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Background color is "cornsilk".
 

How to "Save" a file!
Part of the Basic3 Skills Online Courses

Authored by Author: Ron Reed, a.k.a. Dancin' Gator

"We'll study saving a file, then we can look at opening one."

   The "Save As..." selection choice found under the "File" drop down choices on the Menu Bar of virtually all Windows programs utilize the same functional code. This code is not part of each program, but is a utility function of the Microsoft operating systems. In this way all programs can, and do use the same method of saving files.

    The operating systems provide a number of these file management functions, like "Open", "Close", and "Print". So when you learn any of these file processing functions in one program you will find the same function in most of the other package you use.

   Generally, the "Save As..." is use for "naming" new files and saving them, or "renaming" an existing file with another name and saving them.

   Lets assume you have prepared, or are in the process of preparing a resume in text format with the Notepad.exe text editor available on most Microsoft Operating Systems.

So, do you have your resume ready to save? No? Well, maybe we should have a file if we want to save one. Let's make a file.


 
Background color is "Beige".

Let's create a file to save!

Next, we will look at three simple ways to create a file. The programs we could used to create our resume might be a Text Editor or a Word Processor program.

We have one of each available and simple to use --- Notepad.exe and Wordpad.exe .

We will even try a more elaborate version of our text editor that is the best thing that has come along since sliced bread.

The above Notepad.exe image illustrates the initial window image when Notepad is opened. Note that the work space is "active" (it is white), and one is ready to enter text. Notepad's four Menu Bar choices are displayed.


Exercise 1 - Open and Create a Notepad file.
  1. Click "Start" on the Window's Task Bar.
  2. Select and Click "Run...".
  3. Type in the entry window ..."notepad".
  4. Click "Enter", and the text editor Notepad opens.
  5. Type any text that you wish.
  6. Click "File" on the Notepad Menu bar.
  7. Click either "Save" or "Save As...."
  8. Take notice of the "Save As..." dialog box.

    Since we are not saving the file
  9. Click "Cancel".
  10. Close the Notepad window.

    Since you have created a file you will be told the "Untitled" file has been change. You will be asked if you wish to save the file.
  11. Click "No".



   Or, you may be using the word processing program provided by Microsoft Operating Systems, call Wordpad.exe.
Click here for full size complete image
 
The above Wordpad.exe image illustrates the left portion of the initial window image when Wordpad is opened. Note that the work space is again "active" (it is white, like Notepad), and one is ready to enter text. Wordpad's six Menu Bar choices are displayed. Wordpad and Notepad are single file word processor and text editor utilities.


Exercise 2 - Open and Create a Wordpad file.

Remember our exercise is not about learning to use the Wordpad utility at this moment. Our learning to master Wordpad is for another class.
  1. Click "Start" on the Window's Task Bar.
  2. Select and Click "Run...".
  3. Type in the entry window ..."wordpad".
  4. Click "Enter", and the text editor Wordpad opens.
  5. Type any text that you wish.
  6. Click "File" on the Wordpad Menu bar.
  7. Click either "Save" or "Save As...."
  8. Take notice of the "Save As..." dialog box.

    Since we are not saving the file
  9. Click "Cancel".
  10. Close the Wordpad window.

    Since you have created a file you will be asked if you wish to "Save changes to Document?
  11. Click "No".



   For those of you who never have used Notepad.exe, but are familiar with the word processing functions might consider an enhanced text editor from, Rogsoft, called Notepad+.exe.


Click Here to download this enhanced text editor.

The above Notepad+.exe image illustrates the initial window image when Notepad+ is opened. Note that the work space is not "active" (it is note white, like Notepad), and one is not ready to enter text. Notepad+'s three displayed Menu Bar choices are the only ones showing because there is no current file. Where Wordpad and Notepad are single file word processor and text editor utilities, Notepad+ can process a multiple number of opened files.


Exercise 3 - Download the Notepad+.exe Utility.
Downloading a file is a fairly simple process. There are a few methods that are more complicated than the one we will do here. Most downloads starts by clicking a link. Our download is the simplest. Immediately after clicking the link, the computer asks us where we want tp store the downloaded file. So, the place we are going save the file is the "desktop". So, let's do it.
  1. Click this link Download Notepad+.exe.
  2. Keep clicking the yellow "Folder" icon with the up arrow until the "Desktop" wording is contained in the Entry window.
  3. Click the "Save" button.
  4. Observe the download in process.

    Note that the file is being stored in a folder called "C:/Windows/Desktop/". This is good to know -- the "Desktop" is really a folder, and thus all files our computer are stored in "folder" on some "physical device", like a hard disk drive or diskette.

  5. Note that when the download is complete the save window is closed. And, if you now look on the desktop these is an icon that is labelled "Notepad+.exe".
  6. Lets adjust this window and any other window present on the desktop so we can see the new "Notepad+.exe" icon.
  7. Now, double click the Notepad+.exe icon.
  8. Since we are not using this editor right now, let's just Exit the Notepad+.exe window.

    Thanks. That download was simple wasn't it.



Let's look again the Notepad+.exe window.


When an active file is present there are two additional menu choices - Edit and Windows. Note the tool bar with icons that will be active when an open file or files are present.

The Notepad+.exe tool bar buttons groups are:
  • Create a new file, Open an existing file, and Saves active file
  • Print active file immediately, and
    Send active file trough electronic mail
  • Repeats last search
  • Cuts selection to Clipboard, Copys selection to Clipboard, and
    Insert Clipboard contents
  • Erases selection, and Reverses last change made to text, Undo
  • Toggles Word Wrap mode
  • Select larger font for active file,
    Select smaller font for active file, and
    Toggles Fixed/Proportional font mode

    Let's look at the Notepad.exe and Notepad+.exe images again.



    As you can see "Create a new file", and "Open an existing file" are the
    only icons active...... so download Notepad.exe, and edit your file.


    • Exercise 4 - Open and Create a Notepad+.exe File.

    Now we need to create a file so we can save it somewhere on our system.

    We downloaded Notepad+.exe and easily saved it on the "Desktop". We have seen three utilities that can create a file - Notepad, Wordpad and Notepad+.

    So, pick one of these utilities, and make a file, and save it on the desktop. Hopefully, the author would like you to utilize the Notepad+.exe program.





     
    Background color is "linen".
    Learn more about HTML`s "literal" colors.
    Saving The File

       As you can observe from the graphics above, Notepad.exe,  Notepad+.exe and  Wordpad.exe all have a File choice, Each of these programs have in the File drop down box containing the Save and Save As... choices,

       If the file you are processing was an existing file that had been Opened, and you wish to save the file in the same folder with the same name, you would select the Save choice. When this choice is used the computer know what the filename should be and in what folder to store the file. Thus, the save is do in a instant without further actions.

       The three packages have a New option in their "File" drop down boxes.  Notepad+.exe and  Wordpad.exe have an additional icon in their "toolbar" to create a blank workspace for entering text. All three programs generate new files in this way, and they do not provide them with an appropriate "name".

       Both Notepad.exe,and  Notepad+.exe assign the default name for the file as "Untitled". The extension assigned to Notepad.exe and Notepad+.exe files is ".txt". The default name assigned to a newly created Wordpad.exe file is "Document.doc".

       Thus, to save the file, the computer does not know the file's name nor where to place the file. It is the function of the Save As... choice to establish the filename and in which folder to place the file.

        The Save As... save function utilizes a Window "Save As" dialog box we see below. Let's look at how this dialog box may appear when presented. There are twenty entities that have meaning on or in this "Save As" dialog box. Can you count them them all?

    "Save In" dialog box image used in lower documentation
    WordPad Dialog
    Portions of this graphic will be used below.


     
    Background color is "honeydew".
    Learn more about this documentation schema!
    Throughout the remainder of this presentation, many links are used to further document the topics.

    For example, just place the mouse cursor Here. This is accomplished via a Javascript. Since the processing of the Javascripts are browser dependent, each browser may perform differently. This is true of the two common browsers -- Netscape and Internet Explorer. This is an active link. Left Click Here and note that this link provide a narrative and will align the page to the top of the "honeydew" block. Did you do it?

    Netscape Browser Users
    Look for the information display windows behind the BROWN UNDERSCORED links in the next sections.

    Internet Explorer Browser Users
    Look for the info behind the RED links in the next sections.
    The BROWN links will not display informative windows.


     
    Background color is "oldlace".
    Learn more about HTML`s hexadecimal colors.
      <<<
      The Title Bar:
       
    1. The navy blue title bar (all "Window's" have them) tells you the name of the dialog box ... "Save As".
    2. The "?" or "Help" icon button. It will provide "help" file information about entities in this window.
    3. The Exit icon button. Used to close the box if you wish to ignore the save function.
      <<< ¶¶¶

      The Tool Bar
      (the grey area below the title bar):

      4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12
    4. The "Save in:" label for the entry box to its right.
    5. The entry box for establishing the drive and folder where the file is to be saved.
    6. The contents of the entry box.
    7. The "Select" device/folder indicator (Dark Down Arrow Icon).
    8. The "Up One Level" icon folder button.
    9. (not illustrated) The "View Desktop" icon button.
    10. The "Create New Folder" icon button.
    11. The "List" icon button.
    12. The "Details" icon button.
      <<< ¶¶¶
      The Data Selection Window:

      13 14
    13. The data selection window.
    14. The contents within the data window.
      <<< ¶¶¶
      The Definition/Action Section
      (the grey bottom area):

      15 16 20

      17 18 19 21  
    15. The "File name:" label.
    16. The contents within the file name window.
      Note: The "Open" button represents a status of the window when the image was captured and will be discussed later in this presentatio.
    17. The "Save as type:" label.
    18. The contents in type window.
    19. The "Select" type indicator (Dark Down Arrow Icon).
    20. The "Save" Button (not illustrated, would replace the position of the "Open" button).
    21. The "Cancel" Button.


     
    Background color is "wheat".
    Maybe there is a color with your name on it?
    <<<
    Dialog Box Processing

    Next, click the Create New Folder button. Replace the highlighted text, "New Folder," with a name for the new folder, for example, "web_documents."

    WordPad Dialog


    With the new folder highlighted, click the Open button. For "File name," give the file an extension of HTM. For example, name the file "resume.htm." For "Save as type," choose Text Document. Then click the Save button.

    For example, in WordPad:

    WordPad Dialog


    You're done!