Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect X3 [Paperback]

Laura Acklen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0789734257 | ISBN-13: 978-0789734259 | Publication Date: February 6, 2006 | Edition: 1

Update to the most popular WordPerfect book on the market! Whether you just bought a computer that has WordPerfect installed or you need to learn it for use at the office, Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect X3 will have you up and running with the latest version of WordPerfect in no time. Endorsed by Corel, the makers of WordPerfect, this is the best beginning level guide available. It is organized in an easy-to-follow, progressive format, teaching you the most common features so that you can easily navigate the program and build complex documents.

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About the Author

Laura Acklen has authored and co-authored several Que books, including Special Edition Using WordPerfect (versions 6, 6.1, 7, 9 and 12), and several Que E and T titles including Word for Windows 6 Essentials, Windows 3.1 Essentials and Windows 95 Essentials. During her years as a corporate and law office trainer, she designed and wrote customized training materials for courses in WordPerfect, Windows and a variety of Office applications. Laura is a contributing editor for Corel's Officecommunity.com site, where she's written several articles. Her wpwriter.com web site boasts the largest collection of WordPerfect tips on the Web.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

If you are new to WordPerfect X3 or to word processing in general, this is the book for you. With clear, concise explanations and a lot of numbered steps, you will quickly learn everything you need to get the most out of the WordPerfect application. We assume that you have no previous experience with a word processor, so you can start from the very beginning and work up to some pretty advanced features.

If you've used WordPerfect before, you will be pleased to discover that version X3 retains the features that made previous versions so user friendly—including Reveal Codes and fully customizable toolbars, keyboards, and menus. At the same time, this latest version does a better job of converting Microsoft Word files and provides additional tools for working with Word, as outlined below.

Owners of new computers from Dell and other large computer companies will be pleased to find a free copy of the WordPerfect Productivity Pack, which includes WordPerfect X3 (and, in some cases, Quattro Pro X3), on their computers. Certain models will come with a copy of the standard edition of WordPerfect Office X3, which includes WordPerfect X3, Quattro Pro X3, and Presentations X3.

WordPerfect is classified as a word processor but in reality, it is much, much more. The majority of users find that even though they have the whole suite of applications from which to choose, they spend most of their time in WordPerfect. From writing a simple letter, to creating presentation materials, to using tables to perform calculations, WordPerfect can do it all. What does this mean to you? Quite simply, it means that you don't need to learn two or three applications to get your job done. You can do most, if not all, of your tasks in WordPerfect.

WordPerfect X3 has several new features designed to make it easier for users to move between WordPerfect and Microsoft Word. Besides improved file compatibility, WordPerfect X3 includes toolbars and menus that imitate those found in Microsoft Word. The familiar look of the screen elements helps to ease the transition from Word to WordPerfect. There is also an option to use Word's keyboard shortcuts. In addition, a floating Microsoft Word compatibility toolbar makes common tasks, such as saving files in Word format and converting multiple documents to WordPerfect format, a cinch.

Some Key Terms

To use WordPerfect, you need to know the basic terminology used for common mouse actions:

• Point—Move the mouse on the desk to move the pointer onscreen. The tip of the arrow should be on the item to which you are pointing.

• Click—Press and release the left mouse button once. You use a click to select commands and toolbar buttons, as well as perform other tasks.

• Double-click—Press and release the left mouse button twice in rapid succession.

• Right-click—Press and release the right mouse button once. You can right-click to display a QuickMenu just about anywhere in the program.

• Drag and drop—Hold down the mouse button and drag the pointer across the screen. Release the mouse button. Dragging is most often used for selecting and moving text and objects.

Things to Keep in Mind

You can customize many features of WordPerfect so that it is set up the way you like to work. That's one of the major benefits of using WordPerfect. For consistency, though, this book makes some assumptions about how you use your computer. When working through steps and especially when viewing the figures in this book, keep in mind the following distinctions:

• WordPerfect gives you many different methods to perform the same task. For example, for commands, you can select a command from a menu, use a shortcut key, use a toolbar button, or use a QuickMenu. This book usually mentions one or two methods (the most common for that particular task) and then includes other methods in a tip.

• Your WordPerfect screen might not look identical to the one used in this book's figures. For example, if you use the ruler, you see that. (Most of the figures in this book don't show the ruler.) Don't let these differences distract you; the figures might look different from what you see on your computer, but it works the same way.

• Your computer setup is most likely different from the one used in the book. Therefore, you will see different programs listed on your Start menu, different fonts in your font list, different folders and documents, and so on. Again, don't be distracted by the differences.

How to Use This Book

This book is divided into five parts, each part focusing on a different theme. The book builds on the skills you need, starting with the basics of formatting and then moving to more complex topics such as templates and macros. You can read the book straight through, look up topics when you have a question, or browse through the contents, reading information that interests you. Here is a quick breakdown of the parts.

Part I, "Learning the Basics," covers the essentials for creating and editing documents. Everything you need to know to create, edit, spell check, print, and apply basic formatting is in this section. Chapter 1 is an introduction to WordPerfect X3. Chapter 2 covers creating and saving documents. Chapter 3 focuses on locating and opening documents. In Chapter 4, you learn editing techniques. Chapter 5 covers basic formatting techniques and working in Reveal Codes. Chapter 6 explains how to use the writing tools.

Part II, "Making It Look Nice," explains how to apply formatting to paragraphs (Chapter 7) and pages (Chapter 8). Chapter 9 covers the use of styles for consistency and flexibility when you format your documents.

Part III, "Organizing Information," focuses on ways to organize information. Chapter 10 shows you how to use the Tables feature to organize and format information in columns. Chapter 11 shows you how to quickly create bulleted and numbered lists, as well as how to organize information in an outline format.

Part IV, "Adding Visuals," explains how to add graphics and other elements to improve the appearance of your documents. Chapter 12 shows you how to add graphic lines and images to your documents. Chapter 13 explains how you can copy or link information from another program into a WordPerfect document.

Part V, "Automating Your Work," covers the tools that you can use to automate repetitive tasks. In Chapter 14, you learn how to use the Merge feature to generate documents, such as form letters with envelopes and labels. In Chapter 15, you learn how to manage contact information with the WordPerfect Address Book and how to work with the Outlook Address Book, including how to route documents for review. Chapter 16 shows you how to use templates to automate the creation of frequently used documents. In Chapter 17, you learn how to create and play macros, which are capable of automating virtually every process in WordPerfect. Finally, in Chapter 18 you learn how to use WordPerfect's legal tools to create pleadings, tables of contents, and tables of authorities, as well as how to use the compare and review features to collaborate on documents.

I hope you enjoy your WordPerfect learning experience!

Conventions Used in This Book

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Caution - A caution tells you to beware of a potentially dangerous act or situation. In some cases, ignoring a caution could cause you significant problems—so pay particular attention to them!

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Note - A note is designed to provide information that is generally useful but not necessarily essential for what you're doing at the moment. Some are similar to extended tips—interesting, but not essential.

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Tip - A tip is a piece of advice—a little trick, actually—that helps you use software or your computer more effectively. Tips can also help you maneuver around problems o...

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Que; 1 edition (February 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789734257
• ISBN-13: 978-0789734259
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely forgettable, August 8, 2007

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Retired BSEE (Kosum Phisai, Thailand) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect X3 (Paperback)

Was looking for a substitute for yet to be published "Wordperfect X3 for Dummies." And boy, this wasn't it. Save your money and wait for the Dummies version.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Word Perfect X3, July 5, 2011

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Denise M. Ricker (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect X3 (Paperback)

Comprehensive book on Word Perfect X3 applications. Easy to read and good basic instructions. Look forward to book on Word Perfect X5.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference Book, August 30, 2009

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Ronnie Moss (Northwest Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect X3 (Paperback)

I am familiar with WordPerfect but I am not familiar with all the applications that it can perform. This book was an excellent reference for me to do tasks that I rarely do or that I have not none with WordPerfect. I recommend it to the new user as well as the advanced user.