Home
>
Software
>
10 Ways to Learn a Software

10 Ways to Learn a Software

Following tips help you to learn a software in lesser time and in an efficient manner:

1. After installing a software package, look for any README file in the installed folder. Besides company and product details, it may give an overview of features, usages and limitations of the software.

2. Next run the software and have a feel of the look of the software. Identify the different parts of its main screen.

3. Look for the information shown in the TITLE-BAR of the main screen. Usually, it shows the product name. If the application is SDI (Single Document Interface like Notepad) or MDI (Multiple Document Interface like MS Word) then title-bar will also contain name of the opened file. Similarly, there may be STATUS-BAR at the bottom that shows the operation being performed.

4. Then comes the main MENU-BAR. Most of the GUI based software have common menu-items. So its better to learn once-for-all. Some of the common menu-items are:

FILE, EDIT, VIEW, TOOLS, WINDOWS, HELP.

Each of these names are intuitive itself.

-The FILE menu will have operations NEW, OPEN, SAVE, SAVE AS, PAGE SETUP, PRINT,CLOSE and EXIT.

-Similarly, EDIT menu contains editing operations like CUT, COPY, PASTE, FIND AND REPLACE.

-The VIEW menu helps in controlling the view of the software GUI. You can switch on-off various toolbars.

-The TOOLS menu usually have options to customize the software you like and also other supporting functionalities like Read-Aloud function in a word processor package.

-The HELP menu may contain GETTING STARTED tutorial, detailed indexed and searchable help and ofcourse, a popup dialog-box that shows information about the software. It may also contain a link to website of the product.

5. Once acquainted with different menu and their menu-items, look at each menu again to find shortcuts to them. For example, Alt+F will take you to File menu. Some common shortcuts are:

Ctrl+N - New
Ctrl+O - Open
Ctrl+S - Save
Ctrl+Shift+S - Save As
Ctrl+P - Print
Ctrl+X - Cut
Ctrl+C - Copy
Ctrl+V - Paste
Ctrl+F - Find

6. Next have a look on various tool-bars that are present below menu-bars. They provide a visual shortcut to the desired operation. Examples are a paper folder on top right corner for NEW, an opened folder for OPEN, a scissor for CUT, two papers for COPY, a paper on clamp-pad for PASTE, floppy icon for SAVE and printer ICON for PRINT. A book or question mark icon represents HELP.

7. If the package is a development tool then start with the sample applications provided with it. It will help you understand what functionality level the package can provide. Also, you may need not start your application from scratch; it can be dervied from one of the sample application (provided source code is available).

8. Mostly, the menu-item name will tell its functionality. Even if it does then also try each operation available in the package.

9. You can master a software with its usage and little study. The best place for getting some help is the in-built help provided in the package itself.

10. Remember Internet is always there to solve your problem. Use a search-engine with appropriate phrase to get the best material available as solution to your query. You can visit my website: http://www.geocities.com/zainvi_sf for Tips and Tricks for various softwares, programming langauages and links to ther useful material available on the Internet.

Syed Feroz Zainvi has obtained M.Tech. (Comp Sc & Engg) degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (INDIA). His areas of interests are distributed computing, computer graphics and Internet Technologies. Currently, he is involved in Software Project Planning, Development and Management. His other interests include writing for magazines and contributing utility softwares on Magazine's CDs. He also have flair for teaching computer science with new teaching methodologies.

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.