Google docs is the core of Google's usefulness in the classroom. Most people have experience with it, but even after hours of use there are pieces of the software that are useful, but difficult to discover. Google did a good job ensuring that almost anything that a user would need in a document is available, however these options are somewhat hidden.
Special Characters
After using Google Docs for education, it becomes clear that sometimes, you need a key that doesn't exist on your keyboard. Sure, you could memorize the alt-codes for each key, but Google has you covered! To insert a special character, go to Insert->Special characters
After you've clicked on special characters, a tool will pop up, where you can either draw the character you're looking for, or search for it by name. So if I wanted to find the symbol for Pi, I could either search
or, if you forgot the name,
Directly adding charts from Google Sheets
Charts are useful. Google Sheets is good for making charts, but what if you had to change the data after you've already downloaded your chart and pasted it into a document? Google Docs has a built in feature to deal with exactly this issue. First, start out by making a chart in Google Sheets that you want to place into a document. Once you're finished, instead of downloading your chart, switch over to your Google Doc. Go into insert->Chart->From Sheets
This will then prompt you to look for the document that contains the chart you want, Click the chart, and make sure that "Link to Spreadsheet" is checked
Now you can change the data and reformat the chart, and the graph on your document will change too.
Inserting a Table of Contents
Sometimes, a document gets long. So, Google allows you to insert a table of contents that can quickly jump between parts of your document, so you can quickly find something you're looking for. This is useful if you're using Docs for note-taking in a class or are writing a long paper.
Again, using the insert menu, choose the table of contents menu. There are two default formats for tables of contents, so pick whichever you prefer. After, a line of text will show up on your document. Start writing, using headers and sub headers where you want to be able to link to. Go back to the text line that appeared, and hit the refresh button to generate your table of contents
Which will become
Each of these options, when clicked, will give you the option to follow a link to the point on the document you put the header. If you edit the document, just re-select the table of contents and generate it again.
Commonly used programs often have features like these, which improve quality of life for the user. Sometimes, it can be difficult to find these features, but once they are found they significantly improve the life of a user. These tips and tricks, for example, are excellent for writing lab reports and longer articles, but don't introduce anything that the user couldn't have done (tediously) by themselves.
Comments
Post a Comment