Productivity Software for electronics
Productivity software useful for electronics includes these programs:
● Word processing for entering and manipulating text
● Presentation for presenting data and images
● Publishing for assembling text and images into a document
● Spreadsheet for entering and manipulating num- bers and text There are many free productivity programs avail- able for the many different types of operating systems on the Internet. Anything downloaded from the In- ternet requires a word of caution regarding virus. Any information, program, or image downloaded from the Internet should be suspected of containing a virus. It is important to check anything downloaded from the Internet with a program designed to check for viruses.
Creating a document, presentation, publication, or spreadsheet requires planning and then working through the plan. Start by making simple sketches on paper, showing the various pages or elements to be created. Include images and diagrams on how the pages are interconnected or flow.
word Processing
Word processing involves the use of a word processor program, such as Microsoft’s Word® or Apple’s Notes®. Just using a word processor to enter data is not word processing. Someone who is a word processor has these skills:
● Identify the components that make up a word processing document.
● Format a document to given specification.
● Style the document to given specifications.
● Explain how he or she created the document.
word processing can be defined as using soft- ware to enter text, establish the formatting, make revi- sions, and print the final document. Word processing is not limited to text; it also enables the user to insert and edit graphics, clip-art, and photos.
Word processing can accomplish text manipulation functions that extend beyond the basic ability to enter and change text. Using the default options available in most word processing programs allows the creation of professional-looking documents. However, a poorly designed document can result when the user changes the default options and applies special formats, mak- ing it less appealing to a reader.
When formatting a document, use basic word processing rules:
● Use the software’s default margins to provide the optimum amount of white space, as the white space allows the eyes to rest.
● Use only one space between all sentences. This means no double space with word processing for any reason.
● Use only one font, such as a serif font like Times New Roman, for the text body because it makes the document easier to read.
● For titles or section headings, use a sans serif font such as Helvetica. There is no reason to use more than two fonts in any word processing document.
● Avoid using all the formatting options available in a document; they make the document difficult to read and distract from the content.
● Avoid overusing special formatting such as bold, italic, and underline; save them for emphasis, headings, or citations. Use only one formatting function per application.
● Use the header to put a title and name on each page of the document, if desired, to identify each page in a document.
● Use the footer to number the pages on the bottom right-hand corner.
● Avoid centering titles, page numbers, and so on. Stick to these basic rules and proofread the docu-
ment carefully for spelling and grammatical errors
that a spell-checker did not catch, to produce a well- formatted, easy-to-read document. Save the docu- ment, using a name that reflects its contents.
Presentation
Presentation programs, such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint® or Apple’s Keynote®, are used to display information, normally in a slide format; the presenta- tion is referred to as a slide show and is often paired with an oral presentation. A presentation program typically includes three major functions:
● An editor to allow text to be inserted and formatted
● A process for inserting and altering the graphic images and photos
● A slide-show arrangement to display the presentation A slide show can be used to support a speech, help
an audience visualize a complicated process or concept,
or focus attention on a specific topic. A well-organized slide show allows a presenter to fit text, visual images, and videos to an oral presentation. Keep in mind that a
bad presentation can achieve the opposite. Poorly de- signed slides with too much text or bad graphics can distract and annoy the audience. The slides are only for support, not to replace any talking. The slides act as placeholder, tell a story, describe important data, ex- plain a circumstance, and provide the keywords for the speaker. If the slides are read, the audience will tune out the speaker. To create a presentation for a professional look and concise content use, the following techniques:
● Create a logical flow for the presentation.
● An audience’s attention is limited, so avoid details that will not be remembered.
● Use a sans serif font such as Helvetica for titles and a serif font such as Times New Roman for bullets or body text.
● Avoid using title capitalization except for titles, be- cause sentence capitalization is much easier to read.
● Keep the design very basic and simple.
● Use color to highlight the message sparingly.
● Minimize the number of colors on a slide.
● Use colors for design and contrast, to highlight the message.
● Avoid using sentences; instead, use keywords, with only one idea per slide.
● Use good images to help the audience understand the message.
● Use no more than one graphic image or chart per slide
● Do not use images just to “decorate.”
● Clearly make the final message stand out.
● Provide a summary of the information presented.
● Spell-check several times, because spelling mis- takes attract the wrong kind of attention.
● Keep things simple and only use a basic dissolve to move from one slide to another.
A well-prepared and enthusiastic presentation helps convince an audience of the message and main- tains their attention. Some key points that define a good presentation are listed here:
● Know the arrangement and order of the slides.
● Avoid talking too fast.
● Speak aloud, clearly and with confidence
● Move around to help you connect with the audience.
● Maintain eye contact with the audience.
● Do not distribute a handout before you begin the presentation, because the audience will start read- ing instead of listening. Inform the audience that a handout of the slides will be distributed when the presentation is finished.
Remember, presentation programs are tools designed to enhance a presentation, not to be the
presentation. The message should be the focus of the presentation, not the slides.
Publishing
There are four types of software used for computer publishing, also referred to as desktop publishing, in- cluding these:
● Word processor
● Page layout
● Graphic images
● Web design
These are the main programs for desktop publish- ing. There are add-ons, extra specialty software, and utility programs that are not discussed here but that can help with desktop publishing. These programs all use similar design elements when designing a document:
● Alignment: Each element on the page should have a visual connection to another element to create a clean, refined appearance.
● Contrast: This is the most effective way to add visual interest to a page by creating two elements that are really different.
● Proximity: This is the grouping of related elements close together to create one visual unity with a clean, fresh appearance.
● Repetition: Visual elements should be repeated throughout a page to help develop, organize, and unite appearance through the use of a bold font, de- sign element, format, spatial relationship, and so on.
● Page Layout: This is the process of laying out the elements on a page and includes these considerations:
● Text that can be keyed or placed in the layout with styles applied to text automatically, using style sheets
● Images that can either be linked and modified as an external source or embedded and modified with the layout software
● Graphic styles that can be applied to layout ele- ments and include color, filters, transparency, and a parameter that designates the way text flows around the images
A word processor is used to capture keystrokes (enter text) and edit text, which also includes spelling and grammar checking. A person using a word pro- cessor is word processing and is able to format specific elements into the text, which leads to reducing the formatting time when the text is imported into a page layout program. Word processors provide a wide vari- ety of templates for use in special formatting.
Simple page layouts can be done in a word proces- sor, but word processors are best used for working with text and not for page layout. Additionally, word processing file formats are generally not suitable for printing commercially. A word processor can import and export a variety of formats for compatibility with other programs.
desktop publishing (dtP) uses page layout soft-
ware on a personal computer to create a wide range of printed matter. Desktop publishing allows more con- trol over layout and design than word processing does.
When skillfully used, desktop publishing can pro- duce printed literature with an attractive layout and a type quality comparable to traditional typesetting and printing. Desktop publishing allows an individual or small business to publish without the expense of using a commercial printer.
Desktop publishing programs have different strengths (and weaknesses) that should be matched to the publication. Desktop publishing publications fall into three categories:
● General Publications: brochures, flyers, newsletters, posters, and small booklets.
● Multichapter Documents: academic publications, books, journals, and manuals.
● Publications with Tables: data-intensive publica- tions, scientific publications, and statistical and technical publications.
Desktop publishing software allows for combining text and images on a page, manipulation of the page elements, creative layouts, and multipage documents. High-end or professional-level desktop publishing pro- grams include more prepress features, whereas software for home or small business use have more templates and clip art. Prepress refers to the process of preparing the digital files for the printing press. Templates are used in publishing to automatically copy or link elements and graphic design styles to some or all the pages of a mul- tipage document. Linked elements can be modified in all locations or pages without having to change each ele- ment on each page in a number of pages that have the same element. Master pages are templates that are used to apply a graphic design style to all the pages in a docu- ment and add automatic page numbering if required.
In desktop publishing, graphical images are handled by an illustration or drawing program and an image editor to prepare graphic images for inclusion in a document.
● Illustration programs and drawing programs use a vector graphics format that allows a more flexible
technique for creating artwork that can be resized without losing detail.
● Image editors are also referred to as photo editors and are used with images such as photos and scanned images. Photo editors are also better for developing images for the web and offer many special photo effects.
web design contains some overlap with desktop publishing programs and what is known as Hyper- text Markup Language, or HtMl, to create a website. HTML is the main markup language used for display- ing web pages on a web browser. To create a website and place it on a web server involves assembling a group of HTML pages, referred to as web pages, with the home page identified as the index. A web page is a virtual electronic page that is not limited by paper parameters. Most web pages can be resized either by rescaling the content of the page with new page pa- rameters or by reflowing the content of the page.
The website is designed by using a web authoring program that provides a graphical layout interface simi- lar to that used in desktop publishing or by manually en- coding the pages in HTML or by a combination of both. A good solution is to be familiar with both techniques and be able to move back and forth between them.
Many graphical HTML editors such as Microsoft FrontPage® and Adobe Dreamweaver® use a layout engine similar to that in a DTP program and use a wySiwyG (What You See Is What You Get) editor. Serious web designers prefer to write in HTML code for their website because it offers greater control and because graphic editors result in extra codes that are not required to run the website.
Spreadsheet
A computer spreadsheet is a software program used for inputting, manipulating, organizing, and storing data, which are placed in cells. Each cell is identified by a grid placement with letters across the top to identify columns and numbers down the left side to identify rows. The cells are identified by column and row desig- nation such as A1, B12, ZZ123, and so on. These cells can contain numbers, formulas, and text. Functions are built-in formulas that are used for common tasks.
Originally, spreadsheets existed only in a paper for- mat; today, they are created and maintained using a computer. Spreadsheets are used in any situation that requires working with numbers and are commonly found in the accounting, analysis, budgeting, and
forecasting fields. They are also used for any situation that requires tables and lists to be built and sorted. The advantage of using a computerized spreadsheet is the ability to easily update the data and to increase pro- ductivity by the ability to recalculate an entire sheet automatically after a change is made.
A spreadsheet file may consist of multiple work- sheets, which are usually referred to as sheets. The sheets combine together to form a workbook. A cell from any sheet is capable of referencing cells on other sheets.
A spreadsheet should serve a purpose, and it should be well documented and easy to understand. Here are some basic rules for creating a spreadsheet:
● Create a title for the spreadsheet that is self- explanatory and confirms its purpose, so it is easy for readers to identify what they are looking at.
● Use the footnote section of the spreadsheet to place the filename, date, and creator’s name.
● Make the spreadsheet read from left to right and top to bottom. Numerical data is entered on the left because the reader always reads from left to right, with the output data on the right.
● Use formulas rather than inputting numerical values, to assist in following the logic of the spread- sheet. It makes updating information faster.
● Mathematical assumptions should be identified in separate cells, not buried in the formulas, to assist in reading.
● Document any and all assumptions to the right side of a cell, to save time at a later date.
● Present a format that can be easily followed from the process to the results.
● Add notes, procedures, steps, or any other explana- tions to help the reader.
● Use the intermediate-level functions in the spread- sheet program (e.g., sum, sorting, auto formatting, formula auditing, etc.)
By following these few simple rules, you will create a spreadsheet that is easier to work with, more profes- sional in appearance, and easier for others to read and evaluate. Some guiding principles of spreadsheet de- sign are listed here:
● The spreadsheet’s value lies in the information pre- sented, not extra design elements; therefore, do not use logos, graphics, and so forth.
● Do not use any extra formatting or color. Color should only be used to distinguish and highlight data.
● Everything in the spreadsheet should be obvious and clearly presented, so avoid hidden cells, for- mulas, and sheets.
● The data are the most critical part of any spread- sheet, so make sure they are correctly entered.
● Use a spell-checker to check all text every time it is entered or changed.
● Format cells with some of the formatting options available in most spreadsheets:
● Add bold or italics, borders, or formulas.
● Align or wrap text within a cell.
● Change the color of the text or background.
● Format cell contents with the appropriate symbols for currency, percentages, commas for thousands, and so on.
● Merge cells horizontally in selected rows.
● Use the text wrap capability on column headings so that the length of the data entry determines the width of the column.
● Use Print Preview to see how the printed document will look. If any rows or columns are outside the printed area, consider either reorganizing the data to fit or moving the page break to a more logical place. Do not shrink the page to fit everything on a single page.
● A benefit to entering data in a spreadsheet is the ability to sort the information either alphabetically or numerically, in ascending or descending order.
● Charts are a way to analyze spreadsheet data visu- ally and are updated whenever the spreadsheet is modified. Remember, quality graphics give the viewer the greatest impression in the shortest time and with the least amount of space.
Never assume a spreadsheet is correct when enter- ing data. Data must be added carefully and need to be checked and rechecked several times for accuracy.
Do not attempt to simplify a spreadsheet by using lots of formatting, bold lines, and lots of color. Rather, use the fewest number of cells necessary to produce the result that flows from top to bottom and left to right, and position related cells close together on one sheet. Above all, keep the spreadsheet simple.
6–4 Questions
1. What are the different areas of productivity software?
2. What is a word processor used for?
3. When would a presentation program be used?
4. What are the elements of a page layout program?
5. What function does a spreadsheet serve?