Mini-glossary: Office 2007 terms you should know

by Deb Shinder | May 01, 2007 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Deb Shinder

Takeaway: Even if you don't plan to upgrade to Office 2007 right now, it's still a good idea to brush up on the terminology surrounding the new applications. Most IT pros are acquainted with a few new Office 2007 elements and features, like the Ribbon. But how about the Version Extraction Tool, Full Screen Reading view, and e-mail postmarks?

This article is also available as a PDF download.

This list of new file extensions, features, interface elements, and tools will give you the quick definitions you're likely to need as you begin getting up to speed with Office 2007 and fielding end-user support issues.

.docm

New XML-based file format used by Word 2007 for macro-enabled documents, so you can tell immediately that a file is capable of running embedded macros.

.docx

New XML-based default file format used by Word 2007 for documents, which uses compression technology to make file sizes smaller, structures files modularly so different components are kept separate for better recovery, and integrates easily with other programs that support XML standards.

.dotm

New XML-based file format used by Word 2007 for macro-enabled templates.

.dotx

New XML-based file format used by Word 2007 for document templates.

.potm

New XML-based file format used by PowerPoint 2007 for macro-enabled templates.

.potx

New XML-based file format used by PowerPoint 2007 for presentation templates.

.pptm

New XML-based file format used by PowerPoint 2007 for macro-enabled presentations, so you can tell immediately that a file is capable of running embedded macros.

.pptx

New XML-based default file format used by PowerPoint 2007 for presentations, which uses compression technology to make file sizes smaller, structures files modularly so different components are kept separate for better recovery, and integrates easily with other programs that support XML standards.

.thmx

New XML-based file format used for Office 2007 themes.

.xlsm

New XML-based file format used by Excel 2007 for macro-enabled workbooks, so you can tell immediately that a file is capable of running embedded macros.

.xlsx

New XML-based default file format used by Excel 2007 for workbooks, which uses compression technology to make file sizes smaller, structures files modularly so different components are kept separate for better recovery, and integrates easily with other programs that support XML standards.

.xltx

New XML-based file format used by Excel 2007 for workbook templates.

Attachment previewer

A new feature in Outlook 2007 that allows you to preview e-mail attachments inside the reading pane with a single click.

Blog

Web log; a frequently updated journal-style Web site where entries are displayed in reverse chronological order. Word 2007 supports publishing to a blog hosted by one of several blog service providers, including Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint Services, WordPress, Blogger, and Typepad. You can publish a Word 2007 document as a blog post via the Microsoft Office button | Publish | Blog.

Building blocks

Reusable bits of text, graphics, or other document content, or other components of documents, such as headers/footers, watermarks, and tables, which are stored in galleries and can be used in any document or distributed with templates.

Business Contact Manager

A new feature in Outlook 2007 that lets you keep track of business data stored as accounts, business contacts, opportunities, and business project records.

Calendar snapshot

A new Outlook 2007feature that enables you to send your calendar in an e-mail message to be opened in Outlook or in a Web browser.

Color categories

A new feature in Outlook 2007 that gives you a quick, visually distinctive way to customize e-mail, calendar, and task items and to search or sort by color.

Compatibility Checker

A feature in Office 2007 that lists elements in a document that aren't supported or may not behave the same way in previous versions of Office. These elements are shown before you save a document in a previous version file format.

Compatibility Mode

A feature that allows you to create documents in Office 2007 that do not contain new or enhanced features unique to Office 2007, so others using previous versions of Office will have full editing capabilities.

Content controls

Individual controls that can be added and customized to be used in templates, forms, and documents, which are added to documents via the Developer tab on the Ribbon.

Contextual spelling

An option in the spell checker that detects and corrects the types of errors that previously got through spell checkers because the word was spelled correctly but was the incorrect word for the context (for example, misuse of the word "there" in place of "their").

Contextual Tabs

The tabs that appear on the Ribbon according to the type of object you've entered or selected in a document.

Dialog box launchers

Small icons that appear in some groups on the Ribbon, which can be clicked to open a dialog box or task pane and provide more options related to the group.

Document Information Panel

A new feature in Office 2007 that allows you to easily view and edit document properties while working on the document. The document panel is displayed at the top of the document.

Document Inspector

A new feature in Office 2007 programs that helps you locate and delete hidden data and personal information in Office documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, such as comments and revision information, metadata, header and footer information, hidden text, and custom XML data.

Editing restrictions

A feature in Office 2007 that allows you to control what types of editing others can perform on the document (for example, you can allow only comments).

Electronic business cards

An Outlook 2007 feature that lets you share customized contact information with logos and photos that can be saved to the Contacts folder.

E-mail postmark

A new feature in Outlook 2007 that helps prevent spam by challenging the sender's computer to perform a computation or puzzle to validate it.

Enhanced ScreenTips

Sort of a mini-help system that appears when you hover the mouse over an element of the Ribbon, the new ScreenTips provide the feature name and a description, along with details about feature usage and links to related articles.

Fluent user interface

The overall interface in Office 2007, which includes the Ribbon, formatting galleries, pop-up formatting menus for highlighted text, contextual tools that appear only when you need them, and so forth.

Formatting galleries

Collections of preformatted content you can choose from when working on a document belonging to a particular template type.

Formatting restrictions

A feature in Office 2007 that allows you to restrict other users from changing the formatting or styles for a part of a document or the entire document, while still allowing them to change the content itself.

Full screen reading view

New name for what was previously called Reading Layout mode in Office 2003.

Information Rights Management

Document protection technology included in Microsoft Office 2007 that works with Microsoft's Windows Rights Management Services (RMS). It lets you control what recipients of documents, workbooks, presentations, and e-mail messages can do with the files. You can restrict recipients from forwarding, copying, saving, or changing the content and set expiration dates after which they can no longer view the content. You can create protected files in Office 2007 Professional Plus, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. You can view protected files in all versions of Office 2007.

Instant search

A new feature in Outlook 2007 that lets you organize and instantly find information in Outlook, regardless of what folder it's in.

Invisible digital signature

A cryptographic method for authenticating the creator or sender of a document or e-mail message and ensuring the integrity of the content (that it has not been changed or tampered with after the signature was added); uses a digital certificate with a public/private key pair. An invisible digital signature does not show up in the content of the document but can be viewed by the recipient in the Office program.

KeyTips

An Office 2007 implementation of the previous ALT menu accelerator shortcuts (e.g., ALT+F, to open the File menu). By pressing ALT in Office 2007, users can display the KeyTips on the Ribbon elements, which indicate which key to press to access a particular feature.

Legal blackline option

A feature in Word 2007 that allows you to compare two documents and display only what is different between them, accessed via the Review tab | Compare Group | Compare item on the Ribbon.

Live Preview

A sneak peek at how a Gallery selection will affect your document. You can move the mouse over a Gallery option to "try it on" and see how it will look before committing to selecting the option.

Mark As Final

A new option in Office 2007 that allows you to mark a document as final to make it read-only and prevent others from making changes to it.

Metadata

Data that describes other data; the properties of an Office document, such as word count, author, subject, date of creation, and so forth. Some metadata is automatically maintained by the Office programs, and you can add other metadata, such as comments, keywords, and categories, manually.

Microsoft Office 2007 Compatibility Pack

Free program that can be downloaded and used to view and edit files created in Office 2007 programs with Office 2000, XP, or 2003 (with appropriate service packs installed).

Microsoft Office button

The button displaying the Office logo in the upper-left corner of Office 2007 programs, which contains the main menus for the Office program, along with a list of recent documents.

Microsoft Office Diagnostics

A series of diagnostic tests included in Office 2007 that can identify computer problems causing crashes. It replaces the Detect And Repair and Office Application Recovery features in Office 2003.

Mini Toolbar

A ghost image of tools that appears when you select text in an Office 2007 document. When you move the mouse over the ghost toolbar, it becomes a functioning toolbar with text formatting options.

Overlay mode

An Outlook 2007 feature that lets you navigate multiple calendars stacked on top of one another.

Portable Document Format (PDF)

A file format that preserves document formatting in a fixed layout and ensures that when the document is viewed or printed, it will retain the exact original format. You can save documents in PDF format in Office programs after installing the Microsoft Save As PDF Or XPS add-in for 2007 Microsoft Office programs, which you can download here.

Quick Access Toolbar

A small toolbar located by default at the top of the Office window to the right of the Microsoft Office button, which provides quick access to tools you need frequently (by default, Save, Undo, and Repeat Typing). It can be customized to add other tools to which you want quick access.

Quick Style sets

A feature in Office 2007 that allows you to select from a gallery of styles to preview and apply a set of styles to a document.

Research options

Reference books and research Web sites that can be accessed through Office 2007 programs via the Review tab | Proofing group | Research selection on the Ribbon.

Ribbon

The new tabbed interface that groups Office tools by tasks so that the ones that are used most frequently are easy to find. It replaces the traditional Office menus and toolbars.

RSS

Really Simple Syndication; a method of distributing standardized content that is updated frequently through "feeds". RSS is supported by Outlook 2007.

Signature line

An element that can be inserted into an Office document that can be clicked to add a visual representation of the signature (typed, handwritten via the ink feature on Tablet PC, or as a graphic of the signature). It simultaneously adds a digital signature to authenticate the sender's identity. The document becomes read-only after being signed.

To-Do Bar

A new feature in Outlook 2007 that integrates tasks, upcoming appointments, calendar information, and e-mail messages you've flagged for follow-up; it gives you a consolidated view of priorities for the day.

Trust Center

A centralized location for security and privacy settings in Office 2007 programs. Accessed via the Microsoft Office button | <Program Name> Options.

Version Extraction Tool

A tool included in the Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM) that allows you to save versions of documents created in previous versions of Office as multiple files. (Office 2007 doesn't support the versioning feature.)

XML formats

New default file formats for Office 2007 programs that are based on the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and are generally differentiated from their counterparts in previous versions of Office by an "x" appended to the end of the file extension (e.g., .docx, .xlsx, .pptx).

XML Paper Specification (XPS)

A file format that preserves document formatting in a fixed layout and ensures that when the document is viewed or printed, it will retain the exact original format; similar to PDF. You can save documents in XPS format in Office programs after installing the Microsoft Save AS PDF OR XPS add-in for 2007 Microsoft Office programs, which you can download here.