KWord/1.5/Manual/Glossary

Glossary

Aspect Ratio

This is the ratio of the measurement of a screen, picture or document horizontally compared to the vertical measurement. All standard computer monitors have the same aspect ratio, regardless of their resolution. Any KWord document that conforms to the standard screen will look good on any monitor.

For many images, it is important to maintain the aspect ratio. This prevents distortion to the picture.

Binary code

Binary code is the actual instructions for the computer. So if we refer to binaries we mean the executable KWord program. While computers have no difficulties reading binary files, they are not easily understood by people. Compare this distribution method to Source Code. For more information on compiling KWord, see the section entitled Installation

Bitmap Image

Bit mapped images are composed of individual dots. This type of file is very good for photographs and complex drawings. The downside of using bitmap images, is that when you change the size of the image on the page, there is a loss of detail. The file names of such pictures often end in jpeg, png or gif.

Cells

Tables are made up of rows and columns of cells. Each cell is defined by a combination of the row and column of a heading.

Clipboard

The clipboard is a temporary storage area in memory. Whenever you use the Cut or Copy command, you are placing the object that was selected into this memory location. Then when you use the Paste command, you insert the information from the clipboard into the document. For more information see the section on Cut/Copy/Paste.

Compiling

When you compile a program, you are converting it from a source file (which is easily edited by a programmer) into a binary file (which the computer uses). Compare this distribution method to Binary Code.

Compiling programs is not as easy as installing binary versions. Users who are only interested in using KWord are encouraged to find a binary version of KWord for their computer. For users who want to learn more about programming, more information on compiling KWord is available in the section entitled Installation.

Custom Variables

Using custom variables you can store certain values (e.g. numbers or text) for later use in your document or in a script. If you want to find out more about custom variables, see Document Variables.

DEB

This is a binary file format that is used by Debian and Debian-based distributions. This will be the suffix of a file specifically for these distributions. An example would be "koffice-1.2.deb". For more information on installing these files, refer to the Debian Web Site.

Dialog Box

A dialog box is a small window that appears on top of your working document. This window usually has questions, information or configuration options related to the task you are performing. When you are finished with the dialog box, it will disappear and return you to your document (possibly after making some changes to the document).

DTP

Stands for DeskTop Publishing.

FAQ

Stands for Frequently Asked Questions and normally means a document, where questions that arise many times are answered. If you have a question to the developers of KOffice, you should always have a look at the FAQ first; you can find the latest version here.

File Mask

A file mask can be thought of as a strainer for you. On the average computer, there are several thousand files. These files are sorted into sub-directories, but it is not uncommon for many users to have 100's of data files in a single sub-directory.

Fortunately for us, most applications use a suffix to their filenames. By applying a file mask, KWord will only show you the files which are not filtered out by the mask. (That is to say KWord only shows the files that fit through the strainer). This can be helpful if you have many files from many different applications. The file mask is incorporated in the Filter: line of the Save Document and Open Document dialog boxes.

As an example. If you use a file mask for KWord files, the file mask will try to filter out all files that are not for KWord.

Filter

A filter takes a document file from one program (e.g. Microsoft® Word), and filters out the text and formatting information and converts that information into a KWord document. Filters are used to read and write files for other programs. More information on the filters included with KWord is available in the section entitled Import/Export Filters.

Footer

The footer of a page is an area below the normal text area. Often it contains the page numbering and maybe some additional information. The contents of the footer are normally the same for most pages, and changing the footer on one page will change all other pages as well. See Header.

Frame

Nearly everything in KWord is in a frame. Text is always in a text frame. Pictures are in picture frames. Parts are in part frames. A frame is basically just a rectangle that can contain some part of your document. Frames can be moved, resized, deleted etc.

Frameset

A frame-set is a group of frames which are connected together. If you are writing text that does not fit into the first frame of a frame-set, it will continue in the next frame belonging to that frame-set.

FTP

FTP is the File Transfer Protocol; it is an Internet protocol that allows you to retrieve files from so-called FTP servers. If you want to download KOffice from the Internet, you will probably use FTP.

Hard Frame Break

Normally, KWord automatically adjusts text so it fits into a text frame. By inserting a hard frame break you can force KWord to always start the next frame in the frameset with the text that follows the break.

Hanging indention

A paragraph where the first line of the paragraph extends outwards to the left compared with other lines in the paragraph.

Header

The header of a page is an area above the normal text area. Often it contains the page numbering and maybe some additional information. The contents of the header normally are the same for most pages, and changing the header on one page will change all other pages as well. See Footer.

HTML

Stands for HyperText Markup Language. Most web pages on the Internet are written in HTML. KWord can read and write HTML documents for publishing on the World Wide Web.

Hue

Hue is a more technically correct term for what we generally refer to as color.

Examples of hues include red, green, blue and purple.

Inline frame

An inline frame is a special frame type in KWord. Inline frames are associated with a position in a text frame. KWord will keep the inline frame near the specified text. You will not be able to determine where exactly on a page the frame will appear, but it will be located close to the specified text.

If you insert or delete text in front of the specified text, the inline image will move up or down the page to follow the specified text

Tip

Inline frames are very useful when they contain a picture, graph or figure. Simply place the inline frame within the text which describes the object, and KWord will make sure both the text and the inline frame are always near each other.

KDE

Stands for theK Desktop Environment. Part of KDE is required for KWord to operate. The K Desktop Environment is a user interface which allows users to manipulate files and operate programs graphically. For more information, please visit http://www.kde.org.

Key Binding

All of the features of KWord are available through the menubar. You will find, however, that there are certain features of KWord that you use on a regular basis. You can bind a certain key combination to that function. Once this combination is bound to the function, you can use it as a shortcut to the function. KWord comes with several predefined key-bindings. For more information on changing the default key-bindings, click here.

Landscape

When you have a standard sheet of paper, you can either orient your document with the long side vertically or horizontally. When the horizontal dimension is greater than the vertical, this is termed Landscape.

Example:

Compare with Portrait.

Menubar

The menubar is located at the top of the KWord screen. You can use it to access all features of KWord.

Menubar:

Portrait

When you have a standard sheet of paper, you can either orient your document with the long side vertically or horizontally. When the vertical dimension is greater than the horizontal, this is termed Portrait.

Example:

Compare with Landscape.

RPM

This is the binary file format for distributions based on the Red Hat® package manager, a widely used packaging tool for the Linux® operating system. If you still have to get KOffice and your system supports RPM packages, you should get KOffice packages ending in .rpm. They are very easy to use.

Saturation

Saturation refers to the subjective quantity of a specific hue in a color. Colors with a low saturation appear more white. Colors with high saturation appear more richly colored.

This is a set of four red dots which increase in saturation from left to right.

Scaling Pictures

Whenever you change the size of a graphics image, you are scaling that image. In KWord you scale the pictures by changing the shape of the frame which surrounds the graphic.

Source Code

Source code is the human readable version of an application (such as KWord). Computers cannot use source code directly. Instead, source code must be compiled into binary code, before use.

TAR

Tar gets its name historically from 'Tape Archive', and is a tool used for the archiving of files in so-called tar-files or tarballs which you recognize by their suffix .tar. You can find KOffice source and binary distributions as gzipped tar-files; however, you should not use them if there are special packages for your system and package manager. See RPM, DEB.

tar.gz

See TGZ.

TGZ

Files ending in .tar.gz or .tgz are tar-files compressed with the gzip program. This makes the tar files smaller and quicker to download. You can find KOffice source and binary distributions in this format; however, you should not use them if there are special packages for your system and package manager. See RPM, DEB.

Toolbar

A toolbar is a line of buttons which are shortcuts to more of the commonly used features of KWord. More information on toolbars can be found here.

Example Toolbar:

URL

URL is an abbreviation for Universal Resource Locator. A universal resource locator is the technical term for what is commonly referred to as a website's address.

Examples of URLs include http://www.koffice.org and http://www.kde.org

Value (color)

Color value refers to how bright or dark a color is. Colors with low value are more black in appearance. Colors with high value are more richly colored.

This is a set of four red dots which increase in value from left to right.

Vector Image

A vector based graphic is described in terms of lines and shapes, not in terms of dots. These files scale better than bit-mapped images.

WYSIWYG

Stands for What You See Is What You Get. KWord is a WYSIWYG word processor, which means that the document will appear the same on the screen while you are editing it, as it will on the printed page.

X Window System®

The X Window System® (also known simply as “X”) is required for KOffice to operate. More information on X Window System® for Linux® can be found at http://www.xfree86.org

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