21.01.

2025, 14:59 Intro Chapter - Windows, Office, and File Management

Intro Chapter - Windows, Office, and File

Management

SLO INTRO. 6

Using the Ribbon, Tabs, and Quick Access Toolbar

Use the Ribbon, tabs, groups, buttons, drop-down lists, dialog boxes, task panes, galleries, and the Quick
Access toolbar to modify your Office files. This section describes different tools used to customize your files.

The Ribbon, Tabs, and Groups

The Ribbon, which appears at the top of an Office file window, displays the many features available. The
Ribbon is a collection of tabs. Each tab includes groups of commands. The tabs and groups available vary for
each Office application. Click a tab to display the groups and commands available on that tab.
Some tabs always display on the Ribbon (for example, the File tab and Home tabs). Other tabs are
contextual, which means that they only appear on the Ribbon when you select a specific object. Figure Intro-75
displays the contextual Table Design tab that displays in Word when you open a table.

Figure Intro-75 Contextual Table Design tab displayed

MORE INFO
The Ribbon may appear slightly different depending on the version of Office you are using.

Ribbon Display Options

The Ribbon displays by default in Office applications, and you can customize the appearance of the Ribbon.
The Ribbon Display Options button is in the bottom-right corner of the Ribbon (Figure Intro-76). Click the
Ribbon Display Options button to select one of three options:

Full-screen mode: Maximizes the window and hides the Ribbon. Click the top of the window to display the
Ribbon.
Show tabs only: Displays Ribbon tabs only. Click a tab to display the Ribbon with commands.
Always show Ribbon: Displays the Ribbon and tabs, which is the default setting in Office applications.

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Figure Intro-76 Ribbon Display Options

drop-down list

MORE INFO
Ctrl+F1 collapses or expands the Ribbon. Also, double-click a tab name on the Ribbon to collapse or expand it.

Buttons, Drop-Down Lists, and Galleries

Groups on each of the tabs contain a variety of buttons, drop-down lists, and galleries. The following list
describes each of these features and how they are used:

Button: Applies a feature to selected text or an object. Click a button to apply the feature (Figure Intro-77).
Several buttons are toggle buttons meaning that you click one time to apply a command or feature and click
a second time to turn off the command or feature.

Figure Intro-77 Bold button in the Font group

on the Home tab

Drop-down list: Displays the various options available for a command. Some buttons are drop-down lists
only, so when you click these buttons a drop-down list of options appears (Figure Intro-78). Other buttons
are split buttons, which have both a button you click to apply a feature and an arrow you click to display a
drop-down list of options (Figure Intro-79).

Figure Intro-79 Merge &

Figure Intro-78 Orientation Center split button—button
drop-down list and drop-down list

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Gallery: Displays a collection of option buttons. Click an option in a gallery to apply the feature. Figure Intro-
80 is the Styles gallery. Click the More button to display the entire gallery of options or click the Up or Down
arrow to display a different row of options.

Figure Intro-80 Styles gallery in Word

Dialog Boxes, Task Panes, and Launchers

Office application features are also available in a dialog box or task pane. A launcher, which is a small square
that displays in the bottom right of some groups, opens a dialog box or displays a task pane when clicked (see
Figure Intro-82).

Dialog box: A new window that opens to display additional features. Move a dialog box by clicking and
dragging the Title bar. The Title bar appears at the top of the dialog box and displays the title. Figure Intro-
81 shows the Format Cells dialog box that opens after you click the Alignment launcher in Excel.

Figure Intro-81 Format Cells dialog box

Task pane: Opens on the left or right of an Office application window. Figure Intro-82 shows the Clipboard
pane, which is available in all Office applications. Task panes are named according to their purpose (for
example, Clipboard pane, Editor pane, or Navigation pane). You can resize a task pane by clicking and
dragging its left or right border. Click the X in the upper-right corner to close a task pane.

Figure Intro-82 Clipboard pane

ScreenTips
ScreenTips display descriptive information about a button, drop-down list, launcher, or gallery selection. When
you place your pointer on an item on the Ribbon, a ScreenTip displays information about the selection (Figure
Intro-83). The ScreenTip appears temporarily and displays the command name, keyboard shortcut (if
available), and a description of the command.

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Figure Intro-83 Align Left

ScreenTip

Radio Buttons, Check Boxes, and Text Boxes

Dialog boxes and task panes contain a variety of options you can apply using radio buttons, check boxes,
text boxes, drop-down lists, and other buttons (Figure Intro-84).

Figure Intro-84 Page Setup dialog box in Excel

Radio button: A round button you click to select one option from a group of options. A selected radio button
displays a colored dot inside the round button. Radio buttons are mutually exclusive.
Check box: A square button you click to select one or more options. A check appears in a selected check box.
Text box: An area where you type text.
A task pane or dialog box may also include drop-down lists or other buttons that open additional dialog
boxes. Figure Intro-84 shows the Page Setup dialog box in Excel, which includes a variety of radio buttons,
check boxes, text boxes, drop-down lists, and command buttons that open additional dialog boxes (for example,
the Print and Options buttons).

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar contains buttons to apply commonly used commands such as New, Open, and
Quick Print. The Quick Access toolbar can display above or below the Ribbon, or it can be hidden. Figure Intro-
85 shows the Quick Access toolbar displayed below the Ribbon in Excel.

Figure Intro-85 Quick Access toolbar displayed below the Ribbon in Excel

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Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

You can customize the Quick Access toolbar to include commands you regularly use, such as Quick Print, New,
Open, and Editor (or Spelling & Grammar). The following steps show how to customize the Quick Access
toolbar in Word. The customization process is similar for the Quick Access toolbar in the other Office
applications.

HOW TO: Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

1. Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop-down list on the right edge of the Quick Access toolbar (Figure Intro-
86).

Figure Intro-86 Add a command to the Quick

Access toolbar (displayed above the Ribbon)

If the Quick Access toolbar does not display, click the Ribbon Display Options button (bottom-right corner or
Ribbon) or right-click the Ribbon and select Show Quick Access Toolbar.
Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop-down list and select Show Above the Ribbon or Show Below to
Ribbon to customize placement of the Ribbon.
2. Select a command to add to the Quick Access toolbar. The command displays on the Quick Access toolbar.
Select a checked item to remove it from the Quick Access toolbar.
3. Add a command that is not listed on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar by clicking the Customize Quick Access
Toolbar drop-down list and selecting More Commands. The Word Options dialog box opens (Figure Intro-87).

Figure Intro-87 Customize the Quick Access toolbar in the Word Options dialog box

4. Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop-down list on the right and select For all documents or the current
document.
Select For all documents, to apply the change to the Quick Access toolbar for all documents you open in Word.
Select the current document to apply the change to the Quick Access toolbar in that document only.
5. Select the command to add from the alphabetic list of commands on the left and click the Add button.
If you can’t find a command, click the Choose commands from drop-down list and select All Commands.
The list on the right contains the commands that display on the Quick Access toolbar.
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6. Rearrange commands on the Quick Access toolbar by selecting a command in the list on the right and clicking the Move
Up or Move Down button.
7. Click OK to close the Word Options dialog box.

ANOTHER WAY
To remove an item from the Quick Access toolbar, right-click an item and select Remove from Quick Access
Toolbar.

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