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LANCEDOC.GAL
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1989-04-13
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.a js=y,nm=1;
&dThe%LANCELOT%Program .jc
&dINTRODUCTION .jr
Lancelot is a Prose Analysis program. It will check a document for pompous
diction, libelous language, biased and gender-laden language, passive and wordy
verb forms, and problem spelling words, among other things.
Main LANCELOT Menu .jc
To use LANCELOT simply enter the file name LANCELOT at the A: prompt. You
will be shown the following menu:
.i16
A. ANALYSIS of Document
B. ANALYSIS of Document to disk file
C. DIRECTORY of default disk.
D. DIRECTORY of specified disk.
Z. EXIT to MS-DOS
.i
Option A is used to analyze a document. The results of the analysis is
displayed on the screen.
Option B is used to analyze a document, as in option A, except the results of
the analysis is sent to the disk file you specify. Should you specify the disk
file: prn.lst, the output will be printed on your printer.
Options C and D allow you to obtain the names of the files on the default disk
drive, or on a different disk, respectively.
INTRODUCING THE LANGUAGE ANALYZER .JR
.a js=n
To use the analyzer, enter LANCELOT at the MS-DOS A> prompt. Then .i10
.u3 1. Select "A" on the main menu.
.u3 2. Enter the name of the file you wish to analyze.
.u3 3. Enter the name of an analysis program. (The available programs are
described below.)
.i
.a js=y
Note: In steps 2 and 3 you can enter the name of a file from another disk by
prefacing the file name with the drive specification (e.g. A: or B:).
&dAnalysis%Programs%Available
.i13
.u BIAS.ANA .t13 The BIAS program counts gender-linked pronouns (he, she, him,
her) and reports totals. It also checks for sometimes objectionable
gender-specific nouns and suggests how these might be avoided.
.u INDEX.ANA .t13 The INDEX program determines whether a text is easy to read
or difficult. It calculates a Basic Style (BS) index by checking the text for
sentence and word length, and for subordination, coordination verb complexity,
and negation. The index indicates how readable the text is likely to be. A
high number indicates a difficult text. The BS index is roughly correlated
with reading level. For instance, a 12 would indicate that a reader would need
at least a high school education. In general students should strive for a low
index. However, the 1-5 range indicates primer prose of the "See Spot run"
kind. The program also reports on sentence length and the number of
prepositions used.
.u DICTION.ANA .t13 The DICTION program checks for empty words and phrases,
redundancies, cliches, and awkward constructions. When a phrase is found in a
text file, the program indicates what corrective action the user might take.
Ultimately the user has the last say and, can choose to ignore the analyzer's
advice.
.u LIBEL.ANA .t13 The LIBEL program indicates words and phrases that might be
deemed libelous, depending of course on the context in which they are used.
The program is particularly appropriate to journalistic writing.
.u PROBLEM.ANA .t13 The PROBLEM program indicates homonymns and words commonly
confused. These words frequently create spelling problems, but aren't always
flagged by computerized spelling programs. If such words appear in your text,
PROBLEM will display a brief explanation of the word and the other word or
words with which it is sometimes confused.
.u SENTENCE.ANA .t13 The SENTENCE program isolates each sentence of a file for
individual analysis. It shows each sentence on the screen and suggests that
the writer read it aloud. It also provides messages when it detects potential
problems in a sentence.
.u PASSIVE.ANA .t13 The PASSIVE program finds some of the more obvious passive
and compound verbs in a text and suggests that the writer check to see if she
can use a simpler, more active verb form.
.u VERB.ANA .t13 The VERB program looks primarily at the forms of the "to be"
verb. It reports on how frequently the verb is used and where it functions as
a helping verb.
.I
&dMaking%You%Own%Analysis%Programs
You can create your own =.ANA files. To do this see "Lancelot Documentation
for Programming the Analyzer" in the file LANCEANA.DOC.
If you wish to learn more about the analysis files, you can look at them by
using the Galahad word processor. Simply load and edit a file using its name
and the =.ana extension. If you make changes to an analysis file, be careful
to make backups.