Computer Help & Tips:

[Cathy C]

I have copied and pasted Sp Chicks original thread (http://www.mywriterscircle.com/index.php?topic=11291.0), plus some of the questions and answers already posed by members.



I have taught Microsoft products at the grade school, high school, and adult education levels. I know stuff about the suite of Office products that I think everyone else knows, too. I say things that end up sounding brilliant when they really are simply pedantic.

However, in a different place here I mentioned how to use AutoCorrect to make one's life much easier. It was mentioned that I could write a tips thing. I'm not sure how much more I know than other casual users. But I thought I might mention things here as I notice myself using shortcuts.

What I found myself doing this morning was starting a new section or chapter. I hate when I enter, enter, enter down to a fresh page and then go back and edit and my page break moves and it become all jumbled up. In order to make that not happen, you can make a forced page break by holding the Ctrl key while hitting enter. Then if you go back and edit your work, the page break remains static so that your chapters will start on fresh pages.

I don't know if this is helpful. I don't know how many other tips I know that casual users don't know. I would happily answer questions about working with Microsoft Office. If you ask something I don't know, I am also fairly good at finding out, or if I can't find out within a reasonable amount of time, perhaps others here would know or maybe it is just something none of us know or something Bill needs to add to make the program even more bloated.

Anyway, if you like keyboard tips (I hate reaching over for the mouse when I'm already typing) I might be able to help. I know that there are times you must simply use the mouse and menus, but I even know how to do that from the keyboard.   

Patti

[Cathy C]

Always nice to see tips.

I use manual page breaks, but had forgotten the ctrl key is the short cut - yes I do mean forgotten, it isn't a euphormism for didn't know.

I have seperate dictionaries for specific projects - particularly useful in scifi and fantasy situations, but can be good for when stories have more unusual 'foreign' names and dialect.

I also use 'notes' which I make - ermm - notes in, they usually link to a specific paragraph so as it moves the note follows. Can be anything in the note, a reminder to check something, anything. Only thing is the words are included in the wordcount.

Incidentally I use http://www.openoffice.org/
- similar to word - can open word docs and its free - and very good.
(I hate Microsoft so tend to avoid their products, but prefer windows due to compatability issues and software available. Maybe will switch to linux one day.)     

(Writers Block)

[Cathy C]

In Open Office, the find and replace dialog box is opened with Ctrl + f.     

I have that on my computer too, but MS Office has a few more of the fancy things I use frequently.

The Auto Correct is in both and can be used to make your computer work for you, but the double spacing doesn't seem to have a keyboard hot key combination in Open Office. The Ctrl+5 does do 1.5 spacing but single and double spacing doesn't seem to have one of those shortcuts.

Patti

[Cathy C]

Hi Spchick,

First, I think your idea of posting tips is a good one. Many of us know different things, and I suppose we all assume that everyone else knows them. But that's not the case, I didn't know about Ctrl+F5, for instance. Thanks! I've got Open Office as well. I've just had a nose at View>Toolbars>Customise, and found that there are several 'spare' keys and combinations that you can program yourself. So my keyboard shortcut for double spacing is now F4...  There seemed to be quite a few 'spares', so scope for quite a bit of customisation, methinks.

Keep the tips coming, when ever you think of them. Maybe one of the mods might think this worth stickying, so we'd all know where to find it when we need a tip..?

Cheers,

Dave.

[Cathy C]

There is no way that I know of to make inside quotes begin with a capital letter. Perhaps this is good or after a break in the conversation, you would have to undo the thing. But Word sees the Quote Mark itself as the first letter of the next sentence.

There are times when the auto cap doesn't work even when it should. It will not recognize a new sentence if the last thing was a number or certain words. I don't know why it doesn't like it or world or a few others. Perhaps we should write to Bill.

Now, if your computer helps you too much, you can simply undo it by hitting Ctrl+z and it will undo the last thing it automatically corrected for you when you didn't want it corrected. This is useful sometimes.

Ctrl+z is the shortcut key for "undo" and if you can't remember that, simply clicking on the undo button with fix it as well.

Sorry I can't fix everything. LOL   There are some things only Bill can fix.

Patti

[Cathy C]

Hi SpChick, maybe you, or someone you know, can help me out.

I use a laptop with a touchpad mouse. My problem is that when I'm negotiating a Word document, sometimes on using the touchpad,the damn page suddenly shifts horizontally, and I have to go throuh the annoying process of clicking the horizontal page shift to get it back. I've been plagued by it for years, and thought it was my old Windows 98 giving problems, but now I have a new laptop with XP and it still does the same trick.

All suggestions gratefully received - Anthony

[Cathy C]

Hi Anthony,

Not sure how much help this will be, but...

It's some time since I stopped using MS word, in favour of Open Office. But I seem to recall that, at the bottom left of the Word window, you have a selection of three or four 'buttons', that alter the 'view' of your document. I don't have these in OO, but I always used the, I think, 'print view' option. this keeps the page in W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G. format. 'Normal' view gives you one huge page, on which, though your text wraps normally, you can move a seemingly infinite distance to the right of your text, requiring,as you say, clicking on the page shift to get back. Maybe try hitting these buttons, see what happens?

Of course, there's always a good chance I'm talking gibberish... :-)

Dave.

[Cathy C]

I've had this annoying horizontal shift problem as well. The other solution I'd suggest is to zoom the screen out a little so there's no side for the screen to scroll to. Personally, I set the zoom to a little less than the width of the text - usually about 105% / 117% - which gives a readable font size and no reason to shift from side to side.

Re-reading this thread, I have to add, I believe this only works if you're viewing in Print Layout...

Smurf

[Cathy C]

A thread on computer tips is always a popular one on forums, I've found. Good call. 

My favourite time saver is autocorrect. If you find you've a word or phrase you're using a lot - I used to write technical documents with lots of acronyms and repetitions - Word can automatically drop the phrase in when you type a code.

For example, if I was using the phrase 'MyWritersCircle' a lot, it'd be a pain to type those letters all the time. If I set up autocorrect to recognise the code 'mwc' and change it to MyWritersCircle every time I type mwc, I wouldn't have to type the phrase each time.

If you want to have a play with autocorrect, you'll find it in Word on the Tools menu under AutoCorrect Options. Click the Autocorrect tab to pull up a screen where you can enter your phrase and code. You have to have the checkbox 'Replace text as you type' ticked, and then Word will correct various common typing errors (it works differently to the spellchecker and I've never found this a problem) as well as replacing your codes with your chosen phrases as you type.

You can even use it as it was intended, and add any common typing errors you make and they'll be corrected as you type - my favourite is beleive / believe. But who wants to use something for its intended purpose?   

Hope that's of use, but drop me a line if I can help.

Cheers,

Smurf

[Cathy C]

step by step process for adding to auto correct as copied from a different place here

Two ways:

1. Type out what you want it to actually look like, my case African-American
2. Highlight that text
3. Go to Tools; then select AutoCorrect Options ... (Older versions I believe just say AutoCorrect)
4. Type in what you want to type, my case afam
5. Click on Add
6. Click OK


Other way
1. Go to tools and open the AutoCorrect dialog box by clicking on the AutoCorrect options. ...
2. Type in abbreviated form and the way you want it to look
3. Hit add
4. Either add more autocorrect things, or click ok to close dialog box

Either way you will now get the machine to correct  your type.

afam comes up African-American, but if I want plural, I have to backspace once to add the S, I could put in afams and have it come up as the plural.

This section will hold a HUGE amount of data. I used to have whole forms stored in there so that they automatically popped up.

Caveat,
I never type my name because I just enter my initials and my name displays. My sister's initials are CAN and she does not want to have her name appear each time she writes the word "can" so she has to use something else. Be sure that whatever you enter is not a real word, and be sure it is spelled correctly!

You can go back and modify your entries. They can be deleted, too.

Best of luck. This makes typing so much easier for me and I hate to type. I love to write, tho. <<< In Word that would have come out though.
How do you use the hyperlink here so that the URL isn't posted like you did in the first post of this thread?

DGSquared

[Cathy C]

Tim aka Red_Barren taught me that. I was trying to do it like html and it sort of works that way.

the link can be placed inside the url coding {url=link goes here with the equal sign in place and no spaces around the = sign}and then text goes here{/url}

then the whole thing is rather pale, so highlight from bracket to bracket and hit bold and the thing stands out more.

I had to change the [ signs to { so that it wouldn't turn into code.

Make sure you hit preview the first few times cuz you are more than likely not going to get it right on the first try. Or maybe that was just me   LOL   but practice makes perfect.

Patti

[Cathy C]

Now I need to figure out how to do images.

DGSquared

[Cathy C]

Okay.  First of all you need the picture on your computer.  There's a size limit of 250K,

I suggest you copy the picture to your desk top so you know exactly where it it, and give it a sensible descriptive name if has something like 'DSF1364235'.

Now write whatever message you want with your pic.

Down at the bottom left below the posting window you will 'additional options' .

Click on it.

A box will open inviting you to [Choose...]  Do so.

There is a short list of allowed file types.

Double left click and the box should tell you its been selected.

Click on [Post]

(If memory serves correctly you cant [Preview] the pics, unlike the text)

If you've got a slow connection - like mine - it will take several seconds to complete posting.  Be patient.

It should be that simple, once you know how.

My normal consultation fee is £500, as shown, but for you two lovely ladies I will waive the fee this time.

Gyppo

[Cathy C]

I believe the train has fallen off the tracks. Or Elvis has left the building.

However, I would like to take the time to point out about clicking.

A single click moves the cursor to where you are clicking - as everyone knows.
Double click will select the word.
Triple click will select an entire paragraph.

handy if you want to move the whole thing, cut it out completely, or format it in some way.

Patti

[Cathy C]

If you happen to find yourself faced with a pop-up willing to scan your computer, press Alt-F4.

If you want to select individual items in a list, hold down the CTRL key and click away.

If you want to select a range of contiguous objects, hold down the shift key, click the first object, click the last object, and have your way with them.

If you want to delete a directory in UNIX, type rm -r * while signed in as root.

Oh, make a backup first.

That's all I have for tonight, folks. ;-)

Tim