A mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface.

Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons. The mouse sometimes features other elements, such as "wheels", which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features that can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion typically translates into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows for fine control of a graphical user interface.

Audience analysis Formal definition and introduction Parts list Visual

Technical Description of a Computer Mouse

The audience is high school seniors who are training to be volunteer computer lab assistants at a local elderly community center. They have a good deal of experience using computer technology, including computer mice, but have most likely never examined how mice are put together or how they work. They will need to know how the individual parts of the mouse work and how they work together in case they need to repair a mouse. Although familiar with how to use a mouse, they will still need a simplified description of how to use it so they can help teach their clients who are unfamiliar with computer technology. A mouse is an external computer hardware device that allows a user to control the motion of a computer cursor and select objects on the screen by moving and clicking the device. During the 1980s, computer mice became the dominant way for people to interface with personal computers after testing with various devices showed it to be the most convenient and simple to use. The mouse works on the basic principle that the movement of the device is translated into the movement of the cursor on the screen. Parts: Top casing Rightclick cover Leftclick cover Scroll wheel Bottom casing Track ball Internal circuit board Connecting wire/cord Plug
Figure 1.1 Top view of mouse and cord. Part definition and function Part definition and function Visual Part definition and function Visual

Word
Opening Microsoft Word Documents
We'll shortly add an address to the top of our Library Complaint letter. Before we do that, we'll learn how to open a file. After all, you might have closed down Microsoft Word, or your computer might have crashed. The result being that you no longer have your library letter loaded into Word. So here's how to Open a file you have saved, and want to work on again. From the File menu, click Open:

The Open dialogue box appears, and looks like the image below:

The Open dialogue box looks very similar to the Save As dialogue box. "Save in", "File name", and "Files of type" work in exactly the same way as the Save As dialogue box. Notice, though that the File name text box is blank, and the Open button is not available. It has been greyed out. The reason that the Open button is greyed out, and therefore not available, is that text box is empty. Once you select a file, the Open button will be ready for us.

But the text box is empty because no file has been selected. A file is selected from the larger white area in the middle. Clicking on the file once with the left hand mouse button will select a file. In the previous image, there was only one file available for selection - a document called "rrKeyCaps.doc". That is not the one we want. To locate the file we want, we need to open the folder called "My WP Projects". Because that's where we saved it. You can see from the image that this folder is in the list of folders, just below the folder called My Pictures:

You can see also that we are in the folder called My Documents. To open up the folder we want, simply double click it. This will take us inside the My WP Projects:

The whole Open dialogue box now looks like this:

The file we want, Library Letter, has been clicked on. As a result, the Open button is no longer greyed out. We can go ahead and click it. When we do, our letter will open in Microsoft Word.

To recap then on how to open a file. Do the following

Navigate to the folder where Click on the file to select it Click the Open button

the file was saved

OK, now that you know how to Open a file, we can start adding the address to our letter

Using a computer to create, edit, and print documents. Of all computer applications, word processing is the most common. To perform word processing, you need a computer, a special program called a word processor, and a printer. A word processor enables you to create a document, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a printer. The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document. If you make a typing mistake, you simply back up the cursor and correct your mistake. If you want to delete a paragraph, you simply remove it, without leaving a trace. It is equally easy to insert a word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document. Word processors also make it easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document, or between documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can send the file to a printer to get a hardcopy. Word processors vary considerably, but all word processors support the following basic features: Using a computer to create, edit, and print documents. Of all computer applications, word processing is the most common. To perform word processing, you need a computer, a special program called a word processor, and a printer. A word processor enables you to create a document, store it electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commands and characters from the keyboard, and print it on a printer. The great advantage of word processing over using a typewriter is that you can make changes without retyping the entire document. If you make a typing mistake, you simply back up the cursor and correct your mistake. If you want to delete a paragraph, you simply remove it, without leaving a trace. It is equally easy to insert a word, sentence, or paragraph in the middle of a document. Word processors also make it easy to move sections of text from one place to another within a document, or between documents. When you have made all the changes you want, you can send the file to a printer to get a hardcopy. Word processors vary considerably, but all word processors support the following basic features: