Tech Tips: The Big Three

This edition of Tech Tips is focused on three closely-related fundamental personal computer tools which can make every user more productive. These three are used together in various combinations to easily and quickly move text, images, objects etc.

The Big Three
The phrase “Big Three” means different things to different people. Some think of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, some think of GM, Ford & Chrysler, for others it’s Pizza, Burgers & Fries. But in the history of personal computer productivity tools, it is hard to beat the simple power and usefulness of Cut, Copy & Paste.

How To
Begin by selecting what you want to move. The most commonly used technique is to place the cursor in front of what you want to select, click the mouse button, drag the mouse to the end of what you want to select, and then release the mouse button. The text, image, etc. will be highlighted, or appear in inverse video to reflect that it has been selected. After selecting your chosen data, cut or copy, then paste, using the following key combinations:

Usefulness
The ability to cut, copy and paste within an application no longer seems like something special. That feature has been available since the early days of word processors. Some of the greatest power of these tools on today’s personal computers is found in the fact that data can be moved from one application to another. For example, text can be copied from a PowerPoint presentation and pasted into a spreadsheet. Text can be copied from a web page and pasted into an email message. An image can be copied from a digital photo library and pasted into a report in WordPerfect. Another useful feature is that once data has been cut or copied, it can be pasted multiple times in new locations until new data is cut or copied.

Alternatives
There are several ways to summon these big three tools. While keyboard combinations are often the fastest, try different methods to see which works the best for you:

• Many applications contain tool bars with individual buttons for cut, copy and paste.
• Many applications also have menus which allow the user to click Edit, and then choose Cut, Copy or Paste from the available menu.
• Another favorite method is to right-click (click the right mouse button) on the selected data then click Cut, Copy or Paste from the menu which appears. Mac users can use this method by clicking on the selected data while holding down the Control button.

Recent versions of Microsoft Office now include a clipboard toolbar which allows for easy selection of items which have been cut or copied prior to the most recent data. This provides an additional method for taking advantage of Cut, Copy and Paste. Whatever method you choose for accessing these tools, you’ll appreciate the power of the Big Three.

This article also appears in the Spring 2004 issue of News from a Light in the Valley.

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