How does the insertion point move?

The insertion point for text appears as a flashing vertical bar. As you type text, the flashing vertical bar moves to the right of the text you type.

A text insertion point also defines the place in the text where you want to paste cut or copied items or, with the Text Editor, insert files and templates. The copied, cut, or inserted item(s) are pasted or inserted to the left of the insertion point.

When you insert a page break with the Text Editor, the page break is inserted in its own line to the left of the insertion point.

In the name and value fields of the Waveform Editor, a selected node or group is an insertion point. When you insert a node in the Waveform Editor, the node is placed above the insertion point.

The text you type appears wherever the insertion/cursor point is positioned in the current document. Moving the insertion point around the screen is a critical part of creating and editing documents. To move the insertion point around the screen, you can use either the keyboard or the mouse. Table 1-1 lists ways to move the insertion point by using keystrokes.

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To use the mouse to move the insertion point, first position the desired section of text in the document window by using the scroll bars. Then, position the mouse pointer in the desired location and click the left mouse button. If you are using a Microsoft IntelliMouse, you can display and move the insertion point to a different part of the document by using the wheel button.

Do not use the Enter key to move the insertion point unless you want to add hard returns, or blank lines, to your document. If, however, you want to move the insertion point to an area of your document into which you have not yet entered text, you need to press the Enter key until the insertion point is positioned in the desired location.

KeystrokeResultUp, Down, Left, or Right ArrowMoves the insertion point to the previous or next line or character.Page UpMoves the insertion point up one screen.Page DownMoves the insertion point down one screen.HomeMoves the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.EndMoves the insertion point to the end of the current line.Ctrl+HomeMoves the insertion point to the beginning of the document.Ctrl+EndMoves the insertion point to the end of the document.Ctrl+ Page DownMoves the insertion point to the top of the next page.Ctrl+Page UpMoves the insertion point to the top of the previous page.

Table 1-1: Moving the Insertion Point by Using Keystrokes

You can also use Word’s Find feature to help you move the insertion point. Instead of scrolling or paging through the document to find occurrences of specific text, you can have Word perform the search by defining the desired text on the Find and Replace dialog box’s Find tab. Figure 1-4 illustrates the Find tab. Finding is not limited to letters and numbers; you can search for a phrase, including punctuation and spaces, as well.

When Word finds the desired text in the document, it highlights the text, suspends the search, and leaves the Find and Replace dialog box open. You can then place the insertion point at the found text, move to the next occurrence of the text, or end the search. If the text cannot be found in the current document, Word displays a message box indicating the text does not appear in the document.

In Word 2013 the find option also activates the Navigation Pane to search within a documents.

The Replace option helps to replace the particular word selected or it changes the particular word throughout the document. This feature saves our time in searching the word and replacing one by one.

If you're new to Microsoft Word, you'll need to learn the basics of typing, editing, and organizing text. Basic tasks include the ability to add, delete, and move text in your document, as well as how to cut, copy, and paste.

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Watch the video below to learn the basics of working with text in Word.

Using the insertion point to add text

The insertion point is the blinking vertical line in your document. It indicates where you can enter text on the page. You can use the insertion point in a variety of ways.

• Blank document: When a new blank document opens, the insertion point will appear in the top-left corner of the page. If you want, you can begin typing from this location.
  
• Adding spaces: Press the spacebar to add spaces after a word or in between text.
  
• New paragraph line: Press Enter on your keyboard to move the insertion point to the next paragraph line.
  
• Manual placement: Once you begin typing, you can use the mouse to move the insertion point to a specific place in your document. Simply click the location in the text where you want to place it.

• Arrow keys: You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the insertion point. The left and right arrow keys will move between adjacent characters on the same line, while the up and down arrows will move between paragraph lines. You can also press Ctrl+Left or Ctrl+Right to quickly move between entire words.

In a new blank document, you can double-click the mouse to move the insertion point elsewhere on the page.

Selecting text

Before you can move or format text, you'll need to select it. To do this, click and drag your mouse over the text, then release the mouse. A highlighted box will appear over the selected text.

When you select text or images in Word, a hover toolbar with command shortcuts will appear. If the toolbar does not appear at first, try hovering the mouse over the selection.

To select multiple lines of text:

1. Move the mouse pointer to the left of any line so it becomes a right slanted arrow.
   
2. Click the mouse. The line will be selected.
   
3. To select multiple lines, click and drag the mouse up or down.
   
4. To select all of the text in your document, choose the Select command on the Home tab, then click Select All. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+A on your keyboard.
   

Other shortcuts include double-clicking to select a word and triple-clicking to select an entire sentence or paragraph.

To delete text:

There are several ways to delete—or remove—text:

• To delete text to the left of the insertion point, press the Backspace key on your keyboard.
• To delete text to the right of the insertion point, press the Delete key on your keyboard.
• Select the text you want to remove, then press the Delete key.

If you select text and start typing, the selected text will automatically be deleted and replaced with the new text.

Copying and moving text

Word allows you to copy text that's already in your document and paste it in other places, which can save you a lot of time and effort. If you want to move text around in your document, you can cut and paste or drag and drop.

To copy and paste text:

1. Select the text you want to copy.
   
2. Click the Copy command on the Home tab. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+C on your keyboard.
   
3. Place the insertion point where you want the text to appear.
   
4. Click the Paste command on the Home tab. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+V on your keyboard.
   
5. The text will appear.
   

To cut and paste text:

1. Select the text you want to cut.
2. Click the Cut command on the Home tab. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+X on your keyboard.
   
3. Place your insertion point where you want the text to appear.
   
4. Click the Paste command on the Home tab. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+V on your keyboard.
5. The text will appear.
   

You can also cut, copy, and paste by right-clicking your document and choosing the desired action from the drop-down menu. When you use this method to paste, you can choose from three options that determine how the text will be formatted: Keep Source Formatting, Merge Formatting, and Keep Text Only. You can hover the mouse over each icon to see what it will look like before you select it.

To drag and drop text:

1. Select the text you want to move.
   
2. Click and drag the text to the location where you want it to appear. A small rectangle will appear below the arrow to indicate that you are moving text.
   
3. Release the mouse, and the text will appear.
   

If text does not appear in the exact location you want, you can press the Enter key on your keyboard to move the text to a new line.

Undo and Redo

Let's say you're working on a document and accidentally delete some text. Fortunately, you won't have to retype everything you just deleted! Word allows you to undo your most recent action when you make a mistake like this.

To do this, locate and select the Undo command on the Quick Access Toolbar. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+Z on your keyboard. You can continue using this command to undo multiple changes in a row.

By contrast, the Redo command allows you to reverse the last undo. You can also access this command by pressing Ctrl+Y on your keyboard.

Symbols

If you need to insert an unusual character that's not on your keyboard, such as a copyright (©) or trademark (™) symbol, you can usually find them with the Symbol command.

Where does the insertion point move?

Which group of keys move the insertion point?