Unit 4. Working with text (I)

In this unit we’ll learn how to change the text properties and to create CSS styles, that will allows us to assign styles to our texts.

The Selected text format can be defined through the Text menu, and through the Properties inspector. We’ll see the alternatives offered by the Properties inspector, although they are less than the ones the Text menu offers.

 Format: 

Here we’ll select a paragraph format previously designed for HTML, it can be header, paragraph or pre-formatted. The headings are used to establish titles inside a document. The preformatted format works to make the text appear such as it has been written. For example, if between two words you introduce many spaces they will be considered as only one but when you establish the preformatted format, the spaces will not be changed.

 Size: 

Lets you change the text size. We can indicate the size in different units, such as pixels, centimeters, etc..

 Color: 

Lets you select the font color, ignoring the defined color in the Page properties. If no color has been established here or in the Page properties, the text color will be black by default.

 Style: 

These buttons let you establish whether the text will be bold or italic. Through the Text menu you can underline the text and do many other things. This option isn’t in the Properties panel. It’s rarely used because links are underlined, and thus, underlining normal text could make users think it’s a link.

 Align: 

Through these buttons it’s possible to establish the text aligment in four different ways: left, center, right and justified.

 List: 

These buttons allow you to create bullet lists, or enumerated ones.

 Text indent: 

These two buttons let you set, or clear the text indent. The text indent is a kind of margin which is established at both sides of a text. In this case, buttons are referred to the text left indent.

 To practice you can perform the Step by step exercises to insert text and modify it’s properties

You can insert text in a list mode. and this list can be enumerated or with bullets.

To make a list from a previously introduced text in the document, you just have to select it and click on the right list option, through the Properties inspector, or through the Text menu.

The bullet list (unordered) is selected through the  button, while the enumerated list (ordered) is selected through the  button.

Example of a enumerated list (ordered):

1. Pack the bag
1. Pull out the books of that day
2. Introduce the books of the next day
2. Put on my pijamas
3. Brush my teeth
4. Turn on the alarm

Example of a list with bullets (unordered):

• Dog
• Cat
• Birds
  • Canary
  • Parrot
• Hamster

To establish lists nested inside others, such as the previous examples, you need to add a text indent to the elements of the list you want to be part of the nested list.

Through the Text menu, and then the List option, it’s possible to access the properties of the selected list. You need to previously select the text list or have the cursor in any part of the list to activate this submenu.

In the List properties window you can specify the list types (with numbers or bullets), the type of the numbers or bullets you will use (in the Style field), and in case of ordered lists, the number where the count starts.