3.1.8 Common Office Features

Contextual Tabs

In addition to the standard tabs that are always displayed on the ribbon, special context-sensitive tabs appear only when you need them. For example, when you create a table in a Word document, two additional Table Tools tabs appear on the ribbon. They give access to several commands for designing and modifying the layout of a table. After moving the cursor out of the table, the contextual tabs disappear.

Keyboard Shortcut

Many commands can be executed by pressing a key or a combination of keys on the keyboard.

Drop-down Lists

Some ribbon commands are available through menus that provide a series of options to choose from.

Command Button

Some ribbon commands can be executed directly by clicking this. An example would be the BOLD button In Microsoft Word.

Dialog Box Launcher

The small button in the lower right corner of some ribbon groups is called a dialog box launcher because it opens a dialog box associated with that ribbon group.

Backstage View

This hides the ribbon and displays several tabs that let you perform actions on the document as a whole. This is where you can open a new document; save, print, or export the current document; and modify properties of the document as a whole. The Options tab at the bottom displays a dialog box for advanced application settings.

Tab

a region on the ribbon that contains a set of related commands. The Home tab is open by default on all Microsoft Office Applications. It displays the most commonly used commands in the application. Other common tabs include Insert and View. In Microsoft Word, the Insert tab lets you insert elements, such as illustrations, tables, and symbols into a document.

Ribbon

a series of tabs that display various buttons, drop-down lists, and galleries of options to choose from. The ribbon is designed to help you find and execute commands efficiently. If you are using a device with a smaller screen, you can collapse the ribbon temporarily to give you more working space. The Collapse the Ribbon button is located in the bottom-right corner of the ribbon. When you need to access the ribbon again, you can simply click or double-click a tab.

Gallery

a set of menu options that are displayed visually. For example, colors can often be chosen from a color grid.

Group

a set of tabs in the ribbon which contain a set of related commands and controls.

ScreenTip

a small window that displays explanatory text when you rest the cursor on a command. Enhanced ScreenTips are larger windows with longer explanations than regular ScreenTips, and they sometimes contain a link to a Help topic. They also let you know if you can perform the command using a keyboard shortcut.

Shortcut Menu

appear on the screen when you right-click

Quick Access Toolbar

appears above the ribbon on the left. It includes a few of the most commonly used commands in the application. By default, the toolbar in Microsoft Word lets you Save the current document, Undo the most recent command, and Redo the most recent command. This toolbar can be customized by clicking the down arrow on the right side of the command buttons. If you have a favorite command that you use often, you can add it to the Quick Access Toolbar.

Task Pane

different from a dialog box in that you can leave it open while performing other editing or formatting tasks. These dialogue boxes remain open on the left or right side of the workspace in case you need them later, or until you decide to close them.

Mini Toolbar

provide quick access to commonly used commands in specific situations.