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.
Benton shuttle to Midway .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMicrosoft CRM and IBM Lotus Notes Domino seem to be... Read More
We would like first emphasize the change in the paradigm.... Read More
If you are to buy a HelpDesk & Asset Management... Read More
It could just be me, but my experiences with document... Read More
Currently Microsoft Business Solutions is on the way of creating... Read More
Linux essentials:It's free for download but you have to pay... Read More
With so many Microsoft Windows related viruses, errors, and other... Read More
We'll give you non formal view, based on our consulting... Read More
Google Inc. has launched a new software package that allows... Read More
What is installation in the language of technology? Installation... Read More
SAP Inc., a global leader in client/server enterprise application software... Read More
Formatting and reinstalling windows 98 is very easy if you... Read More
With thousands of web pages added to the Net every... Read More
ERP is the acronym of Enterprise Resource Planning. Multi-module ERP... Read More
Domino server is a buffer between the operation system and... Read More
Security flaws have long plagued Internet Explorer (IE), the market-dominating... Read More
Microsoft PowerPoint has dramatically changed the way in which academic... Read More
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a way for a site... Read More
What is Interactive Mapping?Interactive mapping is a visual display medium... Read More
When Great Plains Software introduced the first graphical accounting application... Read More
What is Colossus?Colossus is software licensed to about twenty-five insurance... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft CRM become more and more... Read More
If you are in a business that passes documents around... Read More
All your software is stored on a hard-drive. But how... Read More
Preventive Maintenance (PM) is defined as scheduled work done on... Read More
limousine Chicago airport Arthur ..Ok... Where to start?Well, I guess I will start at... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More
Google Inc. has launched a new software package that allows... Read More
This short paper will expand on two key reasons to... Read More
Java has come along a long way. Many would agree... Read More
Should one use Windows Update?This topic has good and valid... Read More
We would like to give you pluses and minuses of... Read More
This article is the fourth of a series of articles... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics, eEnterprise has... Read More
Here is some free software tools to help you build... Read More
Just imagine: you are walking, say, towards your car, and... Read More
Follow the steps below to quickly design, generate, and deploy... Read More
Icons are used everywhere; right from software applications, to internet... Read More
With thousands of web pages added to the Net every... Read More
I have always regretted how Microsoft price gouges and rips... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains is one of the Microsoft Business Solutions... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains ? ERM from Microsoft Business Solutions and... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains and MS CRM (client relation... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very popular ERP platform... Read More
Now is the time to look at an alternative to... Read More
The research in the field of Natural Language Processing usually... Read More
You turn on your computer, and it doesn't look quite... Read More
Every organization which creates collaborative documents, whether they are budgets,... Read More
Spyware, what it is and what it does. Basically, spyware... Read More
Each Industry and market niche has business specific and unique... Read More
Software |