Glossary

---

Glossary

Term	Definition
Code	Visual Basic for Applications code. See VBA and Macro.
Document	Document often refers not only to Word documents, but other types of documents as well, such as spreadsheets or presentations.
Embedded	An object that resides within a Word document, instead of as a separately linked file, is “embedded”. The alternative is to link the object or file.
Field	Regarding Word, fields are areas in the document that do not necessarily contain text, but require actions to create them. Fields are generally updateable. Some fields are form fields, mail merge fields, cross-references, bookmarks and calculations.
Forms	Documents that you can fill out, electronically or by hand. When we refer to forms in Word, we are generally referring to the creation of documents that can be filled out electronically.
Graphic	Any kind of file that is a picture, whether embedded in the document or contained in its own separate file. Other words that can mean the same thing: picture, image.
Insertion point	The location where text appears when you begin typing. You can move the insertion point with directional arrow keys on the keyboard or left-click your mouse at the desired location.
Macro	Macros are used to create a set of commands or tasks to be performed automatically. Macros are created using VBA code. See VBA.
Office clipboard	Prior to Office 2000, the Office programs used the Windows clipboard. Both clipboards temporarily store items that are copied. With Office 2000, Office brought in their own clipboard that is specific to only the Office applications, including Outlook. Many people don't like the intrusive behavior of the new Office clipboard.
Screen shot/Screen capture	An image of what you see on your screen. To get one, hit the Print Screen button on your keyboard. This copies an image of your monitor screen to the Windows clipboard. Simply go to a Word document or other application file and hit Paste. To capture only the “active window,” such as an application window, press and hold the Alt key while you hit the Print Screen button. I personally prefer to use a program called SnagIt from www.TechSmith.com for this purpose because it creates a cleaner image than Windows does.
TOC	Table of contents
Toggle	Like a light switch, some toolbar buttons and other Word settings are “toggled” on and off. This means you use the same toolbar button or keyboard shortcut to turn the option on as you do to turn it off. To start typing bolded text, hit Ctrl+B. Type your text. When you’re done, hit Ctrl+B again to “toggle” it off.
Troubleshoot	I believe this term is commonly misunderstood. Troubleshooting is not generally a one-step process, but may have many steps. If you solicit someone’s help in fixing your Word application, for example, don’t expect a one-line response. Troubleshoot could easily be replaced with “Try this and if it doesn’t work, try that…” and so forth. Generally, the easiest task with the least ramifications is performed first.
VBA	Visual Basic for Applications. This is a mini-version of Visual Basic (VB). While VB is used to create programs “from scratch,” Microsoft has included VBA with certain applications. In my book, I use the terms “VBA,” “macro,” and “code” almost interchangeably.
VBE	Visual Basic Editor. This is the application window for VBA. See VBA.

---