Tools for Information Literacy

Structural elements

Understand the document objects to set up a document for the purpose you have for it.

The same HEAD and BODY elements you are familiar with in web pages, also are here in a document. Since the software here is, at its heart, creating instructions for a printer, we need to understand the relationship between what our web elements were and and what our document elements will be.

The markup in MSWord is very similar to the markup in the HyperText Markup Language. However, the structural layer markup that you had to create in a web page is usually already embedded in a MSWord document. You will be able to control the MSWord presentational layer through the program, however.

Find the markup

One of the complaints about current Dealing with Markup tools is that the markup is hidden. That is true, but it does not mean that you cannot find it, nor that you cannot take advantage of it. Were one to save an MSWord file as a web page, one could then open the web page in a browser and then, in the browser, look at the underlying code. For example, this is the underlying code on a simple text document.

Much of MSWord's markup is the same as HTML markup, but a lot of it also includes inline style declarations as well. If it is critical to see exactly where the markup begins and ends, you can use this step to see exactly where it is and then decide what you need to do with it.

You can see some of the markup if you select the "show-hide" button on the task ribbon.

It will do you well to be in the habit of always selecting this option.

Take advantage of the underlying markup ...

... by using the Find & Replace tool (CNTL+H) to look for formatting instructions. You can use the tool to look for text objects, or markup objects.

Structural Elements - Pages

To start to understand the many layers of markup objects in MSWord, we will start with document objects for which we did not have an HTML analog with exactly the same name. The PAGE in a document is analogous to the BODY in a web page.

Suggestion: Do try to perfect your page object completely before you type in content; just do the page layout elements.

Remember, we are using the page in place of the body, so we just want to set up the page to have dimensions and behaviors relevant to our needs.

You will find it easier in the long run if the program is settled into the size and structure of the page it will use.

Page formatting

... can be found in the page setup section of the layout tab in the ribbon

... and is analogous to the way HTML/CSS formatting identifies the type of page.

Margins

... define where text will be placed on the page. You can control the printable space.

You can define header and footer placement. But be aware that you can inadvertently run your text and header/footer into each other.

Here is where you format headers to mirror each other in a document.

According to Microsoft ...

A gutter margin setting adds extra space to the side margin or top margin of a document that you plan to bind. A gutter margin helps ensure that text isn't obscured by the binding.

Orientation

While portrait or landscape are typical options for an entire document, one can use sections (to be discussed later) to have a single document formatted so that different sections use different orientations. Apply to allows one to apply a page layout instruction to a page, a section (in conjunction with document breaks), or the entire docuemnt.

Line numbers are useful for sequential editing purposes or for collaborative editing.

Paper size

You can set up for special sizes (for use in a small notebook, for example); to include other than US standards.

You may wish to know about International Standard Paper Sizes (by Markus Kuhn,Cambridge University).

Views

Now that you have the page set up, you may choose to view your work in one of several manners.

draft

Used for entering, editing, formatting. Headers, footers, some graphics, & columns are not visible in this view, but sections are visible.

web

Some utility, but no great advantage over other views.

print layout

Almost a WYSIWYG. See what document looks like before printing. Graphics are visible in this view. You can see some formatting commands if you wish (which you cannot in Print Preview).

print preview

Is a WYSIWYG, but without the ability to see the formatting commands.

outline

Shows document structure. A very useful feature, once you get used to it.

Document Map, or Navigational Pane

A very useful way to navigate through a formatted document, taking advantage of the underlying markup. This particular example below is not yet well marked up.

Suggestion:

Take advantage of the ? in one of the corners of the dialog boxes.

Breaks

Why might you want to insert page or section breaks?

A page break is pretty self explanatory - it causes the printer to generate a new page at the point of the break.

But sections are more powerful forms of breaks

A section is a part of a document that has a specified number of columns and uses a common set of margins, page orientation, headers and footers, and sequence of page numbers. A section break thus will allow you to do different formatting in each section. This will be very useful when you combine it with headers and footers.

Types of section breaks

 next page  Word breaks the page at the section break. The new section starts on the next page. Use this section break if you want to apply different page numbers, headers and footers, orientation, vertical alignment, or paper size to the sections in the document.

 continuous  Word inserts a section break and begins the new section on the same page. If the two sections have different settings for page size or orientation, the new section begins a new page even if you select Continuous. Use this section break if you want to have different column formatting or margins on the same page. If there are multiple columns in the previous section, Word balances the columns above the section break and then fills out the page with the new section.

 odd page  Word begins the new section on the next odd-numbered page. This section break is often used for chapters that begin on odd-numbered pages. NOTE: If the section break falls on an odd-numbered page, Word leaves the intervening even-numbered page blank.

 even page  Similar to Odd Page, but Word begins the new section on the next even-numbered page.

Headers and Footers

To quote Microsoft on it:

Headers and footers not only make your work look more professional; they prevent confusion and help readers to keep their bearings inside your document. Remember, people don't necessarily read a report or paper from front to back -- they flip ahead to the parts that interest them, and even extract and photocopy sections as it suits their needs. By setting Word to automatically add elements like page numbers, section titles, date, and author name, you ensure that each page bears the essential information that situates it within the whole of your document.

Remember, you defined where this header and footer would be when you did page setup. You can now change it from the Header/Footer taskbar. You need to format the header/footer to suit your document (influenced by themes). Make the header look like what you want it to look like by using table borders and fills to add color and distinction.

Because you have sections, you can format headers by section and have them display in conjunction with the needs of the document's section.

headers are not the same thing as headings and are located on a different layer from headings

Other objects

• paragraph objects - how the text relates to the page and to other paragraph objects
• font objects - how the letters look

One may, however, deal individually with the paragraph object and with the font object, either as a single object with a single set of properties or as individual objects, each with individual sets of properties.

Paragraph formatting

You may define the formatting of a paragraph within a style (a form of a document level style declaration), or you may define it in terms of a particular paragraph (a form of an inline style declaration).

Indents and Spacing

Control how each paragraph behaves.

Alignment

One could use the formatting task bar, but this makes everything behave the same.

Outline levels

If you want to use the outline tool, but don't want to change the look of the levels in use.

Indentation

Control the shape of the space in which the paragraph displays.

Spacing

control the separation between lines and between blocks of text. Automatic is useful.