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..use wordstar to print this document .h1 == Perf*Star == Manual - Jon Trott - Page # First edition: October 5, 1986 Second edition: January, 1987 (or thereabouts) Third (this) revised edition: November 12, 1989 //// \\\\ <<<< P E R F E C T S T A R >>>> \\\\ //// ------------------------------------- How to Make Perfect Writer Act Like Wordstar ------------------------------------- In brief, the following is one of two parts: the first [this file] an explanation on how to create a version of Perfect Writer that responds to the same basic commands (cursor movement, blocking, and file management) Wordstar responds to; the second, FUNCTS.TXT, the actual file accessed by the Perfect Writer companion program, PWBIND.COM to redefine PW's key commands. If you do have PWBIND, and are a Wordstar fan who'd at least like to check out Perfect Writer's ability without learning a whole new command set, go ahead and download this library. Kaypro computers (until '84) had bundled copies of both Wordstar and Perfect Writer, and Kaypro 1's still do. So. . . ['Wordstar' Copyright 1983, 1987, Micropro] ['Perfect Writer' Copyright 1982 by Perfect Software] .pa ______________________________________ \\\\ >>>> PPPPPPP EEEEEEEE RRRRRRR FFFFFFFF //// PP PP EE RR RR FF \\\\ PP PP EE RR RR FF >>>> PPPPPPP EEEEEE RRRRRRR FFFFFF //// PP EE RR RR FF \\\\ PP EE RR RR FF >>>> PP EEEEEEEE RR RR FF //// \\\\ SSSSSS TTTTTTTT AA RRRRRRR >>>> SS SS TT AAAA RR RR //// SS TT AA AA RR RR \\\\ SSSSSS TT AA AA RRRRRRR >>>> SS TT AAAAAAAA RR RR //// SS SS TT AA AA RR RR \\\\ SSSSSS TT AA AA RR RR >>>> //// Jon Trott 4707 N. Malden Chicago, IL 60640 (312) 989-2080 October 5, 1986 November 12, 1989 .pa BUT FIRST, WHY BOTHER? --------------------- Why would anyone want to "mess up" a perfectly (pun intentional) good program like Perfect Writer by redefining its editing commands to another almost totally incompatible word processor? It doesn't make much sense, unless, of course, that program is the almost universally known Wordstar. In other words, veteran Perfect Writer users will find this idea worse than useless; it is for the majority of users who learned Wordstar and might want to give that "second" program a serious look. So what can Perfect Writer do that Wordstar can't? * It can edit up to seven files at the same time, with a split screen giving two files screen visibility. * It is more memory resident than Wordstar, so sometimes runs faster. * It has the glorious feature of YANKBACK, the ability to retrieve a hunk (or hunks) of text just deleted. (Though WS4 supposedly also has this, PW's doesn't chew up big hunks of your computer's memory, and is not nearly as "limited" in the number of characters it can retrieve.) * It allows the quick movement of the cursor to and from the beginning of paragraphs and sentences as well as lines and words. * It allows the renaming of the file being editing. There's more, but that ought to be enough to intrigue anyone with an unused copy of Perfect Writer in their master diskette collection. FILES YOU NEED TO ACCOMPLISH THE "CONVERSION" -------------------------------------------- PW.COM (Perfect Writer program) PW.SYM (file of symbols used in new key definitions) PW.SWP (PW's 'overlay' file containing the actual key definitions) PW.HLP (Perfect Writer Help file - special version included in this file should only be used AFTER running pwbind; use the generic version from your master disk for the actual conversion and use this version afterward; it reads more like 'Wordstar.') PWBIND.COM (program that uses "functs.txt" to create new pw.com) Altered version of FUNCTS.TXT (THE ONLY FILE YOU GET IN THIS LIBRARY) All the files listed above (except for my version of FUNCTS.TXT) are located on the master copy of the Perfect Writer Installation Disk. Copy them all to a blank disk, then simply type "pwbind" and hit return. Your new "Wordstar-ized" Perfect Writer will then be ready to go. And remember, there is one other file you need to actually RUN Perfect Writer, its big "overlay," PW.SWP. The additional file, MENU.COM, is handy but not necessary to run Perfect Writer. One final problem: I've created this file for PW version 1.20, and have had no opportunity to see if it works correctly on version 1.03. I suspect it will, but if anyone verifies this (either way) please let me know. .pa WHAT I DONE DID --------------- For those of us more used to Wordstar, but in possession of Perfect Writer thanks to Kaypro's generosity, wouldn't it be nice to be able to use both of these powerful programs? The main drawback to such a thought, of course, is that two more different approaches to word processing could hardly be imagined. In other words, to use Perfect Writer means learning a whole new set of commands. Or does it? Thanks to a special feature of Perfect Writer, its commands can to a limited degree be altered. In short this is accomplished by editing the file "FUNCTS.TXT" enclosed with the Perfect Writer master disks, then calling up the program "PWBIND.COM" (If your machine had it included on the diskettes). The latter will automatically search for the former, as well as the files "PW.SYM," "PW.SWP," and "PW.HLP." What I have done is to offer a version of FUNCTS.TXT which has already been edited to re-create Wordstar's "cursor diamond," block commands, and "quick" commands, in the Perfect Writer environment. If you place this version of FUNCTS.TXT on the same disk with the above files, along with PW.COM, the result should be a "wordstarized" version of Perfect Writer. //// \\\\ <<<< The ^Q Commands >>>> \\\\ //// What I've done is to redefine the ESCAPE, or what PW calls the "Meta key," as ^Q. This allows the redefining of many keys to Wordstar standards. There are many commands here simply unavailable in Wordstar, such as ^QE, beginning of sentence, ^QX, end of sentence, ^QV, end of paragraph, and ^QZ, beginning of paragraph. I tried to define these commands within the "diamond" idea of Wordstar's cursor movements, but with varying success (a diamond can only be so big). You can, instead of striking ^Q, hit the ESC key. That's how Perfect Writer was originally configured, and offers a sort of hybrid feel for those interested. //// \\\\ <<<< The ^K Commands >>>> \\\\ //// My move here was to redefine the "eXtended" command key, ^X, to ^K. The message "eXtended" will still appear at the bottom of your screen if you hit ^K and pause before striking the second key. An obvious difference will immediately become apparent between PW and ws when you attempt your first "blocking" command. For instance, ^KB in Wordstar creates a visible marker at the cursor position. Perfect Writer, on the contrary, merely displays the message "Mark Set" at the bottom-of-screen "status line." And whereas WS with ^KK displays the block in reverse video, PW displays nothing but a small "+" by the status line. That disappears when you move your cursor! In brief, this is because of Perfect Writer's method of block editing, which centers around its yankback command. PW "yanks" deleted text (over one letter) into a temporary buffer. They can be retrieved by issuing a Yankback command, in my version, ^KV, ^KC, and ^@. This does mean my redefinitions are subtly different than Wordstar's, at least in their actual function. I have not found them hard to get used to. Do keep in mind that this file was double-checked, but only on a Kaypro 2 Kaypro II, and Kaypro IV. The single-key "Yankback" command may cause problems if your computer is configured to use that command key for something else. In Perfstar, it's fine to yank section after section of text, except for the important fact that if you expect to yankback one piece of text, don't delete another one first. Otherwise, the first chunk of verbiage will be gone... UNLESS you hit ^KO before every new deletion. Then (and only then!) can you "stack up" deletions and then yankback the whole pile when you're through. The "+" sign will come on the status line every time the ^KO command is issued. Looking At the Command Sets =========================== So let's see what we have for a command set. Below is the help file for Perfect Writer, which, by the way, is automatically updated with the correct new commands when you run PWBIND as described at the beginning of this document. Accessed with a simple ^J [just like Wordstar] it is shut off again by hitting ESC-1. HOWEVER!!! I also have enclosed this customized version of PW.HLP in this library, because it is more recognizable to a 'Wordstar' user than that created by PWBIND. Therefore, I suggest you use a scratch version of pw.hlp for the conversion, but AFTER you're done, replace it with the one I've enclosed here. Either way, a version of pw.hlp must be on the disk when you do the conversion. My comments run throughout the next section in order to explain [somewhat] what's going on. The comments do NOT appear in the customized PW.HLP file when it is called from within Perf*Star. I've put them here because I'd rather overdocument than underdocument, and rather avoid frustrating those souls brave enough to attempt this installation! .pa <<< The PW.HLP File with Comments >>> ^Q is 'M-', the Meta Command Prefix ^K is 'X-', the Xtended Command Prefix '^' indicates a control character -- Hitting ^Q will cause the message "Meta:" to appear at the bottom of the screen, as hitting ^K will cause the message "eXtended:" to appear. -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== MOVING THE CURSOR ^D Forward Character ^H Backward Character ^F Forward Word ^A Backward Word ^Q^S Front of Line ^Q^D End of Line ^Q^E Front of Sentence ^Q^X End of Sentence ^E Previous Line ^X Next Line ^W Front of Paragraph ^V End of Paragraph ^R Scroll Up ^C Scroll Down ^Q^R Front of Document ^Q^C End of Document -- I was very happy with this basic WS layout. These are the commands used the most (at least in my editing), and ALL of them are either WS or WS-like. And remember -- you can make things really fly by using ESC instead of ^Q. ESC-E and ESC-X get used by me a lot.... -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== DELETE COMMANDS ^@ Yankback Deletion <DEL> Previous Character ^Q^K Previous Word ^G Next Character ^T Next Word ^Q^Y To End of Line ^Y Entire Line ^Q^T Sentence Forward ^K^P ^K^Y Paragraph ^Q\ Surrounding Whitespace ^\ Leading Whitespace ^Q; Surrounding Greyspace ^Q^Z Global Trailing Whitespace TO DELETE REGION 1. At Front enter ^K^B to Set Mark 2. Move Cursor to End of Region and type ^K^Y -- G, T, Y, and ^QY are WS commands. ^KP-KY is a spiffy shortcut to delete a whole paragraph; just using ^@ or ^2 brings it back wherever you want it. The various whitespace and greyspace commands? I never use 'em, but they do clean up a document if you're careful. The ^QT command, by the way, I came up with before WS4 used the same one as their "delete to [keyboard input]" command. Braggart? Okay.... -- .pa <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== SEARCHING ^Q^F Forward Search ^Q^B Reverse Search ^Q^G Search & Replace ^Q^A Search & Replace with Query ^G Cancel . Exit to Entry Point ! Replace All , Replace & Query Again Y Replace & Continue N No Replacement & Continue -- Similar, very similar, to WS. Between ^QG and ^QA, ^QA is the safest, as you can always tell it to replace all merely by hitting the '!' after you're sure its replacing the right stuff. -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== FILE COMMANDS ^K^Z Read File ^K^N Find File ^K^S Save File ^K^D Write File BUFFER COMMANDS ^K^T Buffer Directory ^Q. Delete Buffer ^Q, Switch Buffers MULTIPLE WINDOW DISPLAY ^Q^@ Two Windows ^Q! One Window ^Q# Other Window ^Q^^ Grow Window -- There are some subtleties here. ^KS does the same thing as in WS. ^KD allows you to rename the file before saving. That's important, since PW does --NOT-- keep a backup file. ^KN calls another file, and the file you're in disappears. However, it is still there. Just use the switch buffer command ESC- ,[comma] to get the other file back. Or open another window (ESC-2) and have one file on top, the other on the bottom. Okay, now about ^KZ; be careful. It dumps the file you're in, though it warns you first with 'is this okay?' Only when you say 'yes' will it get the second file you ask for. ^KT gives the 'buffer directory' which lists the files currently loaded into PW's swap file. The swap file concept is the main difference between PW and WS, and consists of a basically 'empty' 64k file that 'holds' the text currently being worked on. Buffers which have been saved back to disk are marked with an '*'. Windows. Use the ESC key here to really whip along. ESC-2 opens a second window. You can hit ^KR to open a new file or read in an existing file to the bottom window. Then hit ESC-3 to 'hop' back and forth between windows, copying text from one to the other. ESC-4 will 'grow' whatever window the cursor is in, one line at a time. ESC-1 closes the window the cursor is not in. -- .pa <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== ARGUMENTS ^Q^Q Universal Argument (followed by digits) ^Q Meta Prefix (followed by digits) After specifying argument count, give command to be executed -- Just as in Wordstar, ^QQ allows the repetition of a command or letter. Perfect Writer also allows ^Q[number between 1-9] to accomplish the same thing, but since I've re-assigned ^Q1 through ^Q4 as the window commands (see above) that is not the case in Perf*Star. 5,7-9 still work..... -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== UTILITIES ^QH Transpose Characters ^Q^W Transpose Words ^Q<SP> Echo Location ^K^Q Quit ^B Reform Paragraph ^_ "Go Back" or Cancel ^KO Turn On "+" ^QP Swap Point and Mark ^@ Yankback ^Q/ Refresh Screen ^QO Center Line ^P Quote Next Character ^QL Call Speller ^J Call Help File -- ^QU flips the character at the cursor with the character behind it, while ^QW does the same for whole words. ^Q<spacebar> offers your location in the file being edited, while ^QL calls Perfect Speller [don't use it is my advice]. Wordstar-like commands include ^KQ, ^QP, ^J (help), and ^P (echoes next cntrl character to the file). Further commands; after using ^KF to read your disk (read "PWDIR.DOC" on installing that as a feature), ^QH will clean up the screen residue left over. Centering in WS is ^OC -- my closest try is ^QO (ESC-O is really nice). ^KO deserves less cryptic of a mention. It is used for times you'd like to make multiple deletions, but keep ALL of them for eventual "yankback." Before each new deletion, but after you've already ^KB'd and ^KK'd, hit ^KO to tell Perf*Star to keep the previous deletion and the next one as well. When you yank them back using ^KY,KC,KV, or simply ^2, how wonderful. There they both are. The only drawback: the pieces of text are retrieved with the LAST deleted one being the FIRST on the stack. -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== WHITESPACE AND INDENTATION ^Q[ Set Indent Column ^Q] Fill Column Setting ^Q: Set Tab ^6 Indent Rest of Line Same As Current ^Q<TAB> Open Subsequent Indented Line Same As Current ^Q^N Open Leading Indented Line Same As Current ^Q<CR> Open Line ^Q^V Drop Line Vertically ^QI Indent Region ^QU Undent Region .pa -- These commands are all but foreign to Wordstar; offering powerful editing procedures, they allow you to manipulate white space far more easily than I ever thought possible prior to Perfect Writer. Setting margins in PW is not as nice as WS, there's no way around it. To alter the columns permanently, use the enclosed program PWCONFIG.COM. To do it on the fly, go to the left margin, hit ^QQ, type in the number you want for the right margin, and hit the space bar. It will take a few seconds, then zip out to where your right margin is supposed to be. Then, before moving the cursor, use ^Q] to set the margin there. For the left margin, you can either do likewise, then hit ^Q[ (NOT ^Q^[ !!!), or simply move the cursor out with the spacebar manually and hit ^Q[. ^Q[ is for that occasion when you might be doing a list of numbers that are equally stretched across the screen. It varies the size a tab can be; just put the cursor out from the left margin the number of spaces you want tabs to go, then hit ^Q[. ^6 inserts a new line indented exactly how the present one is. I've never used this feature, but someone might! ESC-<TAB> does the same thing, but moves the cursor to the new line. In the downright esoteric department are the last few commands. I'm sure they're explained in the Perfect Writer Manual, which most of us got with our Kaypros. I've NEVER used any of the following: ^QN, ^QI, or ^QU. I have, however, used both ESC-RET (it neatly opens up the line you're on while leaving the cursor in the same spot) and ESC-V which drop the end of the line off, but indents it exactly where the cursor is. -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== CASE CONVERSIONS ^U Uppercase Word ^L Lowercase Word ^O Capitalize Word ^] Toggle Case of Character -- Very handy, ^U turns the entire word into UPPERCASE, ^O Just the first letter, and L all lowercase. ^] toggles the case of a single character. -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== MODE SELECTION {^Q+ Add Mode ^Q- Delete Mode} NORMAL Words do not wrap. SAVE Automatically saves file after every 512 characters. FILL Turns on word wrap (automatic carriage return). VIEW Allows viewing file without insertion and deletion. OVERWRITE Editing commands overwrite and cursor moves vertically. SPELL Allows for correction of misspelled words. .pa -- The PW Manual is incredibly cryptic about describing these modes; their descriptions above are adequate, EXCEPT for 'overwrite' mode. I have always preferred WS's 'insert on' so I don't like overwriting stuff anyway. But strange things happen with overwrite mode, and I frankly don't understand why. For one thing, it seems to partially alter the set of commands defined by Perf*Star. Leave it 'normal' or 'fill.' -- <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> =============================================================== COPYING & MOVING Copy Region 1. With the cursor at front of region to be copied enter: ^K^B {echo line responds "Mark Set"} 2. Move cursor to end of region to be copied and enter: ^K^K {"+" sign appears in mode line} 3. Position cursor at destination and type: ^@ Delete Region: Complete steps 1 and 2 above and then enter: ^K^Y Write Region: Complete steps 1 and 2 above and then enter: ^K^W {echo line asks for file to write region to} Insert File: Enter ^K^R {echo line asks for file to insert} <^Q! Quit Help; ^N Next Help Screen; ^Z Previous Help Screen> ============================================================= (C) 1982 Perfect Software, Inc. All rights reserved. -- I love copying and moving with Perf*Star. Hit ^KB per Wordstar command, then go to the block's end and hit ^KY. Wait! I thought I had to hit ^KK first?! Oh no, not with Perf*Star. The block disappears. Want it back? Hit ^2 -- there it is. -- Confessing My Shortcomings -------------------------- Before moving on, I should note the obvious: my changes to Perfect Writer are not overwhelming, and do not include many multiple key commands of Wordstar's which you (and I) wish were possible to include. They are not possible using PWBIND.COM because this program ONLY ALLOWS THE SWAPPING OF ALREADY EXISTING DEFINITIONS. For instance, Perfect Writer is not as screen oriented as Wordstar. So the ^O prefix -- which calls Wordstar's Onscreen command set -- is absent here. I could have gone into greater detail about those commands which aren't found in Wordstar, yet are implemented here. I didn't feel it necessary to explain all the intricacies, however, because you will immediately notice most differences upon your first few uses of "Perf*Star." One thing I will note: many of PW's commands are "smarter" than Wordstar's. One example: When WS is issued the ^QD command (end of line) it responds once. If the command is given twice, WS ignores the second command until the cursor is moved down a line, up a line, etc. Good ol' PerfStar will jump to the next end of line at each ^QD given it, and this holds true for many commands. Try it and see. THE ^KF COMMAND AND "PW DIRECTORIES" The ^KF in Wordstar offers a listing of files currently on the disk. Perfect Writer's generic version offers no equivalent command. BUT.... two different public domain files offer a way around this dilemma: PFCTDIR.LBR and PWDIR120.LBR. The older file, PWDIR, takes less expertise to install, but messes over the help overlay AND the Perfect Speller program. The newer, which springboards off the old, is more a pain. I enclose an .asm version of it anyway, which includes its own documentation. If you do NOT install it, ^KF will simply produce a version number message at the bottom of your screen. THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESTRUCTION OF "FUNCTS.TXT" Already the wheels are turning, and you are thinking of improvements on my work. Good stuff, and please send me any successful attempts! I myself was double-minded over a few commands, where they should be assigned. However, a few words of warning from one who learned the hard way: Please, don't alter FUNCTS.TXT with anything but Perfect Writer. And even then, you must first hit the command ^Q (the word "eXtended" will appear at the bottom of your screen) and then a "+"; the message "Name of Mode" will appear. Type in "NORMAL" and hit return. This "normal" mode is the only mode the file should be edited in, unless of course, you want to risk all. Second, make yourself a set-aside copy of my FUNCTS.TXT. An edit of this file fails far more often than it succeeds, and in case of failure, it's easiest to return to your original file. If you want to see what the file looked like before I hacked it, there should be a copy of the original on one of PW's master disks. It is also fully listed in the Perfect Writer manual, starting on page 352, appendix C. In fact, as a writer myself, I suggest you read the Perfect Writer manual for an almost enjoyable experience. A computer software manual that's actually well written! Third, a few technical notes: you must not change anything about the file other than the first word in the second line (that's "Fill" in "Fill Mode") and the various definitions in the 3rd and 4th columns. (That's can, not must; I'd leave "fill" alone.) NONE OF THE NUMBERS IN COLUMN ONE, AND NONE OF THE NAMES IN COLUMN TWO, MAY BE ALTERED AT ALL. A FINAL WORD If anyone knows of anything out there in the wonderful world of BBS's, user groups, etc., that would be of use to a Perfect Writer fan, please write or call me. And let me know how your experiences are with =Perf*Star= ; it's the only satisfaction I'll get out of this! /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Jon Trott 4707 N. Malden Chicago, IL 60640 (312) 989-2080 [office #] Jesus Rules! \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ---- P E R F E C T S T A R ---- << FINI >>al for an almost enjo