Do the splits!

Sometimes it is convenient to be able to view the beginning of a document as well as the middle or end so that you can compare the content, formatting, etc. The easy way to do this is by splitting the Window.

1. From the View tab, in the Window group, choose Split. 

 

2. Your mouse pointer will now have the split (which appears as gray bar with a double arrow), attached to it. Simply click where you want to split the Window into two, generally somewhere near the middle. You can move the split later if you wish!

3. The Window will now be divided into two separate panes, each having individual scroll bars and zoom settings!

You can move the split by clicking and dragging it with your mouse, or double click the split to remove it.

OK - Now that you are convinced this is a useful view, here is the shortcut!

The easiest way to align text using tabs in Word

This is an example of a right tab with a dot leader set at the 3” mark.

1.      If necessary, show the ruler below by clicking the check box on the View tab of the ribbon in the Show/Hide group. Verify that your document is in Print Layout view.

 

2.       It is also helpful to turn on the Show/Hide button in the Paragraph group on the ribbon. This will allow you to see the non-printing arrows that will appear when you touch the tab key on your keyboard.

 

3.       Use the button on the left end of the ruler below the ribbon to select the basic tab type (left, center, right, decimal, etc.).  Click the button several times to cycle through the different tab types. This shows a right tab type selected.

 4. Use your mouse to left click on the ruler where you want the tab to be. This shows a right tab set on the ruler at the 6” mark.

5.      To see all tab options (position,  type, dot leaders, etc.) you must open the Tab options dialog box. The easiest way to do this is to point your mouse at the tab you have set on the ruler. When the tool tip appears, double click the selected tab.

The Tabs dialog box will appear displaying all tab options.

This shows a tab set at the ½” mark and at the 6” mark.

The 6” tab is selected and is a right tab with a stye 2 dot Leader.

You can make changes to tabs you have already set, set additional tabs, or clear extra tabs here.  Select the tab from the list and change the Alignment, set the Leader, change the position, or clear the tab.

Click the OK button when you are done.

Alternate instructions: The tabs dialog box can also be accessed by clicking the dialog box launcher at the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group on the ribbon. When the Paragraph  dialog box appears, click the Tabs button on the bottom left corner.

Research? Go back to school with a cool tool!

To quickly create a bibliography using the Word 2007 or 2010 Reference tools:

1. Choose the tab on the ribbon for References to find the Citations and Bibliography tools.
2. The Style you choose from the list (i.e. APA, MLA, etc.) will determine the format for citations in the document.
3. Click the button to Insert Citation.  
4. Choose Add a new source, and then choose the Type of Source (i.e. book, journal article, etc.) from the drop down list.
5. Fill in the blanks , click OK when you are done, and let Word do the rest! Continue to add citations as necessary - Word will remember them for you. 
6.  When you are done with your research, click the button for Bibliography, choose a style, and Word will automatically create the bibliography for you from the Citations you entered. Slick!!

Compatibility Mode?

Update your documents to the newest file type!

If you see the words "Compatibility Mode" in the title bar next to your document's name, you are working in a older file format. This happens in both the 2007 and 2010 Office Suites. Although it is fine - and sometimes necessary - to stay in that mode, you might discover that some of the tools you want to use are not available. When that happens, you will need to convert your files to the newer file type. If you have concerns that something in the document might not appear the way you planned or work correctly, use the option to "save as", give the document a new name, and save. This way you can review your work in the new file yet still have the ability to revert back to the older file if you discover any issues .

For those of you that fearlessly forge ahead, another option is to use "Convert", which will actually replace the original file with the newest type:

• In Office 2007, "Convert" will appear as the third option of the Office Button menu.
• In Office 2010, "Convert" will be the top item in the Info category which appears in the backstage view when you click the File tab.

By the way, you will find that even if the file was created in the 2007  XML file format, you will still need to convert files when you upgrade to 2010 due to the enhancements available in the newest software!