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- =============== Quick Start: Pro~Scribe & EXPRESS (Ver. 3.0) ==============
-
- Anxious to start? Then this is for you. Please read the manual later.
-
- =====================- Quick Start: Pro~Scribe (PS)- =====================
-
- INSTALLING PS: Look at "Installing PS" in the manual for 'SET PSDIR="
-
- RUNNING PS: You can start Pro~Scribe in two ways. Type either:
- PS PS starts at the Options Menu - All options available
-
- PS "FileName" Type PS, a space, then a filename. Example: PS Test.Txt
-
- However you start, the 1st thing you see is 'Setting Up . .' while PS
- loads your Help Screens and Wasted.Wrd - your list of Word Wasters.
-
- [Q]uit, [Esc] or [F9] ABORT: Press one of these to back up/exit from
- a menu, or to Quit PS. At each step, PS shows which key to press.
- [F9] is the "Abort-get me out of here!" key. Press it if you're
- unsure how to stop something. PS returns you to the Options Menu.
-
- PS' MAIN OPTIONS:
- * At PS' Options Menu, you can [B]egin Analyses or view help screens.
- * Select options by pressing the 1st letter of the option you want -
- shown in brackets or highlighted. Example: press [B] to Begin Analyses.
- * You may Type text in directly, or Import a File (ASCII or WordStar).
- To import, enter a file name, or press [F5] to choose from a directory.
- * PS quickly analyzes your text, displays result, then lets you choose:
-
- [R]GL [C]omplex Words [W]ord Wasters [P]rint Results [H]elp [Q]uit
-
- RGL The Running Grade Level (RGL) highlights which sections are
- complex, which are OK. Ask for [R]GL, and PS will ask:
- - [T]ext and Graph? - text printed on your screen (& printer
- if you like) with Grade Levels beside it. Then PS shows:
- - [G]raphic Reports? - TWO summaries: 1) A Line-by-Line
- Grade Level graph (which sections are complex, which OK);
- 2) Patterns - your writing style pattern versus an ideal.
- Complex Words Shows the complex words you used (9+ letters, 3+ syllables)
- Word Wasters Words or phrases which are: weak, wordy or wrong.
- Print Results Prints the Results Summary/Complex Words on your printer
- Help Help with Interpreting Results, finding Synonyms, etc.
- Quit Return to PS' Main Menu
-
- OPTIONS: * Begin words with an asterisk (*) to tell PS/PSE to treat
- them as 1-syllable words. This is useful when, for example:
- - A word is long, but you think your audience understands it.
- - A long word appears many times. You think they 'got it'
- the first time it appeared.
- * You may change or add to PS' list of Word Wasters.
- - Include your own 'pets'-jargon/phrases you want to avoid.
- - Want to eliminate the jargon or fuzzy language in your
- business, department or classroom? Add your own phrases,
- then ask your staff to run all their work through PS.
- - Do you edit other peoples' work? Add the: Jargon they
- use, Types of mistakes they make. Then send them a copy
- of PS' results along with your comments.
- - Change the Comments - make them stronger or more specific.
-
- ====================- Quick Start: PS Express (PSE) -=================== d
-
- PS Express (PSE) is a memory-resident version of PS. You run it once, and
- it waits in memory for you to call it up when you need help most - while
- you're actually writing. PSE consumes about 10k of memory.
-
- TO RUN PSE: Type PSE or, PSE rows,columns (Note comma. See Options.)
-
- TO CALL UP: Press Alt-Space (You can change PSE's Hotkey. See Options)
- PSE pops up if your monitor's in 'text mode' (80+ columns).
- It WON'T pop up in 'graphics mode.' Microsoft Word users:
- Toggle Word into Text Mode (or run it with the '/c' switch).
-
- USING PSE: Call up PSE & a help window appears--any key clears the screen.
- - The 1st time you bring up PSE, its cursor (a solid block
- in reverse color) appears in the Upper Left corner.
- - Use Arrow (cursor) keys to move it to the beginning of the
- text you want analyzed. Press: Return/Enter or [B]egin.
- - Use Arrow keys to size the window until all text is
- highlighted in reverse color. Press [Return] again.
- - PSE's Results Summary pops up almost instantly with:
- -- Comments on both your overall writing style, and
- the words you used and sentences you built.
- -- The Grade Level of your writing - one measure of
- difficulty. (12=High School, 16=College, etc.)
- -- Scores showing the average length of your words and
- sentences, and how many long, complex words you used.
- - PSE remembers where you began the last analyses. So, when
- you edit something, just call PSE up again and it's ready
- to help you see how your writing improved.
-
- TIPS: * Include EXTRA spaces on BOTH sides of PSE's window. Why?
- - Sentences are .?!; FOLLOWED by a space. If PSE 'finds'
- no words or sentences, it clears the screen and exits.
- * For the same reason, delete apostrophes or quotations marks
- after end-of-sentence marks. Example: "That's All Folks."
- is NOT a sentence - there's NO space after the period.
- * Be safe! As with all TSR programs, save your work fre-
- quently and before calling them up. Memory conflicts some-
- times occur; they can hang your system forcing a re-boot.
-
- OPTIONS: * Do you use a monitor with more than 25 rows/80 columns (EGA)?
- - Start PSE like this: PSE rows,columns (eg., PSE 43,132)
- - This expands PSE's internal buffer, letting you analyze
- more text at one time. It also raises the memory consumed.
- So include rows/columns ONLY if you need more storage.
-
- When you call up PSE, it 'reads' the actual number of rows/columns on your
- monitor. So if you switch active monitors, or switch from 132 column to
- 80 column mode, PSE will be in sync. This assumes your equipment con-
- forms to IBM standards. Because of the many types of monitors/display
- adapters, we can't ensure PSE will respond properly in all situations.
-
- * Begin words with an asterisk (*) to tell PSE/PS to treat
- them as 1-syllable words. This is useful when, for example:
- - A word is long, but you thing your audience understands it.
- - A long word appears many times. You think they 'got it'
- the first time it appeared.
- * You can change PSE's hotkey if it conflicts with another
- program, or if you prefer something else (See the Manual.)
-
-
- PS Express (cont.)
-
- MAKE LIFE
- EASIER: * We enjoy using PSE more when our cursor flys as we expand
- the window to mark text. Normal cursor speed is ok, but
- why wait.
- - Several utilities are available to speed up your keyboard.
- - Some are 'public domain' programs like Quickeys.Com from
- PC Magazine. Run Quickeys once and your cursor moves
- much faster. Run it twice and it screams. Run it again
- and ... you get the point.
- - These programs are also handy if you use 'slow moving'
- programs - like Microsoft Word.
-
- UNLOADING
- PSE: * You can't. PSE has no feature to 'unload/de-install' itself.
- - One reason is several utilities are available to help
- you manage and de-install TSRs - safely!
- -- Mark.Com and Release.Com are 2 'public domain' examples.
- -- We felt adding similar code to PSE was redundant.
- -- If you need the ability to unload PSE, try using one of
- these other utilities (several are free)
- - Another reason is that 'casually' unloading TSR programs
- can leave 'holes' in memory. These holes can have affects
- worse than leaving the TSR in place.
- - As an alternative to unloading TSRs, check out Allkeys.Com
- (also free from PC Magazine). It lets you temporarily
- 'suspend' TSR programs or macros if they conflict with a
- program you're using.