Objectives of this Tutorial

Generally: To create text and graphics files using the applications included with Windows 2000.

Specifically: On completion of this section, you will be able to:

• Create, open and save files
• Create simple text files with Notepad
• Use WordPad to create documents
• Create drawings with Paint
• Transfer data between programs
• Use the Windows Calculator

Windows includes a number of mini-applications - WordPad, a word processor, Paint, a graphics drawing tool, Calculator and Notepad - that can be used for basic computing tasks, such as writing memos, creating a picture and doing sums.

Application Windows

All applications run in a window, like My Computer. Different applications will have different window elements, but most will include:

• Title bar, Program Control and Window Control icons
• Menu bar
• Toolbar(s)
• Status bar
• Scroll bars

The techniques for working with Windows are the same as for My Computer.

Starting an Application and Opening Files

There are two basic ways to open files. You can use Windows (My Computer, Windows Explorer or the Documents menu) to open a file and start the relevant application at the same time. You can also open files from within an application using the Open command.

Most Office applications (such as MS Word or Excel or Lotus WordPro and 1-2-3) can open more than one file at a time. Each file gets its own sub-window within the application window. However, the simple programs included with Windows itself can only open one file at a time.

To open a file and start the application in Windows

• Using My Computer or Windows Explorer, browse to the file's icon and double-click the file (or single-click if you are using Web Style Desktop)

OR

• From the Start menu, select the Documents menu

A list of recently-used files is displayed.

• Select the file you want to open

To open a file from within an application

• Start the application and from the File menu, select Open (SpeedKey: Ctrl +O)

The Open dialogue box is displayed.

Open dialogue box

Note: This is the Open dialogue for Windows 2000 applications. Software from other manufacturers will look slightly different, but should work in much the same way.

• Select a file from the panel and click Open

Files of type

The Files of type box limits which icons you can see in the main panel of the Open box. For example, if Files of type is set to Text files, you will only see text files, even if there are also Bitmap files stored in the folder.

The Files of type: list box will display a file type that is appropriate to the application (Notepad uses text files, Paint uses Bitmap files and so on). Some applications can open files of more than one type. If this is the case, the different file types will be shown in the drop-down list.

You can usually select to display All files too. Note that this does not mean you can open all files correctly. If you open a file of the wrong type, Windows will either display an error message or the file will look like gibberish. If this happens, simply close the file again.

Look in

The Look in: box identifies which folder you are browsing. The contents of the My Documents folder are selected by default. In the main panel of the Open dialogue box, you can see the files and folders available in the current folder.

• If your file is in a subfolder of My Documents, open the subfolder by double-clicking its icon (single-click if you are using Web Style Desktop)

If you need to select another drive or system object, you have several choices:

• Click the drop-down arrow on the Look in: box to select another object from the Desktop down

OR

• Use the Up One Level and Back buttons to browse between folders

OR

• Click an object in the left-hand pane to browse it

Tip: Selecting a shortcut from the Open dialogue box will open the file it links to.

Continued...