Chapter 6 Word Processor Basics (OpenOffice Writer) Exercise Solutions | Class 11 Computer Applications

(a) .doc (b) .odt (c) .txt (d) .docx

(a) Ctrl+O (b) Ctrl+S (c) Ctrl+N (d) Ctrl+P

(a) Ctrl+I (b) Ctrl+U (c) Ctrl+B (d) Ctrl+Z

(a) Left alignment (b) Right alignment (c) Center alignment (d) Justify alignment

(a) Ctrl+F (b) Ctrl+H (c) Ctrl+G (d) Ctrl+R

(a) File menu (b) Edit menu (c) Insert menu (d) Tools menu

(a) F5 (b) F7 (c) F3 (d) F12

(a) At the bottom of every page (b) At the top of every page (c) Only on the first page (d) Only on the last page

(a) Menu bar (b) Formatting toolbar (c) Formula bar (d) Status bar

(a) Ctrl+O (b) Ctrl+N (c) Ctrl+P (d) Ctrl+S

A word processor is a software application used to create, edit, format, and print text documents. It provides features like text formatting, spell check, find and replace, and page layout options. OpenOffice Writer and Microsoft Word are examples of word processors.

Save stores the document in its current location and format, overwriting the previous version. Save As allows you to choose a new file name, a different save location, or a different file format (such as saving an .odt file as .doc). Save As creates a new copy without overwriting the original.

The Ruler in OpenOffice Writer is a horizontal bar displayed at the top of the document area (and optionally a vertical ruler on the left). It shows measurements in centimetres or inches and helps set margins, indentation (left indent, right indent, first line indent), and tab stops. It provides a visual guide for formatting the document layout.

Page margin is the blank space between the edge of the paper and the text area on a document page. There are four types of margins: Top margin (space above the text), Bottom margin (space below the text), Left margin (space to the left of the text), and Right margin (space to the right of the text).

The Thesaurus is a reference tool in OpenOffice Writer that provides synonyms (words with similar meaning) and antonyms (words with opposite meaning) for a selected word. It helps improve vocabulary and avoid repetitive use of the same words. It is accessed via Tools → Thesaurus or Ctrl+F7.

.doc is the file extension used by Microsoft Word in its older binary format. .docx is the newer XML-based file format used by Microsoft Word since 2007. OpenOffice Writer can open, edit, and save documents in both .doc and .docx formats, though its native default format is .odt.

OpenOffice Writer is a free, open-source word processor with the following key features:

1. Document creation and editing: Create new documents, type text, insert images, tables, and charts. 2. Text formatting: Apply bold, italic, underline, font size, font colour, and other styling to text. 3. Paragraph formatting: Set alignment (left, right, center, justify), line spacing, and indentation. 4. Page formatting: Configure margins, page size, orientation (portrait/landscape), headers, and footers. 5. Spell check and Thesaurus: Automatically check spelling and find synonyms/antonyms. 6. Find and Replace: Search for specific text and replace it with new text throughout the document. 7. File compatibility: Open and save documents in multiple formats including .odt, .doc, .docx, .rtf, and .pdf. 8. Printing: Print documents with various options like page range, number of copies, and print preview.

Creating a document: Open OpenOffice Writer (a new blank document opens automatically), or use File → New → Text Document, or press Ctrl+N.

Saving a document: Use File → Save (Ctrl+S) to save for the first time — a dialog box appears where you choose the file name, location, and format. For subsequent saves, Ctrl+S overwrites the existing file. Use File → Save As to save with a different name or format.

Opening a document: Use File → Open (Ctrl+O), navigate to the file location, select the file, and click Open. You can also double-click a file in the file manager.

Closing a document: Use File → Close (Ctrl+W) to close the current document, or File → Exit to close the entire OpenOffice application. If there are unsaved changes, a prompt asks whether to save before closing.

OpenOffice Writer provides four types of text alignment:

1. Left Alignment (Ctrl+L): Text is aligned to the left margin, and the right edge is ragged. This is the default alignment and is commonly used for body text in most documents.

2. Right Alignment (Ctrl+R): Text is aligned to the right margin, and the left edge is ragged. It is used for dates in letters, for right-side page numbers, or in specific design layouts.

3. Center Alignment (Ctrl+E): Text is centered between the left and right margins. It is commonly used for headings, titles, and cover page content.

4. Justify Alignment (Ctrl+J): Text is aligned evenly on both the left and right margins by adjusting the spacing between words. It gives a clean, formal appearance and is commonly used in newspapers, magazines, and formal documents.

Find (Ctrl+F) is used to search for a specific word or phrase in the document. It highlights the matching text and allows you to navigate from one occurrence to the next. It is useful when you only need to locate text without changing it.

Find and Replace (Ctrl+H) not only searches for a specific word or phrase but also allows you to replace it with different text. It provides options to replace one occurrence at a time (Replace) or replace all occurrences at once (Replace All). It is useful for making bulk corrections, such as changing a person's name or fixing repeated spelling errors throughout a document.

The main components of the OpenOffice Writer interface are:

1. Title Bar: Displays the name of the current document and the application name (OpenOffice Writer). Located at the very top of the window.

2. Menu Bar: Contains menus like File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Table, Tools, Window, and Help. Each menu provides access to related commands.

3. Standard Toolbar: Located below the menu bar, it contains buttons for frequently used actions like New, Open, Save, Copy, Paste, Undo, and Redo.

4. Formatting Toolbar: Located below the Standard Toolbar, it contains buttons for text formatting like font name, font size, Bold, Italic, Underline, alignment, font colour, and highlighting.

5. Ruler: A horizontal ruler at the top (and optional vertical ruler on the left) that shows measurements and helps set margins, indents, and tab stops.

6. Document Area: The large central area where you type and edit your document content.

7. Status Bar: Located at the bottom, it displays information like current page number, total pages, word count, language, zoom level, and insert/overwrite mode.

Text Formatting refers to changing the appearance of individual characters or selected text. The main text formatting options in OpenOffice Writer are:

1. Bold (Ctrl+B): Makes the selected text appear thicker and darker. Used for headings and emphasis. Example: Important Notice appears in bold.

2. Italic (Ctrl+I): Slants the selected text to the right. Used for titles of books, foreign words, or emphasis. Example: Ponniyin Selvan appears in italic.

3. Underline (Ctrl+U): Draws a line below the selected text. Used for highlighting key terms or headings. Example: the word "Sign Here" appears underlined.

4. Font Size: Changes the size of the text measured in points (pt). Standard body text is 12 pt, headings are 14–24 pt. Accessed from the Formatting toolbar or Format → Character.

5. Font Colour: Changes the colour of the selected text from a colour palette. Accessed from the Font Colour button on the Formatting toolbar or Format → Character → Font tab.

6. Font Name: Changes the typeface of the selected text, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Liberation Serif.

Paragraph Formatting refers to changing the layout and appearance of entire paragraphs. The main paragraph formatting options are:

1. Alignment: Determines how text is positioned relative to the margins — Left (Ctrl+L), Right (Ctrl+R), Center (Ctrl+E), or Justify (Ctrl+J).

2. Line Spacing: Controls the vertical distance between lines within a paragraph. Options include Single (1.0), 1.5 Lines, and Double (2.0). Accessed via Format → Paragraph → Indents and Spacing tab.

3. Indentation: Sets the distance of the paragraph from the left or right margin. Types include Left Indent, Right Indent, and First Line Indent. Can be set using the Ruler or Format → Paragraph → Indents and Spacing tab.

4. Spacing Before/After: Adds space before or after a paragraph, useful for separating paragraphs without pressing Enter multiple times.

Both text formatting and paragraph formatting can be applied using the Formatting toolbar, the Format menu, or keyboard shortcuts for faster work.

Page formatting controls the overall layout and appearance of the document pages. The key page formatting features in OpenOffice Writer are:

1. Page Margins: Margins are the blank spaces between the edge of the paper and the text area. To set margins:

• Go to Format → Page → Page tab
• Enter values for Left, Right, Top, and Bottom margins in centimetres
• Click OK to apply
• Default margins are typically 2 cm on all sides
• You can also drag margin boundaries on the Ruler for quick adjustments

2. Page Size: Page size defines the dimensions of the printed page. To set page size:

• Go to Format → Page → Page tab
• Select a pre-defined format from the Format dropdown (e.g., A4, Letter, Legal)
• A4 is the default (21.0 cm x 29.7 cm)
• You can also set custom width and height values
• Choose Orientation: Portrait (tall) or Landscape (wide)
• Click OK to apply

3. Headers: A header is text or graphics that appears at the top of every page in the document. To insert a header:

• Go to Insert → Header → Default
• A header area appears at the top of the page
• Type the desired content (e.g., document title, chapter name, school name)
• Format the header text as needed
• To edit or remove: Insert → Header → Default (toggle off)

4. Footers: A footer is text or graphics that appears at the bottom of every page. To insert a footer:

• Go to Insert → Footer → Default
• A footer area appears at the bottom of the page
• Type the desired content (e.g., page number, date, copyright)
• To insert page numbers: place cursor in the footer, then Insert → Fields → Page Number
• To edit or remove: Insert → Footer → Default (toggle off)

Proper page formatting ensures that the document looks professional and is easy to read when printed.

Spell Check: The Spell Check feature in OpenOffice Writer checks the document for spelling errors and suggests corrections.

How to use Spell Check: 1. Place the cursor at the beginning of the document (or select specific text to check only that portion) 2. Press F7 or go to Tools → Spellcheck 3. The Spellcheck dialog box appears with the first misspelt word highlighted 4. The dialog shows suggested corrections in the Suggestions list 5. Click the correct suggestion and then click Replace to fix the current occurrence 6. Click Replace All to fix all occurrences of the same misspelt word 7. Click Ignore to skip the word, or Ignore All to skip all instances 8. Click Add to add the word to the custom dictionary so it will not be flagged in future 9. Continue until the entire document has been checked

Additional features:

• Red wavy underlines appear under misspelt words as you type (automatic spell check)
• Right-click on an underlined word to see suggestions and correct instantly
• You can change the dictionary language via Tools → Options → Language Settings

Thesaurus: The Thesaurus provides synonyms and antonyms for a selected word.

How to use the Thesaurus: 1. Select the word in your document 2. Go to Tools → Thesaurus or press Ctrl+F7 3. The Thesaurus dialog box displays the selected word and its meaning 4. A list of synonyms (and sometimes antonyms) appears 5. Click the desired replacement word 6. Click OK to replace the selected word

Find and Replace: The Find and Replace feature locates specific text and substitutes it with new text.

How to use Find and Replace: 1. Go to Edit → Find and Replace or press Ctrl+H 2. In the Search for box, type the text you want to find 3. In the Replace with box, type the new text 4. Click Find to locate the first occurrence 5. Click Replace to replace the current occurrence 6. Click Replace All to replace every occurrence in the document 7. Use options like Match case (case-sensitive search), Whole words only, and Regular expressions for advanced searches 8. Click Close when finished

Find and Replace is especially useful for correcting repeated errors, updating names, or making global text changes efficiently across a long document.

Printing a document produces a hard copy on paper. OpenOffice Writer provides several options before printing.

Steps to Print a Document: 1. Ensure the document is saved (Ctrl+S) 2. It is good practice to preview the document first: go to File → Page Preview (or click the Page Preview button) 3. Review the layout, margins, and formatting in the preview 4. Close the preview and go to File → Print or press Ctrl+P 5. The Print dialog box appears with various options 6. Configure the settings as needed and click OK

Print Options Available:

1. Printer Selection: Choose the printer from the dropdown list if multiple printers are connected.

2. Page Range: Select which pages to print:

• All Pages: Prints the entire document
• Pages: Specify individual pages (e.g., 1,3,5) or a range (e.g., 1-10)
• Selection: Prints only the selected text (available if text is selected before opening Print)

3. Number of Copies: Specify how many copies to print. Use the Collate option to print complete sets rather than multiple copies of each page.

4. Print What: Choose to print Document, Document notes, or other elements.

5. Page Layout: Set the number of pages per sheet (e.g., 2, 4, 6, or 9 pages on one sheet) for draft printing or booklets.

6. Orientation: Choose Portrait or Landscape for the printed output.

7. Paper Size: Select the paper size matching what is loaded in the printer (A4, Letter, Legal, etc.).

8. Print to File: Instead of sending to a printer, save the output as a PDF or PostScript file.

9. Brochure: Print the document in brochure format for folding.

Print Preview (File → Page Preview): Before printing, always use Print Preview to check how the document will appear on paper. This saves paper and prevents wasted prints due to formatting issues.

Print Directly (without dialog): Clicking the Print button on the Standard Toolbar sends the document directly to the default printer without showing the Print dialog. Use this only when you are confident about the print settings.