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SOFAPP

Productivity Tools
Productivity software is a type of application programs that help users produce outputs such as
documents, databases, graphs, worksheets and presentations.

Office Suite
A software suite, also called an application suite or productivity suite, is two or more software
applications bundled and sold together. The applications share common user interface features
and theme, and provide related and often integrated functionality that helps users perform or
automate related tasks. For example, in the corporate office environment, Microsoft Office is a
standard suite of office automation software applications that includes Microsoft Word,
Outlook, Excel, Access, OneNote and PowerPoint.

Word Processor
A word processor is a software application that involves composition, modification, and printing
of documents. Typical features of a modern word processor include font application, spell
checking, grammar checking, a built-in thesaurus, automatic text correction, Web integration,
and HTML exporting, among others. In its simplest form, a word processor is little more than a
large expensive Typewriter-like machine that makes correcting mistakes possible before
printing.

1867 - Christopher Latham Sholes, with the assistance of two colleagues, invented the first
successful manual typewriter.

1874 - The typewriter began to be marketed commercially, rather improbably by a gun

manufacturing company, E. Remington and Sons. The main drawback of this model was that it
printed on the underside of the roller, so that the typist could not view his work until he had
finished.

1961 - IBM introduced the Selectric typewriter, which replaced the standard movable carriage
and individual typestrikers with a revolving typeball. This could print faster than the traditional
typewriter. With the same year, it also introduced word processing as a definite idea and
concept. The term was first used in IBM's marketing of the MT/ST as a "word processing"
machine. It was a translation of the German word textverabeitung, coined in the late 1950s by
Ulrich Steinhilper, an IBM engineer. He used it as a more precise term for what was done by the
act of typing.

1976 - Electric Pencil, released in December, was the first word processor software for
microcomputers. Software-based word processors running on general-purpose personal
computers gradually displaced dedicated word processors, and the term came to refer to
software rather than hardware.
Basic Features of word processor

 delete text: Allows you to erase characters, words, lines, or pages as easily as you can cross
them out on paper.
 cut and paste: Allows you to remove (cut) a section of text from one place in a document
and insert (paste) it somewhere else.
 copy: Allows you to duplicate a section of text.
 undo and redo: Allows you to remove the last change done to the document (undo) and
advances the buffer to a more current state (redo). Undo rolls back the previous action
while redo rolls back the previous undo execution.
 page size and margins: Allows you to define various page sizes and margins, and the word
processor will automatically readjust the text so that it fits.
 word wrap:The word processor automatically moves to the next line when you have filled
one line with text, and it will readjust text if you change the margins.

Text Output
Once text has been created, edited, and formatted into a finished electronic document, it must
be put into some tangible form or lasting electronic form to be of practical benefit. That output
process usually starts with the saving of the document on the computer's hard drive, a floppy
disk, a CD, or a memory device such as a flash drive. Saving the document, in fact, is an activity
that should take place frequently during the creation and editing processes to guard against
loss due to problems such as electrical-power failure, computer malfunctions, and operator
error.
Printing a document on paper is the most common output method; other output methods
include faxing a document directly from the word processor by use of a computer modem,
sending the document to another person by e-mail, and converting the word-processing
document to various other electronic formats for online viewing or for eventual printing from
other applications. For example, word-processing documents are frequently converted to HTML
for use as Web pages, to portable document format (PDF) files, and to rich text format (RTF)
files for use in other computer programs (particularly other word-processing programs).

Styles
Styles are user-created formatting commands that allow great control over repetitive
formatting structures within a document. For example, using a "style" for each type of heading
in a report will ensure consistent formatting of the headings and will eliminate the need for a
user to manually format each heading as it is created.

Macros and Merging

Macros are stored keystrokes, or sets of editing and formatting commands, that can be
replayed whenever needed. Macros can boost productivity and take much of the tedium out of
repetitive word-processing tasks. Merging is the process of using lists of such information as
names, addresses, phone numbers, product descriptions or model numbers, and so on to fill in
designated fields or blanks in documents to create mass mailings, address labels, directories,
and catalogs.
This macro would be useful if you have several documents to work through, in each of which
you have been asked to change the main heading to bold red text.2
If you needed to change all the sub-headings to italic blue text, you could set up another similar
macro to do that. Alternatively, you could edit the macro directly by changing the code in the
edit window.

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word was first released on October 25, 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for
Xenix systems. Its native file formats are denoted either by a .doc or .docx filename extension.
History of Spreadsheets

1961 - Professor Richard Mattessich pioneered the development of computerized speadsheets

for use in business accounting. Mattessich's work and that of other developers of spreadsheets
on mainframe computers probably had little positive influence on Bricklin and Frankston. Dan
Bricklin was preparing a spread sheet analysis for a Harvard Business School "case study" report
and wanted a program where people could visualize the spreadsheet as they created it.

1978 - Dan Bricklin had programmed the first working prototype of his concept in integer basic.
The program helped users input and manipulate a matrix of five columns and 20 rows. The first
version was not very "powerful" so Bricklin recruited an MIT acquaintance Bob Frankston to
improve and expand the program. Bricklin calls Frankston the "co-creator" of the electronic
spreadsheet. Frankston created the production code with faster speed, better arithmetic, and
scrolling.

1979 - Bricklin and Frankston formed Software Arts Corporation. Daniel Fylstra, founding
Associate Editor of Byte Magazine, joined Bricklin and Frankston in developing VisiCalc. Fylstra
and his firm Personal Software (later renamed VisiCorp) began marketing "VisiCalc" with a
teaser ad in Byte Magazine. The name "VisiCalc" is a compressed form of the phrase "visible
calculator"

1983 - Mitch Kapor developed Lotus and his spreadsheet program quickly became the new
industry spreadsheet standard.

1984 - Excel was originally written for the 512K Apple Macintosh. Excel was one of the first
spreadsheets to use a graphical interface with pull down menus and a point and click capability
using a mouse pointing device. The Excel spreadsheet with a graphical user interface was easier
for most people to use than the command line interface of PC-DOS spreadsheet products.
1989 - Excel was on the market, being the flagship product for Windows 3.0. It was the only
spreadsheet development for a quite a few years. This gave Excel the advantage over any
Windows based worksheet software that came afterwards.
1995 - IBM acquired Lotus Development and Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet market leader.
Features of Spreadsheets
Visual Design - Most people process data most easily when it is presented visually, rather than
simply existing as a set of hypothetical numbers in the mind. Spreadsheets allow you to lay
figures out on a grid, calculating and manipulating them visually. Often, this may result in you
being able to process the information more quickly. On a spreadsheet, you may also notice
errors or omissions that you would not have otherwise.

Automatic Calculations - Spreadsheet software gives you the ability to enter mathematical
formulas ranging from simple arithmetic to complex statistics. This is done in a simple and
intuitive manner; to perform a calculation with two different cells on the spreadsheet, simply
click a cell, press a key for a mathematical operator such as the "+" sign and click the second
cell. This is often a much faster way to perform calculations with your data than a calculator
would be.

Dynamic Updates - In addition to the standard method of entering data in a spreadsheet --

typing numbers in cells -- you can also create a cell with a value generated dynamically based
on other cells. For example, a cell might display the net profit on the sale of an item by
combining a value in one cell with a certain percentage. Because the value displayed in the cell
is based on the values in two other cells, the cell dynamically updates when you change either
of the referenced cells. This allows you to test different scenarios by changing the cost of an
item, or the percentage of profit. Any time you base the value of one cell on the value of other
cells, the value of one cell updates automatically when the other is changed.

Data Analysis - Spreadsheet software gives the ability to analyze data in ways other than simply
looking at grids and lines. Most spreadsheet software can automatically create graphs and
charts from your data, giving you different ways of comparing and analyzing information. These
visual representations can also be printed and emailed, or exported into slide shows for
presentations

BALANCE - Balance is an equal distribution of weight. In terms of graphics, this applies to visual
weight. Each element on a layout has visual weight that is determined by its size, darkness or
lightness, and thickness of lines. Balance is vital to the success of a design.
PROXIMITY - The Principle of Proximity demands that related items be grouped together, be
move physically close to each other so that they appear as one cohesive group rather than a
bunch of unrelated bits. The basic purpose of proximity is to organize. Simply grouping related
elements together into closer proximity automatically creates organization. If the information is
organized, it is more likely to be read and remembered.
ALIGNMENT - New designers tend to put text and graphics on the page whenever there is
space, often without regard to any other items on the page. The Principle of Alignment
states, "Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual
connection with something else on the page." When items are aligned, the result is a stronger
cohesive unit. The basic purpose of alignment is to unify and organize the page.
REPETITION - The Principle of Repetition states, "Repeat some aspect of the design throughout
the entire piece." The repetitive element may be a bold font, a thick line, a certain bullet, a
color, a design element, a particular format, a spatial relationship, etc. It can be anything that a
reader will visually recognize as being a “theme.” Repetition can be thought of as consistency. It
is a conscious effort to unify all parts of a design.
CONTRAST - Contrast is the most effective way to add visual interest to your page. Contrast is
also crucial to the organization of information - a reader should always be able to glance at a
document and instantly understand what's going on. Add contrast through your type face
choices, line thicknesses, colors, shapes, sizes, space, etc. The Principle of Contrast states, "If
two items are not exactly the same, then make them different. Really different."
WHITE SPACE - “White space is the art of nothing. White space is the absence of text and
graphics.” It breaks up the elements on the page. It provides visual breathing room for the eye.
Add white space to make a page less cramped, confusing, or overwhelming. White space
doesn’t actually have to be white. It gets its name from the early days of graphic design where
most printing was done on white paper. White space can be black, blue, red, etc. whatever
color the background is. White space is also referred to as “negative space”.

Prezi - is a presentation tool that can be used as an alternative to traditional slide making
programs such as PowerPoint. Instead of slides, Prezi makes use of one large canvas that allows
you to pan and zoom to various parts of the canvas and emphasize the ideas presented there.

Slideshare - is a slide hosting service, acquired by LinkedIn in 2012. It allows users to upload
files (PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote, or OpenDocument presentations), either privately or publicly

MindMeister - provides a way to visualize information in mind maps utilizing user modeling,
while also providing tools to facilitate real-time collaboration, task management and creating
presentations. By using cloud storage, MindMeister can distribute changes in mind maps in
real-time to all users on all devices. Mind maps can be shared both privately with an unlimited
amount of users and

Google Drive - is an online storage that allows you to save photos, stories, designs, drawings,
recordings, and videos online and share it with others to view, download, and collaborate.

Google Docs - allows user to create and share your work online and access
your documents from anywhere. Google Docs brings your documents to life with smart editing
and styling tools to help you easily format text and paragraphs. It allows users to easily
manage documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys, and more

Box - is an online file sharing and content management service for businesses. The company
uses a freemium business model to provide cloud storage and file hosting for personal accounts
and businesses
Facebook - is an online social networking site that allows users to communicate and stay in
touch with friends and family. It is the biggest social network of students, and is gaining ground
among professionals.

Flickr - in addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal
photographs, and effectively an online community, is widely used by photo researchers and
bloggers to host images that they embed in blogs and social media.

Instagram - is an online mobile photo-sharing site that allows users to share pictures and
videos. Users can upload media captured in any aspect ratio and apply digital filters to their
images.

LinkedIn - is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. The goal
of the site is to allow registered members to establish and document networks of people they
know and trust professionally. It is another example of social networking site, although its focus
is business and professional networking.

SnapChat allows users to talk with friends, view Live Stories from around the world, and
explore news. Snapchat evolved into a mix of private messaging and public content, including
brand networks, publications, and live events such as sports and music

Skype - owned by Microsoft, is one of the most popular communication-based social

networking platforms. It allows users to connect with people through voice calls, video calls and
text messaging.

Tumblr - is a microblogging and social networking website. The service allows users to post
multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Users can follow other users' blogs

Twitter - is an online news and social networking service where users post and interact with
messages or "tweets". It is a free application that lets users connect with people and get
information around the world in the area of politics, sports, and entertainment, news and
current events. Registered users can post tweets, but those who are unregistered can only read
them