Microsoft Word is a word processor, part of the Microsoft Office suite of computer applications. It is commonly used by technical writers, sometimes in combination with document design applications.
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Acronyms Master is a free utility for MS Word that automatically creates acronyms table in the document.
Becker, Alex. Acronyms Master (2007). Resources>Software>Word Processing>Microsoft Word
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Actual Readers Versus Implied Readers: Role Conflicts in Office 97 
This article uses reader role theory to explain the dramatic failure of Paper-clip, the interface to Office 97's online help system. Called an Office Assistant, it is designed to shield users from the complexities of the software. Problems with Paper-clip surfaced as soon as Office 97 was launched. This article explains the Paper-clip controversy in terms of reader role conflicts by showing why actual readers rejected Paper-clip's role as implied writer and why they rebelled against the reader role Paper-clip implied for them.
Shroyer, Roberta. Technical Communication Online (2000). Articles>Word Processing>User Interface>Microsoft Word
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Add A Custom Menu To a Microsoft Word Toolbar
In Microsoft Word, you can use menus and toolbars to control how you manage your documents. Menus display a list of commands. Most menus are located on the menu bar at the top of the Word window. Shortcut menus are available when you right-click text, objects, or other items. Toolbars can contain buttons with images, menus, or a combination of both. By default, the Standard and Formatting toolbars are docked side by side below the menu bar. You can also add a custom menu to your toolbar.
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The Art of Defensive Programming
If you can't understand a program, then you can't debug it. Even with code that you have written yourself, if you come back to it six months or a year later, you may find yourself wondering “Why on earth did I write that? What was it for?” It doesn't take long to forget the details of a program when you aren't working on it any more. Make life easier for yourself, and write programs as clearly as possible. Also, provide such defences as you can against the possibility that VBA might change between versions of Word.
West, Jonathan. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Programming>Microsoft Word
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Suggests several uses of Microsoft Word's macro capabilities to help editors improve their speed and consistency. Macros, for example, are customized keystroke commands.
Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2001). Articles>Editing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Have you ever tried to create an index in Word? Were you dissatisfied with the options available in the dialogs? There are other features available that can provide you with a higher level of control over the structure of the index. This article gives you an overview of advanced indexing techniques; see Word’s online help for details. The menu sequences are for Word 2000; there are slight differences in Word 2002.
Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2003). Articles>Indexing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Autonumbering with RoboHelp and Microsoft Word
Because of a bug in Microsoft Word (both Word 97 and Word 2000), it's difficult to number lists automatically. The Numbering Numbering toolbar button toolbar button doesn't work reliably, and neither does RoboHelp's Topic Text Numbered style. Even if you install Microsoft's SR-1 or SR-2 patch to Word 97 or upgrade to Word 2000, you are still likely to encounter problems with any complex numbered list formatting. As a result of these problems, many RoboHelp users have reverted to “manual” list numbering, which is both time-consuming and error-prone. Using the procedure described here, you can automate the process of creating numbered lists in Word and completely insulate yourself from the Word bug that has plagued so many Help authors. To accomplish this, you'll need to take steps detailed on this page.
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Cleaning Up Text Pasted from the Web
The ease of copying and pasting text from Web sites and email greatly simplifies many tasks in Word, but problems often arise in making the pasted text conform to the style of the document into which it is pasted. One of the most common chores is getting rid of excess line breaks, which cause the text to wrap short of the right margin. There are several ways to work around this problem.
Barnhill, Suzanne and Dave Rado. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Creating a Macro With No Programming Experience Using the Recorder
Word's macro recorder can help you acquaint yourself with macros and with Office 97's VBA programming language.
Coan, Bill. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Programming>Microsoft Word
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Creating a Mail Merge Data Source
Microsoft Word supports many file formats which can be used as a Data Source for a mail merge. This article covers specifications and frequently asked questions on the most commonly used Data Sources, along with how to set up a Data Source in Word.
Melton, Beth. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Databases>Microsoft Word
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Creating a New Microsoft Word Template
When you open a new file in Word, the font is probably set to Times Roman size 12. It doesn’t have to be like this; maybe you’d prefer a more glamourous font! In this tutorial, we'll explain how to create a new Word template.
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Creating a Template (Part I): The Basics
The natural tendency of most users of word processing applications is to create a document and use it as a model for future documents. That is, you format a letter the way you want all (or most) of your letters to look, save it, and then, when you want to write a letter, open this document and save it under another name as the starting point for your letter. In WordPerfect, until recently, this was the only way to create a template. Word uses a different approach.
Barnhill, Suzanne. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Document Design>Software>Microsoft Word
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This article tells you how to create a template to produce a software manual.
McGhie, John. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Creating an Index in Microsoft Word
For technical writers, a well-crafted index helps organise the writing process, in particular, when you get to the production stage.
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Creating Online Acrobat Documents with Word 
This demonstration illustrates approaches to designing and implementing tools and procedures that have been used successfully at Unisys Corporation to deliver documentation to customers on CD-ROM and the Web. These include release management and production tools, program suites to organize and restructure documents so that they can be accessed and displayed effectively online, and tools to integrate and access multiple document types. Will describe several special techniques to generate links and set parameters directly in Word. Will demonstrate linking from other file types into PDF documents and dynamically attaching updates to legacy documents.
Teague, Tommy K. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Writing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Cross-Referencing Step Numbers in Word
If you are like most technical writers, your procedures have automatically numbered steps (whether in tables or text), Microsoft Word provides two relatively simple ways for you to cross-reference a step number.
McConnell, Gloria. Usability Interface (2004). Articles>Documentation>Software>Microsoft Word
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Review: Degunking Microsoft Office
Degunking Microsoft Office, by Christina Palaia and Wayne Palaia, addresses the problem of anything that slows down the computer, interferes with your operations, crashes applications, or loses data, and presents some ways of avoiding it.
Delwood, Robert. STC Houston (2006). Articles>Reviews>Software>Microsoft Word
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Determine the Index Number of the Current Paragraph, Table, Section ...
The first questions is – why do you need to know the index number?
Rado, Dave. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Indexing>Microsoft Word
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The Draw Layer: A Metaphysical Space (And How to Bring It Back Down to Earth)
Word's draw layer is a metaphysical space where floating objects reside. It really isn't a layer, since floating objects can be sent behind the text layer or brought out in front of it. Either way, they continue to reside in the draw layer.
Rado, Dave and Bill Coan. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Graphic Design>Software>Microsoft Word
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There are two ways to use Automation (or OLE Automation) to programmatically control another application.
Rado, Dave. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Programming>Microsoft Word
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Electronically Indicating Approvals or Rejections of Editorial Changes
This technique (involving two macros) works in Word97, but not in Word6 or 7/95. The requirement is to indicate (for audit purposes) whether an editorial change was accepted or rejected by the author or other authority.
Hollis Weber, Jean. Technical Editors Eyrie (2002). Articles>Editing>Software>Microsoft Word
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This section will show you how to insert text, symbols, and special characters; select characters, words, and paragraphs; and copy and paste text. This section also covers methods of automatic text entry, including AutoCorrect and AutoText.
Glenn, Walter. O'Reilly and Associates (2004). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Extending an Existing Word Template
In certain situations, you might want to extend an existing Word template, and add on new styles. Rather than create a RFP template from scratch, we modify the existing one—retaining all the styles and formatting that we want—and adding new styles where required.
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Finding and Replacing Characters Using Wildcards 
Wildcards are like the blank pieces in Scrabble, or like the Jokers you can use in some card games to stand in for any card.
Mayor, Graham. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word
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Finding and Replacing Non-Printing Characters (such as Paragraph Marks) and Text Formatting
How to find text that has particular formatting and replace it with different text, but without changing the formatting.
Rado, Dave. Word MVP Site, The (2005). Articles>Word Processing>Software>Microsoft Word
