What Is Word Processing?

Many word processors help people spell better.

Software word processing programs on computers help us create written records which used to be laboriously typed out on a typewriter. Modern word processors give us the ability to type, edit, save, format and print our documents much more efficiently.

Typing

When you use a word processing program on your computer, you are pressing characters on a computer keyboard and they appear on the computer screen. Unlike a typewriter, when you get to the end of a line of text, the software program automatically moves your cursor to the next line.

Insertion Point

A blinking cursor, or insertion point, is where your words appear on the computer screen. You can move the cursor around your document by using a mouse or by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Editing Your Work

With a word processor, you can cut, copy and paste text anywhere in your document. Many word processors have additional features like a spell check, which automatically can check your spelling as you type.

Formatting Your Document

In many full-featured word processing programs, you can change the look of your document by changing the font, the size of your text and your margins. You also can add graphics, charts and tables to your documents in some programs.

WYSIWYG

Many word processors allow you to see how your document will look before you print it. "What You See Is What You Get," or WYSIWYG, is the term used for the view of a graphic representation of your document before it is printed.

References

• "Word Processing; McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology;" 5th ed., McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005
• Computer Hope: Word Processor
• PC Magazine: Encyclopedia: Functions of a Full-Featured Word Processor

Resources

• University of Maryland: History of Word Processors