Microsoft Word Interface

In this lesson, you will learn Microsoft Word Interface. What I mean is that I will tell you the significance of the various areas on the MS Word Screen.

With the two previous lessons, you can now start and exit Microsoft Word.

Please load Microsoft Office Word if you have not already done so.

You will be able to view Microsoft Word Interface Graphics below after you have enabled showing active content as per my note below in yellow background.

Please allow your mouse to slowly hover on the various areas of the Microsoft Word Interface graphics. You will be able to see the explanation regarding each area of the Word screen.

In the following Flash clip, click the Graphic once to Activate and then Hover your Mouse.

Microsoft Word Interface Graphics

I will cover each of the elements in the above graphics and explain what it signifies.

Menu Bar
Menu Bar is the most important in the Microsoft Word Interface. It contains the various menu items, for example, for opening, closing, saving files, printing a document, formatting a document, inserting various objects or commands like graphics, text, line breaks, editing the document like find and replace, cut, copy, paste, spelling and grammar, table handling, etc.

Please open each menu item and familiarise with the various sub-menu options. No need to memorize. Just get familiar.
Standard Toolbar
Another very useful feature in Microsoft Word Interface are the different toolbars which help you to execute various commands that are found in the Menu Bar. You can either execute these commands from the Menu Bar or use these toolbar icons to execute these commands. Standard toolbar is one such toolbar containing a set of commonly used icons.

It contains, among others, icons to create a new document, open an existing document, save or print a document, checking of spelling and grammar, print overview, cut, copy, paste, undo, redo, etc.

To use an icon, just press the icon with your left mouse button.
Formatting Toolbar
Another regularly used toolbar is the Formatting Toolbar. This consists of icons to change font style, to change the character style from normal to bold, underline, italics, aligning text, line spacing, indenting, bullets and numbering, borders, foreground and background highlights, etc.

Please feel free to go to Word and try out these icons. Do not worry! You will not mess up anything!
Vertical and Horizontal Scroll Bars
In case the typed material is more than what can fit the visible screen, then you could use these scroll bars to view the typed content.
Drawing Toolbar
A very powerful feature in the Microsoft Word Interface is the drawing toolbar.

This toolbar has icons that are frequently used when drawing objects or pictures are inserted in the document or edited.
Status Bar
The status bar shows you several statistics about the document. Examples are: the page, section and the line number you are currently in, what is the current active language you are using, whether you are in insert or type over mode, status on spelling or grammar, etc.
Viewing Controls
You will see this at the left hand bottom corner just above the drawing toolbar. These icons help you in viewing the document in several modes, viz, normal, print, outline layout, etc. I will explain these controls in a later lesson. For now, it is adequate to understand the location of these icons and toolbars.
Text or Data Input Area
This is the place where you will be typing your letter, other documents, inserting various objects like pictures, images, etc. In other words, this is the work area.
Getting Started Task Pane
This area has easily accessible menu options to create a new document, open an existing document, searching for a document, etc. Depending on the version of the Microsoft Word that you are using, this area may have different look & feel and content.