{"id":1023,"date":"2018-06-14T10:02:56","date_gmt":"2018-06-14T10:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/govinddas.com\/?p=1023"},"modified":"2018-06-14T10:02:56","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T10:02:56","slug":"part-1-google-docs-add-ons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/govinddas.com\/index.php\/part-1-google-docs-add-ons\/","title":{"rendered":"Part -1 : Google Docs Add-ons"},"content":{"rendered":"

A word processor requires very little\u2014a blank page, typography tools, and a way to save, print, or share your finished documents. The earliest word processors like Word for DOS and WordPerfect offered little more than that.<\/p>\n

An update here, a new version there, and 30+ years later, word processors offer an embarrassment of riches with more tools than can fit in Word’s tabbed toolbars.<\/p>\n

Google Docs took a simpler road, with a simple collection of core document formatting features bundled with its world-class collaboration tools. This makes it perfect for simpler documents worked on in groups, but should you want to do anything beyond collaborative word-processing, you may find yourself going back to Word and its many sub-menu functions.<\/p>\n

That’s where add-ons come in. Google Docs’s\u00a0Add-ons<\/em>\u00a0menu boasts over three hundred tools that can help you build documents quicker, proofread your text, add graphics and equations and signatures, and publish your work the way you want. We went through the list, found the most promising add-ons, and tested over 60 of them.<\/p>\n

Here are the Google Docs add-ons we think are the best.<\/p>\n

How to Use Google Docs Add-ons<\/h2>\n
\"Google<\/div>\n

First, though, you need to know your way around the Google Docs Add-ons store. Just open the\u00a0Add-ons<\/em>\u00a0menu and click\u00a0Get Add-ons<\/em>\u00a0to browse the hundreds of extras you can add to Google Docs.<\/p>\n

Find something you want to try? Click it to see more details\u2014or just click the\u00a0+ Free<\/em>\u00a0button to install it in Google Docs. You’ll need to allow the add-on access to your Google account, and seconds later it’ll be added to your Docs.<\/p>\n

\"Use<\/div>\n

Your add-ons will find a new home in the\u00a0Add-ons<\/em>\u00a0menu. Find the add-on you want to use, then open it from its own menu. Some will open in a dedicated sidebar, others will open with a pop-over, and some will just do their work in the background. Many only work with selected text.<\/p>\n

For instance, the translation add-ons we tested all can only translate the text you’ve selected. So, select the text you want to translate, then open your translation add-on from the\u00a0Add-ons<\/em>\u00a0menu, select the language you want to translate to, and click the\u00a0Translate<\/em>\u00a0button.\u00a0Voila!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Remove<\/div>\n

Decide you need to clean up Google Docs and get rid of add-ons you no longer use? Just select\u00a0Manage add-ons<\/em>\u00a0in the\u00a0Add-ons<\/em>\u00a0menu, then click\u00a0Manage -> Remove<\/em>\u00a0on the add-on you won’t be using any longer.<\/p>\n

Have more than one Google account? You’ll need to install each of your favorite add-ons separately in each of your Google Docs accounts to use the add-ons in all your documents.<\/p>\n

The Best Google Tools Hidden Inside Google Docs<\/h2>\n

Some of the best extras you can get in Google Docs, though, don’t even require a download. They’re built-in, hidden behind a menu. Before you try out a notes, dictation, or fonts add-on, give these built-in Google Docs features a try. They’re better than their add-on alternatives we tried.<\/p>\n

Google Keep<\/a><\/h3>\n

to build documents quickly from notes and web clips<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Google<\/div>\n

Most documents aren’t written all at once. They start with careful research\u2014a link here, a quote there\u2014that you then outline and finally write up into a paper. Google Keep, the newest addition to G Suite, is perfect for that.<\/p>\n

Just install the\u00a0Google Keep Chrome extension<\/a>, and when you find something you want to reference, you can save it as a note to your notebook. Then in Google Docs, click\u00a0Tools -> Keep Notebook<\/em>\u00a0to open your notes in a sidebar. Drag the notes you want into your document to turn them into an outline and get a head start on writing your document.<\/p>\n

Learn more in our guide on\u00a0using Google Keep and Google Docs for research<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Google Fonts<\/h3>\n

to add extra typefaces to Google Docs<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Google<\/div>\n

Don’t download a fonts add-on in Google Docs\u2014none are better than the built-in Google Fonts integration. If you want more typefaces than Arial, Georgia, and the other built-in fonts, just click the down arrow on the fonts menu and select\u00a0More Fonts<\/em>.<\/p>\n

There, you can search through all the typefaces in Google Fonts and add them to your Google Docs account. You can also remove any of the fonts that are already in your Google Docs menu to keep things clean. It’s an easy way to get more typefaces, from the exact same library that the other font add-ons offer.<\/p>\n

Voice Typing<\/a><\/h3>\n

to dictate text to your document<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Google<\/a><\/div>\n

This one’s a built-in (if somewhat hidden) Google Docs feature:\u00a0Voice Typing<\/a>. The only catch is that it only works in Chrome\u2014but it works impressively well, supporting 43 languages and understanding commands like\u00a0Create bulleted list<\/em>.<\/p>\n

So, instead of trying a dictation add-on, just click\u00a0Tools -> Voice Typing<\/em>, select your language, click the mic icon, and start talking. Google will type out what you say after a few moments’ delay with surprising accuracy. In our tests, it worked better than the built-in dictation tools on Macs and PCs, and was nearly as good as Dragon NaturallySpeaking. And when you’re ready to jump to the next line or need to delete the last word you said, just tell Google\u2014it’ll follow your bidding automatically.<\/p>\n

See how Google Docs Voice Typing stacks up in our\u00a0Dictation Apps Roundup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Document Outline<\/h3>\n

to see an overview of your document and jump to sections<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Google<\/div>\n

A number of add-ons, including the popular\u00a0Table of contents<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Document Navigator<\/em>, are designed to find the headings in your document, list them in an outline, and let you jump to the sections in a click. But the best way to do that is Google Docs’ new built-in\u00a0Document Outline<\/em>\u00a0tool.<\/p>\n

Just write your document, and use Docs’ built-in Paragraph Styles to mark your title, headings, and sub-headings. Then to navigate your document, click\u00a0Tools -> Document Outline<\/em>\u00a0to see an outline of your headings in the left sidebar. Click a heading to jump to that section\u2014or click the\u00a0x<\/code>\u00a0on the right to remove that heading from your outline.<\/p>\n

Want to include that outline as a table of contents in your document? Just click\u00a0Insert -> Table of Contents<\/em>\u00a0to add it to your document, complete with page numbers and links to the correct sections.<\/p>\n

\n

The 32 Best Google Docs Add-ons<\/h2>\n

Now, for more tools that\u00a0don’t<\/em>\u00a0come built into Google Docs, here are the best add-ons to format text, cite research, add extra content to your documents, automate tasks, and publish your work. They each add unique features that aren’t included in Google Docs\u2014or are vastly better than the built-in feature, enough that it’s worth taking a minute to install the add-on.<\/p>\n

We’ve tested 65 add-ons, checking each one against the other similar add-ons, picking the tools that worked most consistently and include the most features. Here are the 32 best Google Docs add-ons we ended up with:<\/p>\n

Format Text and Documents<\/h2>\n

Styles<\/a><\/h3>\n

to customize your document design in a click<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Styles<\/div>\n

Miss Microsoft Word’s built-in page styles, with typeface and color pairings that make your document look nicer in a click? AbleBits’\u00a0Styles<\/a>\u00a0add-on brings that back. It includes 20 pre-made document styles\u2014from professional styles for reports to more fun, handwritten-style templates\u2014that are similar to their Word counterparts.<\/p>\n

Just open the Styles sidebar, select a style you want to preview it, then click\u00a0Apply style<\/em>\u00a0to customize your document. The only downside is that you can’t customize any of the styles or save your own.<\/p>\n

Doc Builder<\/a><\/h3>\n

to build documents from snippets\u2014and save custom styles<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Doc<\/div>\n

If there’s one add-on to install, it’s\u00a0Doc Builder<\/a>, a two-in-one add-on. Its core feature is inserting snippets. Just create individual Google Docs documents with the text you often use in documents\u2014perhaps the wording you use in invoicing, the header you use in letters, or the outline you usually use in new reports. Then when making a new document, open the Doc Sidebar and select the file you want\u2014and Doc Builder will insert the text, images, and formatting from that document right into your new document.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Apply Formatting<\/em>\u00a0part on the bottom of Doc Builder’s sidebar is almost more interesting\u2014it’s the only reliable way to make your own Google Docs document styles that work between documents. It uses a Google Sheets spreadsheet to save the styles. Open that sheet from the arrow icon, customize each column’s text to fit the formatting you want, then select that style in the Doc Builder sidebar to apply it to your document. It’s like the Styles add-on, but customizable.<\/p>\n

Footnote Style<\/a><\/h3>\n

Google Docs’s built-in style tool lets you set your favorite default style for headings and titles, but it doesn’t include a style option for footnotes. Each new footnote you add to your document will get the same, default Google Docs formatting of 10 point black Arial text\u2014even if you customize the other footnotes in your document.<\/p>\n

Footnote Style<\/a>\u00a0simplifies things. Just format one footnote in the style you want, and click\u00a0Update footnote style to match<\/em>\u00a0in Footnote Style’s add-on menu while that footnote is selected. Then finish adding all of your footnotes, and when you’re done, click\u00a0Refresh footnotes<\/em>\u00a0in the menu to make all your footnotes match.<\/p>\n

Page Layout Tool<\/a><\/h3>\n

to set custom page sizes in Google Docs<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Page<\/div>\n

Need to print on index cards, on large A1 sheets, or on custom page sizes\u2014perhaps to print envelopes or greeting cards?\u00a0Page Layout Tool<\/a>\u00a0is the best option. It includes a wide variety of common page sizes along with options to set custom page sizes. You can also set custom page margins along with page size. It might take a few moments to resize your pages\u2014especially if you have a large document\u2014but once it’s finished, everything should be laid out as you’d expect on your new page size.<\/p>\n

If you export your completed document as PDF, Google Docs will keep the new page size you set, for a picture-perfect copy of what you see in Google Docs. To print your document, though, be sure to click\u00a0More Settings<\/em>\u00a0and select the closest page size\u2014or, for best results, click\u00a0Print using system dialog<\/em>\u00a0and set the correct custom page size there. Otherwise, Google Docs will simply center your new page size on top of the standard A4 or Letter page size you normally use to print.<\/p>\n

Code Blocks<\/a><\/h3>\n

to add formatted code to your documents<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Code<\/div>\n

Writing code documentation in Google Docs\u2014or perhaps are using Docs to let your colleagues comment on your code?\u00a0Code Blocks<\/a>\u00a0is the best add-on to add code formatting to your document.<\/p>\n

Just select the code in your document, then open the Code Blocks sidebar, select the language and theme, then preview your formatted code or add formatting directly to Google Docs. You can leave the background off the text to help it fit in with your document, or use a background color to help readers spot your code blocks easier.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/strong>: Code Blocks supports Markdown, too, so you can preview your Markdown formatting\u00a0without<\/em>\u00a0converting the text to Google Docs formatting\u2014just like you could in writing apps like iA Writer and Byword.<\/p>\n

Doc Tools<\/a><\/h3>\n

to sort text in lists<\/em><\/p>\n

Doc Tools<\/a>\u00a0includes a handful of tools to change your text capitalization and highlight text\u2014but the built-in Google Docs tools for each of those work more reliably. What you want this add-on for is its sorting tools.<\/p>\n

Just select a list or a set of paragraphs, then choose the\u00a0Sort the select ascending<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0descending<\/em>\u00a0from the add-on’s menu to sort it in alphabetical or numerical order, just as you could in a spreadsheet. And, randomly, if you want to change word numbers like\u00a0five<\/code>\u00a0to their digits (aka\u00a05<\/code>), Doc Tools includes a tool for that, too.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

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A word processor requires very little\u2014a blank page, typography tools, and a way to save, print, or share your finished documents. The earliest word processors like Word for DOS and WordPerfect offered little more than that. An update here, a new version there, and 30+ years later, word processors offer an embarrassment of riches with more tools than can fit in Word’s tabbed toolbars. Google Docs took a simpler road, with a simple collection of core document formatting features bundled…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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