WORDPAD

Word processors are computer programs that allow the creation and editing of text documents on a computer . This type of software offers a large number of functionalities for writing tasks, which make work easier and enhance the creativity of its users, freeing them from pressures such as that of manual layout.

WordPad is one of the most popular word processors in the world. Developed by the North American company Microsoft , this program is part of most versions of the Windows operating system ; in other words, it is offered free of charge and allows the creation of simple documents without the need to purchase another application.

It is a basic features word processor , with far fewer features than Microsoft Word , for example. It began to be included in the operating system from Windows 95 , replacing Windows Write .

WordPad should not be confused with Notepad , another application included in Microsoft's operating system, since the latter does not allow the creation of formatted text (color and font type, margins, etc.).

Choosing between different fonts, changing the size and colors of letters, applying bold or italics, underlining words, searching within documents, and adding images and other types of objects are some of the features of WordPad.

Many versions of WordPad allow you to open documents created with Word , although formatting problems often occur. Saving in Word format, on the other hand, is not possible.

The absence of a spell checker and the inability to handle tables are among the main weaknesses of WordPad compared to other word processors. Therefore, it can be stated that WordPad is only suitable for basic tasks.

At first glance, it may seem unnecessary to include both Notepad and Wordpad in the Windows package, as both offer the least functionality of their kind . However, it is necessary to point out that they have enough tools to cover a considerable number of needs.

For example, as soon as the operating system is installed , an Internet connection is not always available, and very few end consumers purchase an office suite (such as Microsoft Office), at least by legal means. Therefore, it is common to find yourself in front of a new computer that, if not for the version of Windows that it has installed, seems deserted of applications.

When you have to wait a period of several days to access the Internet, having Wordpad can be very useful for the writing of various types of documents, especially those that do not require the creation of tables: a simple Curriculum Vitae, a monograph, a literary text of any genre or even the draft of a text that is intended to be ornamented once a more complete program has been acquired.

Notepad, on the other hand, is widely used by advanced programmers, who do not want to take advantage of the conveniences of the code editors included in integrated development environments (IDEs) such as Eclipse and Netbeans. The code of an application is not formatted, so the use of Wordpad is unnecessary in this case. However, there are slight exceptions; In the case of Python, for example, the use of tabs is mandatory, it is considered an integral part of the source code, while most languages ​​ignore it.

Today, when you have an Internet connection , there are several free products that perform much of the functions of Microsoft Word; one of the most popular is called Writer, and it is part of OpenOffice, an open source office suite. Faced with so many alternatives at zero cost, the use of Wordpad is becoming less and less necessary.