Word Perfect
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Getting Started
- Standard Toolbar
- Properties Bar
- More Formatting
- Other WordPerfect Features
- File Conversion to .dat and Mail Merge
- Merge Documents
- Footnotes and Endnotes
- Table of Contents
- Converting a File from WordPerfect to Microsoft Word
- Creating a Shortcut
- Assigning a Macro to a Keystroke
Introduction:
WordPerfect is an alternative word-processing program to Microsoft Word and various other similar programs. An advantage that all of these programs have is that they are able to open up documents created in each other without much of a hassle; for example, Microsoft Word can open WordPerfect documents. While Microsoft Word is widely accepted as the best word processing program, if WordPerfect is all that is available to you, by all means, use it.
Opening WordPerfect:
Start >> Programs >> WordPerfect Office 2000 >> WordPerfect 9
Making a New Blank Document:
When WordPerfect is opened, a new blank document should automatically open. If not, then you can begin a new blank document in a variety of ways.
First, find the "New Blank Document" icon, which looks like a blank sheet of paper, located underneath the menu bar is the "WordPerfect9" toolbar (which we will refer to as the "standard toolbar," as this is what many programs will call similar toolbars). Click on the icon to bring up a new blank document.
Also, you can go to the menu bar and select File >> New… (shortcut: Ctrl+N).
To begin typing, just click the cursor anywhere within the new blank document.
New from Project:
WordPerfect can create a new document for you with a preset format for a variety of special projects, such as the creation of awards, book reports, etc. Select File >> New From Project.
Opening a Document:
To open to view, edit, or print a document, you must first open up that file in WordPerfect.
You can open a file by clicking on the "Open" folder icon located in the standard toolbar. Or, you can use the menu bar and navigate to File >> Open… (shortcut: Ctrl+O).
Saving a Document:
When you are working with any sort of media in any software, you should be sure to save your work often. In WordPerfect, there are numerous options for saving documents in a variety of file types.
To save a new, unsaved document, you can click on the Save icon, shaped like a disk located on the standard toolbar. Or, you can go to the menu bar and select File >> Save… (shortcut: Ctrl+S).
A dialogue box should appear offering you a number of options. To save the document in the desired location on your computer, locate and select the folder on your computer. Give your document a name in the file name text box. While you can give your document a long file name make sure you save it with a name you can remember.
Note that it's good practice not to use spaces or special characters in file names. For example, a long file name may look like this:
expos_sample_paper1.doc
To save a completely new document using previously existing (and opened) text, you use the Save As option.
Open the document that you wish to save as an entirely new file, go to the menu bar, and click on File >> Save as. In the file name text box, give your document a new name. Using this option allows you to save multiple versions (with different file names) of a document based on one original file.
Formatting Text/Paragraphs Using Toolbars:
In a word processing program such as WordPerfect, there are many options available for presenting your text. This part of the tutorial will guide you through several of the important features in WordPerfect that will allow you to edit, modify, and display text (and non-text) components.
The Standard Toolbar ("WordPerfect9" Toolbar):
- New Blank Document:
To begin a new document, click on the New Blank Document icon, shaped like a blank sheet of paper. - Open:
Clicking on this icon opens up a previously saved document on your computer. - Save:
Clicking on the Save icon saves the document you are currently working on. If you are saving a document for the first time, you can click on this button. However, if you want to save a new file from a preexisting document, then you must go to the menu bar and select File >> Save As, and give the file a new name. When working on any document, you should be sure to save frequently, so that you don't lose any work. - Print:
Clicking on the Print icon automatically prints the document currently active in WordPerfect. If you wish to explore more print options, then go to the menu bar and select File >> Print. - Cut:
When you make a selection of text with your cursor, click on the Cut button to remove the text from the document and add it to the Clipboard. The Clipboard is a temporary area that stores data that the user copies for short term use. - Copy:
When you make a selection of text with your cursor, click on the Copy button to copy the selection from the document to the Clipboard. Using the Copy tool doesn't delete text from your document, but simply stores it in the Clipboard for you to "paste" elsewhere. - Paste:
Clicking on the Paste button inserts the text that has been most recently added to the Clipboard (the text would have been added there by Cutting or Copying). With Paste, you can either insert the copied text into a document or replace selected text. - Undo Typing:
The Undo Typing button goes back and removes the last addition or change made to your document. - Redo Typing:
Clicking on the Redo Typing button repeats the most recent change or addition made to your document. - Quick Format:
Pickup and apply formatting. - Draw Picture:
WordPerfect allows you to draw basic images that you can include in your document. - Clipart:
Browse WordPerfect's scrapbook to choose an image to put into your document. - Draw Combined Shapes:
WordPerfect offers some basic geometric shapes that you can draw into your document. - Text Box:
Create a text box that you can insert text into, and move anywhere around on the page, without losing the formatting of the text inside the box. It is useful for combining text and images together on a single page. - Highlight:
A virtual highlighter that you can use to "highlight" certain areas of text for quick viewing access. Useful for navigating long documents. - Numbering / Bullets:
Create numbered or bulleted lists of items. - Columns:
Text in a document can be formatted and separated into different columns by clicking on the Columns icon. You can choose to have one to four columns. To divide specific text into columns, use the cursor to select the desired text, and then choose the number of columns to be used. - Tables:
When this icon is clicked, a small window will appear in the form of a grid of squares. Use this window as a guide to indicate how many rows and columns you would like your table to contain. Once selected, a table will automatically appear in WordPerfect. - Spell Check:
Clicking the Spell Check icon begins a review of your document in search of spelling and grammatical errors that may need to be corrected. - Zoom:
"Zooming In" on a document gives you an up-close view. This can be helpful if the text in its original state at 100% is hard to read. With Zoom In, you can magnify the text without modifying the document. "Zooming Out" reduces the page view so that you can see more of the page at once. - Change View:
Toggle between viewing your document as a traditional word processing document, or an HTML document (to be edited for the web). - PerfectExpert:
This button brings up a side-menu to the left which acts as a wizard to help set up different formatting aspects of your document. - Corel Web Site:
This is a hotlink directly to the manufacturer's website. - Autoscroll:
This toggles the autoscrolling of WordPerfect. When turned on, the moving of the cursor towards the bottom of the screen will scroll the document down, and vice versa. - Back & Forward:
Moves the insertion point back and forth in the document.
The Properties Bar:
- Font:
Font is a simple but important factor in WordPerfect documents. The choice of font (the style of the text itself) can influence the way others view documents, either on the screen or in print. For example, Arial font looks better on screen, while Times New Roman is clearer in print. To apply a font to text, select desired text with your cursor and choose a font from the font drop down menu. - Font Size:
You may encounter times in which you need to display some text larger or smaller than other text. Selecting desired text with the cursor and choosing a font size from the drop down menu changes the size of text. - Bold/Italics/Underline:
Selecting text and then clicking on either the Bold, Italics, or Underline button formats the text. - Style:
Choose from a pre-formatted list of different font styles (which are designed to be used in formatting headings). - QuickFind Previous/Next:
After highlighting a word or phrase, click either of these to automatically scroll and select either the previous or next occurrence of a word or phrase in your document. - QuickFonts:
Choose a selection from the drop-down menu of pre-formatted font styles that are intended to be used in the body text of your document. - Font Color:
By selecting desired text, the color of specific font can be changed by choosing a color from the Font Color palette. Note, however, that these changes will be lost without a color printer. - Symbols:
Insert Corel WordPerfect symbols, such as the "Trademark" symbol, etc.
More Formatting:
Paragraph Spacing:
To access the Paragraph formatting options, navigate to the menu bar, and select Format >> Paragraph >> Format. A window will appear with options for modifying spacing and indenting. Here, you can choose to make the text in your document single or double spaced, as well as edit the margins for the document.
You can also format the margins of your document by selecting Format >> Margins from the menu (keyboard shortcut >> Ctrl+F8).
Headers/Footers:
Headers and footers are important aspects of a WordPerfect document if you wish to include information (such as page numbers and name credits) on every page. To access the header and footer options, go to the menu bar and select Insert >> Header/Footer. You can create up to two of either a header or a footer, or both (meaning that you can have two levels of extra space, either at the top or bottom of a page, in which to add this extra information which is outside of the paragraph flow). To add text in the Header or the Footer, simply click the cursor inside either one of the boxes, and type the text you want.
If you wish to insert the page number into your header, select Format >> Page >> Insert Page Number. WordPerfect will automatically keep track of which page you are on, and will update the page number accordingly.
Inserting an Image:
In WordPerfect, it's possible to add clipart or other images to a document. Click the cursor in your document where you wish to place an image. Then, go to the menu bar and select Insert >> Graphics. You can choose either "Clipart" or "From File" for pre-created images from WordPerfect's "Clipart" files, or even insert an image that you may have on your computer. "Draw Picture" will bring up a new window in which you can "draw" your own picture as you would using simple programs like Microsoft Paint.
Other WordPerfect Features
Justification:
WordPerfect does not automatically show a menu with quick-buttons to justify your paragraphs in a certain way. To choose from the available justifications (left, center, right, full), select Format >> Justification.
Spell Check:
WordPerfect has a built-in spelling checker that you can run on individual words (simply highlight them) or your entire document. Select Tools >> Spell Checker (or press the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+F1). It's always a good idea to pay careful attention to the spell checker, and not to fully rely on it; it's very possible that the spell checker may overlook a word that's spelled correctly, but is not the correct word to be used!
QuickCorrect:
WordPerfect's "QuickCorrect" is a tool that will automatically correct minor spelling mistakes you may make in the process of typing your document. Spellings such as "teh" will automatically be changed to "the." You can view the entire list of "QuickCorrect" words (as well as add/delete your own) by selecting Tools >> QuickCorrect.
Show Paragraph Marks:
Select View >> Show Paragraphs to have WordPerfect show the hidden coding behind your text. Paragraph marks will be noted by the appropriate symbol.
Zoom:
To get either a closer or further view of your document, select View >> Zoom, and make the selection of your choice.
Lines:
If for some reason you want to insert a line into your document (for example, to separate two sections) select Insert >> Line. You can choose either a horizontal or vertical line.
Saving:
WordPerfect serves several functions. You can use it as you would a traditional word processing program, or you can use it as a type of "WYSIWYG" (What You See Is What You Get) web page editing program. By "saving as HTML" (File >> Save, HTML) what you are essentially doing is telling WordPerfect what the page should look like (your design of the document), which WordPerfect then takes and saves in the appropriate coding for (HTML). This may be an option for simple web pages, but if you are serious about making a page, or want to do one on a large scale, you may be interested in learning Macromedia Dreamweaver.
Merge Documents
- Click Tools >> Merge... or press
SHIFT + F9. - Create your Data file by click Create Data... and this dialog box will appear:
Select Use File in Active Window and click OK and this will appear:
In this example, there will be 5 fields: Name, Firm, Street Address, City/State/Zip, and Greeting.
In the Name a Field: field, type in Name and click Add or press Enter. Do the same for the remaining fields. These field names will appear in the Fields used in merge: field.
Click OK when you are done. - The Quick Data Entry dialog box will appear. This makes it easier for you to input your data.
Enter in all the necessary information in the fields you have created.
Use the Tab key to move down to the next field.
When you have finished entering in the information for this record, click New Record or press the Enter key to enter in another record. When you have finished entering in all your information, click Close. You will be prompted to save your data file. - The Merge toolbar will appear underneath the ruler:
- On the Merge toolbar, click Merge and then click Form to create your form file and this dialog box will appear:
Click Create and a new blank document will appear. - Create your form file, keeping in mind where you want to insert particular fields. Begin typing your letter and insert the field codes as you go along. These field codes indicate where certain information should appear.
To insert the field codes, click the Insert Field... button and this dialog box will appear:
Click the appropriate field, then click Insert. When you are at the last field you want to insert, click the Insert and Close button. - When you have finished creating your form file, save the file but don't close it.
- You are now ready to merge your file! Click the Merge... button and the Merge dialog box will appear. Click Merge... and this is what you will see:
- Make sure that the data filename in the Data File: field is correct. Since you are in the Form file, you will not need to specify the filename. (If you have closed the form file, specify the filename here.) Click OK when you are done specifying the filenames and you will have successfully merged your data and form file together!
Footnotes and Endnotes
To create a footnote/endnote as you are typing your document:
- Position your cursor at the point you want your first footnote/endnote to appear.
- From the Pull Down Menu Bar, click Insert, Footnote/Endnote then click Create. This dialog box will pop up:
Click Create and the Footnote Button Bar will appear underneath the Pull Down Menu Bar:
- Type in the information you want to appear in the footnote and click Close (on the Footnote Button Bar) when you're done.
Note: The first line of your footnote will automatically be indented.
For more footnotes, repeat Steps 2 and 3.
Note: A line separating the text from the footnotes is automatically inserted. To change the appearance and location of the line, see the Footnote Options.
To edit a footnote:
- Click Insert, Footnote/Endnote and this box will appear.
Type in the number of the footnote you want to edit and click Edit. - Edit your footnote and click the Close button when you are done.
To insert a footnote:
- Position your cursor at the point you want to insert a footnote.
- Click Insert, Footnote/Endnote then click Create
- Type in your footnote and click Close.
Note: All footnotes following the newly inserted footnote will be automatically renumbered!
To delete a footnote:
Position your cursor directly to the left of the footnote and press the delete key on the keyboard.
Note: If you delete a footnote, all the footnotes after it will be automatically renumbered!
Footnote Options:
You can change the following in the Footnote Options:
- Numbering method (numbers, upper/lowercase letters, upper/lowercase Roman numerals, characters)
- Styles in the Text and Notes (font size and appearance)
- Spacing between notes
- Position of the notes (either below the text or at the end of the page)
- How much of a footnote to keep together if it runs onto the next page
- How much space is above and below the line separator
- The location and length of the line separator
- The type of line used as a line separator
Table of Contents
Create your document first, then:
- From the Pull Down Menu, click Tools, Reference, then Table of Contents and this bar (the Table of Contents Button Bar) will appear underneath the ruler:
- Insert a Page Break at the beginning of your document by pressing CTRL + Enter or clicking Insert and New Page.
Make sure your cursor is on the page you want your table of contents to appear.
Click the Define... button. You will see this dialog box:
You can specify how many levels you want in your table of contents. In this example, 5 levels have been specified and an example of what it looks like is shown. Specify the desired number of levels and click OK when finished. - Once you've clicked OK, this message will appear where your cursor was located:
- You are now ready to mark the text. Using the mouse, highlight the text that you want to appear in the table of contents. Then, click the desired level on the Table of Contents Button Bar.
In this example:
- American Literature was highlighted and Mark 1 was clicked.
- Late Nineteenth Century: (1861-1914) was highlighted and Mark 2 was clicked.
- Humor: A Social Critique was highlighted and Mark 3 was clicked.
- Samuel Clemens–Mark Twain was highlighted and Mark 4 was clicked.
- How to tell a Story was highlighted and Mark 5 was clicked.
Note: There will not be any discernable change in your text. If you look in the reveal codes, you will see this:
Once you've marked all your text for your Table of Contents, click Generate... and your table of contents will appear at the beginning of your document.
Converting Files from WordPerfect to Word
- Open the document you need to convert.
- Click File >> Save As and this dialog box will appear:
The default file type is WordPerfect 6/7/8. - To change the file type to Microsoft Word 97, click the down arrow located to the right of the the File type: field and this will appear:
Scroll up until you find MS Word 97 for Windows and highlight it with your mouse. Click Save when you are done.
