Standard Office Software

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Spreadsheet Software
What is a Spreadsheet?
an electronic spreadsheet is a large grid of columns and rows a box where a column and row intersect is called a cell each cell has a unique address most spreadsheets label columns using letters, and rows using numbers the cell at the intersection of column C and row 5 is cell C5 the most commonly used spreadsheet software is Microsoft Excel most spreadsheet software programmes have some type of control panel the control panel displays information about the active cell has a space where the user can type information into the active cell it displays menus for activities such as saving, printing and loading, as well as in some cases a list of special built-in functions

Spreadsheet Data
any entry into a cell can be 1 of 3 possible items: a label a number a formula a label: a word used to describe information in your spreadsheet e.g.: if you wanted to calculate a budget for office expenses, you would create a list of those expenses labels paper pens computer supplies stamps, etc. these words describe the numbers in another column or row numbers: the actual expenses for the office supplies in order to add up a total of all the expenses at the bottom of the list, you need to enter a formula: a combination of cell addresses connected by mathematical symbols e.g.: A1 + A2 + A3

Formulas in order for a spreadsheet to distinguish labels, numbers and formulas, most spreadsheet software programs use special predefined characters so that the user can specify the difference if you type in a special software-defined character such as = as a first character, the spreadsheet assumes your entry is a formula the simplest formula is one that moves the data from one cell to another e.g.: lets say you entered the following formula in cell A1: =Sum(A2) whatever amount appeared in cell A2 would also automatically appear in A1

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the use of parentheses is an important aspect of formulas e.g.: a formula such as =Sum(A1:A10) would provide a total of all the numbers in cells A1 through A10 when combined with other mathematical symbols for division, multiplication, and subtraction, a formula containing multiple sets of nested parentheses could be created e.g. =Sum(((A1:A10)*A20) A30) in order to create a formula correctly, you must know the order in which the mathematical operations will be performed by the computer the natural order is to perform any calculation involving exponents first, followed by multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction

Formulas can get complicated. In order to learn more information about spreadsheet formulas, you may visit either of the following websites: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP052001271033.aspx http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelformulas/ss/formula_begin.htm

Automatic Recalculations one of the nice features of a spreadsheet is the ability to recalculate formulas automatically if you change any of the numbers in the cells included in the formula this recalculation feature is extremely useful for performing a what-if analysis the feature allows you to build what are sometimes called spreadsheet templates: e.g.: if you create a spreadsheet to keep track of petty cash or a project budget, once you create the spreadsheet and the formulas, you can go back and change the labels and the numbers and have a whole new spreadsheet with a lot less work

Functions spreadsheets have a variety of built-in functions that can replace complicated formulas one of the simplest is the sum function functions are identified by first typing either = or @ depending on the particular software and then the function name this lets the software know that the entry is a function and not a label functions are available for many different mathematical, and financial formulas

Other spreadsheet functions TEMPLATES to help get you started , many spreadsheets have built-in templates, which are pre-built spread-sheet models for common applications in an office such as budgets and financial analysis by loading a template, you can edit the spreadsheet to customise it to your particular needs this can be a great time saver

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SPREADSHEET MACROS macros are another great time saver a macro is a way to minimise repetitive keystrokes you can create a macro by selecting Macro from your spreadsheets control panel you are then asked to type in the keystrokes you want to record once these are recorded, you are asked to assign a simple keyboard command to trigger the macro many spreadsheets come with built-in macros that you can customise and access with special keyboard commands

For more information on spreadsheet macros, visit http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/m/g/macro_def.htm

WORD PROCESSING
basic features of a word processing programme: create documents edit and format documents print documents other features: spell-checkers style and grammar checkers mail-merge features the ability to store documents electronically use of macros

Mail merging one of the most useful business-related features mail merging allows you to create a single form letter and to merge it with a list of names and information to create individualised letters e.g.: you might want to send a personal letter to your colleagues telling each one about your offices new plans and ideas first, you create a document containing the names and addresses of your contacts then, you create a form letter with special symbols inserted where or commands inserted where the customers name and address and the greeting would normally go these special symbols or commands are determined by your particular word-processing software these commands link the form letter with your address list so that, when you print out the form letter, it automatically picks up elements of the list, such as name and address, and positions them in the proper place the result is individualised letters by the dozens or even hundreds, while you typed only one the software manual outlines the steps for your particular programme webpage:

To learn more about Microsoft Words mail merge feature, visit the companys tutorial http://office.microsoft.com/training/training.aspx?AssetID=RC102778121033&pid=CR100654561033 Macros -

many word processors utilise macros to help customise and shorten repetitive processes a macro is a way of recording a series of keystrokes or commands and recalling them by using a single keystroke or key combination

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macros can also be created for a series of command choices from a menu such as those required to select special formatting word processors such as Microsoft Word call these special formatting macros style sheets style sheets can be very helpful when the format changes often within a document by highlighting a particular block of text, you can assign a name to this style, and it will be assigned a place on the ruler or pull-down menu, where it can be easily selected in the future

More on Words macros at: http://wordprocessing.about.com/od/workingwithmacro1/l/blmacrointro.htm

DESKTOP PUBLISHING
What is desktop publishing? desktop publishing allows you to create brochures fliers newsletters advertisements and manuals

without having to visit a print shop. many administrative assistants use desktop publishing software to create high-quality publications that can be printed one at a time in the office or taken to a local print shop for mass duplication many desktop publishing programmes have predefined templates that allow you to add your own text and graphics to quickly customise a publication you can create your own letterhead business cards and business forms while it is similar to word processing in theory, desktop publishing focuses on the layout of text and graphics on a page some sophisticated word-processing programmes such as Microsoft Word can be used for desktop publishing

Desktop Publishing Software there are five general types of software used for desktop publishing: word processing (Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, etc.) page layout (Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Publisher, etc.) illustration (Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW) photo and image editing (Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photopaint) font and image management utilities (Adobe Type Manager, Bitstream Font Navigator, ThumbsPlus, HiJaak) these programmes make up your desktop publishing toolbox

Types of Desktop Publishing Documents advertising information direct mail holiday messages

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identity packages (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, note cards, notepads, Rolodex, cards, fax forms, custom invoices, etc.)

The Desktop Document while there are a variety of processes and procedures involved in desktop publishing, the basic techniques involve six different areas: design determine document format and type create rough drafts select fonts conceptualise and brainstorm select colours select images setup select a template set up columns and grids set page size and margins set up master pages create paragraph styles text images file preparation printing

Graphic Formats and Their Applications BMP EPS GIF JPEG PICT TIFF PDF Screen display in Windows Printing to PostScript printers and image setters. Best choice for resolution printing of illustrations. Screen display, especially for the Web. Best choice for publishing illustrations and screen shots online. Screen display on the Web. Good choice for online publishing. Screen display on the Macintosh and for printing to non-PostScript printers. Printing to PostScript printers. Good choice for high-resolution printing of images. (Portable Document Format) PDF files include all the PostScript information necessary to make sure your desktop publishing documents are truly portable.

USING POWERPOINT
What is multimedia? Multimedia in a computer context is defined as the integration of more than one medium, such as animation audio graphics text and video.

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Presentation and Authoring Programmes multimedia presentation and authoring software are tools that allow the user to bring all the multimedia components into a coherent presentation or product while there is some overlap between presentation and authoring tools, a comparison of the two is valuable Presentation programmes like Microsoft PowerPoint are typically called slide show programmes. They are simple to use and basically present information in a linear fashion, one slide after another. Authoring programmes have the distinct advantage of allowing more sophisticated branching. They also allow numerous media elements with overlays and logic attached.

Using Microsoft PowerPoint SLIDE SHOW KEYBOARD COMMANDS <Number> +ENTER B, . (period) W,, (comma) A,= S,+ E T O M H for two seconds Mouse click on space bar Press BACKSPACE Planning a presentation consider the following guidelines as you plan your presentation: Determine your goal and objectives What do you hope to accomplish? Is your goal to persuade or merely to inform? Persuasion may require getting your audience emotionally involved in your argument, getting them to care. If you are simply making a report, you may want your audience to remain objective, clear-headed, and somewhat emotionally detached. Define your objectives. What topics will support your thesis. Keep it simple Regardless of the purpose of your presentation, always try to keep it simple and focused. A simple, clear message can be delivered with a greater impact to your audience and is more likely to achieve results. Advance to next slide Return to previous slide Go to slide <number> Black/unblack screen White/unwhite screen Show/hide pointer Stop/restart automatic show Erase screen annotations Use new time Use original time Advance on mouse click Advance on hidden slide Go to Slide

ESC, CTRL + BREAK, - (minus) End show

Hold both mouse buttons

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Design for flow Outline your content in a topical format with a beginning, middle, and end. Try to keep your ideas focused and organised toward a logical conclusion. Design for drama Timing is everything. Design your presentation with a dramatic curve in mind. Peak your audiences interest toward the end and deliver the central conclusion of your message when you have everyones full attention. Plan your media selection Think and plan ahead If you plan to use handouts along with a screen or slide show, consider whether you want to give them out before or after the presentation. If you give the audience handouts before the show, they can follow along, write notes directly on the handouts, and have an immediate reference should they have trouble seeing the screen. In some cases, however, saving the handouts till the end may help avoiding giving away any surprises you may have planned. Consider the subject matter Consider your audience both subject matter and audience should help you determine the tone of your presentation Consider the size of your audience Consider the environment Practice

You can find a good number of further useful tips on the Internet for using PowerPoint. Read a list of 10 dos and donts at: http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/technology/business-software/presenting-with-powerpoint10-dos-and-donts.aspx#Powerpointtips

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