Gold Medal Software 3/Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso/tutor/pcl61b.arj/PART5.EXE/WORDPROC.TUT

Text File | 1993-08-16 | 26KB | 452 lines

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                   WORD PROCESSING - THAT FEELING OF SYNTAX

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       You'll never forget your first word processing software package.
       The bond is strong. It is usually the first program a new
       computer user learns and for many, the most frequent and only
       package ever used. The time and effort spent learning a quality
       word processing package is a an investment with instant
       productivity payoffs and continuing usefulness into the distant
       future. If personal computers were designed to run only ONE
       software package, this would rightfully be the choice for most
       users.

       But the time and effort learning a word processing package can
       sometimes work against learning additional features already
       inside the program or causing you to stay with a program when a
       better alternative or upgrade is available.

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                          WORD PROCESSING PREHISTORY

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       But let's back up a bit and take a trip down memory lane.
       Although the manual typewriter existed for many years, serious
       word processing took shape with the classic IBM selectric which
       was introduced in July, 1961. The Selectric had changeable ball
       fonts which allowed better control over typeface size and
       quickly became the executive and corporate standard. By 1971
       Wang Labs brought to market the Wang 1200 dedicated word
       processing system which stored up to 133,000 characters on crude
       cassette tapes. It was a miracle! Unlike the selectric
       typewriter, you could format documents and store them on tape
       for later recall and editing. Wang improved on this model and
       five years later had expanded document storage to a disk system
       having 4,000 page capability and additional word processing
       features.

       In September of 1976 personal computers were one year old and
       the original CP/M operating system was introduced which allowed
       early personal computers to store data and documents on disk.
       Wordstar for the CP/M operating system, the grandfather of all
       personal computer word processing programs, appeared in June of
       1979 from a fledgling company named MicroPro. At about the same
       time Alan Ashton and Bruce Bastian of the Wordperfect
       Corporation of Orem, Utah were working to develop a powerful but
       easy word processing program for the town government. Their
       original product, the Wordperfect Word processor, ran only on
       the Data General Minicomputer. Between 1980 and 1981 both Wang
       Labs and IBM introduced two dedicated word processing systems
       with the IBM Displaywriter appearing in June of 1980 and the
       WangWriter in December of 1981. The market was primed.

       IBM introduced the original desktop PC hoping for modest
       corporate sales in August of 1981. A relatively simple machine
       by today's standards, the machine initially held only 64K of RAM
       and a crude cassette recorder port for data storage. But the PC
       attracted favorable reviews for its reliable design, exceptional
       keyboard and quality workmanship. The official and only word
       processing package for the PC at the time was EasyWriter. In
       September another package, Volkswriter for the PC, was added.

       Despite this initial small offering of software packages, most
       serious word processing continued to be done on dedicated
       systems and CP/M personal computers with Wordstar as the
       standard for CP/M hobbyists. One odd solution for some early IBM
       PC enthusiasts was to retrofit the early IBM PC with a card
       which could run CPM word processing programs - the so called
       "Baby Blue" card.

       However, the momentum was building behind the IBM desktop PC
       standard and other suppliers were busy re-writing word
       processing packages from CPM to the IBM standard. Wordstar for
       the PC was introduced in June of 1982 and was an instant hit. In
       July of 1982 Wordmate appeared which was a redesign of the
       popular MultiMate corporate standard word processing package.

       In April of 1983 Wordstar Version 3.3 was released which brought
       a robust and full-featured package to the needs of corporate
       user anxious to do serious word processing on the IBM PC. By
       then, the desktop PC was becoming an inexpensive option compared
       with dedicated word processing office equipment.

       The momentum escalated. One month later a truly easy word
       processing package PFS: Write emerged to capture the market for
       home and small office word processing users requiring simplicity
       and ease of use.

       Later in the year, Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington
       became the first to issue a full-featured WYSIWYG word
       processing package (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) named
       appropriately Microsoft Word. The new concept of seeing graphics
       and text on screen was stunning. Unlike the Wordstar image of
       text and funny control codes representing differing styles of
       bold and italic type, Microsoft Word showed the actual letters
       on screen in the same glorious form as they would appear on the
       printed page.

       By 1984, word processing packages were proliferating rapidly in
       features and menu options and the Hewlett-Packard Company
       released the desktop laser printer which produced print close to
       typeset in quality. Now text could look great both on screen and
       on paper. The feeling was addictive. The printed page looked
       better than ever and the computer and printer now formed a
       "professional image team" which rivaled professional typesetting
       at a fraction of the cost.

       By 1985 the first desktop publishing packages began to appear.
       Desktop publishing combined typeset quality text with images and
       layout design concepts. Pagemaker, the first desktop publishing
       package, appeared for the Apple Macintosh computer and was
       available for the IBM PC family by 1986.

       During the remaining years, word processing packages have begun
       to incorporate features formerly seen in desktop packages - such
       as graphics images and columnar layout capabilities. Another
       trend is that packages have become more feature rich offering
       nearly something for everyone at constantly decreasing prices.
       Spelling checkers, thesaurus options, footnotes and even style
       checking have become standard. When you consider the fact that
       word processing programs are generally more difficult and time
       consuming to design than spreadsheets and databases, it is
       surprising how inexpensive the packages have become in such a
       short time.

       Today there are hundreds of word processing packages from which
       to chose. Predictably each package has a somewhat fanatical
       following. How to chose from the richness at hand? Some initial
       considerations are primary. What size of documents will you be
       editing? Is there a particular printer or network the package
       will not support? Do you require full or partial compatibility
       with other software or hardware in your office? Are special
       features such as technical or scientific symbols offered?

       Generally, word processing software is divided into five broad
       categories.

       The first, personal word processors are easy to learn and low in
       cost but have limited features such as lack of spell checking or
       limited document length capabilities. Professional packages, the
       second broad category, are more difficult to learn but have more
       advanced features which may be needed later. Document length may
       be limited by disk space, not RAM memory space. All have
       spelling checkers and a plethora of features. Technical word
       processing packages are a third option which can perform
       calculations with onboard mathematics functions. They are used
       by engineers and scientists and may incorporate math and
       engineering symbols and the ability to construct special symbols
       when needed. Foreign language word processing software, a fourth
       option, provides non-English writing and style capabilities

       Finally, Desktop Publishing packages allow the operator to
       convey both text and pictures (graphics) on the printed page.
       They also incorporate advanced formatting capabilities such as
       columnar style sheets, the ability to wrap text around images
       and "flow" text from one column or page to the next. All desktop
       publishing packages show text as it will appear on the printed
       page which is highly appealing to the writer who works with the
       look of printed text as well as its content.

       Before we shift gears and briefly discuss some specifics about
       word processing software, you might want to review the suggested
       references in the recommended reading/bibliography section
       elsewhere on this disk. Detailed reviews of the many current
       packages are available in current and back issues of many
       computer magazines.

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             FEATURES AND OPTIONS WITHIN WORD PROCESSING PACKAGES

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       All word processors share certain basic features, but beyond the
       basics, the available options become overwhelming. Some of the
       more common and useful options include:

       -- SAVING DOCUMENT TO DISK -- This may seem like an obvious
       option, but it is important in its nuances. Does the package
       save only when you tell it or will it automatically save your
       document at timed, frequent intervals in case of power failure?
       Can it also save the document in standard ASCII text for use by
       other programs? Can it work with large documents on disk or only
       when the document has been brought into RAM memory? Is the
       saving of a document to disk a simple one or two keystroke
       sequence or a complex multi-keystroke nightmare?

       -- FORMATTING -- This means the ability to neatly and
       automatically move text into tightly aligned columns between two
       or more tab or margin marks. Is the process easy or complex? How
       do you set the margins? Can you store different column mark
       settings or must you manually set and reset this option each
       time. Is the process intuitive? Can centering, right flush and
       left flush formatting be done in various sections of the same
       document at the same time? Does the package support ruler lines
       or similar formatting option?

       -- CORRECTING, ADDING, DELETING, COPYING AND MOVING BLOCKS OF
       TEXT -- This is one of the most, if not the most basic word
       processing function. Is it easy and comfortable marking a block
       of text for moving it to another area of the document or
       deletion? Is the screen logical in how this is done?

       -- HELP SCREENS AND INSTRUCTION BOOKS -- Word processing
       packages by their nature are complex and subtle animals. Faulty
       documentation, non-intuitive help screens and overwhelming and
       difficult commands may be interesting later on, but finding the
       keys to doing your task RIGHT AWAY is frequently more important.
       The best packages give you a choice between drop-down or mouse
       driven menus for beginners and shortcut key combinations for
       speed as you grow more proficient.

       -- SPELLING CHECKERS -- A spelling checker may not seem an
       essential item. Until you have used one, that is. The best can
       be called up in simple fashion and have alternate words,
       alternate spellings and the ability to add unusual or technical
       words which the user may need but which are not within the
       dictionary normally.

       -- DOCUMENT MERGING -- As you become more sophisticated working
       with documents, you start merging old ones with new text. The
       ease and logical fashion with which this can be done is
       important.

       -- MAIL MERGING -- This is a variation of document merging which
       allows you to type a form letter annotated with blank spots for
       names, addresses, and other details. The software can then
       automatically merge it with another list of the data to produce
       "form letters" which have the names, addresses and data plugged
       into the proper slots. Mail merging also goes hand in hand with
       your database. Can the word processor accept data from your
       database to create these mail-merged documents? Can the program
       prepare mailing labels with ease and minimum waste?

       -- MACRO CAPABILITY -- Sounds intimidating, but macros merely
       mean the useful capability for a package to memorize frequently
       used keystrokes and then "type them in rapid fashion" to the
       program when you press a single "trigger key." You can prepare
       macros to type routine phrases like your address, initiating
       long menu sequences for saving documents to disk and other
       useful functions.

       -- POPDOWN MENUS AND MOUSE CAPABILITY -- The best packages let
       you start slowly with popdown menus or a mouse and then switch
       over to keystroke combinations as you gain speed and experience.

       -- PRINTER SUPPORT -- Many word processing packages support
       printers, but the key to a good package is support for YOUR
       PRINTER and its various typefaces, fonts and eccentricities.

       -- WINDOWS -- This is a simple term with broad ramifications to
       the word processing community. Windowing capability allows you
       to work on one document in a portion of the screen and then
       switch to working with another document in another portion of
       the screen. Useful as you grow in skills. Also useful if you
       need to compare or update two documents side by side.

       -- FOOTNOTES, HEADERS, BOOKMARKS -- And other whistles and bells
       become important to students, engineers and folks writing
       technical or scholarly documents with needs for these document
       essentials.

       -- SPEED  -- This is a crucial item to many users. Some word
       processing packages are tightly written and whistle rapidly
       though long document formatting chores. Others just poke along.
       A wonderful package may have many features which are great when
       working with a small document, but with a large document, their
       speed of execution drops to a crawl.

       -- SEARCH AND REPLACE -- This is an essential item. If you have
       a long document and entered "David Smythe" when it should have
       been "David Smith," the package can find all occurrences of
       "Smythe" and instantly switch it to "Smith." This feature is an
       essential jewel.

       -- ASCII INPUT -- Can the software import (read in) documents
       created by other word processing packages or at least documents
       in standard ASCII? If not, you are stuck working with documents
       which must be manually typed rather than pulled in from
       alternate sources for revision. Importing at least ASCII text
       files is a bare minimum with other formats such as Microsoft
       Word or Wordperfect format import additional healthy
       alternatives.

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                      WORD PROCESSING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

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       Next let's branch away from features the word processor contains
       and look at some helpful habits you should cultivate when using
       a word processing program.

       When you save a document within a word processor, try to assign
       a single key or macro to the saving function. It should be easy
       to reprogram an infrequently used key or key combination to make
       it possible to frequently save documents every ten or fifteen
       minutes or if you are otherwise interrupted. Many word
       processing packages have easy keystrokes for the file saving
       routine while others are awkward and inconvenient. Use a macro
       or keyboard reassignment portion of the package to make the file
       saving keystroke fast and easily remembered.

       Try to use dates as a part of the file name so that files can be
       identified for later use and editing. Instead of the cryptic
       BUDGET.DOC you might name the file LG011589.TXT which might be
       the bank ledger documentation file written on 01/15/89.
       Forethought in naming files saves many moments of wasted
       thrashing about directories trying to find THAT letter from last
       March. Also consider using the file extension productively. If
       all of your employee training documents end in .TNG it is easy
       to find, sort, update or delete them quickly using the DOS
       wildcards. One system could be a key or token starting the
       filename. Files containing these symbols could equate as:
       @=letter, )=initial draft, &=research, !=final version,
       <=expenses and so on. These internal codes which perhaps start a
       document filename can save hours later on searching and sorting
       among similar documents.

       Paper slipping can be a problem if you are feeding single sheets
       into a printer without the tractor feed. Try taping some stiff
       paper to the top of the printer so that the sheet to be printed
       can only move about 1/2 inch. Line up paper squarely when you
       begin to print. When all else fails, use the document preview
       and spell checker to make sure how the final output will look.
       Nothing is more maddening than having to print a document again
       when you find a single incorrectly spelled word in an otherwise
       perfect word processed document. Watch out for platen wear on
       the printer, also. When you always insert the paper at the same
       place, the platen will develop a groove or wear line. Insert the
       paper towards the middle of the platen and change to a wider
       margin from time to time to minimize platen wear.

       Experiment with the printer until you find the correct location
       to insert each piece of paper so that it prints perfectly. Then
       tape or etch marks on the printer and tractor feed to align
       future sheets the same way.

       Sample books are a great idea. Print standard document styles or
       formats you use and keep them in a binder for future reference
       with the settings or file names where they are located. Also
       keep the special symbols and printer setup codes you use
       frequently in the same binder.

       Using search and replace creatively. Want to change the
       justification of a document to flush left instead of every
       paragraph indented five spaces? Use the search and replace
       feature to find all occurrences of five blank spaces and then
       replace that with no spaces. Who says you can't teach an old
       word processor new tricks?

       In addition, some communications files downloaded from modems
       have excess carriage returns or control characters. Try using
       your word processor's search and replace to quickly find and
       remove the offending symbols or excess carriage returns. Grab a
       printed ASCII chart from the back of your DOS manual and locate
       the 3 digit decimal code. Next enter the code for that character
       within the search function of your word processor. You can enter
       any of these by holding down the alt key and hitting the three
       digit decimal code listed in the ASCII chart. When you release
       the alt key the ASCII symbol will appear. For instance the ASCII
       decimal code for { is 123. Try it!

       More tricks of the trade. When printing envelopes a clever trick
       is to prepare a special format file for printing to the odd size
       and space of envelopes. When ready, add this short file to the
       end of your document and copy or transfer the name and address
       info from the body of the letter to the envelope template at the
       bottom. Put a printer pause mark at the end of the letter so
       that when you print, first the document prints and then pauses
       at the end of the page for you to unload the sheet and insert an
       envelope. Hitting continue will print the envelope as the final
       task!

       If your package permits, store several templates for the various
       styles of documents you prepare. Each file hold the special
       tabs, margins and space plus any macros in a separate, easily
       recovered file.

       When you use citations to books and a bibliography or other
       footnotes, it is a wise idea to repeat them in the body of the
       text. That way you can use the search function to quickly zoom
       to the paragraph wherein the book was cited and update as
       necessary. When you are all done, you can use search to remove
       the citation(s) in the body of the text just before you print.

       Saving scraps is essential. If you chop out small or large
       blocks of text, save them to a file possibly named SCRAPS.TXT.
       You will be surprised that weeks or months later you may need
       that crucial deleted scrap for another document!

       Two are better than one. Sometimes you can't be sure if you
       should remove or leave a portion of text. Prepare a file for
       each and save BOTH to disk. Then read each version on screen or
       paper and then decide, knowing you have recourse to BOTH styles
       on the disk.

       Placeholders or bookmarks are useful. If a portion of the text
       needs more work in a certain area, devise a little bookmark such
       as <xxx> or other odd symbol. That way you can quickly come back
       to the section by having the search feature quickly zoom in to
       find that odd little symbol. Use an assortment of bookmarks for
       different stages of progress. Maybe a series of different
       bookmarks have different meanings, but all can be found quickly
       with the search feature.

       To save time when spell checking, try reverse checking. This
       means that if you have already spell-checked the majority of the
       document and have recently added only a couple of new paragraphs
       to the end, then move the cursor to the bottom of the document
       and instruct the spell checker to scan BACKWARDS from the bottom
       to the top since only the last two paragraphs need to be
       checked! This can save a considerable amount of time. Likewise
       you can tell the spell checker to start checking from a point
       deep within the document if that is all you need.

       Writing techniques are varied. If you can't find the next idea,
       take a walk and get some fresh air. Try expressing your thoughts
       in a letter to a friend rather than staying with documentary
       style; this might "unglue" the stuck part of your "idea
       factory." Try taking the place of the character's role to shake
       off writer's block. Try reverse outlining: if the manuscript is
       done, but just doesn't sound clear; outline the ideas as you
       read them off the page - outlining after the fact sometimes
       clears up illogical presentation or poor writing skills. And
       don't forget outlining in general. If the subject is complex,
       take a moment to jot down key ideas in the order they should
       appear. Long documents and technical presentations can sometimes
       be prepared only by outlining core concepts.

       Also try several "speedstyles" of writing to get the job done.
       Don't always write at the SAME tempo for every project. Three
       possible writing "speedstyles" are like stages of a dance:
       Sprint, putting many ideas out quickly and worry later about
       going back to edit. Stride, slowing down and occasionally going
       back to rework and edit. Waltz, carefully and deliberately
       polishing and reworking each thought before going on to the next
       item.

       Tutorial finished. Have you registered PC-Learn to receive your
       bonus disks? Registration is encouraged. Shareware works on the
       honor system! Send $25 to Seattle Scientific Photography,
       Department PCL6, PO Box 1506, Mercer Island, WA 98040. Latest
       version of PC-Learn and two bonus disks shipped promptly!