WD6X: What's New in Word 6.0 for the Macintosh

- Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, version 6.0

SUMMARY

This article contains questions and answers about new features in Microsoft Word 6.0 for the Macintosh.

MORE INFORMATION

This article assumes you are familiar with an earlier version of Word for the Macintosh and that you want more information to help you decide whether to upgrade to Word 6.0. If you have already upgraded to Word 6.0, the information below is contained in Chapter 2, "What's New in Word 6.0?," in the "Microsoft Word Quick Results" guide.

If you do not own an earlier version of Word for the Macintosh and want general information about the product, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. If you are outside the United States, contact your local subsidiary. To locate your subsidiary, see the Microsoft World Wide Offices Web site at:

   http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/default.htm

NEW FEATURES FOR WORD FOR THE MACINTOSH

This section introduces new features that are unique to Word for the Macintosh and those features that were formerly available only in Word for Windows(TM), including the WordBasic macro programming language.

WordBasic macros and AppleEvents scripts

With the Macro command on the Tools menu, you can write a WordBasic macro or record a series of actions and keystrokes. Word records the actions as a WordBasic macro, which you can then edit.

You can run most macros that were created in Word for Windows in Word for the Macintosh. Macros that work on the contents of a document and use features that are common to both Windows and Macintosh versions of Word 6.0 require little, if any, editing. Macros that involve system- level operations, such as launching other applications, will need to be edited.

Word for the Macintosh supports AppleEvents and AppleScript(TM). You can use WordBasic to record actions in Word, and then run the WordBasic macro from AppleScript. A script in AppleScript can also run any built- in WordBasic statement or function.

For more information about WordBasic and AppleScript, see the "Microsoft Word Developer's Kit," published by Microsoft Press(R).

Word fields insert information automatically

In previous versions of Word for the Macintosh, you inserted such information as the date, time, author, and filename by inserting a standard glossary entry. Now you can insert these and many other types of information -- and keep the information current--by using a Word field. You can insert commonly used fields for the date, time, and page numbers simply by choosing the Date And Time and Page Numbers commands on the Insert menu. To insert other types of information, use the Field command on the Insert menu.

For more information about Word fields, see Chapter 32, "Inserting Information with Fields," in the "Microsoft Word User's Guide."

Word provides templates for documents

Like Macintosh stationery, a Word template is a "master blueprint" for a new document. Just choose the New command from the File menu, and then select the template you want. Word copies any boilerplate text, styles, margin settings, and other formatting from the template to a new, untitled document.

Other items you can store in a template include AutoText entries, macros, toolbars, and other command settings that you want to use with a particular type of document. You can use these stored items in any document that you base on that template. For example, if you create a group of macros for use with sales reports and assign the macros to a toolbar, you can store the macros and customized toolbar in the report template.

Word provides many ready-to-use templates for creating documents, such as business letters, reports, and memos. If you performed a complete installation of Word, all templates and wizards are installed. If you performed a typical installation, templates and wizards for letters, memos, and fax cover sheets are installed. To install the remaining templates and wizards, run Word Setup again and select the Templates And Wizards check box under Wizards, Templates, and Letters.

For a description of these templates, see Chapter 5, "Wizards, Templates, and Business Letters." For information on using your existing stationery with Word, see Chapter 10, "Document Templates," in the "Microsoft Word User's Guide."

WIZARDS AND "AUTO" FEATURES SIMPLIFY COMMON TASKS

Word now includes the following features to automate and simplify the creation, formatting, and production of documents:

Wizards, templates, and prewritten business letters get you started

Using a wizard is often the fastest way to create a letter, memo, resume, newsletter, or other common type of document. Choose the New command from the File menu, and then select a wizard for the type of document that you want to create. After you answer a few questions, Word sets up the basic formatting and layout. Then just add text, graphics, and other items. The Letter Wizard and prewritten business letters can even give you a big head start in creating the text of business correspondence. Word also includes many new templates to help you format documents quickly.

AutoCorrect fixes common typing mistakes as you work

For example, if you type "teh", AutoCorrect replaces it with "the" as soon as you press the SPACEBAR. You can add AutoCorrect entries for specific errors that you want to correct. AutoCorrect can also fix certain capitalization errors and change straight quotation marks to curly, or "smart," quotation marks as you work. You control which AutoCorrect options are in effect.

You can also use AutoCorrect to quickly insert words or phrases that are long or difficult to type. For example, use AutoCorrect to replace "asap" with "as soon as possible."

AutoText speeds up the addition of boilerplate text and graphics

Use AutoText (called the "glossary" in previous versions of Word) if you frequently type the same words and phrases or often need to use a particular table layout, logo, or graphic. For example, you can create AutoText entries for:

• Text such as names, technical terms, and standard text for contracts.
• Formatted items such as tables, mastheads, and lists.
• Graphics such as pictures, logos, and charts.

AutoFormat analyzes a document and applies formatting for you

AutoFormat combines styles and templates in a powerful new way. AutoFormat analyzes and polishes a document for you. You can quickly reformat all or part of a document and approve the changes AutoFormat makes.

Add bullets and numbers to multiple-level lists

Creating bulleted and numbered lists in Word is easier than ever--even if you need to format complex multiple-level lists for legal and technical documents. Use the Numbering button or the Bullets button on the Formatting toolbar to set up simple lists. Use the Bullets And Numbering command to set up a multilevel list, and then click the Increase Indent and Decrease Indent buttons on the Formatting toolbar to change the hierarchy of items in the list. Later, as you edit a list, Word renumbers the items automatically.

Create numbered headings with built-in heading styles

If your documents require numbered headings, use the built-in heading styles and the new Heading Numbering command on the Format menu. Word numbers headings in the format that you specify and updates the numbers whenever you move, add, or delete a heading.

AutoCaption helps you quickly add captions and create cross-references

When you insert a table, graphic, equation, or other item into a document, Word can now automatically add a caption to it. You can specify the label ("Figure," "Table," "Equation," and so on) that is added to an item, and Word adds a number. If you later rearrange, add, or delete items with captions, Word updates the numbers automatically.

To create cross-references to captions, headings, tables, and other items, just select the item that you want to refer to from the list in the Cross-reference dialog box.

NEW EDITING FEATURES

Word includes improvements to such essential editing features as Undo, drag-and-drop editing, and Find and Replace.

Fix mistakes with multiple-level Undo

Word keeps track of all the editing or formatting changes that you make. To fix a single mistake or cancel certain actions such as finding and replacing text, click the Undo button on the Standard toolbar. To undo more than one action, click the arrow beside the Undo button, and then select the changes that you want to reverse. If you decide that you'd like to keep a change after all, click the Redo button. Or click the arrow beside the Redo button, and then select the items you want to redo.

Revise documents with smart cut and paste and drag-and-drop editing

When you cut and paste text or use drag-and-drop editing to move or copy text, Word adjusts spaces to make the text fit its surroundings.

Drag and drop text and graphics across windows

To move or copy text, graphics, or other items from one Word window to another, just drag and drop. You can also drag items between applications that support OLE.

Use enhanced Find and Replace for more flexible searching

The Find and Replace commands are now both more flexible and more straightforward. To find nonprinting characters (tab characters, paragraph marks, page breaks, and so on), just select the item that you're looking for from a list. With the Pattern Matching option, you can find various sequences of characters. For example, you can search for two or more spaces and replace them with a tab character. With the Sounds Like option, you can search for words that sound the same but are spelled differently, such as "color" and "colour," or words whose spelling you aren't sure of.

NEW FORMATTING AND STYLE OPTIONS

In addition to the AutoFormat feature, Word now includes other new ways for you to work with formatting and styles.

Copy formatting with the Format Painter

The Format Painter button provides a quick way to copy formatting. Just "pick up" the formatting that you want to copy, and then "paint it" onto the text you want to format. To copy formatting once, select the formatted text and click the Format Painter button, and then select the text you want to format. To copy formatting several times, double-click the Format Painter button before copying the formatting.

Add borders and shading quickly with the new Borders toolbar

The Borders toolbar provides quick access to a variety of borders for paragraphs, graphics, and frames--including dotted, dashed, and other new border styles.

Click the Borders button on the Formatting toolbar to display the Borders toolbar. With the Borders toolbar, you can add or remove borders and apply shading directly in a document--without switching between the item you want to format and a dialog box.

Just click the item you want to format, and then click buttons on the toolbar.

Character styles bring the power of styles

to individual characters and words

With character styles, you can apply several text formats simultaneously. For example, if you frequently apply bold and italic formats to text, or if you often need to format text in a specific font and size, you can save that formatting as a character style and apply it in one step.

Automatic kerning helps you polish documents

If the fonts you use support kerning, the new kerning capabilities in the Font dialog box (Format menu) improve the spacing between certain letter pairs. Kerning is especially useful in headings and other text formatted in a large font size.

The Organizer dialog box helps you copy and manage styles

You can now copy individual styles, macros, AutoText entries, and toolbars between documents and templates. You can also use the Organizer dialog box to rename and delete these items. From the File menu, choose Templates or choose Style from the Format menu, and then choose the Organizer button.

NEW PAGE LAYOUT CHOICES

Improvements to such features as newspaper-style columns and headers and footers give you more choices in setting up pages. And now you can see multiple pages at once in an editable "thumbnail" view.

Create newspaper-style columns of unequal width

With the Columns command on the Format menu, you can now set the width of each newspaper-style column. You can select a preset format or adjust the width of columns individually. Just select the text that you want to format in columns, select a column layout, and Word arranges the columns.

Get an overview of a document with

"thumbnail" pictures in print preview

Print preview can now show you more than two pages. You can display a series of thumbnail pictures of a document, drag text and graphics from one page to another, and zoom in to edit text.

MAIL MERGE STEP BY STEP

Mail Merge simplifies the creation of form letters

Word takes you through the basic steps for creating form letters, mailing labels, and other types of merge documents. Just choose the Mail Merge command from the Tools menu and follow the instructions on the screen. You can create a letter and mailing list from "scratch," or use an existing document and data from Microsoft Access(R), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft FoxPro(R), or another source.

Print envelopes and labels easily

To print multiple envelopes or labels that each have a different address, use the Mail Merge command on the Tools menu. To print just one envelope or mailing label, or to print several with the same address, use the Envelopes And Labels command on the Tools menu. Word walks you through the process and handles formerly time-consuming steps for you. You don't have to measure labels and change page setups. With the envelope options, you can control the text format and position of the return and delivery addresses.

Add bar codes and FIM marks to envelopes

If you send mail within the United States, you can quickly add bar codes and Facing Identification Marks (FIM marks) to envelopes.

EASIER-TO-USE INTERFACE

In Word version 6.0, more commands, options, and features are right where you need them. For example, new toolbars and shortcut menus give you great flexibility as you work on documents.

New toolbars put more commands and options where you need them

Word now has specialized toolbars that you can use for tasks that range from applying formatting to adding line drawings.

You can display or hide toolbars individually, and you can move them around on the screen so that they're accessible, yet out of the way as you work. You can also add, remove, and rearrange toolbar buttons. You can even create custom buttons (and create graphics for them) to run macros, apply formatting, or carry out commands that you use often.

Use ToolTips or Balloon Help to find out about toolbar buttons

When you point to a toolbar button and pause, Word shows you the name of the button. You can use Balloon Help(TM) to display more detailed descriptions of the toolbar buttons.

Shortcut menus and an improved status bar help you work quickly

You can now carry out many common commands by using shortcut menus. For example, if you are working in a table, press COMMAND+OPTION+click to see a menu of frequently used commands such as Insert Rows and Delete Rows. You don't have to move the mouse pointer up to the menu bar or search a long menu for a particular command.

Click buttons on the horizontal scroll bar to change views quickly. Click indicators in the status bar to switch between insert and overtype modes.

Full screen view maximizes the text area on your screen

Full screen view quickly hides toolbars, rulers, scroll bars, and other screen items so that you can see more of a document as you work. To restore the previous screen arrangement, click the Full Screen button that remains at the bottom of the screen.

CUSTOMIZE WORD WITH NEW OPTIONS

Word is one of the most flexible word-processing applications. You can add or delete commands from menus, create new menus, assign key combinations of your choice, and customize the appearance of the Word screen.

Drag buttons to customize toolbars

You can customize the built-in toolbars by adding, deleting, or moving buttons. To move a button between toolbars, hold down the COMMAND key and drag the button to the new location. To remove a button, just hold down the COMMAND key and drag the button off the toolbar. You can also use the Customize command on the Tools menu to add, delete, or move buttons.

You can use the Customize command to create toolbar buttons or to make custom toolbars from "scratch." You can also use the Customize command to modify the contents of menus and create new shortcut keys.

Make Word work the way you work

You can use the Options command on the Tools menu to change default directories or folders for documents and templates, modify the appearance of the Word screen, and set other options to suit the way you work.

WORKGROUP FEATURES

Word now includes more features to help you create, distribute, and produce documents in a workgroup.

Master documents organize large, complex documents

To manage a long document that includes many files, create a master document.

With the Master Document toolbar, which is displayed when you choose Master Document from the View menu, you can add, delete, reorganize, merge, split, and lock subdocuments. Using a master document also simplifies creation of cross-references, an index, a table of contents, or tables of figures or authorities for long documents.

Send documents to reviewers with the Add Routing Slip command

If you have Microsoft Mail or a compatible mail package, you can send copies of a document to reviewers. You can send a document to several reviewers simultaneously or route a single copy from one reviewer to another in the sequence that you specify.

New annotation features speed up reviews

You can now mark text for annotations. Selected items are highlighted, so instead of typing a long annotation like "Delete the second sentence in this paragraph," you can just type "Delete." When you consider comments from others, you can view all annotations at once or only those from a single reviewer.

Revision tracking shows you who did what when

Revision marking now shows you who made a change and when the change was entered. Including the date and time can help you determine if a comment is still relevant or if it has been superseded by new information. You can display or hide revision marks as you edit a document and select the color and character formatting used to mark changes.

Create forms to fill in on-screen

The new Forms toolbar makes it easy to create a complex form with text fields, check boxes, and drop-down lists. You can even provide customized help text for each part of a form.

GETTING HELP AND LEARNING WORD

Use online Help to answer your questions

The online Help available as you work with Word is more accessible and useful than ever before. Whenever you have a question, just double- click the Help button on the Standard toolbar.

A booklike index helps you get to specific information quickly. Examples and demos briefly introduce and explain features.

NOTE: The Examples And Demos and Quick Preview commands are available in Word 6.0 for the Macintosh only if you choose the complete installation option, or if you choose the custom installation option, select Online Help, and then select Examples And Demos. You must have Word Help installed for these features to work correctly.

  You can now navigate more easily through topics by using buttons at
  the top of the Word Help window.

"Tip of the Day" makes you an expert one step at a time

Each time you start Word, you'll see a tip about how to use Word more effectively. Tips tell you about useful shortcuts, suggest new ways to use familiar features, and introduce you to some of the new capabilities in Word.