chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) (05/30/88)
Just some random comments and questions on FullWrite Pro:
o The spell-checker recognizes Camus and Kafka, but not Sartre. The
significance of this I leave to others.
o The spell-checker SEEMS significantly slower than Word's. However I
timed myself, and it was actually pretty-close in real time on
a non-trivial document (about 7% slower, more or less). Anyone
want to guess why it feels much slower when it isn't?
o The spell-checker would be nicer if it had an option to tell it to fix
this word in the entire document (and to quit asking me about it).
o The lookup function of the spellchecker is at least as good as Words. (yay!)
o I've found the FullWrite spell-checker to hav a lot cleaner interface
than Words. Subjectively, I catch more typoes with it, because it's
harder to skip by one.
o Here's something I could do in Word I can't do yet in Fullwrite. Hidden
text. I'm writing a text where I want two versions: what I keep for
myself and what I hand out (class notes, syllabus, etc). My text is
set up hidden, so it doesn't print out unless I specifically ask for
it.
In Fullwrite, I can use posted notes on the system, but there's no
way to print out posted notes. How do I do this without keeping
parallel documents?
o Another thing I can't do in Fullwrite (I couldn't do it in Word, either).
Take a string of text like "THIS IS A STRING" and convert it to a
bold-faced string like "This is a string" -- but do this as a wild
card: for all words that are ALL CAPS, convert to a capitalized bold
word. I cut/paste stuff through McSink and use the capitalize
function, but it should be cleaner.
o FullWrite either has to add rulers to styles, or add named rules (similar
to styles) so they can be included in the document easily. argh.
o Bug or feature: If you select a section of text and choose "New Ruler" the
new ruler modifies the selected text. If you select a ruler, copy
it, then select the same text and paste, the ruler REPLACES the
text. It probably should modify that text.
o I wish there was some way to turn of the "change all is not undoable"
alert. They only need to remind me the FIRST time I do a change all.
When you do 10 or 12 in a row, it gets real tired.
o It'd be nice to have a menu for opening stationery or common files,
similar to Word's "Work" menu.
o Auto-save should (optionally) go to a neutral, third file, so my standard
file and backup aren't over-written until I'm reader. Imagine
deleting an entire chapter, having auto-save go off, and having the
computer crash. ugh. (no, it hasn't happened yet...).
Better, allow the system to auto-save backups to a different medium,
like a floppy.
Having written and edited about 30,000 words since I got FullWrite, I really
like it. MUCH nicer to use than Word. Stable as a rock for me. A few
glitches here or there, but no real problems.
Chuq Von Rospach chuq@sun.COM Delphi: CHUQ
Robert A. Heinlein: 1907-1988. He will never truly die as long as we
read his words and speak his name. Rest in Peace.dorourke@polyslo.UUCP (David O'Rourke) (05/31/88)
In article <54848@sun.uucp> chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: >o Another thing I can't do in Fullwrite (I couldn't do it in Word, either). > Take a string of text like "THIS IS A STRING" and convert it to a > bold-faced string like "This is a string" -- but do this as a wild > card: for all words that are ALL CAPS, convert to a capitalized bold > word. I cut/paste stuff through McSink and use the capitalize > function, but it should be cleaner. Are you sure you can't do this. Because if you tell FWP to match with the wild card character, and also match style. Select UpperCase in the style dialog, then have it only "affect" the style for making changes. I haven't tried it yet, but I think if you'll play with the "Matching" menu and the "Affect" menu in the "Find/Change" dialog you might be able to get it to do what you want. -- David M. O'Rourke Disclaimer: I don't represent the school. All opinions are mine!
moriarty@fluke.UUCP (06/03/88)
[Much of this will go into the "wish list" to Ashton-Tate in a couple weeks Chuq. Thanks!] In article <54848@sun.uucp> chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: >o The spell-checker would be nicer if it had an option to tell it to fix > this word in the entire document (and to quit asking me about it). Excellent point. Definitely needs this. >o Here's something I could do in Word I can't do yet in Fullwrite. Hidden > text. I'm writing a text where I want two versions: what I keep for > myself and what I hand out (class notes, syllabus, etc). My text is > set up hidden, so it doesn't print out unless I specifically ask for > it. > > In Fullwrite, I can use posted notes on the system, but there's no > way to print out posted notes. How do I do this without keeping > parallel documents? Not a solution, but how placing some of your hidden stuff in outline mode, and then altering the display so that it's hidden? I use post-it notes in these cases, but I admit that it's personal choice there... >o FullWrite either has to add rulers to styles, or add named rules (similar > to styles) so they can be included in the document easily. argh. Absolutely -- they ALMOST have rulers in styles, but not quite. Need an indent/first line indent marker on the tab ruler. "Bring the little ones unto me, and I will get a good price for them." --- Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM Manual UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, microsoft}!fluke!moriarty CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind... <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>
tecot@Apple.COM (Ed Tecot) (06/09/88)
In article <54848@sun.uucp> chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: >o Here's something I could do in Word I can't do yet in Fullwrite. Hidden > text. I'm writing a text where I want two versions: what I keep for > myself and what I hand out (class notes, syllabus, etc). My text is > set up hidden, so it doesn't print out unless I specifically ask for > it. Try using the hidden text feature of outlines. Let me warn you, however, that outlines are frustration-city. They NEVER do what you want. I gave up when I couldn't stop it from indenting. I now use FullWrite for the jobs MacWrite can't handle. However, I'm still waiting for a decent word processor. _emt
sysop@stech.UUCP (Jan Harrington) (06/15/88)
in article <11807@Apple.Apple.COM>, tecot@Apple.COM (Ed Tecot) says: > > In article <54848@sun.uucp> chuq@plaid.Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach) writes: >>o Here's something I could do in Word I can't do yet in Fullwrite. Hidden >> text. I'm writing a text where I want two versions: what I keep for >> myself and what I hand out (class notes, syllabus, etc). My text is >> set up hidden, so it doesn't print out unless I specifically ask for >> it. > > Try using the hidden text feature of outlines. Let me warn you, however, > that outlines are frustration-city. They NEVER do what you want. I gave > up when I couldn't stop it from indenting. There is a setting somewhere (I believe it's in the outline format dialog box) that allows you to set the level indents. Just put 0! > > I now use FullWrite for the jobs MacWrite can't handle. However, I'm still > waiting for a decent word processor. > Sorry to disagree - but FW is more than decent. I have very few complaints. It was worth the frantic hunt for the extra meg of memory for my Mac II. I love being able to lay out a book as I write, something I would never try with a DTP package, since their WP capabilities are so limited. Sure, FW isn't perfect, but it is extremely intuitive, and plenty fast on a Mac II with 2 meg. Before anyone yells once more about FW being a hardware hog -- Stop complaining about resources, folks. You keep reminding me of a consulting client I have who wants a run-time database application that will autoboot (no double-clicking on an icon), run on a two-floppy system, support pick lists for data entry, etc., etc., etc. He won't spring for hard disks, wants such a major application that it can only be done with 4th Dimension or Double Helix II. I give up. Either spring for the resources or stop complaining. To get major functionality (gawd - I hate that word), you've got to have the appropriate hardware. It's a fact of life. You may not like it, but that's the way it is. (No moral judgement here - it may not be "right", but that's the way it is.) Jan Harrington, sysop Scholastech Telecommunications UUCP: ihnp4!husc6!amcad!stech!sysop or allegra!stech!sysop BITNET: JHARRY@BENTLEY ******************************************************************************** Miscellaneous profundity: "No matter where you go, there you are." Buckaroo Banzai *******************************************************************************
russky@reed.UUCP (Gregory M Byshenk) (06/17/88)
In article <598@stech.UUCP> sysop@stech.UUCP (Jan Harrington) writes: > >Before anyone yells once more about FW being a hardware hog -- >Stop complaining about resources, folks. > [stuff about a client who wants the moon, but doesn't want to buy > any real hardware] >I give up. Either spring for the >resources or stop complaining. To get major functionality (gawd - I hate >that word), you've got to have the appropriate hardware. It's a fact of >life. You may not like it, but that's the way it is. (No moral judgement >here - it may not be "right", but that's the way it is.) > The analogy doesn't quite work, because people complain about FWP being a hardware hog IN COMPARISON TO OTHER WP's. For some people it may not matter, but for most (I would guess) people, the fact that FWP takes significantly more hardware than Word 3.x to do more or less THE SAME THING (i.e. a certain level of WP) is an important factor in a comparison of the two. If you already own a Mac II with a 60meg HD and 5 megs of memory, the hardware requirements don't matter. However, "the rest of us" don't, and still feel that we should be able to do decent WP. -- gregory byshenk "The king? But I didn't vote for you!" !tektronix!reed!russky Yap, yappity, opinions, yap, my own, yap, not of my school, yappity, yap.