Since KWord is a frames based word processor, an understanding of Frames is necessary for all but the most simple of documents.
This section is designed to give you a firm understanding of how to create, destroy and manipulate frames so KWord can provide you with the exact document you want.
Before we continue our discussion of Frames, its important that we define a couple terms now:
- Frame
A frame is a rectangular space on the page. This space defines an area where text (or other data), can be placed.
- Frameset
A frame set is a group of frames. Each frame in the Frameset has a position within the Frameset
The position is determined when the frames are created. The first frame created is Frame #1, the second is Frame #2, etc.
All text flows from one frame to another within a frame set, and only within a frame set. Text flows from frame to frame within the frame set according to the position of each frame
As an example: If we have a frame set that consists of three frames (#1, #2, and #3).
As we type text into Frame #1, the text is shaped to the outline of Frame #1
When the text will no longer fit within Frame #1, it is automatically continued into Frame #2.
As you can see, text must (and does) move freely between frames within a Frameset.
Adding a text frame can be done one of three ways:
Whatever method you choose, KWord responds by changing the cursor to a set of cross hairs.
Using the mouse, place the cursor at one of the corners of your new text frame. (Any corner will work)
Now click and hold with the left mouse button.
Drag the mouse towards the opposite corner of the rectangle. As you drag the mouse, you will see a box drawn. This box represents the boundaries of your new text frame.
When you are satisfied with the size and shape of your new text box, release the mouse button.
A dialog box appears.
The purpose of this dialog box is two fold:
The tab labeled Connect Text Frames in this dialog box is used to determine which frame set this new text box belongs.
Using the example given, you have just created a new frame in a document which currently has two framesets (called Frameset 1, and Frameset 2).
You now have the option of either:
appending this text box to one of the previously created framesets.
To do this, simply select the frame set you want to connect this new text box two (either Frameset 1, or Frameset 2)
When this text frame is created, the new text frame will become the last frame in the selected frame set.
or
You can create a new frame set. This newly added frame will be the first (and currently only) frame in the frame set.
If you want this to be a new frame set, you can enter a descriptive name for your new frame set. (A name which will tell you what you might find in that frame set). This name should be entered in the text box labeled Name of new Frameset.
The other tabs in this dialog box, can be used to set some options for this frame. For more information on these options, see the section entitled Formatting Frames.
If you click OK, the new frame will be created.
If you click Cancel, the new frame will not be created, and you will be returned to editing your document.
You may decide you no longer need a frame in your document. You could leave it blank (so it would not be visible in the final output), but you should delete it to keep your document as simple as possible.
Begin by clicking on the text frame border of the frame you want to delete.
There is now 8 black squares on the edges of the frame.
If this is the frame you want to delete, you can do so by:
If you are trying to delete the last frame in a frame set, KWord will ask you if you want to delete the current text frame. If you click Delete, the frame, all frames connected to it, and the data within these frames (if there is any), will be deleted. If you click Cancel, the frame will not be deleted.
If you are trying to delete a frame that is not the last frame in a frame set, KWord will not ask for a confirmation. It will delete the current frame immediately, and move the data into the next frame in a frame set. No data will be deleted.
Moving a frame around on the page is easy.
Place the mouse cursor over the frame border, click once with the left mouse button and hold the button down..
There are now 8 black squares on the edges of the frame.
Drag the cursor in the direction you want to move the frame.
You will see an outline of the frame as you move it. When the outline is where you want it, release the mouse button.
It is also easy to change the size or shape of a frame.
Place the cursor on the border of the frame you want to change the size or shape of and click once with the left mouse button. This selects this frame as the current frame.
There are now 8 black squares on the edges of the frame. By moving these squares, you will be able to drag the frame border(s) to a new location.
Each square will move a different combination of borders.
As an example: To move the bottom border of a frame, place the mouse over the box at the six o'clock position in the frame. When the mouse is over the box, it will change to a double headed arrow.
Now click with the left mouse button and hold the button down. As you move the mouse up and down on the page, you will see that the frame changes shape to match your mouse movements. When you have the bottom edge of the frame where you want it, simply release the mouse button, and your changes will become permanent.
If you need to resize the frame of a neighboring frame, you should click once inside that frame (to make it the current frame), and you can move its borders in the same fashion.
Note
If you are using a Text Layout Template, you cannot change the size of the primary frame by dragging the edges of the frame. If you want to resize this frame, you must do so by Changing the margins
This section of the Users Guide is devoted to controlling where (which text frame) text flows when the current frame is full.
Normally, you will create each new text frame with a specific purpose. Sometimes, however, as the document is changed, you will want the text to flow to a new text frame. To accomplish this, you will need to know how to move a frame from one frame set to another.
Begin by clicking on the frame border of the frame you want to change.
You can change the frame set of the currently selected frame by selecting Frames->Frame/Frameset from the Menu bar
This will bring up a dialog box with 4 tabs. Select the tab labeled Connect Text Frames.
You will be presented with a list of framesets. Simply select the frame set you want, and the currently selected frame will be added to the end of that frame set.
When you click OK, you will notice that KWord automatically updates the text flow immediately.
A hard frame break is a special formatting character. It is invisible on the final printed output.
The purpose of a hard frame break, is to force all the text that follows it into the next frame in the Frameset.
If we have the following sentence: We have nothing to fear but fear itself
and we insert a Hard Frame Break, just before the word but.
We will end up with one frame containing We have nothing to fear, and the next frame in the frame set begins with but fear itself.
To add a Hard Frame Break, you should first place the keyboard cursor where you want the break to be located in the document.
A Hard Frame Break can be inserted one of two ways:
If you want to remove a Hard Frame Break, you simply delete it like you would any other character. Since this is not a character that you can see, I recommend the following procedure to most easily delete the Hard Frame Break.
First, I recommend turning on View Formatting Characters (Select View->Formatting Characters from the Menu bar)
This will let you see the carriage returns, and tab stops in your document.
Find the last carriage return before the break in your text. Place the cursor in front of this carriage return.
Now press the delete key.
