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1993-08-16
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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!