Text Editors & Word Processors

Text Editors

Computers are essentially simple gadgets. The basic unit of data is the Byte. A byte is a number comprising eight binary digits (Bits). In human terms this a number between 0 and 255. Of these, the first half, 0 to 127, is used to represent characters, (letters, both capitals and lower-case, numbers and punctuation), together with certain instructions like 'new line' and 'backspace'. The upper half of these numbers represent characters typical to foreign languages and other symbols. Text editors can only deal with the lower half of these characters.

As a result text files can be displayed in only one font at a time at one size.

Word Processors

Word Processors on the other hand can do much more. Many computers, these days, come with Microsoft Works, a suite of programs which contain a word processor. If you haven't got Microsoft Works on your computer a good alternative is the free suite Open Office is a good alternative. Get someone to show you how to download it and install it. Click here for Tutorials in Open Office.

Imports

Another feature of Word Processors which is not available in a text editor is the ability to insert files created by other applications. Such as photographs, cartoons (clip art), diagrams and tables

Why use a Word Processor

You may have wondered what the advantages are of a computer over a good old-fashioned typewriter. First, if the computer is a laptop it is a lot lighter. Secondly the computer can hold a lot of material. A novel occupies no more than a few MegaBytes. Thirdly you can send your work anywhere electronically. Fourthly, and this is probably the most useful, You don't have to start at the beginning and plow through to the end. You can start at the end and then write the story that leads up to that point.

If Jules Verne had had a laptop, imagine him thinking about going around the world in, say, 24 hours. One way you would be going round the world in apparently two days. In the opposite direction You would be going with the sun and no time would appear to pass. This would give the ending and the rest is just hard work.

Some writers put down their story in outline form and then go through it expanding it as they go.

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