Sunday, November 10th, 2013

Google Docs Search the Menus

Sometimes you know what you want but you don’t know where to find it. Google Docs’ menus are pretty simple, but the Search the menus tool can make menus entirely obsolete. You can find this search tool under the Help menu, but it can be more easily reached by pressing Alt + /.

This search tool is extremely powerful. Type anything related to what you want and it’s almost guaranteed to appear, from basic settings to specific font settings. Search “math” and you’ll see the option to insert a new a equation, “double” will yield the double line space setting, “list” will provide many different types of lists you can insert.

Almost every setting can be tweaked from this search menu. Next time you’re lost in the settings menus, just pressing Alt + / and find what you want in seconds.

Helen Bradley

Saturday, January 19th, 2013

Create Complex Mathematical Equations in Google Docs

It can often be difficult to represent more complex mathematical equations in a word processor. Google Docs makes it easy with the equation toolbar. To activate it, select View > Show equation toolbar.

To create your equation, simply click New equation and begin filling it in with operations from the insert function dropdown menus. Even if you require none of the special operations provided, the New equation feature will also neatly format simple equations that can be entered using the keyboard.

Helen Bradley

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

Instantly Translate a Document with Google Docs

When you need to  translate a  documents to another language, Google Docs can do it for you.

When  you need to quickly translate one of your documents to another language, Google Docs can instantly create a new, translated copy in any of Google’s supported translate languages.

To do this, open your document, and click Tools > Translate document…. A dialogue will open up in which you select the language you want to translate to, as well as the name of the new translated document. Click “Translate” and a new tab will open with your translated document.

Keep in mind that, although it is improving constantly, Google’s translate feature will still only provide a rough translation. While understandable, it will be grammatically imperfect, and therefore it should not be used for official translations.

Helen Bradley