Cambridge IGCSE0417

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Information Communication Technology 0417 Chapter Notes

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In this chapter

  1. 1Creating and Editing Documents
  2. 2Inserting and Managing Objects
  3. 3Creating and Formatting Tables
  4. 4Using Headers and Footers

1. Creating and Editing Documents

Word processing starts with creating a document. You can open a new, blank document or use a pre-designed template. Once created, you can type text directly. Basic editing involves manipulating this text. You can select, or 'highlight', text to apply changes. 'Copy' (Ctrl+C) duplicates the selected text to the clipboard, leaving the original. 'Cut' (Ctrl+X) removes the selected text and places it on the clipboard. 'Paste' (Ctrl+V) inserts the content of the clipboard at your cursor's position.

Key term

Clipboard: A temporary storage area in the computer's memory for data that has been cut or copied.

Examiner insight

Examiners require precise definitions. For 'copy', you must state the original remains, while for 'cut', you must state the original is removed.

Common pitfall

Students often forget to mention that 'Cut' text is moved to the clipboard for pasting elsewhere; they simply state it is deleted, which is incomplete.

Worked example 14 marks

Explain the difference between using the 'Cut' command and the 'Copy' command when editing text, and the role of the 'Paste' command.

  1. 1
    1. The 'Copy' command creates a duplicate of the selected text and places it on the clipboard, which is a temporary memory area.
  2. 2
    1. The original text remains in its original position after copying.
  3. 3
    1. The 'Cut' command removes the selected text from its original position and places it on the clipboard.
  4. 4
    1. The 'Paste' command then inserts the content from the clipboard into a new location in the document.
  5. 5
    1. Therefore, 'Copy and Paste' duplicates content, while 'Cut and Paste' moves content.

Recap

  • Create a new document via 'File > New'.
  • Save your work frequently using 'File > Save'.
  • 'Copy' (Ctrl+C) duplicates text to the clipboard, leaving the original in place.
  • 'Cut' (Ctrl+X) removes text from its original location and moves it to the clipboard.
  • 'Paste' (Ctrl+V) inserts text from the clipboard into the document at the cursor position.

Quick check

  1. What is the main difference in outcome between cutting text and deleting text?2 marks

2. Inserting and Managing Objects

To make documents more visually appealing and informative, you can insert objects like images, shapes, and charts. Once inserted, you can resize an object by dragging its handles. It's important to maintain the aspect ratio (the relationship between width and height) to avoid distortion. You must also manage how text flows around the object using text wrapping options like 'Square' (text forms a square around the object), 'Tight' (text follows the shape of the object), or 'In Line with Text' (the object acts like a large character).

Key term

Text Wrapping: A feature that controls how text flows around an image, shape, or other object in a document.

Examiner insight

Marks are frequently awarded for correctly applying specific text wrapping settings and precise positioning as stated in the question (e.g., 'top-right corner').

Common pitfall

Leaving an image with the default 'In Line with Text' setting, which can create large, empty gaps in paragraphs instead of allowing text to flow neatly around it.

Fun fact

The concept of 'objects' in documents is part of Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), a technology that allows content from one application to be easily used in another, like putting an Excel chart in a Word document.

Worked example 14 marks

You have inserted an image into a paragraph of text. The image is currently disrupting the paragraph by sitting on its own line. Describe the steps to make the text flow neatly down the right side of the image.

  1. 1
    1. Select the image you have inserted.
  2. 2
    1. Navigate to the image formatting options, often found in a 'Picture Format' or 'Format' tab.
  3. 3
    1. Find the 'Wrap Text' or 'Layout Options' button.
  4. 4
    1. Select the 'Square' wrapping option. This allows text to flow around the rectangular boundary of the image.
  5. 5
    1. Drag the image and position it on the left side of the paragraph. The text will automatically reflow to its right.

Recap

  • Use the 'Insert' tab to add objects like pictures and shapes.
  • Resize objects by dragging their corner handles to maintain aspect ratio.
  • Use 'Wrap Text' options to control how text flows around an object.
  • Common text wrapping styles include Square, Tight, and Top and Bottom.
  • Objects can be rotated and layered to create complex layouts.

Quick check

  1. What setting should you check to prevent an image from being distorted when you resize it?1 mark

3. Creating and Formatting Tables

Tables are a powerful tool for organising data in rows and columns. You create a table by specifying the number of columns and rows you need. You can then type text into each cell. Key formatting skills include merging cells to create a single larger cell (often for titles), splitting a cell back into multiple cells, adding or deleting entire rows and columns, and applying borders and shading to improve readability. You can also control the alignment of text within each cell (e.g., left, centre, right, top, middle, bottom).

Key term

Merge Cells: A function in a word processor or spreadsheet that combines two or more selected adjacent cells into a single cell.

Examiner insight

Examiners check table formatting with high precision. If a question asks to shade a specific cell, only that cell should be shaded. Any text should be formatted exactly as requested (e.g., bold, centred).

Common pitfall

When asked to delete the contents of a row, students sometimes delete the entire row itself, which changes the table structure and can lose marks.

Worked example 15 marks

Create a table with 2 columns and 3 rows. Merge the two cells in the top row. In this merged cell, type the heading 'Contact List' and format it to be bold and centred. In the second row, add the subheadings 'Name' and 'Email'.

  1. 1
    1. Go to the 'Insert' tab and select 'Table'. Choose a 2x3 grid.
  2. 2
    1. Select the two cells in the first row by clicking and dragging across them.
  3. 3
    1. Right-click on the selection and choose 'Merge Cells' from the context menu (or use the 'Layout' tab in the Table Tools).
  4. 4
    1. Type 'Contact List' in the newly merged cell.
  5. 5
    1. Select the text 'Contact List', go to the 'Home' tab, and click the 'Bold' and 'Center' alignment buttons.
  6. 6
    1. Click into the first cell of the second row and type 'Name'. Click into the second cell of that row and type 'Email'.

Recap

  • Insert tables to organise data into rows and columns.
  • Merge cells to create headings that span multiple columns.
  • Add or delete rows and columns to adjust the table structure.
  • Use borders and shading to make the table easier to read.
  • Align text within cells for a professional appearance.

Quick check

  1. State one reason why you might merge cells in a table.1 mark
  2. How would you add a new row to the bottom of an existing table?1 mark

4. Using Headers and Footers

The header is a section at the very top of each page, and the footer is at the bottom. They are used for information that should be repeated on every page, such as the document title, author's name, date, or page numbers. A key skill is using automated fields. For example, instead of typing '1', '2', '3' on each page, you insert an automated page number field. This ensures the numbers are always correct, even if you add or delete pages. You can also set different headers and footers for the first page or for odd and even pages.

Key term

Header: A section of the document that appears in the top margin of every page, typically containing the document title or author's name.

Examiner insight

Examiners specifically check if automated fields have been used. For example, for a date, they can check if it's a field that updates or just static text. Using fields correctly demonstrates a higher level of skill.

Common pitfall

Manually typing the date or page number into the header or footer. This is static text and will not update automatically, which is incorrect practice and loses marks.

Worked example 13 marks

Set up a footer for a multi-page document that displays your name aligned to the left, the current date (which updates automatically) in the centre, and the page number aligned to the right.

  1. 1
    1. Go to the 'Insert' tab and select 'Footer'. Choose a blank three-column layout if available, or just a blank footer.
  2. 2
    1. The footer editing area will become active. Type your name. Ensure it is left-aligned.
  3. 3
    1. Press the Tab key to move to the centre of the footer. Go to the 'Header & Footer' design tab, find 'Date & Time', select a format, and ensure the 'Update automatically' checkbox is ticked before clicking OK.
  4. 4
    1. Press the Tab key again to move to the right side of the footer. In the 'Header & Footer' tab, find 'Page Number', go to 'Current Position', and select a plain number style. This inserts the page number field.
  5. 5
    1. Close the Header and Footer view to return to the main document.

Recap

  • Headers appear at the top of the page; footers appear at the bottom.
  • Use headers and footers for repeated information like names, dates, and page numbers.
  • Always use automated fields for page numbers and dates to ensure they are correct.
  • You can have different headers/footers for the first page or for odd/even pages.
  • Access header and footer options via the 'Insert' tab.

Quick check

  1. Why is it better to insert an automated page number field than to type the number manually on each page?2 marks

End-of-chapter exercise

Test yourself on the whole chapter. Work through these before moving on.

  1. Explain the function of the 'clipboard' in the context of 'cut', 'copy', and 'paste' operations.3 marks
  2. You are creating a company report. Describe how you would place the company logo in the top-right corner of every page except the first title page.4 marks
  3. You need to create a table showing sales data. The table needs 4 columns and 5 rows. The first row must be a single, merged cell containing the title 'Q3 Sales Report', formatted as bold and centred. The second row should contain the headings: 'Region', 'Sales Rep', 'Units Sold', 'Revenue'. This heading row should have a light grey background shade.6 marks
  4. Describe the visual difference in a document's layout when an image's text wrapping is set to 'Top and Bottom' compared to when it is set to 'Tight'.4 marks
  5. List the steps to add a footer to a document that contains the text 'Internal Use Only' aligned to the left and a page number in the format 'Page X of Y' aligned to the right, using automated fields.4 marks
  6. A document contains the word 'organisation' spelled in UK English, but the company style guide requires US English ('organization'). Describe the most efficient method to correct all 50 instances of this word throughout a long document.3 marks
  7. Explain the purpose of using columns to format text in a document, and state one advantage of this layout style.3 marks
  8. You have a 10-page report. The task requires an appendix on page 8, which contains a wide table, to be in landscape orientation while all other pages remain in portrait. Describe the key steps to achieve this.4 marks
  9. What is the difference between changing a document's page margins and changing a paragraph's indentation?2 marks
  10. When you insert a chart from a spreadsheet into your word processing document, you can either 'embed' it or 'link' it. Explain the difference between these two methods, including what happens when the original spreadsheet data is updated.4 marks

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