WIZARD

(1) A utility within an application that helps you use the application to perform a particular task. For example, a “letter wizard” within a word processing application would lead you through the steps of producing different types of correspondence. (2) An outstanding programmer. Also called a super-programmer. Common wisdom holds that one wizard is worth ten average programmers.(3) The system administrator for a chat room or MUD.

1. A person who knows how a complex piece of software or hardware works.2 An interactive help utility that guides the user through a potentially complex task.

When most people think of a wizard, they think of some old man with magical powers. This, as with many other computer definitions, has no correlation with the technical definition of the term. In computer terminology, a wizard is a part of a program that guides you through certain steps. For example, a wizard in Microsoft Word would help you create and format a new document to your desired specifications. This is expecially helpful when creating a résumé, outline, etc. Some other examples of wizards are the Finale 2000 wizard which helps you create a new music composition with your desired instruments, and the PowerPoint wizard, which helps to set up a presentation with a customized format. Basically, a wizard acts as a guide for creating a new customized document. Though wizards can be helpful, sometimes they can be more of a hassle than a help for experienced users. Some users would rather just create a new document without using a wizard. This is because wizards typically don't offer as much customization as an experienced user may want. Finally, be sure not to confuse a "wizard" with a "template". A template is a pre-formatted document which you can start from, whereas a wizard is a step-by-step guide that helps you create your own document to start from.