This chapter tells you how to perform basic operations in WordPerfect. You can explore the work area and gain a better understanding of the basic tools and features available for creating powerful word processing documents.
In this section, you'll learn about
exploring the work area
understanding the components of a document
creating and opening documents
entering or inserting text
selecting and deleting text
inserting graphics
adding the date and time to a document
saving documents
using the Corel Application Recovery Manager
closing documents and quitting WordPerfect
Exploring the work area
The work area in WordPerfect includes everything you see on your screen when you start the application. The large open area is the document window.
The menu bar, located at the top of the work area just below the title bar, provides access to most of the WordPerfect commands.
Toolbars
Many menu commands can be accessed through toolbars, located below the menu bar.
The property bar is a context-sensitive toolbar that displays buttons and options related to the task you are performing. For example, when text is selected, the property bar contains only text-related commands.
By default, the property bar is located above the document window.
The application bar
The application bar displays information about the status of the active WordPerfect document. By default, the application bar is located below the document window.
When you open a file, a document button with the name of the file displays on the application bar. You can use document buttons to quickly move between the documents. For more information about moving between documents, see "Navigating documents."
Understanding the components of a document
A WordPerfect document consists of one or more of the following components.
Text
Text can be typed directly into WordPerfect or imported from text editors or other word-processing applications. For more information about adding text to a document, see "Entering or inserting text."
Graphics
Graphics include shapes, drawings, pictures, and clipart. A shape is any object created using WordPerfect drawing tools. A drawing is created using Corel Presentations menus and tools.
A picture is a bitmap, or graphic image, that has been imported into a WordPerfect document. Pictures can be imported using a scanner, from a CD, or from photo-editing programs, such as Corel PHOTO-PAINT. Clipart images are images that can be brought into Corel applications and used as they are or edited. For more information about adding graphics to a document, see "Inserting graphics."
Styles
A style is a collection of formatting attributes applied to characters, paragraphs, or documents. By formatting items with styles, you ensure consistent formatting throughout a document. Whenever you change the formatting in a style, you change the appearance of all items that use that style. For more information about formatting with styles, see "Creating and saving text styles."
Templates
A template is a preformatted document that can be used as a guide for creating a new document. Every document created in WordPerfect is based on a template or a project template. When you open WordPerfect, the blank document you see is based on the default template. Project templates include fax cover sheets, memos, newsletters, and brochures. For more information about templates, see "Creating documents using project templates."
Macros
Macros are used to automate application tasks. For example, you can use WordPerfect macros to set margins, select a font, or create a merge file. For more information about macros, see "Recordings, macros, and automation features."
Creating and opening documents
You can create a document in WordPerfect using the default template, a blank document that includes formatting elements such as margin settings, tab settings, and toolbars. WordPerfect also includes ready-made project templates that you can open and use to create a wide range of documents, including letters, fax cover sheets, calendars, and business cards. For more information about templates, see "Creating documents using project templates."
You can open word-processing documents that were created in WordPerfect or in another application. The advantage of opening, rather than importing a document created in another application, is that many of the formatting attributes in the original document, such as page size, margins, font properties, bullets, and underlining, are preserved. Some of the features not supported include embedded pictures, hidden text, interline spacing, kerning, macros, multiple page layouts (the first one in the document is used throughout), and OLE objects. For more information about importing files, see "Import and export file formats for WordPerfect" in the reference information section of the online Help.
To create a document using the default template
Click File New.
Tip
You can also create a document using the default template by clicking the New blank document button on the toolbar.
To create a document using a project template
1 Click File New from project.
2 From the list box, choose the type of project you want to create.
3 Choose a project from the list.
4 Click Create.
Tip
You can use the PerfectExpert panel to modify the project. To display the PerfectExpert panel click Help PerfectExpert.
To open a document
1 Click File Open.
2 Choose the drive and folder where the document is stored.
3 Choose a file.
4 Click Open.
Tips
You can also open a document by clicking the Open button on the toolbar.
If you know where a file is located, you can type the full path and filename in the File name list box.
Entering or inserting text
You can enter text in the document window. You can use the shadow cursor to show where the text will be positioned.
You can also enter text in a text box so that it displays in a separate frame.
You can insert text from another file. If you have more than one document opened, you can insert text from one document to another document using the application bar.
To enter text in a document window
1 Click in the document window.
2 Type text.
To enter text using the shadow cursor
1 Click View Shadow cursor.
A check mark next to the menu command indicates that the shadow cursor is enabled.
2 Click anywhere on the page.
3 Type text.
Note
The shadow cursor changes appearance to show how text will be aligned when you start typing. Small arrows beside the shadow cursor point in different directions when text is left-justified, centered, or right-justified.
To enter text in a text box
1 Click Insert Text box.
2 Type text.
To insert text from another document
1 Click where you want to insert the text.
2 Click Insert File.
3 Choose the drive and folder where the document is stored.
4 Choose a file.
5 Click Insert.
To insert text from another document using the application bar
1 Select the text you want to insert.
2 Drag the selected text to the button on the application bar that displays the name of the document into which you want to insert the text, but don't release the mouse button.
This document opens in the document window.
3 Point to where you want to insert the text, and release the mouse button.
Note
For more information about using the application bar, see "Customizing the application bar."
Tip
The text you select is removed from the document. You can copy the text by holding down Ctrl while dragging.
Selecting and deleting text
You can select text, a tabular column, a rectangular block of text, or a range of text. You can also deselect text, delete text, and set selection options.
To select text
To select Do the following
A character or word Drag across a character or word.
A sentence Click in a sentence. Click Edit Select Sentence.
A paragraph Click in a paragraph. Click Edit Select Paragraph.
A page Click on a page. Click Edit Select Page.
A document Click Edit Select All.
To select a tabular column
1 Select the text from the first character in the tabular column to the last character in the tabular column.
2 Click Edit Select Tabular column.
To select a rectangular block of text
1 Select the text from the upper left corner to the lower left corner of the block.
2 Click Edit Select Rectangle.
To select a range of text in a document
1 Click Edit Select Section.
2 From the Select list, choose one of the following options:
Page-lets you select certain pages
Secondary page-lets you select certain secondary pages
Chapter-lets you select certain chapters
Volume-lets you select certain volumes
3 Type a value in the Range box.
To deselect text
Click anywhere outside the selected text.
To delete text
1 Select the text you want to delete.
2 Press Delete.
Tip
You can also delete text by clicking after the text you want to delete, and pressing Backspace.
To set the selection options for a document
1 Click Tools Settings.
2 Click Environment.
3 In the Environment settings dialog box, click the General tab.
4 Enable the Automatically select whole words when dragging to select text check box.
Inserting graphics
You can create basic shapes, such as circles, rectangles, lines, polygons, and polylines, in a document.
You can also create more complex drawings. When you create a drawing in WordPerfect, you use Corel Presentations. You can add circles, lines, boxes, and other shapes, or you can add objects to the drawing. For more information about creating a drawing, refer to the Corel Presentations online Help.
WordPerfect also lets you insert clipart and pictures from a CD into documents. You can insert any of more than 250 pictures stored on the WordPerfect Office CD.
To create a shape
1 Click Insert Shapes.
2 Enable one of the following options:
Lines-lets you create shapes such as straight or curved lines
Basic-lets you create shapes such as circles, rectangles, or cubes
Arrows-lets you create various types of arrows
Flowchart-lets you create shapes used in flowcharts
Stars-lets you create various types of stars
Callout-lets you create callouts, which can be used to enclose text
Action-lets you create shapes used to denote action
3 Open the Shape picker, and click a shape.
4 Click OK.
5 Drag to draw the shape.
Tips
You can create a square by holding down Shift while you draw a rectangle.
You can insert precise horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines by holding down Shift while you draw a line.
To create a drawing
1 Click Insert Graphics Draw picture.
The Corel Presentations application starts.
2 Create the drawing using Corel Presentations menus and tools.
3 Click outside the drawing.
To insert a clipart image
1 Click where you want to insert a clipart image.
2 Click Insert Graphics Clipart.
3 Choose a clipart category from the list.
4 Choose the image from the list.
5 Click Insert.
To insert a picture from a CD
1 Insert the WordPerfect Office CD into your CD drive.
2 Click where you want to insert a picture.
3 Click Insert Graphics From file.
4 Choose the CD drive from the Look in list box.
5 Open the Corel\WordPerfect Office 11\Graphics\Photos folder.
Pictures have .jpg filename extensions.
6 Double-click the filename of a picture.
Tip
To preview a picture before you insert it, click the Toggle preview button, and click the picture filename.
Adding the date and time to a document
You can insert the date and time into a document. The format of the date and time text can be edited.
You can also create a custom format for the date and time.
To insert the date or time
1 Click where you want to add the date or time.
2 Click Insert Date/time.
3 Choose a format from the Date/time formats list.
If you want the date or time to be updated when you open or print the document, enable the Keep the inserted date current check box.
4 Click Insert.
Tips
You can insert the date as text by pressing Ctrl + D.
You can insert the date as a code that is updated when you open or print the document by pressing Ctrl + Shift + D.
To edit the date or time format
1 Select the date or time.
2 Click Insert Date/time.
3 Choose a new format from the Date/time formats list box.
4 Click Apply format.
To create a custom date and time format
1 Click Insert Date/time.
2 Click New format.
3 In the Custom data/time format dialog box, delete the codes in the Edit date/time format box.
4 Click any of the following tabs:
Year-lets you insert a year format
Month-lets you insert a month format
Day-lets you insert a day format
Time-lets you insert a time format
5 Choose a code from the Code list.
6 Click Insert.
Notes
The Date/time sample box shows how the format will look in the document.
You can change the language used when you insert the date and time. For information about changing the language, see "Changing the language for WordPerfect."
Saving documents
You can save a document. When you save a document for the first time, you assign it a name and choose a folder in which to store it. Any changes you make to the document after that are saved to that location. You can create a new copy of the document by saving it to a new location.
To save a document
1 Click File Save.
2 Choose the drive and folder where you want to store the document.
3 Type a name for the document in the File name box.
If you want to embed the fonts in the document, enable the Embed fonts using TrueDoc check box.
4 Click Save.
Notes
If you have already saved the document, you will not be prompted to specify the drive, folder and filename.
Embedding ensures that the information for all of the fonts used in a document is saved with the document. You may want to embed fonts if you are using an unusual font or if you want to ensure that the font you are using displays properly.
Tip
You can also save a document by pressing F3 or by clicking the Save button on the toolbar.
To save a document to a new location
1 Click File Save as.
2 From the Save in list box, choose the drive and folder where you want to store the document.
If you want to embed the fonts in the document, enable the Embed fonts using TrueDoc check box.
3 Click Save.
Note
Embedding ensures that the information for all of the fonts used in a document is saved with the document. You may want to embed fonts if you are using an unusual font or if you want to ensure that the font you are using displays properly.
Tip
You can save the document with a new name by typing a new name in the File name box.
Using the Corel Application Recovery Manager
Corel Application Recovery Manager (C.A.R.M.) is an online wizard that allows you to save a document and exit WordPerfect if the program ever becomes unstable. You can also send an online report to Corel that documents the nature of the problem and the events that led to it.
The C.A.R.M. wizard opens automatically at program failure and then offers three courses of action:
save the document and close the application
exit the application without saving the document
continue working
With the last option, there is no guarantee that you can recover any work in your document after the last time you saved.
After you have made a selection, you can report the details of the problem to Corel with an attached program log. Your report will be a vital part of Corel's product improvement plans.
Closing documents and quitting WordPerfect
You can close the active document or all documents and leave WordPerfect open. You can also quit WordPerfect, which closes the application along with all of the documents you have open.
To close a document
Click File Close.
Note
You are prompted to save any modified documents before closing.
Tip
You can also close a document by clicking the Close button on the menu bar.
To close all documents
1 Click Tools Macro Play.
2 Choose closeall.wcm from the list.
3 Click Play.
Note
You are prompted to save any modified documents before closing.
To quit WordPerfect
Click File Quit.
Note
You are prompted to save any modified documents before quitting.
