Software is often combined into packages according to the nature of the user’s activity. The most popular set designed for automation of work with electronic content is Microsoft Office, developed for the operating systems Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone, Android, OS X, iOS. It is a family of software products, where various applications are integrated into a universal environment for work with information.
A student may perform almost all the necessary functions for creating and processing both textual and numeric data. All programs included in this block have common visual features, methods of work, language tools, virtually identical menus, toolbars and customization instruments. In addition, elements of this system are interrelated, which makes it possible to open one object in different apps.
Classification of Microsoft Office software
From the point of view of functionality, this block of programs can be divided into three groups.
Main programs
The first of them consists of large editors and the main components that work as an independent software package. In turn, according to functional capabilities, they can be classified into three subgroups: editors, data management systems, and business applications.
1.1 Editors
The first subgroup includes:
- Word text editor that is used to form any documents;
- Excel tables – for efficient work with numerical information;
- PowerPoint presentation editor;
- FrontPage is a tool for preparing and editing Web pages.
1.2 Data management
The second subgroup of programs includes two components:
- The first is the database management system Access, used to prepare structured info bases. It has special tools for processing large amounts of data, selecting information on requests, generating reports.
- The second is Outlook, which organizes management of personal and business data using e-mail, workday schedule, a personal calendar, and organizes the collective use of data within defined user groups.
Another program that can be assigned to this group is OneNote – an electronic notebook that helps to organize the work with texts, images, sound, and video.
1.3 Business applications
The third subgroup exists in Microsoft Office since version 2003 and is of a professional nature. It helps separate groups of users in the working affairs.
- It includes a program InfoPath, used for developing the various documentation forms and their use by all of the company’s employees, organizing the business processes and solving labor problems.
- Another software tool is the editor Publisher, which uses a wide range of layouts to create professionally printed publications (booklets, promotional products, business cards, etc.), web content and electronic mailings.
- In this group, the most popular app is Project, intended exclusively for project management.
- Groove is designed for joint work on different projects on the local network and on the Internet.
Studying these programs will prepare the student for work and help to launch his own business with the team of like-minded people.
Service mini-programs
The second major group of programs that are part of Microsoft Office consists of service mini-apps. Their main feature is that they work inside other software complexes, create not separate files, but only individual objects. Each of the objects can be stored inside any of the files created by large programs with standard extensions. Running of mini-programs leads to the appearance of either a special dialog box or a new menu items and toolbars. Service applications include:
- a program for creating graphs Microsoft Graph;
- a tool for constructing organizational and process diagrams SmartArt;
- Equation Editor;
- a tool for preparing graphic images of headers and advertising emblems WordArt;
- ClipArt Gallery – mini-program, which allows to use an extensive collection of built-in images and clips.
- Photo Editor provides the ability to change the size, colors, to apply artistic effects (relief image, loading into the water, etc.)
Additional programs
Finally, the third group of Microsoft Office tools consists of additional programs that expand the capabilities of applications. Among them, it’s worth highlighting such interesting built-in components as Document Scanning and Document Imaging, designed to control the scanning of documents, their viewing on the screen, recognition, reconfiguration. Typically, special programs, such as FineReader, are used for these purposes, which require additional funds for licensing and installation.
The third group also includes Microsoft Binder, which allows to merge documents from different Office applications and work with them as a single project or book, Picture Manager, which provides flexible capabilities for managing, editing and sharing images.
Advantages of Microsoft Office for students
Microsoft Office is very convenient. It does not create problems when learning new applications and working with them, greatly simplifies the educational process. To get information about how to perform a certain action or to find the right tool in different programs, you can apply to a menu or a special helper.
Such apps as Word, Excel, Access are most popular among students and office workers. The advantages of Microsoft Office include their integration with each other and with other instruments, support of the latest Web technologies.
In Microsoft Office applications, you can create Web pages without learning the HTML format, save documents in HTML, view ready HTML docs, and create hypertext links. Such a link can be placed inside the document and will point either to the Web page or to another document, wherever it is located.
After installing the above mentioned software, you can easily write scientific papers, conduct complex calculations in the shortest time, create impressive presentations and illustrations for your works. Also, complement your progressive learning with getting the maximum benefit from auxiliary online tools, such as a paper writing service. In a complex, such modern means should help you to achieve success on your student path. Good luck!
