The Elements of Word, 3rd Edition

A practical guide to using Microsoft Word
Home
Book Details
Table of Contents
Print Order Form
Buy Online
Contact Us

 

Over the years, I have written all sorts of technical (and not so technical) documents. During that time, I have used most of the popular authoring tools, but my first choice remains Microsoft Word. Why? Because there isn't anything it can't do. And Word's built-in macro language (Visual Basic for Applications) gives it power that goes far beyond its competitors. Many of my colleagues stumble over things like: books, graphics, protected forms, macros, and single-sourcing content. They became the inspiration for the book. The Elements of Word will help you accomplish all those things quickly and easily.

 
I often helped colleagues, struggling with Word, by providing personal and written instructions. Later, I decided to compile those tidbits of advice into a book. The result was The Elements of Word, an electronic book intended for people like technical writers and Word "power users" who need to wring out every drop of capability Word has to offer. The book also contains tips on configuring Word's environment and creating simple macros. It's amazing just how much time can be saved by making features quicker to access, but what's more amazing is that so few people know how to perform those customizations.

Purpose of this book

 

If you monitor any of the online communities  regarding Word, or if you subscribe to any of the email groups like TECHWR-L, you've probably seen dozens of questions on how to create books and booklets, how to control file bloat, how to keep graphics from moving around on the page, etc. The purpose of this book is to answer those questions—and more—while at the same time showing how to deal with Word's limitations. Sometimes this is done using Word's little known features like field codes; at other times ingenuity and imagination are needed.

 
This book was kept short and to the point, without being terse. Use it as a quick reference, either online in a separate window or in paper form (the layout accommodates double-sided printing). 

Intended audience

 

Technical writers may get the most use out of this book, but anyone who considers themselves a "power" user of Word will get something out of it. You don't have to write books to have an interest in making an occasional booklet. And you certainly don't have to be a professional writer to take advantage of a few quick and dirty macros to save you some time. Anyone who wants to use Microsoft Word more effectively will benefit from this book.