More of this Feature • Part 1: Opening Word • Part 2: The Toolbars • Part 3: The Task Pane

Related Terms • Macro • Cursor • Insert Mode • Track Changes

Elsewhere on the Web • Status Bar Shortcuts

At the very bottom of the Word window is the status bar. This often overlooked feature of the window provides important information about the cursor’s position in the document, in addition to offering functionality. The left-most side of the status bar shows the page number, section number, and the vertical and horizontal position of the cursor, among other things.



Double clicking anywhere on this portion of the bar will bring up the Go to tab of the Find and Replace dialog box, where you can quickly specify where you would like to position the cursor in the document.



For short documents such as letters, it is easy enough to scroll to find the place you want the cursor to appear. For larger, multi-page documents, the Go to feature will greatly reduce the time you spend scrolling through text.

Next to the cursor position information are several toggle buttons that provide quick access to Word features. When they are off, the lettering appears in faint gray; double clicking the buttons will turn the feature on, and the text appears in black. From left to right the buttons are:

• REC: The record macro button
• TRK: The track changes button
• EXT: The extend selection button
• OVR: The overtype button