MS Office

Word processing

A word processor is application software for creating, editing, formatting, saving and printing text documents — letters, reports, specifications, tender documents, notices. Microsoft Word is part of Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365; alternatives include Google Docs and LibreOffice Writer.

Interface

Main ribbon tabs and key commands

Working with documents

• New document from blank or a template (pre-designed layouts such as letters, resumes, reports).
• Save (Ctrl + S) and Save As (F12) — choose location, name and format.
• AutoSave/AutoRecover — periodic backups; cloud files autosave to OneDrive.

File formats

Editing text

• Selection: double-click selects a word; triple-click selects a paragraph; Ctrl + click selects a sentence; click in left margin selects a line; Ctrl + A selects all; Alt + drag selects a vertical block.
• Cut, copy, paste — clipboard; Paste Special (keep source formatting, merge formatting, keep text only).
• Undo (Ctrl + Z) and Redo (Ctrl + Y); F4 repeats the last action.
• Find (Ctrl + F) opens the navigation pane; Replace (Ctrl + H) — including formatting and special characters; Go To (Ctrl + G / F5).
• Insert vs Overtype mode.
• Spelling and grammar check (F7) — red wavy underline for spelling, blue/double underline for grammar; Thesaurus (Shift + F7).
• AutoCorrect — automatically fixes common typing errors; AutoText/Quick Parts — reusable content.

Formatting

Character formatting

• Font type, size (points), colour, highlight.
• Bold (Ctrl + B), italic (Ctrl + I), underline (Ctrl + U), strikethrough.
• Subscript (Ctrl + =), e.g. H₂O; superscript (Ctrl + Shift + +), e.g. m².
• Change case (Shift + F3) — sentence case, lowercase, UPPERCASE, Capitalize Each Word, tOGGLE cASE.
• Increase/decrease font size: Ctrl + Shift + > / Ctrl + Shift + < (or Ctrl + ] / Ctrl + [ by 1 point).
• Font dialog box (Ctrl + D) — character spacing, effects.
• Clear formatting (Ctrl + Space).
• Default body font has been Calibri 11 pt in many recent versions (Microsoft 365 introduced Aptos as the new default).

Paragraph formatting

Styles and Format Painter

• Styles (Normal, Heading 1, Heading 2, Title) apply consistent formatting and enable automatic table of contents and navigation.
• Format Painter copies formatting from one selection to another (double-click to apply repeatedly).

Page layout

• Margins (Normal ≈ 1 inch/2.54 cm each side), orientation (portrait or landscape), paper size (A4, Letter, Legal).
• Columns — newsletter-style text.
• Breaks: page break (Ctrl + Enter), column break, section breaks (next page, continuous, even page, odd page) — allow different orientation, headers or numbering in different sections.
• Headers and footers — repeated at top/bottom of pages (titles, logos, dates); different first page, odd and even pages.
• Page numbers — position and format (1, i, a).
• Watermark (e.g. "DRAFT", "CONFIDENTIAL") — Design tab.
• Page colour, page borders.

Tables

• Insert Table (grid, dialog, draw table, convert text to table, Excel spreadsheet, quick tables).
• Table Design (styles, shading, borders) and Layout tabs: insert/delete rows and columns, merge/split cells, cell size, AutoFit, alignment, text direction, repeat header rows, sort, simple formulas (e.g. =SUM(ABOVE)), convert table to text.
• Useful for bills of quantities, schedules, specifications.

Inserting objects

• Pictures (from device, online), shapes, icons, 3D models, SmartArt (organisation charts, process diagrams), charts (linked to embedded Excel data), screenshots.
• Text wrapping (in line with text, square, tight, behind text, in front of text) and positioning.
• Text box, WordArt, drop cap (large initial letter).
• Equation editor (Alt + =), symbols (Ω, °, ±, ₹).
• Hyperlink (Ctrl + K), bookmarks, cross-references.
• Date and time, objects (embedded files), signature line.

References

• Table of contents — generated from heading styles; update field after edits.
• Footnotes (bottom of page) and endnotes (end of document) — Alt + Ctrl + F inserts a footnote.
• Captions for figures and tables; table of figures.
• Citations and bibliography (APA, IEEE, etc.); index.

Mail merge

Creates personalised copies of a document (letters, envelopes, labels, emails) for many recipients.

1. Main document — the common letter (e.g. tender notice to contractors).
2. Data source — list of recipients (Excel sheet, Outlook contacts, Access table) with fields (Name, Address, Tender No.).
3. Insert merge fields into the main document («Name»).
4. Preview results.
5. Finish and merge — edit individual documents, print, or send emails.

Collaboration and protection

• Comments — notes attached to text.
• Track Changes (Ctrl + Shift + E) — records insertions, deletions and formatting changes by reviewers; accept/reject changes.
• Compare and combine documents.
• Restrict editing / protect document with password; mark as final; encrypt with password.
• Co-authoring in real time via OneDrive/SharePoint.
• Macros — recorded sequences of commands to automate repetitive tasks (saved in .docm).

Printing

• Print (Ctrl + P) — printer selection, pages (all, current, custom range like 1–3, 5), copies, collated, one/two-sided, orientation, paper size, margins, pages per sheet; print preview shown in Backstage view.

Important MS Word shortcuts

Worked examples

Frequently tested points

• Word processor — create, edit, format, print documents; .docx default (.doc older), .dotx template, .docm macros.
• Ribbon: Home (clipboard, font, paragraph, styles, find/replace), Insert (tables, pictures, header/footer, page number, symbols, equations, drop cap, WordArt), Design (watermark, page colour/borders), Layout (margins, orientation, size, columns, breaks), References (TOC, footnotes, captions, citations), Mailings (mail merge), Review (spelling, track changes, comments, protect), View (views, macros).
• Double-click word, triple-click paragraph, Ctrl + click sentence.
• Ctrl + E centre, Ctrl + J justify, Ctrl + Enter page break, Ctrl + K hyperlink, F7 spelling, Shift + F7 thesaurus, Shift + F3 change case, F12 Save As, Ctrl + H replace.
• Section breaks allow different orientation/headers/numbering.
• Format Painter copies formatting; styles enable automatic TOC.
• Mail merge: main document + data source + merge fields.
• Track Changes records edits for review.

Spreadsheet basics

A spreadsheet organises data in rows and columns for calculation, analysis and visualisation. Microsoft Excel is widely used for estimates, bills of quantities, bar bending schedules, levelling computations, material test results, cash flows and project tracking. Alternatives: Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc.

• A worksheet has 1 048 576 rows and 16 384 columns (up to column XFD) in Excel 2007 and later.
• New workbooks in recent versions open with one sheet by default (earlier versions had three).

Data entry

• Data types: numbers, text (labels), dates/times, formulas, logical values (TRUE/FALSE).
• Numbers right-align and text left-aligns by default.
• AutoFill (fill handle) — drag the small square at a cell's corner to copy values or extend series (1, 2, 3…; Jan, Feb…; Mon, Tue…).
• Flash Fill (Ctrl + E) — recognises patterns (e.g. splitting names).
• Alt + Enter — new line within a cell.
• Comments/notes attach remarks to cells.

Formulas

• Always begin with = (e.g. =B2*C2).
• Operators: + - * / ^ (exponent), & (text join), comparison = > < >= <= <>.
• Order of precedence: parentheses → ^ → * and / → + and - → & → comparisons (left to right within the same level; negation applies before exponent in Excel, so =-2^2 gives 4).
• Show formulas: Ctrl + ` (grave accent).

Cell references

• F4 cycles through reference types while editing a formula.
• References to other sheets: Sheet2!B4; to other workbooks: [Rates.xlsx]Sheet1!C3.
• Named ranges (e.g. name cell B1 as Rate) make formulas readable: =Qty*Rate.

Functions

A function is a predefined formula: =FUNCTION(arguments). Insert via Insert Function (Shift + F3) or the Formulas tab.

Mathematical and statistical

Logical

Lookup and reference

Text

CONCAT/CONCATENATE or & (join), LEFT, RIGHT, MID, LEN, TRIM, UPPER, LOWER, PROPER, TEXT (format a number as text), FIND/SEARCH, SUBSTITUTE.

Date and time

TODAY() (current date), NOW() (date and time), DATE, YEAR, MONTH, DAY, NETWORKDAYS (working days between dates), EDATE, WORKDAY, DATEDIF. Dates are stored as serial numbers, so subtracting dates gives days.

Financial

PMT (loan instalment), FV (future value), PV, NPV, IRR, RATE — useful for engineering economics.

Common error values

Formatting

• Number formats (Ctrl + 1 opens Format Cells): General, Number (decimal places), Currency/Accounting (₹), Date, Time, Percentage, Fraction, Scientific, Text, Custom.
• Alignment: horizontal/vertical, wrap text, merge & centre, text orientation, indent.
• Font, borders, fill colours, cell styles, Format Painter.
• Column width/row height — double-click the boundary for AutoFit.
• Conditional formatting — highlight cells by rules (e.g. cube strength below target in red), data bars, colour scales, icon sets.
• Format as Table — structured tables with filters and banded rows.

Data tools

Charts

• Select data → Insert → Chart (or F11 for a chart sheet, Alt + F1 embedded chart).
• Types: column/bar (comparisons), line (trends over time — progress S-curves), pie (parts of a whole), scatter (XY) (relationships — stress–strain, calibration curves), area, histogram, combo, waterfall.
• Chart elements: titles, axes, axis titles, legend, data labels, gridlines, trendlines (with equation and R²).
• Sparklines — tiny charts within cells.

Pivot tables

• Insert → PivotTable — summarise large datasets by dragging fields into Rows, Columns, Values (sum, count, average) and Filters.
• Example: total quantity of each material used per month across sites; PivotCharts; slicers.

What-if analysis

Viewing, protection and printing

• Freeze Panes (View tab) — keep header rows/columns visible while scrolling.
• Split window; zoom; page layout and page break preview.
• Protect Sheet/Workbook (Review tab) — lock cells and structure; Allow edit ranges.
• Print — set print area, print titles (repeat rows at top), orientation, fit to page, headers/footers, gridlines.

File formats

Keyboard shortcuts

Worked examples

Frequently tested points

• Workbook contains worksheets; cell address = column letter + row number; 1 048 576 rows × 16 384 columns (XFD).
• Formulas start with =; precedence ( ) → ^ → * / → + −.
• Relative A1, absolute $A$1, mixed $A1/A$1; F4 toggles.
• COUNT (numbers) vs COUNTA (non-empty); COUNTIF, SUMIF; IF, AND, OR, IFERROR.
• VLOOKUP searches first column; FALSE = exact match; XLOOKUP and INDEX–MATCH more flexible.
• Trigonometric functions use radians — use RADIANS().
• Errors: #DIV/0!, #N/A, #NAME?, #REF!, #VALUE!, #NUM!, ###### (narrow column).
• Conditional formatting, data validation, sort/filter (Ctrl + Shift + L), remove duplicates, text to columns.
• Charts: column (compare), line (trend), pie (proportion), scatter (relationship); F11 chart sheet.
• Pivot tables summarise; Goal Seek finds input for a target; Solver optimises; Scenario Manager compares.
• Freeze Panes; protect sheet; print titles.
• .xlsx default; .xlsm macros; .csv plain text.
• Shortcuts: F2 edit, Alt + = AutoSum, Ctrl + ; date, Ctrl + 1 format cells, Ctrl + ` show formulas.

Presentation software

Presentation software creates slide-based visual presentations combining text, images, charts, audio and video. Microsoft PowerPoint (part of Microsoft Office/365) is widely used; alternatives: Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress, Apple Keynote.

Uses in engineering: project progress reviews, design presentations, DPR briefings, training sessions, tender presentations, conference talks.

Interface

Ribbon tabs

Creating a presentation

• Start from a blank presentation, a template or a theme (consistent colours, fonts, backgrounds).
• Designer (Microsoft 365) suggests professional layouts for slide content.
• Slide layouts: Title Slide, Title and Content, Section Header, Two Content, Comparison, Title Only, Blank, Content with Caption, Picture with Caption.
• Placeholders — dotted boxes holding titles, text, pictures, charts.
• Slides can be added, duplicated (Ctrl + D), deleted, hidden, reordered (drag in thumbnail pane or Slide Sorter) and grouped into sections.

Views

Masters

• Slide Master — controls the common design (fonts, colours, logos, backgrounds, placeholder positions) of all slides and layouts; changes apply to the whole presentation — ideal for an organisation's logo and footer.
• Handout Master — layout of printed handouts (slides per page).
• Notes Master — layout of notes pages.

Adding content

• Text — bullet points (use Tab / Shift + Tab to change levels), text boxes, WordArt.
• Pictures — insert, crop, remove background, picture styles, compress pictures to reduce file size.
• Shapes and icons, SmartArt (process flows, hierarchies, cycles — e.g. construction stages), tables (e.g. cost summaries), charts (linked to embedded Excel data — progress, budgets).
• Audio and video — insert from file, trim, play automatically or on click, loop.
• Screen recording — demonstrate software (e.g. CAD workflow).
• Hyperlinks (Ctrl + K) to websites, files or other slides; action buttons for navigation (next, previous, home).
• Header and footer — date, slide number, footer text.
• Zoom (summary/slide/section zoom) for non-linear navigation.

Transitions and animations

Animation categories (colour-coded): entrance (green), emphasis (yellow), exit (red), motion paths.

• Timing: start On Click, With Previous, After Previous; duration and delay; Animation Pane sets order; triggers start animations when an object is clicked.
• Morph transition creates smooth movement between similar slides.
• Use animations sparingly — to reveal points step by step or show processes (e.g. construction sequence).

Slide show delivery

• Start: F5 from beginning; Shift + F5 from current slide; Esc ends the show.
• During the show: N/Enter/→/Space next; P/←/Backspace previous; type a slide number + Enter to jump; B (or .) — black screen; W (or ,) — white screen; Ctrl + P pen; Ctrl + L laser pointer; Ctrl + E eraser.
• Set Up Slide Show: presented by a speaker (full screen), browsed by an individual (window), browsed at a kiosk (full screen, loops automatically, restarts after inactivity).
• Rehearse timings — record time spent on each slide for automatic advance.
• Record slide show — narration, ink and laser pointer; export as video.
• Custom slide show — present a subset of slides for a particular audience.
• Hide slide — keep backup slides out of the main show.

Notes and handouts

• Speaker notes — prompts for the presenter (visible in Presenter View and Notes Page).
• Handouts — printouts with 1, 2, 3 (with lines for notes), 4, 6 or 9 slides per page.

Saving, exporting and file formats

• Package presentation for CD/folder — includes linked media.
• Compress media and pictures to reduce size; embed fonts for portability.

Good presentation practices

• One idea per slide; clear titles; limited text (short bullet points rather than paragraphs).
• Readable font sizes (large enough for the back row), high contrast, consistent theme.
• Use visuals — site photos, drawings, charts, maps — rather than dense tables.
• Label units and sources on charts; highlight key numbers.
• Limit animations and transitions to purposeful use.
• Rehearse; keep to time; prepare backup slides; check projector aspect ratio and file compatibility.

Keyboard shortcuts

Worked examples

Frequently tested points

• PowerPoint — presentation software; files .pptx (default), .ppt (old), .potx (template), .ppsx (opens as show).
• Ctrl + M new slide; F5 show from beginning; Shift + F5 from current slide; Esc ends; B black, W white screen.
• Views: Normal, Outline, Slide Sorter (reorder), Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Show, Presenter View.
• Slide Master controls common design/logo; handout and notes masters.
• Transitions — between slides; animations — objects within a slide (entrance green, emphasis yellow, exit red, motion paths); Animation Pane.
• Rehearse Timings; record show; custom show; hide slide; kiosk mode loops.
• SmartArt for diagrams; charts linked to Excel data; hyperlinks and action buttons.
• Handouts with 1–9 slides per page; speaker notes.
• Export as PDF or video; package for CD.