INTRODUCTION TO MS-OFFICE

Microsoft Office for Windows is a suite of applications that are also available as
independent programs. Microsoft Office is a major facility in computer applications field.
Actually this concept is not new as MS-OFFICE for the MAC or for a PC was first
introduced in 1988. Its complete compatibility with Windows 3.x was set in 1990. After
two years of launch of Office for windows, Lotus Corporation introduced its Smartsuite
software that had been adopted by very few professionals related to computer
applications industry. Novell Corporation had also introduced Perfect office named as
Novell's office for professionals but this package had number of limitations. Originally
Office consisted of separate applications that were simply bundled together as a
marketing strategy. At that time people were eager to buy such type of packages
because of the perceived value of money but today the trend has changed as
professionals need better performance rather than saving money. After the introduction
of Smart suite and Perfect-office, Microsoft started responding to user's requests.
Microsoft had also noticed by that time that demand of office products is much more
than any other application or package.

So professionals in Microsoft decided to develop such software that can do all the office
work together with the multitasking and multi-user facility. The result is a tightly
integrated suite (group of applications) that as a whole is much more powerful than the
sum of its component applications. This package is called Microsoft-Office or MS-
OFFICE for windows. It was completely compatible with Windows-3.x. Later on in 1995,
Microsoft launched an operating system Windows-95.This MS-OFFICE for windows
was modified to make it completely compatible with Windows-95. In 1997, Microsoft
launched an advanced version of MS-OFFICE based on Windows-95 named as Office-
97.After the modification of Office-97, Microsoft launched Office-2000 in May 1999. This
Office - 2000 is powerful package having a long range of user friendly facilities.

Actually Microsoft office comes in two flavours. One is called standard and other one is
called professional. Both the versions have the following primary applications:
 1. Microsoft Word
2. Microsoft Excel
3. Microsoft PowerPoint
4. Microsoft Access

Microsoft Word
This is a word processor that is adopted by millions of people in the world and is also
some times simply called as Word. This award winning word processor helps in writing,
editing, mail merging and printing the text documents. User can control the look of the
text by changing the font, style and size of its characters, words, lines and paragraph.
User can also set line spacing in between lines and the paragraph either in part of the
document or whole document. User can also apply indents and outdents on the
document text by using the word facility. Setting of different types of tabs can make the
performances of text or numeric data better The margins (left, right, top, bottom) can be
set by adjusting the text. Header and Footer provides the facility for entering page
numbers (even, odd or all pages), titles etc. at the desired position The accuracy of the
words and their meaning can be checked by using built—in spelling and grammar
checkers. Advanced version of the MS—office has provided a facility of Thesaurus to
the user for the synonyms and the meaning of the words. User can copy or move the
data from one position to another in a file or to another file using the cut, copy, and
paste facility. User can export and import the data from one file to other or from another
file to the currently opened document file Different types of graphical figures can be
created by using the drawing facility such as line, circle, rectangles, ellipse etc

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet or electronic worksheet consisting of rows and
columns that provides efficient, built-in functions as shortcuts for performing
mathematical, trigonometric, financial and statistical calculations. These calculations
can be as simple as totaling a row or column of values or as complex as figuring the
rate of return on an investment under varying circumstances. Microsoft Excel can print
the spreadsheet as a whole workbook or a range of cells (rows and columns) that is part
of the worksheet; It also provides the facility to include the graphs on the basis of data in
a worksheet. These graphs help to take the comparative decisions in a very efficient
manner. The formatting facility is also available here which lets a user to format the data
in a worksheet.

Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program that helps to put together sophisticated
slide shows or electronic presentations with professional looking graphics effects. User
can format the slide text in a variety of eye-catching ways and add charts, tables and
pictures for more impact. These presentations help to put across ideas and instructional
information in an attractive format. PowerPoint presentations can be stored on overhead
transparencies or can be printed on paper. A computer slide show can be created using
this tool.
Professionals often need to convey information in an interesting and effective manner.
The use of graphical tool like PowerPoint enhances the credibility and persuasiveness
of the information. The display of information can be done either using slides or
handouts to be given to audience or a set of notes and an outline of the presentation.

Microsoft Access
Microsoft Access is a database component of Office that lets a user to store and
organize information in a set of tables. After creating a database, user can look at the
information as a list in columns or rows. User can perform calculations, compute
statistics such as totals and averages and sort the information in ascending or
descending manner. Access can also help to create a report in a specific format.
For example, Access can be used to enter and maintain student awards, inventory
record of a warehouse, telephone numbers. Once the records are stored, any type of
queries (questions) can be asked, reports can be created and data entry forms can be
designed. At an advanced level, Access can be Used for developing custom database
applications by employing Access Basic and a Distribution kit for compiling applications.
In addition to these primary applications, both standard and professional office have the
following set of smaller applications