Word 2000 in a Nutshell

There are lots of different word-processing packages available, but one program dominates the market - Microsoft Word. It has a lot of annoying glitches and some very powerful tools. This is a concise guide to all details of the latest version.

It has a logical structure - starting from an overview, going through the menu options, and then exploring the deeper (and often hidden) features of the program. Let's look at an example of each in the latest version. For instance, Word now opens separate documents in their own windows. You'll notice they each have their own button in the taskbar. Next, the latest version has a much deeper level of customisation available via the Tools -> Options menu.


You can even switch off some of those annoying features such as animated text and Mr Paperclip. There's a big list of keyboard shortcuts; a list of filters and converters, and a commendably huge index.

At the deepest level, this guide takes you through the features available for collaborative writing (using comments and notes) creating style templates, and even designing Web pages (though beware of the over-complex code Word creates).

I tested this manual with one of the most frequently asked questions of all word-processor users - 'How do I add page numbers to a document?' This is explained clearly enough - though it's still not clear how you might change the font in which the number is printed.

There are lots of new customisable features in the latest version of Word - which please its supporters and infuriate its critics. Sure, some of them are likely to make the program fall over in mid use - but others are really powerful, even though many people don't use them.

The spelling and grammar-checker for instance. If you go to all the trouble of producing a document, why not check it for faults? Yet many people don't. It's true that 'use of the passive voice' is boring - but typing, spacing, and capitalisation errors can be eliminated with a click of the right mouse button.

The books in the 'Nutshell' series from O'Reilly are like the workshop repair manuals of computer technology. You will learn the details of how everything works at a professional level, and never be stuck for an answer to difficult questions.