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TextPlus is a Palm OS enhancement that can significantly improve the speed and accuracy of text entry on your Palm device. TextPlus supports intelligent dictionary-based suggestion of words and phrases to speed up your text entry. When you enter one or more letters of a word or a phrase in TextPlus, a list of words and phrases that start with these letters is displayed. When you tap on any of the words or any of the phrases, your choice is automatically inserted at the current cursor location. One unique feature of TextPlus is its frequency-based intelligent search engine, which chooses only frequently used words and phrases for suggestion. Since the list always displays words and phrases that are most likely used by you, given the letters entered so far, the average number of letters you need to enter before the desired word or phrase is displayed in the list is greatly reduced.Features of TextPlus
- Dictionary based word list and phrase list help complete words and phrases after one or more letters are entered
- Automatic update of the list of suggested words and phrases whenever you enter a letter or delete a letter
- Unique Frequency-Based Intelligent Search Engine - the words and phrases displayed are always optimal
- Fully Customizable Dictionary
- The frequency of a word or a phrase is automatically updated after it is used in your composition
- New words and phrases can be easily added to the dictionary
- You can adjust the update rate (0-10) of the dictionary
- You can limit the amount of memory used by the dictionary
- Enhanced Sort Support - Word List and Phrase List can be sorted by frequency, by length, or by alphabetical order
- Complete Editing Support - Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Select, Clear; Keyboard; Graffiti Help; Auto Shift, Auto Insert Space, Auto Complete
- Font selection for Text Field, Word List and Phrase List
Purchasing TextPlus
A 14 day demo version is available for download from www.smartcell.com. The demo version has an evaluation license that is valid for 14 days after you have installed the application. You can order the full license from our web site at www.smartcell.com.
Installing from a PCThe following installation instructions are derived from the 3Com Handbook for the Palm V organizer, "Chapter 3: Installing and Removing Applications", page 42. If you are using other versions of the PalmPilot, refer to your 3Com PalmPilot Handbook for step-by-step instructions. If you are using other installation utilities, please refer to those utilities' instructions to install TextPlus.
- If the file you have is a ZIP file, double-click on it to unzip all the files.
- Please read the Software License Agreement in License.txt. By installing the application you accept all the terms and conditions of the Software License Agreement.
- Click on the Windows Start button. Select Programs, Palm Desktop, and Palm Install Tool.
- Select the user name that corresponds to your Palm organizer in the user drop down list.
- You need to install both the TextPlus PRC file and the TextPlusDB PDB file. You can
- Drag-and-drop the TextPlus PRC file and the TextPlusDB PDB file into the Install Tool File Name list. Or,
- Click on the ADD button to open the Open dialog. Locate and select the TextPlus PRC file. Click on the OPEN button to return to the Install Tool dialog. Click on the ADD button to open the Open dialog. Locate and select the TextPlusDB PDB file. Click on the OPEN button to return to the Install Tool dialog.
- Perform a local HotSync operation to install TextPlus.
Installing from a MacThe following installation instructions are for users running 3Com's MacPac v.2. If you are using other versions of the MacPac, refer to your 3Com PalmPilot Handbook for step-by-step instructions. If you are using other installation utilities, please refer to those utilities' instructions to install TextPlus. You can download a copy of MacPac v.2 from www.palm.com.
- Locate the TextPlus PRC file and the TextPlusDB PDB file on your Mac.
- Double-click the HotSync manager icon in the Palm folder.
- Choose Install from the HotSync menu.
- Drag the TextPlus PRC file and the TextPlusDB PDB file to the Install Palm Applications dialog box.
- Perform a HotSync operation to transfer TextPlus to your handheld.
How to Uninstall TextPlus
To remove TextPlus from your Palm V or III:
- Tap on the Applications icon
- Tap on the Menu icon
- Tap Delete
- Select TextPlus
- Tap Delete
- Select TextPlusDB
- Tap Delete
Quick StartTo remove TextPlus from other models of the Palm devices, refer to your 3Com Palm Handbook on "Removing Applications."
Entering Text in TextPlus
After the installation is done, tap on the Applications icon and select All. Tap on the TextPlus icon and check the date shown in the Confirm Current Date dialog box. If the date is not correct, tap No and use the Palm OS built-in application Prefs to set the correct date. Your evaluation license may expire prematurely if the date shown is not correct. If the date is correct, tap Yes and the TextPlus main display is shown. In the main display, on the top of the TextPlus window is the Title/Menu bar. Right below the Title/Menu bar is the text field (editor) for displaying the text of your composition. Below the edit field is the Phrase List (2 lines) that displays suggested phrases. On the bottom of the main display is the Word List (4 lines for 8 words) that displays the suggested words. To enter text, use your stylus to write Graffiti letters in the Graffiti writing area. As soon as the first letter of a word or a phrase is entered, a list of suggested words and a list of suggested phrases are displayed. If the word or phrase you want to enter is displayed in the Word List or the Phrase List, tap on the word or phrase and it will be automatically inserted at the current cursor location. If the word or phrase you want to enter is not displayed, keep on entering the letters until the desired word or phrase is shown in the Word List or the Phrase List. If the Auto Insert Space option is selected, a space is automatically inserted every time a word is entered. Two spaces are automatically inserted after sentence terminators such as '.', '?', and '!'. If the Auto Shift option is selected, the first letter of each sentence is always automatically capitalized. If the Auto Complete option is selected, the shortest word in the current Word List is shown at the current cursor location. If the word is the one you want to enter, enter a space or any punctuation marks and the word is automatically entered. Otherwise, keep on entering the rest of the word until the desired word is shown in the Word List.Copying Text from TextPlus to Other ApplicationsSince only two phrases can be displayed at the same time, it is possible that none of the two phrases displayed in the Phrase List is the desired phrase, but one or both of them has the same starting word as the desired phrase. Instead of entering all the letters for the starting word, you should tap on the "M" (Move to the next word) icon at the right hand side of the Phrase List and the starting word is automatically inserted at the current cursor location. Now you can keep on entering the letters of the next word in the phrase until the desired phrase shows up in the Phrase List.
Every time you exit the TextPlus application, the text in the TextPlus editor is automatically copied to the system clipboard. Therefore, it is straightforward to use the text you entered in TextPlus in other applications. After you have finished entering the text in TextPlus, tap on the Applications icon and switch to the application you want to insert the text. Tap on the Menu icon, tap Edit, and select Paste. Now the text you entered is automatically inserted at the current cursor location. In most applications you can also use the Graffiti short cut /P to paste the text.
Copying Text from Other Applications
to TextPlus
Copying text from other applications to TextPlus is also simple and automatic. In the application you want to copy text from, select the portion of the text you want to copy and tap on the Menu icon, tap on Edit, and select Copy. Now tap on Applications icon and tap on the TextPlus icon. You can see the text you selected is automatically transferred to TextPlus. In most applications you can also use the Graffiti short cut /C to copy the text. The capability of transferring text from other applications to TextPlus is useful in a number of cases, especially when you need to build customized word or phrase vocabulary from existing word list or phrase list.
Registering TextPlus
The demo version of TextPlus has an evaluation license that is valid for 14 days after you have installed the application. You can order the full license from our web site at www.smartcell.com. After your order is processed, your will receive a 9-digit registration code. To install the full license, start TextPlus and tap on the Menu icon, tap on Options and select Register. Enter the registration code in the Register TextPlus dialog and tap on OK. To determine if the full license has been installed successfully, open the Register TextPlus dialog again and check the Current License Type. If you have never performed a HotSync operation on your Palm Device, the application will ask to you to exit the application and perform a HotSync operation. In order to install the full license successfully, the HotSync user name you put in the license order form must match the HotSync user name that is actually used on your Palm device.
EDIT MENU
Undo
CopyThis option copies and removes the currently selected text in the editor to the system clipboard. This text can then be pasted into a new location in the editor or into another application.
PasteThis option copies the currently selected text in the editor to the system clipboard. This text can then be pasted into a new location in the editor or into another application.
This option pastes the current contents of the system clipboard into the editor.
Select All
This option highlights all the text in the editor.
Clear AllThis option removes all the text in the editor.
Keyboard
Graffiti HelpThis option brings up the standard system keyboard for use in entering text. Note that currently TextPlus does not support word and phrase suggestion when the system keyboard is used. The system keyboard is provided for convenience.
Advanced TopicsWORD MENUThis option brings up the Graffiti help dialog that shows the pen strokes necessary to create letters, numbers, and other symbols.Add All Words in Text
PHRASE MENUThis option scans the words in the editor and adds all words that are not in the Word Vocabulary to the Word Vocabulary.Add Selected WordsThis option scans the words in the current selection and adds all words that are not in the Word Vocabulary to the Word Vocabulary.Delete Selected WordsThis option scans the words in the current selection and deletes them from the Word Vocabulary.Word Vocabulary InfoThis option brings up the Word Vocabulary Info dialog. The dialog shows the total number of words in the word vocabulary, the amount of memory used by the word vocabulary, and the maximum word frequency of all words in the Word Vocabulary (word frequency is a measure of how frequently a word is used in the composition).Add All Text As Phrase
OPTIONS MENUThis option adds all the text in the editor as a single phrase to the phrase vocabulary. A valid phrase can contain letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. However, it must start with a letter. Also, in version 1.0 a phrase can contain at most 100 characters.Add Selection As PhraseThis option adds the current selection as a single phrase to the phrase vocabulary.Add Each Line As PhraseThis option adds each line of text in the editor as a single phrase to the phrase vocabulary. Make sure to enter a HARD RETURN after each phrase since the end of phrase is reached only when a HARD RETURN is detected.Delete PhrasesThis option brings up the Delete Phrase dialog. In the Delete Phrase dialog you can enter the leading characters of the phrase (or phrases) to delete. All the phrases start with these characters will be deleted when you tap on OK. If you don't wish to continue, tap on Cancel.Phrase Vocabulary InfoThis option brings up the Phrase Vocabulary Info dialog. The dialog shows the total number of phrases in the Phrase Vocabulary, the amount of memory used by the Phrase Vocabulary, and the maximum phrase frequency of all phrases in the Phrase Vocabulary (phrase frequency is a measure of how frequently a phrase is used in the composition).Text FieldThis option brings up the Text Field Options dialog. In the Text Field Options dialog you can select the font for the text field (standard or bold), enable/disable the Auto Insert Space option, enable/disable the Auto Shift option, and enable/disable the Auto Complete option.Word ListThis option brings up the Word List Options dialog. In the Word List Options dialog you can select the font for the Word List (standard or bold), the sort method for the Word List (word length, word frequency, or alphabetical order), and the sort direction (ascending or descending).Phrase ListThis option brings up the Phrase List Options dialog. In the Phrase List Options dialog you can select the font for the Phrase List (standard or bold), the sort method for the Phrase List (phrase length, phrase frequency, or alphabetical order), and the sort direction (ascending or descending).VocabularyThis option brings up the Vocabulary Options dialog. In the Vocabulary Options dialog you can select the memory limit for the combined vocabulary (10k to 999 k), the vocabulary update rate (0 to 10), and enable/disable the Ask When Add Word option.RegisterThis option brings up the Register TextPlus dialog. The Register TextPlus dialog shows the current license type, the HotSync user name, and the 9-digit Registration Code.About TextPlusThis option brings up the About TextPlus dialog. The TextPlus dialog shows the copyright and version information of the TextPlus application.
TextPlus for Palm v1.0 comes with a built-in vocabulary database (TextPlusDB), which contains about 3400 frequently used words and 200 frequently used phrases. Since it is likely that the default Vocabulary only covers part of the words and phrases you need to use, you may want to customize the Vocabulary and add in words and phrases that are important to you, but are not part of the default Vocabulary. The customization of the TextPlus Vocabulary database is straightforward, as explained below.
Adding Words to the Vocabulary
The most natural way of customizing the Word Vocabulary is using TextPlus to enter the text containing the words to be added. Whenever a new word is entered in the TextPlus editor, a dialog box will pop up and ask you if you want to add the word to the vocabulary. If you tap yes, the word is added to the vocabulary. You can also disable the pop-up dialog box so that every new word is always added. It is also relatively straightforward to add a large number of words to the vocabulary by using an existing word list or a text document containing these words. To transfer the word list or the text document on your desktop computer to your palm device, create a new memo using the Palm Desktop application on your desktop, and cut and paste the word list or the text document into the new memo. Perform a HotSync operation and open the Memo Pad application on your palm device. Open the memo containing the word list and tap on the Menu icon, tap on Edit and select Select All. Tap on the Menu icon again, tap on Edit and select Copy. Now open the TextPlus application and the word list is shown in the editor. Tap on Word and select Add All Words in Text. Every word in the word list is added to the vocabulary if it is not already in the vocabulary.
Adding Phrases to the Vocabulary
Adding phrases to the vocabulary is similar to adding words. However, since a phrase can contain a number of words as well as punctuation marks, the end of the phrase must be well defined before it can be added to the Vocabulary. To add a single phrase to the vocabulary, simply enter it in the TextPlus editor and highlight it. Tap on Menu icon, tap on Phrase and select Add Selection As Phrase. If the phrase is the only text in the editor, then it is not necessary to highlight it. Simply tap on the menu icon, tap on Phrase, and select Add All Text As Phrase. The first character of each phrase must be a letter ('a' to 'z' and 'A' to 'Z'), but the rest of the phrase can contain any valid letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Therefore, it is possible to define a complete sentence as a phrase. Currently there is a length limit on phrase - the total number of characters in a phrase can not exceed 100. To add a number of phrases to the Vocabulary, tap on the Menu icon, tap on Edit and select Select All. Now all the text in the editor is erased. Enter the phrases to be added in the editor, and make sure to insert a HARD RETURN after each phrase. Note that the text wrap performed by the editor is not considered as a HARD RETURN. Thus each phrase can be displayed on multiple lines in the editor. To add the phrases to the Vocabulary, tap on the Menu icon, tap on Phrase and select Add Each Line as Phrase. If you need to add a large number of phrases to the Vocabulary, you may find it is better to create it on the desktop and then transfer the phrase list to the Palm device. You can use the Palm Desktop application to create a new memo that contains the phrase list, and perform a HotSync operation to transfer it to the Memo Pad application on the Palm device. After you have copied and pasted the phrase list into the TextPlus editor, tap on the Menu icon, tap on Phrase and select Add Each Line as Phrase. Again, a HARD RETURN is required at the end of each phrase.
Setting the Vocabulary Update
Rate
Every time a word or a phrase is used in the composition, its frequency is increased and the amount of increase is dependent on the Vocabulary Update Rate, the value of which ranges from 0 (slowest) - 10 (fastest). The Vocabulary Update Rate determines the relative importance of the words used recently versus the words used in the past. In other words, the larger the Update Rate, the faster a word or phrase is considered obsolete since its last use. Setting the Update Rate to 10 will give recently used words and phrases great advantage and they will show up in the Word List or the Phrase List immediately after their first use. Setting the Update Rate to 0 will lead to a slowly evolving vocabulary - a recently added word will have to be used many times before its frequency is increased to a significant level. The default value of Update Rate is 5, which represents a reasonable compromise between the fast adaptation to new words and the relative stability of the Vocabulary. It is recommended that you set the Update Rate to 10 before you add any words or phrases that you think would be of great importance to you.
Limiting the Amount of Memory
Used by the Vocabulary Database
As you add new words and phrases to the Vocabulary, the amount of memory used by the Vocabulary database increases. Depending on the size of available memory on your Palm device, you may choose to limit the amount of memory taken by the Vocabulary. The memory size limit can be any value between 10 K and 999 K, and the default value is 999 K. A very small memory limit (less than 50 K) is not recommended since this will severely reduce the number of words and phrases available for the frequency-based search. You can check the Word Vocabulary memory size using the Word Vocabulary Info option in the Word menu, and the Phrase Vocabulary memory size using the Phrase Vocabulary Info option in the Phrase menu. The memory limit you set in the Vocabulary option of the Options menu is the sum of the Word Vocabulary memory size and the Phrase Vocabulary memory size plus a small database overhead (about 1 K). If a new word or phrase need to be added when the memory limit is reached, a search will take place to find a infrequently used word and the word will be removed to free up space for the new word or phrase. The search process may be repeated if the amount of memory freed is not enough to accommodate the new word or phrase. Therefore, if the memory limit is reached, you may experience some delay when you add words or phrases to the vocabulary.
Web Site
Visit our web site at http://www.smartcell.com for general information about TextPlus.
Questions about Your Order
Send email to sales@smartcell.com.
Technical Support
Send email to support@smartcell.com.
Comments, Suggestions, and Bug Reports
Send email to feedback@smartcell.com.
TextPlus is a trademark of SmartCell Technology. 3Com, Graffiti, and HotSync are registered trademarks and Palm III, Palm IIIx, Palm V, Palm VII, Palm OS, and PalmPilot are trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Copyright (c) 1999, SmartCell
Technology.
All rights reserved.