying. Once you move
something, nothing of its kind is left behind while when you copy, you leave something
behind.

Copying
1. Select what you want to copy and highlight it (Drag using the Mouse
appropriately)
2. Click on the Edit Menu and Select “Copy”
3. Move to the copy destination and select the cell of interest
4. Click on the Edit Menu again and Select “Paste”

Moving
 Just follow the same steps above but select “Cut” instead of “Copy” in step 2
above.

Note that you can move or copy one cell or a block of cells. Selecting as above and
right clicking the mouse to select copy, cut, and paste can also achieve the above.

Inserting Numbers
The need to insert numbers usually arises when you forget to key in some data. Excel
is very flexible and allows one to easily insert such data. This it does by allowing you
to insert rows or columns, as you may deem appropriate.

Inserting a Row
Method 1
 Move to the point where you want the row inserted
 Click on Insert from the Menu bar
 Click on “Row”
Method 2
 Select the whole row and hold CTRL and +

Inserting a Column
Method 1
 Follow the above steps but Click on “Column” instead of “Row”

Method 2
 Select the whole column and hold CTRL and +

Equations
When you finish entering your figures in an Excel worksheet, you can enter
appropriate equations in the cells to make some important deductions about your
data. It is actually useless to enter data without making any deductions from it.

All equations to be entered into Excel cells begin with an equal sign (=). Equations can
be entered using the cell addresses or the contents of the cells; however, the use of
cell addresses is more convenient because it can easily adjust the out come of the
equation once cell contents are changed.

Take note of the following signs

68
  + For Addition
 - For Subtraction
 / For Division
 * For Multiplication
Remember that equations can also be copied. The process is similar to that of copying
numbers; however the fill handle can also be utilized to drag the formula vertically or
horizontally across cells.

Other Statistics like Standard Deviation, Averages etc by clicking on the Sigma (Σ )
sign can also be obtained.

5.1.5 Formatting spreadsheets

There are several methods of formatting; however, most formatting procedures can be
carried out using the toolbar. More advanced formatting procedures are available
under the format menu.

Centering headings and titles

This can be done within a cell or across cells. Whatever the case, select/highlight
accordingly and click on the centering button on the toolbar just like in MS-Word.

Formatting Font
Just select the cells containing the data whose font you want to change and then click
on click on the pull down arrow. Later click on the appropriate font e.g. Times New
Roman, SAS Monospace etc.

Bolding, Underlining, and Italics

Select the cells of interest and click on
 I for Italics
 B for Bolding
 U for Underlining

These can also be attained by selecting cells and holding down the CTRL key and I or B
or U.

Formatting figures as currency

 Select the cell/s of interest
 Click on Format
 Select Cells
 Click on currency
 Select the currency of interest from the symbol pull down Menu. Remember to
select the appropriate decimal places (e.g. 0, 1, 2 etc).
 Click on OK

Inserting the 1000 separator (,)

 Select the cell/s of interest
 Click on Format
 Select Cells

69
  Select Number
 Click on Number
 Check (Tick) the 1000 separator
 Click on OK

Adding Borders
 Select the cell/s of interest
 Click on Format
 Select Cells
 Click on Border
 Click on “Outline” and then select the appropriate kind of border on the right
 Click on OK

If you want to remove borders, then select “None” instead of Outline as above and
click OK. Border can also be placed around only one cell. In this situation select only
one cell and follow the normal procedures.

Landscape Page format

 Click on “File”
 Select Page Setup
 Select Landscape Click on OK

This will make your worksheet appear in landscape format i.e. the length of your sheet
will be longer than its height. To undo this, select Portrait instead of Landscape as
above and click on OK.

Inserting Header or Footer

 Click on “File”
 Select Page Setup
 Select “Header/Footer”
 Select “Custom Header or Custom Footer” accordingly
 Type your Header/Footer in the appropriate position (i.e. left, right or center).
Then Click OK. Note that clicking on A can change the font of your
Header/Footer.

Inserting Gridlines
These will help make your cells distinct when the spreadsheet is printed out.
 Click on “File”
 Select Page Setup
 Click on Sheet
 Check (Tick) the Gridlines box
 Click on OK

Changing Row Height/Column Width

 Move to the appropriate boundary till you get a pointed black cross and drag
accordingly.

Freezing and unfreezing panes

70
This feature is important when you have a lot of information that can not fit on the
screen and you want to scroll down without losing site of the headings in the first row.

 Select the cell to begin the freezing

 Click on the Window button
 Select freeze panes
 To unfreeze panes, select Unfreeze panes
Printing, Saving, Closing and Opening Worksheets
This is the same as in MS-Word. Remember that you can save your work in a:
 Floppy Disk
 Hard Disk
 Compact Disc if you have a CD writer

Case study: Weekly stores report

With different auto insert features, calculations, rename sheets

5.1.6 Introduction to charts

When you are preparing a report, you would use various tools to enhance the effect of
your document. Words alone are not adequate. Financial analysis and performance,
sales forecasts and other numerical information can not be just written about. They
need to be presented figuratively. Excel has an inbuilt feature to handle this.

Charts create a picture in the mind’s eye by giving a visual comparison, pattern and
analysis of numbers. For example, instead of analyzing several columns of a table, you
can see at a glance whether sales are falling or rising over a period or how the actual
performance compares against promised performance.

Excel charts are created using data points and data series. Data points are the
individual numbers in a worksheet cell within a data table. Data points also known as
data markers are represented by symbols such as a bar, line, area, dot, column etc.

Follow the steps below to when creating a chart.

 Select your data

 Click on the chart wizard
 Follow the subsequent instructions

TUTORIALS:

Tutorial one: (3 hours)

In this tutorial students will learn about the basics of spreadsheets and how to modify
and format worksheets.

5.1 SPREADSHEET BASICS

Excel allows you to create spreadsheets much like paper ledgers that can perform
automatic calculations. Each Excel file is a workbook that can hold many
worksheets. The worksheet is a grid of columns (designated by letters) and rows
71
(designated by numbers). The letters and numbers of the columns and rows (called
labels) are displayed in gray buttons across the top and left side of the worksheet.
The intersection of a column and a row is called a cell. Each cell on the spreadsheet
has a cell address that is the column letter and the row number. Cells can contain
either text, numbers, or mathematical formulas.

Figure 51
Microsoft Excel 2000 Screen Elements

Adding and Renaming Worksheets

The worksheets in a workbook are accessible by clicking the worksheet tabs just
above the status bar. By default, three worksheets are included in each workbook. To
add a sheet, select Insert|Worksheet from the menu bar. To rename the worksheet
tab, right-click on the tab with the mouse and select Rename from the shortcut menu.
Type the new name and press the ENTER key.
The Standard Toolbar
This toolbar is located just below the menu bar at the top of the screen and allows you
to quickly access basic Excel commands.

Figure 52

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New - Select File|New from the menu bar, press CTRL+N, or click the New button to
create a new workbook.
Open - Click File|Open from the menu bar, press CTRL+O, or click the Open folder
button to open an existing workbook.
Save - The first time you save a workbook, select File|Save As and name the file.
After the file is named click File|Save, CTRL+S, or the Save button on the standard
toolbar.
Print - Click the Print button to print the worksheet.
Prints Preview - This feature will allow you to preview the worksheet before it prints.
Spell Check - Use the spell checker to correct spelling errors on the worksheet.
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Format Painter - These actions are explained in the
Modifying A Worksheet section.
Undo and Redo - Click the backward Undo arrow to cancel the last action you
performed, whether it be entering data into a cell, formatting a cell, entering a
function, etc. Click the forward Redo arrow to cancel the undo action.
Insert Hyperlink - To insert a hyperlink to a web site on the Internet, type the text
into a cell you want to be the link that can be clicked with the mouse. Then, click the
Insert Hyperlink button and enter the web address you want the text to link to and
click OK.
Autosum, Function Wizard, and Sorting - These features are discussed in detail in
the Functions tutorial.
Zoom - To change the size that the worksheet appears on the screen, choose a
different percentage from the Zoom menu.

5.2 MODIFYING A WORKSHEET

Moving Through Cells
Use the mouse to select a cell you want to begin adding data to and use the keyboard
strokes listed in the table below to move through the cells of a worksheet.

Table 7
Movement Key stroke
One cell up up arrow key
One cell down down arrow key or ENTER
One cell left left arrow key
One cell right right arrow key or TAB
Top of the worksheet (cell A1) CTRL+HOME
End of the worksheet (last cell
CTRL+END
containing data)
End of the row CTRL+right arrow key
End of the column CTRL+down arrow key

73
 Any cell File|Go To menu bar command

Adding Worksheets, Rows, and Columns

• Worksheets - Add a worksheet to a workbook by selecting Insert|Worksheet
from the menu bar.
• Row - To add a row to a worksheet, select Insert|Rows from the menu bar, or
highlight the row by clicking on the row label, right-click with the mouse, and
choose Insert.
• Column - Add a column by selecting Insert|Columns from the menu bar, or
highlight the column by click on the column label, right-click with the mouse,
and choose Insert.

Resizing Rows and Columns

There are two ways to resize rows and columns.
1. Resize a row by dragging the line below the label of the row you would like to
resize. Resize a column in a similar manner by dragging the line to the right of
the label corresponding to the column you want to resize.

- OR -
2. Click the row or column label and select Format|Row|Height or Format|
Column|Width from the menu bar to enter a numerical value for the height of
the row or width of the column.

Selecting Cells
Before a cell can be modified or formatted, it must first be selected (highlighted).
Refer to the table below for selecting groups of cells.

Table 8
Cells to
Mouse action
select
One cell click once in the cell
Entire row click the row label
Entire column click the column label
Entire
click the whole sheet button
worksheet
drag mouse over the cells or hold down the SHIFT key while
Cluster of cells
using the arrow keys
To activate the contents of a cell, double-click on the cell or click once and press F2.

Moving and Copying Cells

Moving Cells

To cut cell contents that will be moved to another cell select Edit|Cut from the menu
bar or click the Cut button on the standard toolbar.
Copying Cells

74
To copy the cell contents, select Edit|Copy from the menu bar or click the Copy
button on the standard toolbar.
Pasting Cut and Copied Cells

Highlight the cell you want to paste the cut or copied content into and select Edit|
Paste from the menu bar or click the Paste button on the standard toolbar.
Drag and Drop
If you are moving the cell contents only a short distance, the drag-and-drop method
may be easier. Simply drag the highlighted border of the selected cell to the
destination cell with the mouse.

Freeze Panes
If you have a large worksheet with column and row headings, those headings will
disappear as the worksheet is scrolled. By using the Freeze Panes feature, the
headings can be visible at all times.
1. Click the label of the row below the row that should remain frozen at the top of
the worksheet.
2. Select Window|Freeze Panes from the menu bar.
3. To remove the frozen panes, select Window|Unfreeze Panes

Figure 53.

Freeze panes has been added to row 1 in the image above. Notice that the row numbers
skip from 1 to 6. As the worksheet is scrolled, row 1 will remain stationary while the
remaining rows will move.

5.3 FORMATTING CELLS

Formatting Toolbar
The contents of a highlighted cell can be formatted in many ways. Font and cell
attributes can be added from shortcut buttons on the formatting bar. If this toolbar is
not already visible on the screen, select View|Toolbars|Formatting from the menu
bar.

Figure 54

75
Format Cells Dialog Box
For a complete list of formatting options, right-click on the highlighted cells and
choose Format Cells from the shortcut menu or select Format|Cells from the menu
bar.

Figure 55

• Number tab - The data type can be selected from the options on this tab.
Select General if the cell contains text and number, or another numerical
category if the cell is a number that will be included in functions or formulas.
• Alignment tab - These options allow you to change the position and alignment
of the data with the cell.
• Font tab - All of the font attributes are displayed in this tab including font face,
size, style, and effects.
• Border and Pattern tabs - These tabs allow you to add borders, shading, and
background colors to a cell.

Dates and Times

If you enter the date "January 1, 2001" into a cell on the worksheet, Excel will
automatically recognize the text as a date and change the format to "1-Jan-01". To
change the date format, select the Number tab from the Format Cells window.
Select "Date" from the Category box and choose the format for the date from the
Type box. If the field is a time, select "Time" from the Category box and select the
type in the right box. Date and time combinations are also listed. Press OK when
finished.

Figure 56

76
Styles
The uses of styles in Excel allow you to quickly format your worksheet, provide
consistency, and create a professional look. Select the Styles drop-down box from the
formatting toolbar (it can be added by customizing the toolbar). Excel provides several
preset styles:

Figure 57

• Comma - Adds commas to the number and two digits beyond a decimal point.
• Comma [0] - Comma styles that round to a whole number.
• Currency - Formats the number as currency with a dollar sign, commas, and
two digits beyond the decimal point.
• Currency [0] - Currency styles that round to a whole number.
• Normal - Reverts any changes to general number format.
• Percent - Changes the number to a percent and adds a percent sign.

Style Dialog Box

Create your own styles from the Style Dialog Box.
1. Highlight the cell(s) you want to add a style to.
2. Select Format|Style... from the menu bar.

77
Figure 58

3. Modify the attributes by clicking the Modify button.

4. Check all the items under Style includes that the style should format.
5. Click Add to preview the formatting changes on the worksheet.
6. Highlight the style you want to apply to the paragraph and click Apply.

Create a New Style

1. Select the cell on the worksheet containing the formatting you would like to set
as a new style.
2. Click the Style box on the Formatting toolbar so the style name is highlighted.

Figure 59

3. Delete the text in the Style box and type the name of the new style.
4. Press ENTER when finished.

Format Painter
A handy feature on the standard toolbar for formatting text is the Format Painter. If
you have formatted a cell with a certain font style, date format, border, and other
formatting options, and you want to format another cell or group of cells the same
way, place the cursor within the cell containing the formatting you want to copy. Click
the Format Painter button in the standard toolbar (notice that your pointer now has
a paintbrush beside it). Highlight the cells you want to add the same formatting to.

To copy the formatting to many groups of cells, double-click the Format Painter
button. The format painter remains active until you press the ESC key to turn it off.
AutoFormat

78
Excel has many preset table formatting options. Add these styles by following these
steps:
1. Highlight the cells that will be formatted.

Figure 60

2. Select Format|AutoFormat from the menu bar.

3. On the AutoFormat dialog box, select the format you want to apply to the table
by clicking on it with the mouse. Use the scroll bar to view all of the formats
available.
Figure 61

4. Click the Options... button to select the elements that the formatting will apply
to.
5. Click OK when finished

Figure 62.

79
TUTORIAL TWO: (3 HOURS)
In this tutorial students will be taught how to work with formulas and functions

5.4 FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS:

The distinguishing feature of a spreadsheet program such as Excel is that it allows you
to create mathematical formulas and execute functions. Otherwise, it is not much
more than a large table for displaying text. This page will show you how to create
these calculations.

Formulas
Formulas are entered in the worksheet cell and must begin with an equal sign "=". The
formula then includes the addresses of the cells whose values will be manipulated with
appropriate operands placed in between. After the formula is typed into the cell, the
calculation executes immediately and the formula itself is visible in the formula bar.
See the example below to view the formula for calculating the sub total for a number
of textbooks. The formula multiplies the quantity and price of each textbook and adds
the subtotal for each book.

Figure 63

Linking Worksheets
You may want to use the value from a cell in another worksheet within the same
workbook in a formula. For example, the value of cell A1 in the current worksheet and
cell A2 in the second worksheet can be added using the format "sheetname!
Celladdress". The formula for this example would be "=A1+Sheet2! A2" where the
value of cell A1 in the current worksheet is added to the value of cell A2 in the
worksheet named "Sheet2".
Relative, Absolute, and Mixed Referencing
Calling cells by just their column and row labels (such as "A1") is called relative
referencing. When a formula contains relative referencing and it is copied from one
cell to another, Excel does not create an exact copy of the formula. It will change cell
addresses relative to the row and column they are moved to. For example, if a simple

80
addition formula in cell C1 "= (A1+B1)" is copied to cell C2, the formula would change
to "= (A2+B2)" to reflect the new row. To prevent this change, cells must be called by
absolute referencing and this is accomplished by placing dollar signs "$" within the
cell addresses in the formula. Continuing the previous example, the formula in cell C1
would read "= ($A$1+$B$1)" if the value of cell C2 should be the sum of cells A1 and
B1. Both the column and row of both cells are absolute and will not change when
copied. Mixed referencing can also be used where only the row OR column fixed. For
example, in the formula "= (A$1+$B2)", the row of cell A1 is fixed and the column of
cell B2 is fixed.
Basic Functions
Functions can be a more efficient way of performing mathematical operations than
formulas. For example, if you wanted to add the values of cells D1 through D10, you
would type the formula "=D1+D2+D3+D4+D5+D6+D7+D8+D9+D10". A shorter way
would be to use the SUM function and simply type "=SUM (D1:D10)". Several other
functions and examples are given in the table below:

Table 9
Function Example Description
SUM =SUM(A1:100) finds the sum of cells A1 through A100
=AVERAGE(B1:B10
AVERAGE finds the average of cells B1 through B10
)
returns the highest number from cells C1
MAX =MAX(C1:C100)
through C100
returns the lowest number from cells D1
MIN =MIN(D1:D100)
through D100
SQRT =SQRT(D10) finds the square root of the value in cell D10
returns the current date (leave the parentheses
TODAY =TODAY()
empty)

Function Wizard
View all functions available in Excel by using the Function Wizard.
1. Activate the cell where the function will be placed and click the Function
Wizard button on the standard toolbar.
2. From the Paste Function dialog box, browse through the functions by clicking
in the Function category menu on the left and select the function from the
Function name choices on the right. As each function name is highlighted a
description and example of use is provided below the two boxes.

81
Figure 64

3. Click OK to select a function.

4. The next window allows you to choose the cells that will be included in the
function. In the example below, cells B4 and C4 were automatically selected for
the sum function by Excel. The cell values {2, 3} are located to the right of the
Number 1 field where the cell addresses are listed. If another set of cells, such
as B5 and C5, needed to be added to the function, those cells would be added in
the format "B5:C5" to the Number 2 field.
Figure 65

5. Click OK when all the cells for the function have been selected.

Autosum
Use the Autosum function to add the contents of a cluster of adjacent cells.
1. Select the cell that the sum will appear in that is outside the cluster of cells
whose values will be added. Cell C2 was used in this example.
2. Click the Autosum button (Greek letter sigma) on the standard toolbar.
3. Highlight the group of cells that will be summed (cells A2 through B2 in this
example).
4. Press the ENTER key on the keyboard or click the green check mark button on
the formula bar .

82
Figure 66

TUTORIAL THREE (3 HOURS)

In these tutorials, students will practice how to draw graphs and charts as well as how
to adjust page properties and print worksheets

TUTORIAL THREE NOTES:

5.5 CHARTS

Charts allow you to present data entered into the worksheet in a visual format using a
variety of graph types. Before you can make a chart you must first enter data into a
worksheet. This page explains how you can create simple charts from the data.

Chart Wizard
The Chart Wizard brings you through the process of creating a chart by displaying a
series of dialog boxes.
1. Enter the data into the worksheet and highlight all the cells that will be included
in the chart including headers.
Figure 67

2. Click the Chart Wizard button on the standard toolbar to view the first Chart
Wizard dialog box.
3. Chart Type - Choose the Chart type and the Chart subtype if necessary.
Click Next.

83
Figure 68

4. Chart Source Data - Select the data range (if different from the area
highlighted in step 1) and click Next
Figure 69.

5. Chart Options - Enter the name of the chart and titles for the X- and Y-axes.
Other options for the axes, grid lines, legend, data labels, and data table can be
changed by clicking on the tabs. Press Next to move to the next set of options.

84
Figure 70

6. Chart Location - Click As new sheet if the chart should be placed on a new,
blank worksheet or select As object in if the chart should be embedded in an
existing sheet and select the worksheet from the drop-down menu.
.
Figure 71

7. Click Finish to create the chart.

85
Figure 72

Resizing the Chart

To resize the chart, click on its border and drag any of the nine black handles to
change the size. Handles on the corners will resize the chart proportionally while
handles along the lines will stretch the chart.

Moving the Chart

Select the border of the chart, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the chart to
a new location. Elements within the chart such as the title and labels may also be
moved within the chart. Click on the element to activate it, and use the mouse to drag
the element to move it.
Chart Formatting Toolbar

Figure 73

Chart Objects List - To select an object on the chart to format, click the object on
the chart or select the object from the Chart Objects List and click the Format
button. A window containing the properties of that object will then appear to make
formatting changes.
Chart Type - Click the arrowhead on the chart type button to select a different type of
chart.
Legend Toggle - Show or hide the chart legend by clicking this toggle button.
Data Table view - Display the data table instead of the chart by clicking the Data
Table toggle button.

86
Display Data by Column or Row - Charts the data by columns or rows according to
the data sheet.
Angle Text - Select the category or value axis and click the Angle Downward or
Angle Upward button to angle the selected by +/- 45 degrees.

Figure 74

Copying the Chart to Microsoft Word

A finished chart can be copied into a Microsoft Word document. Select the chart and
click Copy. Open the destination document in Word and click Paste.

5.6 PAGE PROPERTIES AND PRINTING:

Page Breaks
To set page breaks within the worksheet, select the row you want to appear just below
the page break by clicking the row's label. Then choose Insert|Page Break from the
menu bar. You may need to click the double down arrow at the bottom of the menu
list to view this option.

Page Setup
Select File|Page Setup from the menu bar to format the page, set margins, and add
headers and footers.
• Page
Select the Orientation under the Page tab in the Page Setup window to make
the page Landscape or Portrait. The size of the worksheet on the page can also
be formatting under Scaling. To force a worksheet to print only one page wide
so all the columns appear on the same page, select Fit to 1
page(s) wide.

87
.Figure 75

• Margins
Change the top, bottom, left, and right margins under the Margins tab. Enter
values in the header and footer fields to indicate how far from the edge of the
page this text should appear. Check the boxes for centering horizontally or
vertically on the page.

Figure 76

• Header/Footer
Add preset headers and footers to the page by clicking the drop-down menus
under the Header/Footer

88
 tab.
Figure 77

To modify a preset header or footer, or to make your own, click the Custom
Header and Custom Footer buttons. A new window will open allowing you to
enter text in the left, center, or right on the page.

Format Text - Click this button after highlighting the text to change the font,
size, and style.
Page Number - Insert the page number of each page.
Total Number of Pages - Use this feature along with the page number to
create strings such as "page 1 of 15".
Date - Add the current date.
Time - Add the current time.
File Name - Add the name of the workbook file.
Tab Name - Add the name of the worksheet's tab.
• Sheet
Check Gridlines if you want the gridlines dividing the cells to be printed on the
page. If the worksheet is several pages long and only the first page includes
titles for the columns, select Rows to repeat at top to choose a title row that
will be printed at the top of each page.

89
Figure 78

Print Preview
Select File|Print Preview from the menu bar to view how the worksheet will print.
Click the Next and Previous buttons at the top of the window to display the pages
and click the Zoom button to view the pages closer. Make page layout modifications
needed by clicking the Page Setup button. Click Close to return to the worksheet or
Print to continue printing.
Print
To print the worksheet, select File|Print from the menu bar.

Figure 79

• Print Range - Select either all pages or a range of pages to print.

90
 • Print What - Select selection of cells highlighted on the worksheet, the active
worksheet, or all the worksheets in the entire workbook.
• Copies - Choose the number of copies that should be printed. Check the
Collate box if the pages should remain in order.
Click OK to print.

• Reading list
Refer to reader II

THEME 6: INTRODUCTION TO POWERPOINT PRESENTATION:

Objective:
At the end of theme 6, the student should be able to create PowerPoint presentations
that are composed of both text and graphical information

6.0 Introduction
Microsoft PowerPoint is a program for creating presentations. The presentations can
be produced as slides on acetate (transparencies) for overhead projectors or shown
directly from the computer using the computer screen or projector. Text, figures and
pictures can be used in presentations by this program. It also allows sound effects in
the presentation. As in both Word and Excel; PowerPoint also is available in different
versions viz. the PowerPoint 95, PowerPoint 97, PowerPoint 2000, PowerPoint 2002,
PowerPoint 2003, and PowerPoint 2007 versions.
Lesson One: The PowerPoint Screen

You use PowerPoint to create effective slide show presentations. The PowerPoint
screen has many elements.

91
Figure 80

Title Bar

The Title bar generally appears at the top of the screen. The Title bar displays the title
of the current presentation.

Menu Bar

The Menu bar displays the menu. You use the menu to give instructions to PowerPoint.

Standard and Formatting Toolbars

PowerPoint has several toolbars. Toolbars provide shortcuts to menu commands. The
most commonly used toolbars are the Standard and Formatting toolbars. You use the
Standard toolbar to do such things as open a file; save a file; print a file; check
spelling; cut, copy, and paste; undo and redo; or insert a chart or table. You use the
Formatting toolbar to change the font, font size or font color; bold, underline, or
italicize text; left align, right align, center, or justify; bullet or number lists; highlight;
or decrease or increase the indent.

Rulers

Rulers are vertical and horizontal guides. You use them to determine where you want
to place an object. They are marked in inches.

92
Placeholders

Placeholders hold the objects in your slide. You use placeholders to hold text, clip art,
and charts.

Status Bar

The Status bar generally appears at the bottom the screen. The Status bar displays
the number of the slide that is currently displayed, the total number of slides, and the
name of the design template in use or the name of the background.

Outline Tab

The Outline displays the text contained in your presentation.

Slides Tab

The Slides tab displays a thumbnail of all your slides. You click the thumbnail to view
the slide in the Slide pane.

View Buttons

The View buttons appear near the bottom of the screen. You use the view buttons to
change between Normal view, Slider Sorter view, and the Slide Show.

Normal View
Normal view splits you screen into three major sections: the Outline and Slides
tabs, the Slide pane, and the Task pane. The Outline and Slides tabs are on the
left side of your screen. They enable you to shift between two different ways of
viewing your slides. The Slides tab shows thumbnails of your slides. The Outline
tab shows the text on your slides. The Slide pane is located in the center of your
screen. The Slide pane shows a large view of the slide on which you are
currently working. The Task pane is located on the right side of your screen. The
Tasks pane enables you to select the task you want to perform.

Slide Sorter View

Slide Sorter view enables you to view thumbnails of all your slides. In Slide
Sorter view you can easily add, delete, or change the order of your slides. When
you’re in Slide Sorter view, a special Formatting toolbar appears. It has options
that allow you to make changes to your slides
.
Slide Show
Use the Slide Show view when you want to view your slides, as they will look in
your final presentation. When in Slide Show view:

Table 10

Esc Returns you to the view you were using

previously.

93
 Left- Moves you to the next slide or animation
clicking effect. When you reach the last slide, you
automatically return to your last view.

Right- Opens a pop-up menu. You can use this

clicking menu to navigate the slides, add speaker
notes, select a pointer, and mark your
presentation.

Drawing Toolbar

The Drawing toolbar generally appears near the bottom of the screen. It contains tools
for creating and editing graphics.

Common Tasks Buttons

Using the common tasks buttons, you can select the type of tasks you want to
perform.

Task Pane

The Task pane enables you to select the specific task you want to perform.

Vertical Splitter Bar

You can click and drag the vertical splitter bar to change the size of your panes.

Minimize Button

You use the Minimize button to remove a window from view. While a window is
minimized, its title appears on the taskbar.

Maximize/Restore Button

You use the Maximize button to cause a window to fill the screen. After you maximize
a window, if you click the Restore button, the window returns to its former size.

Close Button

You use the Close button to exit the window and close the program.

Lesson 2: PowerPoint Overview

When you start PowerPoint, PowerPoint displays the Title Slide in the Slide pane. You
can type the title of your presentation and a subtitle on this side. To enter text on the
Title Slide:

• Click and type the title of your presentation in the "Click to add title" area.

94
 • Click and type a subtitle in the "Click to add subtitle" area.

If you do not wish to use the Title Slide, choose Edit > Delete slide from the menu to
delete it.

Create New Slides

After completing your title slide, you can create additional slides. To create a new
slide:

1. Do one of the following:

o Choose Insert > New Slide from the menu.

o Click the New Slide button .

o Press Ctrl-M.

The Apply Slide Layout pane will appear on the right side of the screen. The Apply
Slide Layout pane provides you with slide templates you can use when creating your
PowerPoint presentation. There are four types of Text Layout templates.

Title Slide – The Title Slide contains two text placeholders that you can use
to display a title and a subtitle of your presentation.

Title Only – The Title Only slide contains a single placeholder. You can use
it to display a title.

Title and Text – The Title and Text template provides a placeholder for a
title and a placeholder for text.

Title and 2 Column Text – The Title and Text template provides a
placeholder for a title and two placeholders for text.

2. To select a layout, click the layout you want in the Apply Slide Layout pane. The
layout will then appear in the Slide pane

Figure 81.

3. To add text, click inside the placeholder and type.

4. To add an additional slide to your presentation do one of the following:
o Right-click on the slide layout. A menu will appear. Choose Insert New
Slide.
o Click the down arrow next to the slide layout. A menu will appear). Choose
Insert New Slide.

Figure 82

95
Change Your Slides

After creating a slide, if you want to add text:

1. Place the cursor at the point at which you would like to add text.
2. Type the information you want to add.

If you would like to change text:

1. Highlight the text you want to change.

2. Type the new text.

You can use the backspace key to delete text. You can also delete text by highlighting
the text and pressing the Delete key.

Apply a Design Template

Design templates provide attractive backgrounds for your PowerPoint slides. To apply
a design template:

1. Do one of the following:

o Choose Format > Slide Design from the menu.

o Click the Slide Design icon .

Design templates will appear on the right side of the screen.

2. To apply a design template to all of the slides in your presentation do one of the
following:

o Click on the design template.

o Right-click on the template. A menu will appear. Choose Apply to All
Slides.
o Click on the down arrow next to the template. A menu will appear. Choose
Apply to All Slides.

Figure 83

96
Correct Spelling

Using the PowerPoint spell checker, you can check the spelling in you PowerPoint
documents.

1. To start spell check, do one of the following:

o Choose Tools > Spelling from the menu.
o Press F7.
o Click the Spell Check icon.

If there are possible spelling errors, the Spelling dialog box will open.

Table 11
Task Procedure

Do not change spelling. Click Ignore.

Correct spelling. 1. Click the correct spelling in

the Suggestions box.

2. Click Change.

Add to Dictionary. Click Add.

Word is Correct. Do not Click Ignore All.

change document.

Word is incorrect. Click Change All.

Change entire
document.

Sorter View

After you have created your PowerPoint slides, you can move, cut, copy, paste,
duplicate, navigate, and view them in Sorter view. To view the slides in Sorter view, do
one of the following:

o Choose View > Slide Sorter from the menu.

o Click the Slide Sorter View icon.

Figure 84

97
Table 12
Slide Sorter View

Task Procedure

Move to first slide. Ctrl-Home

Move to last slide. Ctrl-End

Move to next slide. Right arrow

Move to previous slide. Left arrow

Select a slide. Single-click

Open slide in Normal view. Double-click slide.

Select slides. Select a single slide:

1. Click the slide you

want to select.

Select multiple slides:

1. Hold down Ctrl key.

2. Click the slides you

want to select.

Delete a slide. 1. Select the slide or

slides you want to
delete.

2. Press the Delete key.

3.

1. Select the slide or

slides you want to
98
Slide Sorter View

Task Procedure

delete.

2. Choose Edit > Delete

Slide from the menu.

Copy a slide. 1. Select the slide.

2. Choose Edit > Copy

from the menu.

1. Select the slide.

2. Click the copy icon.

1. Select the slide.

2. Press Ctrl-C.

Paste a slide 1. Select the slide after

which you want the
new slide or slides to
appear.

2. Choose Edit > Paste

from the menu.

1. Select the slide after

which you want the
new slide or slides to
appear.

2. Click the paste icon.

1. Select the slide after

which you want
the new slide or slides
to appear.

2. Press Ctrl-V.

Cut a slide 1. Select the slide or

slides you want to cut.

2. Choose Edit > Cut

from the menu.

1. Select the slide or

99
Slide Sorter View

Task Procedure

slides you want to cut.

2. Click the Cut icon.

1. Select the slide or

slides you want to cut.

2. Press Ctrl-X.

Move a slide 1. Select the slide or

slides you want to
move.

2. Drag to the new

location.

Duplicate a slide 1. Select the slide or

slides you want to
duplicate.

2. Choose Edit >

Duplicate from the
menu.

1. Select the slide or

slides you want
to duplicate.

2. Press Ctrl- D.

Run Your PowerPoint Slide Show

Once you have created your slides, you can run your Slide Show:

1. Do any one of the following:

o Press F5.
o Choose Slide Show > View Show from the menu.
o Click the Slide Show icon, which is located in the bottom left corner of your
screen.

Your slideshow will appear on your screen.

Table 13
Navigating the Slideshow

Task Procedure

100
Go to the next slide. Do one of the following:

• Press the Right Arrow

key.
• Press the Enter key.
• Press the Page Down
key.

• Left-click

Go to the previous slide. Do one of the following:

• Press the Left Arrow key.

• Press the Backspace
key.

• Press the Page Up key.

Print Your Slides

PowerPoint provides you with many printing options. You can print a large view of your
slides or you can print your slides as handouts with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 9 slides per page.
You can also print your Notes pages or the Outline view of your slides.

To print:

1. Choose File >Print Preview from the menu. The Print Preview area will open.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Print What field.
3. Select what you would like to print.
4. Click the Print icon. The Print dialog box will open.
5. Select whether you want your slides to print in color, grayscale, or black and
white. If you are using a black and white printer, choose black and white. You
will use less ink or toner.
6. Check whether you want your slides to print vertically or horizontally.

Lesson Three: Creating Your First PowerPoint Presentation

The following exercise steps you through creating your first PowerPoint presentation.

Create a Title Slide

1. Open PowerPoint.
2. Choose Blank Presentation on the Task pane. You will be presented with a Title
slide.

101
Figure 85

3. Enter the information shown here. Type College Scholarships and Financial Aid in
the Click to Add Title text box. Type Paying for College in the Click to Add
Subtitle text box.

102
Insert a New Slide

1. Click the New Slide icon .

2. Click the Title and Text icon.

3. Enter the information shown here. Type Here is what to do: in the Click to Add
Title area. Type the bulleted text in the Click to Add Text area.

Create a Hierarchy

1. Insert a new slide. Right-click the Title and Text icon. A context menu will
appear. Choose Insert New Slide from the context menu.
2. Enter the information shown here. Click the Increase Indent icon to indent the
bullets for Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans. If you ever need to decrease an
indent, use the decrease indent icon .

103
Use Two-Column Text

1. Right-click the Title and 2 Column Text icon. A context menu will appear. Choose
Insert New Slide.
2. Enter the information shown here. Type the information in the appropriate
column.

Apply a Design Template

1. Click the design icon . Design templates will appear on the left side of the
screen.
2. Scroll down to view the design templates.
3. Right-click the design template you want to apply. A context menu will appear.
Choose Apply to All Slides. We used the Lock and Key design template.

Figure 86

104
Outline and Slides Tab

1. Use the Slides tab to view thumbnails of your slide.

Figure 87

2. Click the Outline tab to view the text of your presentation as an outline.

Figure 88

105
Slide Sorter View

1. Choose View > Slide Sorter from the menu to move to Slide Sorter view.

2. Double-click a slide to return to Normal view.

Run Your Slide Show

1. Press F5 to run the Slide Show.

2. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move forward and backward through
your slides.
3. Use the Esc key to return to Normal view.

Print Your Outline

1. Choose File > Print Preview from the menu.

2. Click the down arrow next to the Print What icon.

Figure 89

106
 3. Select Outline view.

Figure 90

4. Click the Print icon.

5. Click Close.

Print Your Slides

1. Choose File > Print Preview from the menu.

2. Click the down arrow next to the Print What icon.
3. Select the slides you want to print.
4. Click the down arrow next to Options. A menu will appear.
5. Choose Color/Grayscale > Pure Black and White.
6. Click the Print icon.
7. Click Close.

Print Your Slides as a Handout

1. Choose File > Print Preview from the menu.

2. Click the down-arrow next to the Print What icon.
3. Select Handouts (2 Slides Per Page).

107
 4. Click the Print icon.
5. Click Close.

TUTORIAL NOTES

TUTORIAL ONE: (2 HOURS)

In this tutorial, students will be taught how to start up MS PowerPoint, create a

presentation, open an existing presentation.

6.1 GETTING STARTED

Open Power Point and you will be prompted by a dialog box with four choices. Each of
these options are explained on this page. If Power Point is already open or this box
does not appear, select File|New from the menu bar.

Figure 91

AutoContent Wizard
The AutoContent Wizard provides templates and ideas for a variety of presentation
types. Page through the wizard by clicking the Next button on the bottom of each
page after making necessary choices.

Figure 92

108
Design Template
Power Point provides many templates with different backgrounds and text formatting
to begin your presentation. Preview each design by highlighting the template name on
the list. Press OK after you have chosen the design.
Figure 93

Blank Presentation
Select Blank Presentation to build the presentation from scratch with no preset
graphics or formatting.

Open an Existing Presentation

109
Select this option to open a Power Point presentation that already exists. Select the
folder the file is located in from the Look in: drop-down menu and highlight the file on
the list. Click Open to open the presentation.
Figure 94

Auto Layout
After selecting the presentation type, you will be prompted to choose the layout of the
new slide. These layouts include bulleted lists, graphs, and/or images. Click on each
thumbnail image and a description will be printed in the message box. Highlight the
layout you want and click OK.
Figure 95

110
6.2 SCREEN LAYOUT:

Screen Layout
The Power Point screen layout in Normal View:

Figure 96

111
Views
Power Point gives you four screen layouts for constructing your presentation in
addition to the Slide Show. You can select the page view by clicking the buttons just
above the formatting toolbar and the bottom of the page.

Figure 97

Normal View Slide View

This screen is split into three The slide view displays each slide on
sections showing the presentation the screen and is helpful for adding
outline on the left, the slide in the images, formatting text, and adding

112
 main window, and notes at the background styles.
bottom.
Figure 98

Outline View Slide Sorter View

The presentation outline is displayed A small image of each slide is
on the majority of the screen with displayed in Slide Sorter view. Slides
small windows for the slide and can easily be ordered and sorted
notes. This view is recommended for from this screen.
editing text.
Click the Slide Show button to view the full-screen slide show.

TUTORIAL TWO: (2 HOURS)

In this tutorial, students will practice on different power point views, how to
manipulate slides, animation of slides and slide transitions.

TUTORIAL TWO NOTES

6.3 WORKING WITH SLIDES;

Insert a New Slide

Follow these steps to insert a new slide into the presentation:
1. In the Outline window, select the slide you want the new slide to appear after by
clicking the slide's number.
2. Select Insert|New Slide from the menu bar or click the new slide button on the
standard toolbar.
3. Choose the page layout from the window and press OK.

Applying a Design Template

To add a design template or changing the existing one, selection Format|Design
Template from the menu bar. Select the template and click Apply.
Changing Slide Layouts
To change the layout template of the slide select Format|Slide Layout from the
menu bar. Select one of the layout thumbnail images and click Apply.

113
Figure 98

Reordering Slides
To reorder a slide in Slide Sorter View, simply click on the slide you wish to move
and drag it to the new location. In Normal or Outline View, click the slide icon
beside the number of the slide you want to move and drag the icon to a new location.

Hide Slides
If you do not want a slide to appear during the slide show, but do not want to delete
the slide as it may be used later, the slide can be hidden by selecting Slide Show|
Hide Slide from the menu bar. To add the slide back to the slide show, select Slide
Show|Hide Slide again.

Create a Custom Slide Show

The Custom Slide Show feature allows you to select the slides you want to display in
the slide show if not all the slides should be used.
1. Select Slide Show|Custom Slide Show from the menu bar.
Figure 99

2. Click the New... button in the Custom Shows window.

114
 3. In the Define Custom Show window, type a name for the slide in the Slide
show name field.
Figure 100

4. Add slides to the custom show by highlighting them in the Slides in

presentation window and clicking the Add >> button. Those slides will then
appear in the Slides in custom show window.
5. To remove slides from the custom show, highlight their names in the Slides in
custom show window and click the Remove button.
6. To reorder slides in the custom show, highlight the slide that should be moved
and click the up and down arrows to change its order in the show.
7. Click OK when finished.
8. Click the Show button on the Custom Shows window to preview the custom
slide show and click Close to exit.

Edit a Custom Slide Show

Figure 101

1. Select Slide Show|Custom Slide Show from the menu bar.

2. Edit the show by highlighting the name in the Custom shows box and clicking
the Edit... button.
3. To delete a show, highlight the name and click Remove.
4. Create a copy of a show by clicking the Copy button. The copy can then be
renamed by clicking the Edit... button.
5. Click the Show button to preview the custom slide show and click Close to exit.

115
6.4 ADDING CONTENT

Bulleted Lists on Design Templates

Bulleted lists allow you to clearly display the main points of your presentation on
slides. The text boxes on design templates already include bulleted lists. Click the
place holder on the slide to begin adding text and press the ENTER key to return to
the next line and add a new bulleted item. To go to the next line without adding
another bullet, hold down the SHIFT key while pressing ENTER.

Bulleted List from a Text Box

If you are not creating a bulleted list from an existing placeholder on a design
template, or if you would like to add an additional bulleted list, follow these steps to
create a new list:
1. In slide view, create a text box by selecting Insert|Text Box from the menu
bar.
2. "Draw" the text box on the slide by holding down the left mouse button while
you move the mouse until the box is the size you want it.
3. Choose Format|Bullets and Numbering from the menu bar.
4.
Figure 102

5. Change the Size of the bullet by changing the percentage in relation to the text.
6. Choose a color for the bullet from the Color menu. Click More Colors for a
larger selection.
7. Select one of the seven bullet types shown and click OK.
- OR -
Click the Picture button to view the Picture Bullet window. Select one of the
bullets and click OK.
- OR -
Click the Character button to select any character from the fonts on the
computer. Select a symbol font such as Wingdings or Webdings from the
Bullets from drop-down menu for the best selection of icons. Click on the

116
 characters in the grid to see them larger. Click OK when you have chosen the
bullet you want to use.

Figure 103

8. Click OK on the Bullets and Numbering window and use the same methods
described in the "Bulleted Lists on Design Templates" to enter text into the
bulleted list.

Bulleted Lists and New Slides from an Outline

In Normal or Outline view, text can easily be entered in the outline window and new
slides are automatically added. Follow the steps below to become familiar with adding
slide content in outline view:
1. Next to the Slide 1 icon, type the title of the slide. The text you type beside the
slide icons will be the large-type titles on each slide.
2. Press ENTER to type the next line. This will automatically create a new slide. To
create a bulleted list for the first slide, press the TAB key or click the demote
button on the More Buttons menu accessible by clicking the "triple arrow"
button at the end of the formatting toolbar .
- OR -
Press ALT+SHIFT+Right Arrow to demote the selection to a bulleted list item.
3. Continue entering text for the bulleted list, pressing ENTER at the end of each
line to create a new bullet.
4. Create a multilevel list by executing the demote action again to create a
bulleted sublist. Press the promote button on the More Buttons menu or
press ALT+SHIFT+Left Arrow to return to the original list.
5. Create a new slide by executing the promote action until a new slide icon
appears.

117
 6. Continue creating new slides and bulleted lists by using the demote and
promote actions until the presentation is completed. Use the formatting
instructions below to format the lists.
If there is more than one bulleted list on the slide, the lists will be designated by
numbers enclosed in black boxes. The example below shows the slide created from
the outline on the left. The bulleted list on the left side of the slide is labeled list "1" on
the outline and the list on the right is labeled list "2". When typing the outline, begin
typing in the new list by pressing CTRL+ENTER. In this example, CTRL+ENTER was
pressed after typing "Access".

Numbered List
Follow these steps to create a numbered list:
1. Create a text box.
2. With the text box selected, choose Format|Bullets and Numbering from the
menu bar.
3. Click the Numbered tab at the top of the Bullets and Numbering window.
4.
Figure 104

5. Change the size of the numbers by changing the percentage in relation to the
text.
6. Choose a color for the numbers from the Color menu. Click More Colors for a
larger selection.
118
7. Change the Start at value if the numbers should not begin with 1.
8. Select one of the seven list types shown and click OK.

119
Resizing a Text Box
Select a text box by clicking on it with the mouse. A border with nine handles will
appear around the text box. The four handles on the corners will resize the length and
the width of the box at once while the handles on the sides will resize only in one
direction. Click one of the handles and drag it with the mouse. Release the mouse
button when it is the size you want it to be. Move the text box by clicking and
dragging the thick, dotted border with the mouse.

Text Box Properties

Change the colors, borders, and backgrounds of a text box from the Format
AutoShape dialog box.

Figure 105

1. Activate the textbox by clicking on it and select Format|Colors and Lines from
the menu bar.
2. Under the Colors and Lines tab, select a Fill color that will fill the background
of the text box. Check the Semitransparent box if you want the slide
background to show through the color.
3. Select a Line color that will surround the box as well as a Style or Weight for
the thickness of the line and a Dashed property if the line should not be solid.
4. Click the Text Box tab.

120
Figure 106

5. Change the Text anchor point to reposition the text within the text box.
6. Set Internal margins to the distance the text should be to the text box edges.
7. Click OK to add the changes to the text box.

Delete a Text Box

To delete a text box from a template, simply click the border of the text box and press
the DELETE key on the keyboard.

6.5 WORKING WITH TEXT:

Adding Text
If the slide layout includes text boxes, simply click on the text box to add text. To add
a text box to the slide, select Insert|Text Box from the menu bar and draw the text
box with the mouse. Set text editing options by selecting Tools|Options from the
menu bar and clicking the Edit tab.

121
Figure 107

Formatting Text
Select the text that will be formatted by highlighting the text either on the outline or
on the slide. Choose Format|Font from the menu bar or right-click on the highlighted
selection and select Font from the popup shortcut menu or. Select a font face, size,
style, effect, and color from the Font dialog box. Click the Preview button to see how
the changes will appear on the slide before making a decision.

Replace Fonts
Design templates have a preset font that you may want to change or you may want to
change the font used on for the entire presentation for a number of reasons. This can
be accomplished quickly using the Replace Fonts feature. Select Format|Replace
Font from the menu bar. Choose the font you want to Replace from the first drop-
down menu and the font it should be replaced With from the second menu, and click
the Replace button.

Figure 108

122
Line Spacing
Change the amount of space between lines in a text box by selecting Format|Line
Spacing from the menu bar.

Figure 109

• Line spacing - Select the amount of vertical space between lines. A value of "1"
is equal to single spacing and "2" is double spacing. Values between and above
these numbers are valid as well.
• Before paragraph and After paragraph - This value will determine the
amount of vertical space before and after each paragraph in a text box.

Change Case
Change the case of the characters in a paragraph by selecting Format|Change Case
from the menu bar without having to retype the text.

Figure 110

• Sentence case - Capitalizes the first letter of the first word in each sentence.
• Lowercase and Uppercase - Changes the case of all the letters.
• Title case - Capitalizes the first letter of every word and reduces the rest to
lowercase.
• Toggle case - The opposite of Title case, it makes the first letter of every word
lowercase and capitalizes the remaining letters.

Spell Check
Correct the spelling in the presentation by selecting Tools|Spelling from the menu
bar or by pressing the F7 key on the keyboard.

123
Figure 111

1. The spell checker will prompt you to make corrections of the first word that is
spelled wrong.
2. If the word is spelled correctly, click Ignore or Ignore All if the same word
appears several times during the presentation. If this word will appear in many
presentations (such as your name), click Add to add the word to the dictionary
and you won't be prompted by a misspelling again.
3. If the word is spelled wrong, highlight one of the Suggestions or type your own
revision in the Change to box. Click Change to correct this occurrence of the
word or Change All to correct all occurrences of the word in the presentation.
4. Click Close to abort the spelling check early.
5. When the spell checker has read through the entire presentation, you will be
prompted by a window telling you that the spelling check is complete. Click OK.
6.
Figure 112

Spelling Options
Select Tools|Options from the menu bar and click the Spelling and Style tab.
Figure 113

124
 1. Check spelling as you type - If this box is checked, Power Point will check the
spelling of every word as you type. Misspelled words will be underlined with
wavy red lines.
2. Hide spelling errors in this document - Check this box to remove the wavy
red lines from words that are spelled wrong.
3. Always suggest corrections - If this box is checked, suggestions for
misspelled words will appear when you activate the spell checker.
4. Ignore words in UPPERCASE - Power Point recommends that you don't type
slide titles in all uppercase letters so it will treat words like this and other all-
uppercase acronyms as misspelled. Check this box to ignore this suggestion and
acronyms that are typically typed in all caps.
5. Ignore words with numbers - Check to ignore words that are combinations of
letters and numbers.

TUTORIAL THREE: (2 HOURS)

In this tutorial, students will practice on how to view slide shows, navigate while in
slide shows, backup presentation for use on another computer, share a presentation
with other users, and use of Color schemes and graphics in MS PowerPoint as well as
have a summary on what they learnt about PowerPoint in the earlier two tutorials

TUTORIAL THREE NOTES:

6.6 COLOUR SCHEMES:

The colors of predesigned slide templates can be changed and a color scheme can be
added to blank presentations. This page explains how to add color schemes and
background images to slides.

Color Schemes
1. Select Format|Slide Color Scheme from the menu bar.
2. Click one of the preset color scheme thumbnail images in the Color schemes
box.

125
Figure 114

3. Click the Preview button to see how the scheme will appear on the slide.
4. To make changes to the color scheme, click the Custom tab on the dialog box.
Figure 115

5. Change the colors of the slide elements by selecting the color swatch beside the
name of the element and clicking the Change color button.
6. Highlight one of the colors from the Text and Line Color window or select the
Custom tab to view more color choices and click OK when finished.

126
Figure 116

7. When you have finished all color formatting, click Apply to All to apply the color
scheme to all the slides in the presentation or Apply to add the scheme only to
the current slide.

Backgrounds
Follow these steps to add background colors and patterns to a slide:
1. Select Format|Background from the menu bar.
Figure 117

2. Select a color from the drop-down menu below the Background fill preview or
choose More Colors... for a larger selection.
3. Select Fill Effects from the drop-down menu to add gradients, texture, patterns,
or a picture to the background.

127
Figure 118

4. Gradient tab
o Select One color if the color chosen will fade into the background and
select the color from the Color 1 drop-down menu. Choose Two colors if
the gradient will use two colors and select those colors from the Color 1
and Color 2 drop-down menus. Preset provides a selection of color
combinations. Select one from the Preset colors drop-down menu.
o Select the type of gradient from shading styles.
o Click one of the four Variants of the styles chosen.

Figure 119

128
 5. Texture tab
From the Texture window, select a repeating background by scrolling through the
thumbnail images or click Other Texture... to select an image from a file.

Figure 120

6. Pattern tab
Select a two-tone pattern by clicking one of the pattern swatches and selecting
the Foreground and Background colors

129
Figure 121.

7. Picture tab
Click the Select Picture button to choose a picture from a file. After the picture
is selected, a preview and description will be shown in this window.
8. Click OK to apply the changes made from the Fill Effects windows.
9. Click Apply to All to add the changes to every slide or Apply to make changes
only to the current slide.

6.7 GRAPHICS
The Drawing Toolbar provides many commands for creating and editing graphics. The
toolbar is located at the bottom of the Power Point screen or it can be activated by
selecting View|Toolbars|Drawing from the menu bar.

Figure 122

• Menu -
o Grouping - Images can be grouped together so they become one image
and can be moved together or the same formatting changes can be
applied to both at once. Select all the images that will be grouped by
holding down the SHIFT key and clicking once on each image. Then select
Group from the Draw menu. The images can be ungrouped by selecting
Ungroup from the same menu. The rectangles in the image to the left are
separate images with their own sets of handles and they are grouped

130
 together in the image to the right:

o Order - The order of overlapping images can be changed using this

feature. In the example of two rectangles below, the green rectangle is
selected and the Send Backward command was used to move the image
below the blue rectangle. Send Backward and Bring Forward will move
elements by one layer. Send to Back and Bring to Front move the
elements to the back or top of a series of several overlapping graphics.

o Nudge - Use the nudge actions to move an object slightly in one direction.
o Align or Distribute - Select a group of objects and choose one of the
commands from the Align or Distribute menu to change the position of the
objects in relation to one another.
o Rotate or Flip - Rotate an object 90 degrees or flip the object over its x-
or y-axis.
• Select objects - Deactivate all drawing functions.
• Free rotate - This button will place green handles on certain objects so they
can be arbitrarily rotated. Click and drag the handles to rotate the objects.

• AutoShapes menu - Click the small down arrow to the right of the
"AutoShapes" text to select a shape. [More...]
• Line and Arrow - Click and drag the mouse on the slide to add lines. Hold down
the SHIFT key to draw a straight line. Use the end points of the completed line
to stretch and reposition the line.
• Rectangle and Oval - Click and drag the mouse on the slide to add rectangles
and ovals. Hold down the SHIFT key to add squares and circles.
• Text box - Click to draw a text box on the slide.
• Word art - Click to add WordArt. [More]
• Picture - Click to add a clip art image to the slide.
• Fill color - Choose a fill color for rectangles, ovals, and clip art.
• Line color - Select a border color for shapes and pictures.
• Font color - Highlight text on the slide and click the small down arrow next to
the Font color icon to select a color.
• Line style - Highlight a line or arrow that has been drawn and click this button
to select a thickness or style for the line.
• Dash style - Highlight a line or arrow and select a dash style.

131
 • Arrow style - Change the arrow head style for an existing arrow or change a
line to an arrow.
• Shadow - Select a text box to add shadow to text or choose any other object on
the slide to add a drop shadow.
• 3D - Add a three-dimensional effect to text and other objects.

Adding Clip Art

To add a clip art image to a slide, follow these steps:
1. Select Insert|Picture|Clip Art from the menu bar or click the Picture button
on the Drawing toolbar

Figure 123.

2. To find an image, click in the white box following Search for clips and enter
keywords describing the image you want to find.
- OR -
Click one of the category icons.
3. Click once on the image to want to add to the slide and a selection bar will
appear.
4. Click once on the image you want to add to the slide and the following popup
menu will appear:

o Insert Clip to add the image to the slide.

132
 o Preview Clip to view the image full-size before adding it to the slide. Drag
the bottom, right corner of the preview window to resize the image and
click the "x" close button to end the preview.
Figure 124

Add Clip to Favorites will add the selected image to your favorites
o
directory that can be chosen from the Insert ClipArt dialog box.
o Find Similar Clips will retrieve images similar to the one you have
chosen.
5. Click the Close button in the top, right corner of the Insert Clip window to stop
adding clip art to the slide.

Add an Image from a File

To add a photo or graphic from a file:
1. Select Insert|Picture|From File from the menu bar.
2. Click the down arrow button on the right side of the Look in: window to find the
image on your computer.
3. Highlight the file name from the list and click the Insert button.

133
Figure 125

134
Editing A Graphic
Activate the image you wish to edit by clicking on it once with the mouse. Several
handles will appear around the graphic. Click and drag these handles to resize the
image. The handles on the corners will resize proportionally while the handles on the
straight lines will stretch the image. More picture effects can be changed using the
Picture toolbar.
Auto Shapes
The AutoShapes toolbar allows you to draw a number of geometrical shapes, arrows,
flow chart elements, stars, and other graphics on a slide. Activate the AutoShapes
toolbar by selecting Insert|Picture|AutoShapes or View|Toolbars|AutoShapes
from the menu bar. Click the buttons on the toolbar to view the options for drawing
each shape.

Figure 126

• Lines - After clicking the Lines button on the AutoShapes toolbar, draw a
straight line, arrow, or double-ended arrow from the first row of options by
clicking the respective button. Click in the slide where you would like the line to
begin and click again where it should end. To draw a curved line or freeform
shape, select curved lines from the menu (first and second buttons of second
row), click in the slide where the line should appear, and click the mouse every
time a curve should begin. End creating the graphic by clicking on the starting
end or pressing the ESC key. To scribble, click the last button in the second
row, click the mouse in the slide and hold down the left button while you draw
the design. Let go of the mouse button to stop drawing.
• Connectors - Draw these lines to connect flow chart elements.
• Basic Shapes - Click the Basic Shapes button on the AutoShapes toolbar to
select from many two- and three-dimensional shapes, icons, braces, and
brackets. Use the drag-and-drop method to draw the shape in the slide. When
the shape has been made, it can be resized using the open box handles and
other adjustments specific to each shape can be modified using the yellow
diamond handles.

• Block Arrows - Select Block Arrows to choose from many types of two- and
three-dimensional arrows. Drag-and-drop the arrow in the slide and use the
open box and yellow diamond handles to adjust the arrowheads. Each
AutoShape can also be rotated by first clicking the Free Rotate button on the
drawing toolbar . Click and drag the green handles around the image to rotate

135
 it. The tree image below was created from an arrow rotated 90 degrees.

• Flow Chart - Choose from the flow chart menu to add flow chart elements to
the slide and use the line menu to draw connections between the elements.
• Stars and Banners - Click the button to select stars, bursts, banners, and
scrolls.
• Call Outs - Select from the speech and thought bubbles and line call outs.
Enter the call out text in the text box that is made.
• More AutoShapes - Click the More buttons to choose from a list of clip art
categories.
Each of the submenus on the AutoShapes toolbar can become a separate toolbar. Just
click and drag the gray bar across the top of the submenus off of the toolbar and it will
become a separate floating toolbar.

Figure 127

WordArt
Add headlines in striking colors and shapes to your presentation using Word Art.
• Select Insert|Picture|WordArt from the menu bar or click the Word Art
button on the Drawing toolbar.
• Choose a Word Art style from the listing and click OK.

136
Figure 128

• Enter the text in the Edit WordArt Text box and choose the font, size, and
style for the text. Click OK.
Figure 129

• Use the white box handles around the word art to resize it on the slide.
• Drag the yellow diamond handle to change the shape of the text. To revert back
to no shape, double-click the diamond.

• Reading List
Refer to reader III

THEME 7: INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE MANAGEMENT

Objective:
At the end of theme 7, the student should be able to:
• Use the table design wizard
• Add fields to the table
• Add data to the table
• Use a form to view and add data to table
• Query a database for specific information
• Customize a report for data in a database
• Create a Data Access Page to view and share database information
on the Web.
137
Instructional plan:
• Generation of topic expectations.
Class activity 1
The instructor will then introduce the topic to the students and together with the
students will generate the topic expectations through a brain storming session.

• Interactive lecture session

Class activity 2
Power point presentation of lecture material and the students will be encouraged to
participate through question – answer sessions that will punctuate the presentation
after every fifteen minutes.

Teaching notes
Introduction
At the most basic level, a database management system (DBMS) is a program that
facilitates the storage and retrieval of structured information on a computer’s hard
drive. Examples of well-know industrial-strength relational DBMSes include
• Oracle
• Microsoft SQL Server
• IBM DB2
• Informix
Well-know PC-based (“desktop”) relational DBMSes include
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft FoxPro
• Borland dBase

In this course, we shall look at Microsoft Access only.

Exploring Access

To use Access effectively, you should be familiar with the structure of a

database. A database consists of a collection of tables, queries, forms,
reports, and pages that you use to manage and present data. These
components are also called database objects. When you build a database,
you create as many of these objects as you need and Access stores them
in one database file. Each object you create in the database is dependent
on other objects. That is, a query, form, or report draws information from
tables, so changing data in any one of these objects changes the data in
all of these objects. Because the objects in a database are related to one
another, building a database requires careful planning.

In fact, it only makes sense to build a database when you need a flexible
system for organizing and analyzing data. For example, when you are
teaching three sections of one subject and you want to grade all three
classes on one curve, it makes sense to store your records in a database
instead of in an Excel 2000 workbook. You can store information on each
138
class in separate tables and connect them by a common field. Then you
can use a query to analyze student performance in all three classes.

There are seven main components of a database in Access:

• Tables. Use tables to store database information.

• Forms. Use forms to enter or edit the information in your

tables. Forms let you view one record at a time.

• Reports. Use reports to deliver a professional presentation or

written report to your class.

• Queries. Filter data so that you retrieve selected records or

fields from the database.

• Pages. Create HTML pages from a database quickly and

efficiently.

• Macros. Automate tasks that you perform on a regular basis in

a database.

• Modules. Automate a group of related procedures in Access.

139
 You create and open database objects from the Access database window,
which lists the objects in the left pane of the window. When you click on
one of the first five items, the right pane gives options for creating the
object, and it shows all existing objects of that type in the database. You
can open an object by double-clicking it.

Figure 130
Deletes
selected Changes how
objects. Access displays
icons.

Standard
toolbar

Provides
options for
opening objects
in your
database.

Click one of
these four
buttons to
create or open
a database
object.

Click Pages to
create a Data
Access Page.

In this chapter, you first learn about tables in Access. Later, you learn
about forms, queries, reports, and pages. Macros and modules are
features for advanced Access users. You can learn more about them with
the help of the Office Assistant after you are familiar with the objects in a
database.

140
Setting up a database

To get started with Access, you can create a database for a class project
to conduct a census. Students can gather information from interviews and
store it in a database, then compare the results with city census results
from the past four decades. They can use Access queries to analyze how
demographics vary in different neighborhoods and how they have changed
over time.

To create a database

1. Start Access.

2. In the Microsoft Access dialog box, select Blank Access database

and click OK.

3. In the File New Database window, decide where you want to store
the database on your computer and name the database Student
Census.

4. Click Create.

When you click Create, the Student Census database opens. You can
now create and store tables, forms, reports, and queries in the
census database.

EXPLORING TABLES

The first object to add to your database is a table. You use tables to store
all the data in the database. Each row of a table contains one record.
Records are made up of fields that contain a particular piece of data in the
table. For example, when you create the census database, all the data for
one household will be stored in a record. One field in the table might
specify the number of people in the household or the neighborhood where
the household is located.

Every table in Access must have a field that uniquely identifies each
record in the table. This field is called the primary key. You can recognize
the primary key in a table by the ID appended to it. The primary key
ensures that you can retrieve data accurately and efficiently when you pull
information from the database. Access automatically assigns a primary
key to each of your records for you when you use an Access Table Wizard.

141
 Viewing tables

There are two ways to view your table: Datasheet view and Design
view. When you double-click a table object from the Access database
window, it opens in Datasheet view.

Use Datasheet view when you want to view, add, or delete data from a
table. You can also reformat your table to change the size and order of
the field columns in this view.

Datasheet view

Figure 131 Click Find to

search for a
Use Sort Ascending record.
and Sort Descending Click New Record
to sort records by a and Delete Record
selected field. to add or delete
records.

Form View
Toolbar

Click View to
switch to
Design view.

Click a box to
select a
record.

Use these buttons

to move to
different records in
a table.

142
Design view
Use Design view when you want to change the structure of a table. You
can add or delete fields, change a field caption or size, or select the
type of data you plan to enter into a field in Design view.

Figure 132 Click one of

these buttons
to insert or Click the
delete rows. Database
Window button to
Use this button open the main
to set or change database
your primary window.
key.

Click View to
switch to
Datasheet view.

Identifies the
properties of the
currently
selected field.

Use this area to add Read this note

notes to yourself about for information
each field. about the
currently
selected field.

143
 Creating tables
When you open a database, you see three options for creating a table:

• Create table in Design view

• Create table by using wizard

• Create table by entering data

Unless you are already familiar with Access, you should use the Table
Wizard when you create tables.

The Table Wizard helps you to organize data by providing sample fields
that you can include in a table and it assigns a primary key to each
record. Later, if you need to change the design of your table, you can
modify it using Design view. The Table Wizard even provides a sample
student table that you may want to build after you have finished
designing the census database.

To create a table using the Table Wizard

1. From the objects box in the Student Census database window,

click Tables.

2. Double-click Create table by using wizard. The Table Wizard

dialog box opens.

3. Click each of the tables in the Sample Tables list and scroll
through the Sample Fields list.

Figure 133

Scroll through the sample

tables in the Table Wizard.
You can get ideas for
other tables you may want
to create in Access in the
future.

4. When you see a field that you want to include in your table, click
it and then click the single right arrow next to the Sample Fields
list. If you want to include all of the Sample Fields in one table,
simply click the double right arrow.

144
 5. If you accidentally add a field that you don’t want or add the
same field twice, click it in the Fields in my new table list and
then click the single left arrow to remove it.

6. When you are satisfied with the fields in the table, click Next. If
you need to later, you can modify the fields in the table using
Design view.

7. The Table Wizard provides a name for the table. Replace this
name by typing Census Table.

8. Make sure the option for the Table Wizard to assign a primary key
is selected and then click Next.

9. Click Finish to exit the Table Wizard.

The census table appears in Datasheet view.

Navigating in the table

Before you enter data into a table, you need to know how to move
around in it. Depending on what you want to do, you can use the TAB
key, the navigation buttons at the bottom of the table, the arrow keys,
or the HOME, END, PAGE UP, and PAGE DOWN keys.

To move within a record

• To select any field, click it.

• To move one field to the right, press TAB or use the right
arrow key.

• To move one field to the left, press SHIFT+TAB or use the left
arrow key.

• To move to the first field of the active record, press HOME.

• To move to the last field of the active record, press END.

To move from record to record

• To move to the next record, click the single right arrow next to
Record.

• To move to the previous record, click the single left arrow next
to Record.

• To move to the first or last record in the table, click the First
Record or Last Record icon next to Record.

• To move one window down, press PAGE DOWN.

145
• To move one window up, press PAGE UP.

146
Changing a table in Design view

When you use the Access Table Wizard, chances are that you will not
be able to design the table exactly as you like it. In the census, for
example, you may want to include information on ethnicity and income,
two fields that are not available from the Table Wizard Sample Fields
list.

To modify a table, you must open it in Design view by selecting the

table you want to modify from the main window of Access and then
clicking Design, or if the table is already open, click the Design icon in
the left corner of the table window.

To add a field to a table

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Click in the first empty row of the Field Name column.

3. Type the field name. Press the DOWN ARROW to move to the
next empty row if you want to add another field. A data type will
automatically be assigned to the field (which you can change
later).

4. If the fields are in the wrong order, you can click to select a field
and then drag it to where you want it to appear.

5. When you have finished adding fields, save and close the table.

To delete a field from the table, select the entire row by clicking the
leftmost box and then press the DELETE key.

To rename a field to your table

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Select the row containing the field name you want to change by
clicking it.

3. Type the new field name in the Caption box under Field
Properties.

4. Save and close your table.

With the new AutoCorrect feature, the field name change is

automatically updated in all queries, forms, reports, and pages that
draw information from the table you have modified.

147
 Setting a data type

The data type determines the kind of data that can be entered into a
field. It also formats the value you enter for the data type. For example,
when you enter numbers in a field with a currency data type, the dollar
and decimal signs will be automatically added to the numbers. Some of
the more common data types are:

• Text. Any combination of letters and numbers.

• Currency. Numbers and monetary symbols. You can only add

numbers to a field with a currency data type.

• Date/Time. The date and the time in 12- hour and 24- hour
formats.

• Yes/No. A single value that indicates yes or no, true or false.

For information on the other data types, ask the Office Assistant.

Each field in an Access table must be assigned a data type. The fields
you select from the Table Wizard already have a data type assigned to
them. Text is the default data type for any fields you add to your table.

To set a data type

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Click in the data type column of the field for which you want to
set a data type.

3. Click the arrow in the data type text box to see the drop-down list
of data types.

This arrow
appears when
you click in any
cell. Click to view
the drop-down
list.

Figure 134

4. Select the data type you want from the drop-down list.

5. Save and close the table.

148
Setting field properties

Each field in a table is defined by a set of properties. These properties

determine the size of the field, how it is formatted, and what it is called,
among other things. You can view or change field properties in Design
view.

To set field properties

1. Open the table in Design view.

2. Select the field for which you want to set properties.

3. Click the General tab in the Field Properties window.

4. Click the property you want to modify and type the appropriate
text. Do one or more of the following:

• Type a number in the Field Size box to indicate the

maximum number of characters that field can hold.

• Select Y or N in the required box to indicate whether

data must be entered in this field for every record.

• Type the caption you want for a field in the Caption box.
This caption appears on the tables and forms. If you do not
enter a caption, the field name appears as the caption.

5. After you have set the field properties, save and close your table.

To add data to a table

1. Open the table in Datasheet view.

Press TAB to move from the primary key column to the second
column in the table. (You cannot add data to the primary key
column. Access automatically generates the information in this
column.)

2. Type data in the second column. As soon as you enter a value

into the second column, Access automatically numbers the first
record and adds another record to the table.

3. Press TAB to move to the next column in the table, and type your
data. Unless a field is required, you can leave a field empty.

4. When you reach the end of the first record, press TAB to move to
the next record in the table.

5. Save and close your table.

149
Deleting data from a table

You may add a field to your census table and later discover that you
cannot collect data for that field, so you need to delete it from your
table. Deleting fields and records in Access is simple:

• To delete an entire record, make sure you are in Datasheet

view and click the record selector in the box at the left of the
record and then press the DELETE key. Then click Yes.

• To delete an entire field from a table, go back to Design view

and click the field header so that the whole row is selected and
then press the DELETE key.

Sorting records

Access displays the information in a table in alphabetical or numerical

order based on the primary key. However, you can sort information so
that it appears in an order that works better for you. For example, if
you want to group people by educational level in the census table, you
can select that field and then click one of the sort buttons. Access
alphabetizes the records according to the data in that field.

To sort records

1. In Datasheet view, click the header of the field to sort by so that

the whole column is selected.

2. Click the Sort Ascending button or the Sort Descending button

on the Datasheet toolbar.

3. Save and close the file.

You can use the sort feature for query results also.

150
 Exploring forms

Forms make it easy for you and your students to access information in a
database. With a form, you can focus on one record in a database at a
time, and you can view, add, and delete data from that record. In addition,
you can customize a form to view and print information in a style you like.
You can create a simple multi-page form that looks like this:

Figure 135

Change the
color of the
font, Create a multi-
background, or page form when
border for any you want to
text box in the organize fields
form. into sub-
categories.

Creating forms

The easiest way to build a form is by using the Form Wizard. The Form
Wizard lets you choose the layout of records in the form and also the
background, color, and format of the display. The Form Wizard lets you
preview the layout and style options when you create a form.

To create a form

1. From the list of objects in the census database window, click

Forms.
2. Double-click Create form by using wizard.
3. Under Tables/Queries, select the table the form will be based on
from the drop-down list.
4. Select the fields that you want to appear in the form by clicking
each one and then clicking the arrow that appears to the right of
the Available Fields list. If you want all the fields from the table to
appear in the form, click the double arrow and then click Next.
5. Select the layout for your form by clicking Columnar, Tabular, or
Datasheet and then click Next.
6. Select the style of the background print you prefer and then click
Next.
7. Enter a name for the form you have created, then select Open
the form to view or enter information, and then click Finish.

151
To open a form stored in the database, double-click it in the main
database window.

152
Navigating a form

Many of the techniques you used for moving around in tables also apply
to forms:

• To add data to a record, click in the box in which you want to

add data and then type.

• To delete information, double-click in a box to select the text

and then press the DELETE key.

• To move from record to record, press the arrow keys next to

Record at the bottom of the window.

• To add a record to a form, click the New Record icon on the

Form View toolbar.

• To delete a record from a form, select it by clicking the bar on

the left (indicating the whole record is selected) and then press
the DELETE key. Click Yes to delete.

Any changes you make to a record in a form automatically appear in

the table that the form draws information from.

Finding records in a form

At times, you may want to make changes to a record in a database, but

the record isn’t visible when you open your form. You can quickly find a
record, or information within a record, by using Find on the Standard
toolbar.

To find a record

1. On a form, activate the field for which you plan to enter a value.
For example, if you want to find the record for a person with the
last name “Smith,” click in the Last Name box of the visible
record.

2. Click Find on the Standard toolbar.

3. In the Find What box, type what you are looking for. For example,
if you are looking for Linda Smith's record, select the Last Name
field, and then type Smith.

4. Click Find Next to begin the search, and continue until all
matches have been displayed.

5. Click Close to stop the search and close the window.

153
 Ee

EXPLORING QUERIES:

Queries are great for getting information from a database. With a query, you
can filter the data that you view in a table. You establish a set of criteria
when you create the query. Then when you run the query, Access returns
only those fields or records that are of interest to you. The results appear in
a table in a Datasheet view.

Click Run to run

your query.

The tables that

you base your
query upon
appear here.

Indicates when
field listings in a
query results are
sorted.

Enter conditions
for a search in
these last two
rows.
Check this box when
you want a field to
show in the query
results.

Figure 136

The following procedure shows you how to create a query that displays
only a select set of fields in a table.

To create a select query in Design view

1. From the list of objects in the Student Census database window,

click Queries.

2. Double-click Create query in Design view.

3. In the Show Table dialog box, select the table containing the data
you want to access and then click Add. You can add as many
tables as you like.
154
 4. Click Close.
5. In the query window, select the fields that you want to include in
your query from the table list by double-clicking each one. When
you double-click a field, it appears in the field columns of the
datasheet.
6. To run your query with the limited fields, click Run on the
Query Design toolbar.
7. Save and close your query.
Once you’ve created a query and saved it in the database, you
never need to create that query again. Even when you change or
add new records, the new data automatically appears in the query
the next time you run it.

To run a query

1. Click Queries in the database window.

2. Double-click the query you want to run. Access runs the query
and displays the results in Datasheet view.

Setting a parameter for your query

Now you have created a query that retrieves the data from a specific
set of fields, but suppose that you want to see only the data within a
field that meets a set of criteria. For example, you want to see the
records in the census database grouped by the neighborhood where
people live. A parameter query lets you set the criteria for your query
when you run it.

You can add a parameter to an existing query, or create a parameter

query in Design view. You add a parameter by entering a prompt in the
criteria box of the field for which you want to set parameters. You must
enclose the prompt in square brackets.
To create a parameter query
1. Open the query to which you want to add a parameter by clicking
it in the database window and then clicking Design in the upper-
left corner of the window.

2. Click the Criteria text box of

the field you want to set a
parameter for and Enter the then
prompt in
type the prompt that the criteria will
appear when you run box. the
query. Remember to enclose
the prompt in square brackets [ ].

3. Save the query with the added parameter and then close it.

155
To run a parameter query

1. With the query open in Design view, click Run on the Query
Design toolbar. Before your datasheet appears, Access displays a
dialog box prompting you to enter the
Criteria you are interested in.

Figure 137

2. Enter the value and then click OK. The datasheet opens showing
only the specific information you have requested.

You have learned just two of many types of queries you can create
and run in Access. You can use mathematical expressions to perform
calculations on your data or you can use aggregate functions, such
as Avg or Sum, to calculate statistical information. To learn how to
create other queries, ask the Office Assistant.

Exploring reports

After you and your students have added information to the census
database, you may want your students to report on some aspect of the
data they've collected. Reports let you customize the display of
information from the database. You can select the data you want to
include and then select the report layout from a variety of design and
format options. You can insert pictures, add headers, footers, and page
numbers, group the information, and change the background colors,
among other things.

156
Figure 138
When you design your first report, use the Report Wizard. The Report
Wizard asks you a series of questions to help you design the data exactly
as you want. After you have created the report, you can open it in Design
view to modify its structure.

To create a new report

3. From the list of objects in the Student Census database window,

click Reports.

4. Double-click Create report by using wizard.

5. Select the table for which you want to create a report from the
Tables/Queries drop-down list and then double-click the fields in
the Available Fields list to add them to the Selected Fields box.
Click Next.

6. If you want to prioritize the fields, add grouping levels to your

report. Do this by clicking a field and then clicking the right arrow
to position it at the top of the list. You can select up to four fields
to appear at the top of your report.
Figure 139

157
158
159
160
Click these
buttons to
change the order
of the groups.

7. To rearrange the grouping, use the up and down Priority arrows

to move fields. When you have grouped the fields according to
your preferences, click Next.

8. To order the values in a particular field, select the field from the
drop-down list by clicking the arrow in the box and then click
Ascending or Descending. You can sort records in up to four
fields. After you indicate the sort preferences, click Next.

9. Select a Layout style from the list of options and then click Next.

10. Select a report style and then click Next.

11. Type the title you want to appear on the report. The title will
also be the file name for the report.

12. Make sure Preview the Report is selected and then click Finish.
The report appears in Print Preview after you click Finish.

161
 If you like, you can enhance the appearance of your report by
adding a picture or a hyperlink. To insert objects into a report, you
must open it in Design view.
Use the Insert
menu to insert Click the Tools
pictures or button for the
hyperlinks into a toolbar to
report. appear.

Add a title,
pictures, and
hyperlinks in the
report header.

Figure 140

To insert a picture in a report

1. In Design view, click the section of the report where you want to
insert a picture.

2. On the Insert menu click Picture.

3. From the drop-down list in the Insert Picture dialog box, select the
folder containing the picture. Then double-click the file you want
to insert.

4. Click OK. The picture is inserted into the selected area of the
report.

Follow this same process for inserting hyperlinks, except click

Hyperlink instead of Picture on the Insert menu.

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To adjust the position of the picture

1. Position the pointer over the picture until the pointer changes into
a hand.

2. To move the picture, click and drag it. Use the horizontal and
vertical rulers to align the picture.

3. Select Print Preview from the drop-down menu in the left corner
to preview the report with the picture in it.

4. When you are satisfied with the position of the picture, save and
close the report.

To learn more about customizing a report, open the report in Design

view then click Toolbox. Experiment with the buttons in the toolbox
to see what you can do.

Exploring Data Access Pages

With Data Access Pages, you can collect student information from the Web
rather than gathering it all on paper and organizing it yourself. All you
need to do is create a Data Access Page to add to a database of student
records. When you save the database to a network server, your students
can enter data directly into the page while viewing it in Internet Explorer
5.0. All the input students add to the Web page is immediately saved in
the database.

In addition to helping you manage records, Data Access Pages make it

easy for your students to collaborate on projects by providing them with
an efficient way to share information. Rather than give each of your
students a copy of the census database, for example, you can distribute
tables from it over the Web, so your students can add data to it at school
or at home. In fact, by making it available on the school intranet, students
from other classes can also browse through your database and add to it, if
you want them to.

Designing a Data Access Page does not require any programming

knowledge. In fact, the process of creating a page is similar to that of
creating a form or report. You can use the Page Wizard or create the page
in Design view. You select the fields you want to appear on your page and
then format it using the same tools and techniques you use to format a
report.
To create a Data Access Page using the Page Wizard

1. From the list of objects in the Student Census database window,

click Pages.
2. Double-click Create data access page by using wizard.

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 3. Select a query or table from the drop-down list and then select
the fields that you want to include on your Data Access Page.
Click Next.
4. You can add grouping levels if you wish, but if you do the page
will not be interactive. Click Next.
5. Select a sort order for the fields and then click Next.
6. Type in a title for the page and then click Finish.

The Page Wizard opens the Data Access Page in Design view, where
you can make changes to the format of the page. You can also add a
title and text to it by clicking the title and text prompts and then
typing text.

Access 2000 automatically applies the Straight Edge theme to the

page, unless you select another. The theme determines the color
and design elements of the page, including the bullet style and
background images. You can change or remove the theme from a
page in Design view. You can also apply brighter colors, change the
background image, or animate graphics. To make it easier to
experiment with themes, Access 2000 lets you preview your choices
before you make a final selection.

To change the theme of a page

1. With the page open in Design view, select Theme from the
Format menu.

2. Select a theme from the list in the Theme dialog box. Access
displays a preview in the right pane of the dialog box.

3. Set options for color, background, and graphics by selecting the

boxes below the list of themes.

4. When you are satisfied with the design of the theme, click OK.
The page appears in Design view with the new theme applied.

To learn about other techniques for formatting a Data Access Page,

ask the Office Assistant.

Saving a Data Access Page

Although you design a Data Access Page in Access, the page is not
stored in the database like other objects. Data Access Pages are saved
as HTML files in one of the Windows desktop folders and Access 2000
adds a shortcut to the file in the database window.

To save a Data Access Page

1. In Page view or Design view, click Save from the File menu.

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 2. Double-click the folder where you want to store the HTML file.

3. Type the name of the page.

4. Click Save.

You can now open the HTML file you have created from your
Windows desktop or from the database window.

To open a Data Access Page

• To open a Data Access Page in Design view, click the file
shortcut in the database window and then click Design.
• To open a Data Access Page in Page view, double-click the file
shortcut in the database window.
• To open a Data Access Page in a Web browser, double-click
the HTML file in your Windows desktop folder. (Your default
browser must be Internet Explorer 5.0 for this option to work.)

You can view the page in a Web browser by opening it in Design

view or Page view and then clicking Web Page Preview from the File
menu.

Adding live data from the Web to a database

The Web offers a wealth of information to you and your students, some
of which may be pertinent to a database you are constructing. For
example, you may find census reports from past decades on the Web
that you want to add to the database for comparative purposes. When
you find a Web page that contains information that is useful for your
class, you can create a Data Access Page from the Web page, and store
it in the database. First, you must save the Web page on your Windows
desktop.

To save a Web page

1. Open the Web page in Internet Explorer 5.0.

2. Click Save As from the File menu.
3. Select the folder where you would like to save the HTML file.
4. Change the default name of the file, if you prefer a different
name.
5. Click Save.

You can also save a Web page to the Favorites folder on your
Windows desktop by opening the Web page and then clicking Add to
Favorites from the Bookmark menu.

To make a Web page into a Data Access Page

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 1. Select Pages from the database window.
2. Double-click Edit Web page that already exists.
3. Browse the folders on your Windows desktop to locate the Web
page you want to open and then click Open.

The Web page opens in Design view, where you can modify it. The
changes you make only appear in your Data Access Page, not on the
original Web page. When you have finished making changes to it
and save the HTML file, you have to rename it and select a folder in
which to save it.

Your students can benefit from using a database for many class or school
projects:

• In a science class, design a database with data you collect

when performing experiments and then create a key word search.
• In a history class, create a simple database with information
about significant individuals or events and then use reports to
analyze the information.

• In a math class, use a database to calculate statistical

information.

• In a business class, create a database on the international

market, including the gross national product, import and export
patterns, and unemployment rates.

• In your school, create a database to track a school fundraiser.

Use Data Access Pages so all the classes at your school can add
information on their progress from the Web.

Using the Access database, you can organize school information.

Examples of databases you can use include:

• Library resources, including books, magazines, and audio

information. When you use Data Access Pages and copy the
database to your school network, you can peruse library holdings
from the Web.

• Student information, such as name and student number,

academic records, contact information, records of disciplinary action,
and medical needs or restrictions.

• Classroom resources including curriculum objectives, text

books, supplementary texts, student learning activities, and district
standards.

• Departmental information, such as the courses taught, by

whom, in which classroom, and when.

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 • Reading List
Refer to reader IV

END

THEME 3: OVERVIEW ON THE INTERNET AND THE INTERNET EXPLORER

Objective:
At the end of theme 3, students should be able to
• Search and find specific information on the internet using different techniques
• Know the different types of information gateways and virtual libraries
• Use email

Instructional plan:
• Generation of topic expectations. (0.5 hrs)
Class activity 1
The instructor will then introduce the topic to the students and together with the
students will generate the topic expectations through a brain storming session.

• Interactive lecture session (2 hrs)

Class activity 2
Power point presentation of lecture material and the students will be encouraged to
participate through question – answer sessions that will punctuate the presentation
after every fifteen minutes.

Teaching notes

Introduction
The Internet is basically a large number of connected computers. A computer on the
Internet can be located any where in the world, so you can communicate with some
one over the Internet no matter where that person lives. The Internet contains a wide
range of information, including, E-mail, newsgroups and the World Wide Web.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is the graphical multi media portion of the Internet. To
view files on the Web, you need a Web browsing software. With this software you can
view different locations on the Web which are known as Web Pages. A group of Web
Pages is known as a Website. The first page of a Website is called the Home Page.
Each Web Page has a unique Internet address usually referred to as URL.

Exploring the Internet

You can browse Web Pages or Surf the Net in several ways. You can open any Web
Page by typing its address in the address box of your Web browsing software. And
when you are viewing a Web Page, you can navigate the Internet by checking Links.
Links are underlined text or special pictures that when clicked, cause you to jump to

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another Web Page. When you move the mouse pointer over a link, the mouse pointer
changes to a hand. When you click a Link, another Web Page appears.

You can also use toolbar buttons to move between Web Pages, search the Internet or
to refresh a Web Page’s content.

Useful Buttons in surfing the Net

• Back- Moves to previously viewed Web Page
• Forward- Moves to the next Web Page
• Stop- Stops the downloading of a Web Page
• Refresh- Updates the currently displayed Web Page
• Home- Jumps to your Home Page
• Search- Opens a Web Page that lists the available search engines
• Favorites- Displays a list of Web Pages you’ve designated as your favorites
• History- Displays a list of recently visited sites
• Channels- Displays a list of channels you can select
• Full screen- Uses a smaller standard toolbar and hides the address bar so more of
the screen is visible
• Mail- Opens Outlook Express or Internet News
• Print- Prints a Web Page
• Edit- Opens Front Page Express so you can edit a Web Page

3.1 Using different search strategies to find information

In this unit, students will be taught how to search for information on the Internet by
employing the following
• Search syntax
• Search math
• Boolean logic

Search Syntax
Use this: To Run a Search:
(*) Truncation: Stands in for any number of characters, including 0, at the end of a
word.
Example: Searching for compute* will find articles that contain "computer,"
"computerized," or "computers."

(?) Wildcard: Stands in for one character in or at the end of a word. Example:
Searching for educate? Will find articles that contain "educated" and "educator." But
it won't find "education," which contains more than two letters following "educate."

("…") Quotation Marks: Search words must appear exactly as typed. Example:
Searching for "business process" will find business process articles, but not about
the process of starting a business.

(..) Parentheses: Whatever is inside the parentheses is searched first, and then
those results are searched with the words outside the parentheses. Example:
Searching for Federal Reserve OR (U.S. AND economic policy) finds articles
dealing with either the Federal Reserve or articles
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Containing both the words "U.S." and "economic policy."

AND: Both the search words before and after AND must appear in the article. AND
narrows your search. Example: Searching for El Nino AND Atlantic Ocean will only
find articles that mention both El Nino and Atlantic Ocean.

OR: Either the words before or after OR can appear in the article. OR broadens your
search.
Example: Searching for El Nino OR Atlantic Ocean will find articles that mention
either El Nino or Atlantic Ocean.

AND NOT: The search words before AND NOT must appear in the article, but the
words after must not. Example: Searching for El Nino AND NOT Atlantic Ocean
gives you articles on El Nino, excluding those which also mention Atlantic Ocean.

(W/n) Within: Search words must appear within n of words to match. Example:
Searching for U.S. W/15 economic policy finds articles where U.S. appears within 15
words of economic policy. This finds articles on American economic policy, but doesn't
restrict the search to use the exact phrase "U.S. economic policy."

(NOT W/n) Not Within: Search words must be separated by at least n words to
match.
Example: Searching for U.S. NOT W/50 economic policy finds articles where U.S.
doesn't appear within 50 worlds of economic policy. This finds articles on worldwide
economic policy; very few would include information about U.S. economic policy.

(PRE/n) Precede By: The first search word must precede the second by n words
to match. This is useful for phrase searching. Example: Searching for U.S. PRE/5
economic policy finds articles on many types of American economic policy, such as
U.S. foreign aid
Economic policy or U.S. wartime economic policy.

Search math

"Search math" uses common mathematical symbols to refine searches:

• Use + (plus sign) in front of each term which must appear in your search results.
For example, if you are looking for stirrups for horse riding, entering +horse
+stirrup will make sure that the results are all about stirrups for horses - not
surgical stirrups, the stirrup family or recipes for a Stirrup Cup cocktail.

• Use - (minus sign) in front of every term which must not appear in your search
result. Using the same example as above, you could enter+stirrup -cup -surgical

• Use “(quotation marks) around words you want to mark as a phrase. For
example,

"South Africa"

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 "stirrup cup"
"Thabo Mbeki"

• Use the wildcard * (asterisk) for truncation. For example if you want to search
for education, educators, educate etc., enter educ*

NB: Not all search engines permit wildcard truncation. Check the help page of
the search tool you are using!

Boolean logic

Some search engines use the Boolean operators "AND," "OR" and "NOT" for the
refining of searches. Boolean operators should generally be written in capital letters.

• Use AND to require that more than one terms appears in all search results. For
example,
chocolate AND cake will find pages with both terms

• Use OR if you want all your search results to include either term (or both). This
can be useful if there are alternate spellings (e.g. "organization" and
"organization" or synonyms (priest, minister) for terms. To find all pages which
contain the word "priest" or the word "minister" (or both), enter
priest OR minister

• Use NOT to exclude terms you don't want to appear in your search results. For
example, if you are looking for information about cabinet ministers rather than
ministers of the church you could enter
minister NOT priest

NB: Some search engines use AND NOT instead of NOT. Check the help page of
the search tool you are using!

• Some search engines also allow the use of the "proximity operator" NEAR as well
as the three Boolean operators. Where searching for south AND Africa may lead
you to a page with "south" at the top and "Africa" at the bottom, entering south
NEAR Africa will ensure that the terms appear close to one another.

Unit 3.2 Search engines and directories for finding needed information
A search engine is a programme, which indexes web pages automatically. Search
engines use "spiders" or "robots" to index web pages and add the results to the search
engine's database. When users enter a query, the query terms are compared with the
index and matching results displayed. Search engines do not rely on human
intervention to build up their indices, with the "spiders" adding to the index around the
clock.

Unlike search engines, directories (although they are often searchable) are compiled
manually. Information about web sites is entered manually, and each web site
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included in the directory will be slotted into an appropriate category such as "travel"
"food" or "education".

Metasearch engines are search engines which submit your query to a number of
search engines simultaneously.

Among the major search engines and directories that will be looked at are:
• AltaVista: http://www.altavista.com/
• Excite: http://www.excite.com/
• Google: http://www.google.com/
• HotBot: http://www.hotbot.com/
• Lycos: http://www.lycos.com/
• Northern Light: http://www.northernlight.com/
• Yahoo: http://www.yahoo.com/

Metasearchers are a special form of search engine which conduct a search

simultaneously on several search engines. Among the top metasearchers that will be
looked at are:
• Dogpile: http://www.dogpile.com/
• Metacrawler: http://www.metacrawler.com/
• Mamma : http://www.mamma.com/

Unit 3.3 Information gateways and virtual libraries

In the previous unit on search engines it was indicated that search engines such as
AltaVista compile indices of web sites automatically, while directories like Yahoo rely
on human intervention.
A more narrowly-focused variation on the directory theme are information gateways,
Internet catalogues, subject guides and virtual libraries. These tools focus on
resources in a particular field, and - although usually searchable - are organized in
some hierarchical format. Some catalogue resources within particular fields; others are
"catalogues of catalogues".
Because the terms are often used interchangeably and the boundaries are unclear,
this unit will not attempt narrow technical definitions of each term, focusing rather on
the features common to all. In all cases sites
• Are compiled manually, rather than indexed automatically
• Are organized according to some logical classification scheme
• Apply some form of quality control mechanism in making decisions about
including sites.

The general sites that will be looked at include

• Argus clearing house
• Resource organization and discovery in subject-based services
• DutchESS, Dutch electronic subject services
• World wide web virtual library
• Scout

Unit 3.4: Finding specific types of information

This will be looked at under the following sub headings

1. The "invisible web"

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The World Wide Web contains millions of pages of valuable information which is not
easily found using conventional search engines like Google or AltaVista. Such
information is often referred to as the "deep," "hidden," or "invisible" web, and often
resides in databases which are not indexed by search engines. For example, the NRF's
Women-in-Research database contains information about over 1000 women
researchers in South Africa. Conventional search engines will find the "entry page" for
the database, but will not find information contained in the database itself. Some
useful starting points for finding information in and about the "invisible" web are direct
search (compiled by Gary Price of George Washington University)
http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~gprice/direct.htm
CompletePlanet. http://www.completeplanet.com/
Invisible-web.net. http://www.invisible-web.net/

2. Finding people
Some search engines offer "white pages" (people and residential information) and
"yellow pages" (commercial information) directory services. One of the problems with
searching for information about people, such as e-mail, mailing address telephone and
fax numbers, is that there is no world guide to this information. Some countries have
very comprehensive facilities but for many - including South Africa - this aspect is not
fully established. The simplest place to start may be to find the Web site of the
institution or organization for which the person works. Many Web sites include a
facility for searching for people associated with the institution and with this you may
be able to find their e-mail address, telephone number and other contact details.
Yahoo People Search offers a searchable international directory:
http://people.yahoo.com/
If you know that the person is active in an electronic discussion group, newsgroup or
mailing list it may be possible to view the archive of discussions and locate address
details from messages posted to these groups. Try searching Deja, which was
recently acquired by Google:
http://groups.google.com/

3. Specialist search engines

Apart from the general search engines such as AltaVista, there are a number of
specialized search engines which look for particular types of information. Examples
are:
• Scirus (Scientific information): http://www.scirus.com/
• MedHunt (Medical): http://www.hon.ch/MedHunt/
• PsychCrawler (Psychology): http://www.psychcrawler.com/
• Tile.net (Lists & News Groups): http://www.tile.net/
Search Engine Watch maintains a list of specialized search engines at:
http://searchenginewatch.internet.com/links/
Specialty_Search_Engines/
SearchAbility
Annotated guide to specialized search engines
http://www.searchability.com/

Unit 3.5: Using email

Students will be taught how to open email accounts and to send and check email

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