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Text File | 1986-10-27 | 20.7 KB | 522 lines

WORDPERFECT VERSION 4.2 RELEASED!

The following article appears in Vol II, No. 3 of THE
WORDPERFECTIONIST, the Newsletter of the WordPerfect Support
Group, PO Box 1577, Baltimore MD 21203, Copyright 1986.
Subscription is $36/12 issues U.S delivery.

This information is accurate as of October 27, 1986.  You are
encouraged to copy and distribute this file far and wide so that
all WordPerfect users will hear of the update.

Richard P. Wilkes
Editor

WPSG BBS 301/889-7895
CompuServe 72746,1712
MCI Mail 72746,1712
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                        A SURE NEXT STEP

                         WordPerfect 4.2


*    New version of IBM WP released
*    All WP users are encouraged to upgrade
*    Documents completely upward compatible
*    NOT just a release for lawyers
*    Simple update procedure
*    Support Group wants your feedback!

The New WordPerfect 4.2

This new release of WordPerfect for the IBM PC family of computers
is a clear advance in utility and ease of operation for all users
of WordPerfect.  WordPerfect Corp has removed many of the
obstacles users faced while fitting the changes so cleanly into
the existing structure that you will continue to use your 4.1
template with WP 4.2.  WordPerfect continues to offer word
processing features not found in any other package.

After evaluating the features added and enhanced, we are sure
that you will want to upgrade to this new release.  The update
charge is $35 for current 4.1 users, and all your 4.1 documents
are compatible with the new release.  The minimal operational
changes required by this revision, the new features, and the
reasonable cost should convince you to upgrade all your copies of
WP during the following months.

Getting the Update

Many of you are probably racing to the phone to find out how to
get your update.  Please Don't!  You cannot order the update by
phone.  Follow these instructions (verified by WPCorp) to get
your update quickly if you are in the U.S.:

1.   Make a check payable to WordPerfect Corporation for $35 for
     each copy if you are upgrading from 4.1 or $60 if from an
     earlier WP release (add $6 for UPS Air delivery if desired).

2.   Enclose a letter stating your name, company (if any), street
     address (UPS cannot deliver to P.O. boxes.  Delivery will be
     by US Mail if to a post office box).  Write the quantity of
     WordPerfect packages you are upgrading in this letter as
     well.

3.   Indicate the type of computer you use clearly in this letter
     (e.g., IBM PC, TI Pro) and on your check.  Your update cannot
     be shipped without this information!  Users of non-IBM
     versions of WP 4.1 can send for the upgrade now and your
     versions will be shipped as soon as they are ready.

4.   Include the Title Page from the manual of each WordPerfect
     copy being updated.  This is your proof of purchase.  The
     title page has the copyright notice on the reverse side.

5.   WP 4.1 copies purchased after October 1, 1986, can be
     upgraded at no charge but only until 2/28/87.  Instead of a
     check you must include a copy of the sales receipt showing
     the date of purchase.  Don't forget the title page and the
     type of computer you are using.

WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE

WP 4.1 users upgrading to WP 4.2 will receive inserts to the 4.1
manual covering the new features and six diskettes (WP Master,
Speller, Learning, Thesaurus, and 2 printer disks).  If you are
upgrading from prior versions a full manual and template will
also be included.  Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Some of you who have the old, narrow WordPerfect binder and
slipcase may wish to purchase the new wider set (2.75") for an
additional $10.  Please make note that the extra $10 is for a new
slipcase set.

ADDRESS FOR UPDATE

Send all the above material to:

              WordPerfect Corporation
              Update Department
              329 North State Street
              Orem, UTAH  84057

This applies only to continental U.S. customers.  Canadian
customers must contact J.B. Marketing at [phone].

UPDATING LARGE ACCOUNTS

If you will be upgrading 20 or more copies of WordPerfect, call
Information Services at [phone] or call the
Large/Educational Accounts department at [phone] for the
correct update procedure.

Comments?  Suggestions?  Questions?

Remember that our electronic mail system (BBS) is operating 24
hours a day at [phone] to assist you in your conversion to
4.2 and to answer your specific application questions.  If you
don't have a modem, feel free to write us.  We encourage you to
write to the Support Group about additional changes you'd like to
see made to your word processor and your reaction to the new
features in 4.2.  Over the next year we'll be providing tips and
hints on how to best take advantage of the new capabilities.
Please try to limit your calls to WP Customer Support so that
we'll all be able to get through quickly if the need is urgent.

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                         WP 4.2 FEATURES



My Three Favorite Changes

DOCUMENT SUMMARY

Document summary allows you to keep track of documents by entering
the Author, Typist, and up to 880 characters of comments (in a
free-form style).  The creation date of the document is provided
automatically by WP.

This summary can be seen using the Look function in list files.
One can also decide whether the summary should be visible in its
double box at the top of your document.  If not, it can be
easily seen using [Reveal Codes] or by editing the Summary from
anywhere in the document (WP finds the summary and, after editing,
returns you to your original cursor position).

You also have the set-up option of automatically pulling up the
summary form whenever a document without a summary is saved.
We've found this a good way to remind us to complete the
information.  One can leave the summary blank and still save the
document.  For best results the summary should be completed when
the document is started.  This can be accomplished as part of the
macros that set-up your document formats.

COMMENTS

Imbedded comments are similar to the document summary and appear
on the screen (if desired) in the same double-line box.  They can
appear anywhere in the document--even in the middle of a line.
Comments can be edited and turned on or off.  They cannot
be printed (that would destroy alignment).

Comments cannot be displayed while in columns.  If you want to
display the comments on the screen during the editing process,
you can turn off columns.  We set our margins to match column 1.
We then get displayable comments and a wide right margin for
making corrections.  Switching to final form is simply a matter
of turning on columns at the top of the document.

The uses for comments are numerous.  We plan to use comments in
combination with document summary to create a "history" of the
file with all Editors leaving their own notations.  I'd like to
hear your uses of these new document management features.

TABS LEFT, RIGHT, CENTER, DECIMAL & DOT

WordPerfect 4.1 had one type of tab stop:  left aligned.  Tabs in
WP 4.2 can be set as either left aligned, right aligned, centered,
or decimal.  All these can be printed with a dot leader:

With the exception of the dot leader tabs the other tabs could be
accomplished with effort in 4.1.  The new system is much more
intuitive.  And, the [Tab] key is more easily pressed than Ctrl+F6
or Shift+F6.

The new tab set bar is horizontal and scrolls left to right, and
the extended tabs formally found on [2-Line Format] are now under
the single tab set option.  Both options 1 & 2 can be used to set
tabs to maintain macro compatibility as much as possible.  Macros
that set tabs using absolute column numbers will still work under
4.2.  Those that use cursor positioning will not.

WP 4.2 will locate the cursor on the tab bar at the current column
position.  You can now set tabs by moving the cursor to the right
spot, pressing [Line Format] [1-Tabs] [L/C/D/R] for the tab type
and [Exit].  This has the side effect of leaving tab sets in the
middle of your line.  After setting tabs in this manner, it is
recommended that you delete the interim settings to leave only a
single [Tab set] code.

"Lawyers In Love"

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

The new table of authorities (list of citations) function allows
lawyers to generate a detailed listing of the pages where
citations or specific cases and statutes occur.  You have the
option of dividing the list of citations into up to 8 sections one
for cases, one for statutes, one for regulations, etc.  The
authorities within each section are sorted alphanumerically by
WordPerfect.  Cites are marked first in their long form and then
given a "short form" or "nickname" to simplify the subsequent
marking of the same authority.

LINE NUMBERING

While added specifically for lawyers, line numbering may very
well help those of you in other professions to deal with draft
documents.  The line numbering is done during the print process.
This feature can count or ignore blank lines, number only every
nth line (every 2nd, 5th, etc.), locate the position of the number
from the left edge, and restart numbering at the end of each page
if desired.


Print Enhancements

DOCUMENT PREVIEW

Many of you have called for the ability to see footnotes,
justification, headers, etc., without printing the document.
Document Preview offers this option.  It works by "printing" the
file to a temporary Doc 3 (which is available for viewing the
PREVIEW only no editing).  You can use [Switch] to move back and
forth between the original text and the PREVIEW.  Line Numbering
(if selected) can be seen in the PREVIEW.

PRINTING NON-SEQUENTIAL PAGES

By choosing the Print Document function under Printer Control you
can now select ranges on non-sequential pages to print (e.g., 2-
5,7,9-11).  This function will also recognize chapters and
sections where page numbering restarts.  Your WP 4.1 macros that
use this function will have to be edited to benefit from the new
flexibility.

Other Additions

ASSISTED/AUTOMATIC HYPHENATION

WPCorp has added intelligence to hyphenation.  When WP prompts
for hyphenation, it positions to the "best" spot found in the
hyphenation zone.  It is usually a quick matter of pressing ESC
to locate the hyphen.  The default [HZone 7,0] produces far better
results than the [HZone 3,1] we use for our narrow newsletter
columns.

The hyphenation can be set to "automatic." If there is a high
probability that the spot found in the HZone is correct, the
hyphen is placed.  Otherwise it will ask you to locate the hyphen.
Since the hyphen position is determined by an algorithm and not a
dictionary look-up, the error rate can be as high as 10%; we
recommend sticking with the assisted mode.

COLUMNS

The maximum number of text columns has been increased from 5 to
24.  This should more than suffice on a maximum line width of
250.  Because of this change and the restructuring of the column
definition screen, column definition macros will have to be edited
as well.  WP 4.1 documents that use columns need not be changed
for 4.2.

CONCORDANCE:  INDEX FILE

The concordance file is a WP document which contains all the
phrases you want included in the index.  Listing each entry once
in the concordance saves the time it takes to individually mark
each occurrence of the phrase in your document.  The number of
entries permitted is dependent on your free RAM.

MERGING AND BLANK LINES

You can now have WP 4.2 omit a line in a merged document if the
field is blank.  For example, if field F2 is an optional company
name, the following would omit the field if it is blank:

          ^F1^
          ^F2?^
          ^F3^

Notice the question mark in field 2.  Note that fields 1 & 3 will
leave a blank line if those fields have no data.  The form:

          ^F1^ ^F2?^ ^F3^

would leave only the text from field 1 on the line if field 2 is
blank.  So, do not use the ? test for fields like middle initials
in full names.

MERGE FIELD NAMES

If you are using WordPerfect Library's Notebook program to
maintain your merge format files, you can use Notebook's field
names instead of the normal field numbers (e.g., ^Fname^).  We
should be able to take advantage of this without Notebook by
adding the proper "header" to a WP secondary file.  It will take
a little experimenting, but we'll have the results in a future
issue.

PARAGRAPH NUMBERING

The arbitrary limit of 255 for the paragraph number has been
increased to 65535 at which point it wraps back to 0 without
warning.  Anyone who has over that many numbered items should use
something other than WP to maintain the list.

The starting number and level can also be selected making it
possible to break documents into separate files while maintaining
automatic paragraph numbering.

STATISTICAL TYPING / TYPEOVER

Typeover mode has been changed so that the [Tab] key now moves
without inserting a tab and the [Backspace] replaces a character
with a space.  A tab is replaced if text behind the tab would be
bumped (making form entry easier).

"SMART" CURSOR

In prior versions of WP the cursor would shift to the left margin
as you moved past blank lines.  This made it very difficult to
edit a column of numbers that had intervening blank lines.  The
new cursor will still "bop" back to the left margin on that blank
line but will "zip" out to the correct position on lines with
text.

At first I found this new cursor scheme disconcerting; it changed
my editing rhythm.  But, I quickly realized that this new scheme
saves me hundreds of cursor strokes per day. The method could
still be improved to avoid the "bopping" back to the margin.
Please let us know your reaction.  Everyone who works with
columnar material will love it, and it should make WP use with a
rodent (mouse) smoother.

SEARCH / REPLACE WITHIN FOOTNOTES

Using the [Home] key in combination with any of the search or
replace functions will cause WP to search headers, footers,
endnotes, and footnotes as well as the regular text.

Search can now find the end code markers for underline and
boldface.  You can now write a macro that would change a bolded
phrase to underlined.

TEXT IN/OUT:  WP 4.1 / ASCII

Using the [Text In/Out] function you can save a file in WP 4.1
format if you need to send a document to someone who does not yet
have 4.2.  You will lose any 4.2 specific features.

Remember, WP 4.2 documents must not be loaded into WP 4.1.  It is
possible to lock-up your system doing so.  When you make the
switch to 4.2, switch the whole company over.  If that is not
possible, you will find this "backward compatibility" through
text out a welcome addition.

WP can now save a file in generic word processor format, too.
All [SRt] codes are converted to spaces so that the resulting
file, while containing no formatting codes, can be edited.

Also, [HRT] codes can be converted to soft returns on text input.
The hyphenation zone and the margin setting determine which
returns are removed.  These new functions replace the separate
ASCII conversion utilities provided on the WP Support Group
Conversion Utilities disk.

ONLINE TUTORIAL

A running, keystroke controlled tutorial is to be included with
the IBM version of 4.2.  We have not had time to evaluate it yet.

More Advances

TIMED BACKUP only occurs if the text has been modified.

EXIT indicates in the lower left if the current document has not
been modified (thereby allowing you to answer "No" to the save
question with confidence).

CONVERT now recognizes the * and ? wildcard characters in
filenames allowing you to perform mass conversions.  The CONVERT
utility also includes WP document to Final-Form-Text.

DATE/TIME formats can now be specified to include the leading
zeros.

EDITING is now possible on search strings and file and path names.
For example, if you incorrectly specify a name on [Retrieve], WP
will tell you the file does not exist and allow you to edit the
filename using the arrow keys.  Insert or typeover can be used.
Another example:  You want to see all the .LTR files in the
current directory.  Press [List Files] then [End].  Use
[Backspace] to delete the asterisk and type LTR and press [HRt].

FILENAME, drive, and path are now displayed on the status line.
The display can be turned off during WP set-up.

FOOTNOTES that continue to the next page can have the continuation
indicated using a new footnote definition offered in WP 4.2.

HARD PAGES are shown as a line of equal signs across the screen.
Soft pages are still shown as dashes.  This makes it very easy to
distinguish the two types of breaks.

HARD RETURNS can be made visible during set-up.  While I find it
distracting, you may want to experiment with ASCII codes 20, 249,
170, 250, or 27.

LIST FILES operates more like File Manager.  Pressing [HRt] does
a "look" on the file or directory.  You can use this as a quick
scan of document summaries or for traversing directory trees.
When you find the spot you want, press [7-Change dir] with the
cursor on . <CURRENT>

MOVE offers a delete option for deleting sentences, paragraphs,
and blocks.  The deleted text goes to the "undelete" buffer.

REVEAL CODES shows all codes in bold with a blinking cursor in
the codes window.  You can also highlight a block in reveal codes.

THESAURUS headwords number over 10,000 and root word handling has
been improved.  "Not a headword" has been replaced with "Word not
found."  Antonyms have been added.

UNDERLINED TEXT can be shown in a selected background color on
color monitors.  This allows one to see underlined tabs, aligns,
etc., when "underline continuous" is set to ON.

WORD DELETE has been expanded.  In addition to Ctrl+Backspace and
[Home] [Backspace] to delete words to the left, [Home] [Delete]
will delete words to the right.

CONTROL-V can be used to enter any ASCII code.  It must be used
before the WP search wildcard ^X (i.e., ^V^X).

APPLE LASERWRITER

A driver is now included that allows one to use up to 8 fonts
per document on an Apple LaserWriter.

MATH OPERATOR

"N" forces any number to be negative (acts like a minus sign).
When printing, the "N" will not appear.

SHEET FEEDER

Up to seven bins are available in the sheet feeder definitions.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please keep in mind that this list was compiled from a
pre-release, beta version of WordPerfect 4.2.


Making The Change

BACKUP YOUR DISKS

Now is a very good time to make a verified backup of all your
important disks and hard drives.  It is prudent to do a complete
backup before installing any new software.  And, do not plan to
reuse these disks for at least a year.  The cost is minimal and
savings in time if something goes wrong with your computer will
be well worth it.  Do not overlook this step!

DO NOT MIX VERSIONS

Please keep in mind that WordPerfect Version 4.2 has features not
found in previous versions of WordPerfect.  Therefore, retrieving
a WP 4.2 document in WP 4.1 (or earlier) will likely give your
computer a tummy ache.  You won't need the Pepto as long as you
stick to WP 4.2 which can read documents from any WP release to
date.  During the transition period, take advantage of the [Text
Out] into 4.1 format offered by this new version.

MACROS

Remember that macros are just stored keystrokes.  When the
sequence of keystrokes used to accomplish a task is changed, the
macro must be changed as well.  Most of your WP 4.1 macros will
work without modification in WP 4.2.  Those that don't may give
you the message:

     * Macro Complete - Unknown Display State *


You may also see this message if you edit a macro incorrectly
using M-Edit.  The correction is simple:  re-create the macro.
Most macros are only a few keystrokes.  If you are skilled with
the macro editor, make the corrections using that program (part
of WordPerfect Library).  Macros that set-up columns, print from
printer control, set hyphenation on, and set the paragraph /
outline numbering are candidates for editing.

If you have a set of macros that you use on a regular basis, test
them in WP 4.2 during the installation process (after you backed
up, right?).  It took us less than a half hour to make the few
changes necessary in our working set of over 250 macros.


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Copyright 1986, WordPerfect Support Group, All Rights Reserved.
Distribution to all WordPerfect users is encouraged provided
that no compensation is requested.