EmployMentality

File Menu

The File menu in Word 2003 is used to create new and open existing Word documents. You can also save your Word document as a Web Page (in bloated HTML code containing numerous lines of formatting information – refer to “Cleaning Word 2003 HTML Code with DreamWeaver” – article coming soon).

To create a new Word document, select File > New. You are presented with the options of creating either a new Blank document, an XML document, a Web Page, or creating a new document from an existing one.

Selecting a new, blank document presents you with a blank page and a blinking cursor. From this blank canvas you can enter and format your text as desired.

If you prefer to use an existing document as a template, you are better off selecting From existing document… from the New menu options that are presented once selecting File > New. When you select From existing document… the New from Existing Document window displays. You will need to browse to the location of the existing document to use, select it and then click Create New. A copy of the existing document displays, which can then be revised and saved.

Another option available to you when selected File > New is to create a new XML document. You are once again presented with a blank page and a blanking cursor, but this time your blank canvas on which you will work is an XML document.

You can apply XML elements to a Word XML document. In order to do this you will need to first select a Schema by going to Templates and Add-Ins. Click the Templates and Add-Ins… link in the XML Structure window that displays when you select to create a new XML document. The Templates and Add-ins window displays, defaulted to the XML Schema tab. You can also access this window by clicking Tools > Templates and Add-Ins and selecting the XML Schema tab.

Refer to “Advanced XML in Word 2003″ (article coming soon) for details on the Word XML Organizer, Schemas, Transformations, etc.

To create a web page (an HTML page) in Word 2003, select File > New > Web Page. Refer to “Creating Web Pages in Word 2003″ (article coming soon) for details on creating HTML in Microsoft Word.

Templates are also provided in Word 2003 as a quick way to create many commonly used documents. You have various options for selecting a template once you have selected File > New. You can select a template by either searching online, selecting from templates on Office Online, selecting from templates on your computer, and selecting from templates on your web sites.

Microsoft Word is the most commonly used Word Processor in business. Word comes bundled as part of Microsoft Office. This particular series of tutorials will cover the Word 2003 version.

We will first become familiar with the Menu Bar in Microsoft Word. When you first launch the program you will notice several different menu options running across the top of the program window.

• File
• Edit
• View
• Insert
• Format
• Tools
• Table
• Window
• Help

If you have Adobe Acrobat installed, you may see additional menu options, such as Adobe PDF and Acrobat Comments.

File Menu