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SubjectFree lesson

INTRODUCTION TO WORD PROCESSING PACKAGES 1

ClassNotes Team 5 MIN READUPDATED 5 JUL 2026

Computer Science ICT SSS2 FIRST Term

WEEK 1

INTRODUCTION TO WORD PROCESSING PACKAGES 1

Content

Reference book: Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.

Welcome to Computer Studies.  By: Boye Jokotoye.

A word processing package enables you to type in and manipulate text.  It helps you to enter, store, format, copy and print text. It is software that turns the computer into a sophisticated typewriter. With any type of word processing software, you can produce any kind of document, large or small, whether a personal letter, business report, school report sheet, circular etc. and save the document for future reference. The word processing software allows you to determine how you want the finished page to look i.e. page size, line width, margin etc.  Once you are satisfied that everything looks all right, you can print out any number of copies on paper. Word processing is the process of using software to create, edit, view, store, retrieve, format, and print textual documents such as letters, reports, letterhead papers and other documents. A word processor is software that is used for word processing.

FUNCTIONS OF WORD PROCESSING

1.       Text correcting/Editing

2.       Inserting paragraph

3.       Deletion of sentences, words, paragraphs etc.

4.       Correction of wring spelling

5.       Inclusion of graphics

Examples of word processors: WordPerfect, WordStar, MS-word, Lotus Notes, Corel Word Perfect Script, Ami-Pro, Word Craft, Notepad, WordPad, WordPro, Multimate Advantage, and Professional Writer.

Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft Corporation USA. It is the most common word processor today because of its special features. It comes in a software suite called Microsoft Office. Some versions of Microsoft Office are: Ms Office 2000, Ms Office 2003, Ms Office 2007.

FEATURES OF WORD PROCESSING PACKAGES

1.       WORD WRAP -  Instead of pressing the ‘Enter key’ at the end of every line while typing, word wrap automatically moves the insertion point to the next line when you reach the end of the current line and allows you to continue typing without having to press the ‘Enter key’ to start a new line.

2.       EDITING OF DOCUMENT – Once you have finished typing your document, you can then use WORD basic editing techniques.  These include inserting text, deleting text, moving paragraphs from one position to another, etc.

3.       DELETING TEXT – Word processing features allow for deletion, that is, the removal of unwanted text.  Some can be deleted using the ‘delete key’ while you can also press the ‘backspace key’ to delete text depending on where you place the cursor before deletion.

4.       INSERTING TEXT – The process of adding text in-between existing text; it could be a character or a full statement.

5.       PAGE FORMATTING – This is the standard set of page formats.  Information in page formatting includes the length of each line, the number of lines per page, the size of the margins and line spacing.

6.       SPELLING CHECKER – This is a program to detect and correct wrongly spelt words.  Spelling programs read word processing files and compare each word to the computer dictionary.  It then underlines any wrongly spelt words and gives suggested spelling options.

7.       SAVE AUTO RECOVER – When you are working, you can sometimes forget to save regularly, which could mean you lose your work since the last time you saved in the event of a power outage.  Microsoft Word provides an automatic save feature that you can set to ensure that your documents are saved regularly.  However, this depends on the specific time interval in minutes set by you.

8.       NON-PRINTING CHARACTER – Microsoft Word provides a feature called Non-Printing Characters that has certain landmarks you might find helpful as you create your document.  These keys include the ‘ENTER key’, ‘TAB key’ and ‘SPACEBAR key’.  They are called non-printing characters because though they appear on the screen, they will not appear in the printed document.

Evaluation

1. State what word processing can be used for.

2. List and explain any FOUR features of word processing.

Reading Assignment:

Hiit @ School, Computer Studies for Senior Secondary Education.

Computer studies Stella Chiemeke book 1 pgs 73-77,83-89.

 Modern computer studies by Victoria Dinehin pg 47-53.

 A Handbook On Computer   By: Kolawole S. Owolabi

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1.       …………package enables you to type in and manipulate text. (a) Word processing    (b) Spreadsheet     (c) Corel Draw

2.       Which of these CANNOT be done with a word processing package? (a) sleeping    (b) typing    (c) printing

3.       One of these is NOT a function of word processing (a) Title bar    (b) Text correction    (c) Deletion of pages

4.       Word processing can be used to produce any kind of document. (a) Yes     (b) No     (c) None of the above

5.       One of these is an example of a word processing package. (a) Microsoft Word    (b) Microsoft Excel    (c) Corel Draw

THEORY

1. List the functions of Word Processing packages.

2. Briefly explain the following:

   (i)  Word wrap   (ii) Editing of document   (iii) Spelling checker   (iv) Non-printing character