Word processor

A word processor (also more formally known as a document preparation system) is a computer application used for the production (including composition, editing, formatting, and possibly printing) of any sort of viewable or printed material.

Characteristics

The 'word processing' typically refers to text manipulation functions such as automatic generation of

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• batch mailing using a form letter template and an address database (aka mail merging),
• index of keywords and their page numbers,
• table of contents with section titles and their page numbers,
• table of figures with caption titles and their page numbers,
• 'see also' cross referencing with page numbers.

Page number and footnote information is extremely hard to maintain without a word processor because addition or deleting of text can affect pagination; that is, page numbers can change in each edition.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other word processing functions include spelling and grammar checking.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Word processors can be distinguished from several other, related forms of software:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Text editor programs were the precursors of word processors. While offering facilities for composing and editing text, they do not offer direct support for document formatting. Batch document processing systems, starting with TJ-2 and RUNOFF, and still extant in such systems as LaTeX (as well as programs that implement the paged-media extensions to HTML and CSS), fill this gap. Text editors are now used mainly by programmers and web site designers for creating and modifying computer programs, and by computer system administrators for creating and editing configuration files.

Related Topics:
Text editor - TJ-2 - RUNOFF - LaTeX - HTML - CSS - Programmer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later desktop publishing programs, meanwhile, were specifically designed to allow elaborate layout for publication, but offer only limited support for editing. Typically, desktop publishing programs allow users to import text that they have written using a text editor or word processor.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The word processor has become a central component of the office suite and is increasingly only available in this form, rather than as a standalone program.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~