Updates Page

WordStar Command Emulator
for Microsoft Word - V1.4 Updates

This document lists all major changes to the WordStar Command Emulator version 1.3. For updates to other versions see these pages.

[v1.4] [v1.3b] [v1.3a] [v1.3] [v1.2] [v1.1] [v1.0]

Commands updates

1. GoTo markers ^QP and ^QV are now set to be hidden. Thus, the only bookmarks you should now see in your document (if you turn on view bookmarks) are those you entered yourself - including ^KB, ^KK, ^K1, etc.

2. Edit Undo (^U) updated to need only one ^U to undo a WordStar command's actions *see exception below. Previously this may have required several ^U's as Word doesn't treat a macro procedure as a single entity.

There are, however, a few points to bear in mind:

(a). The Undo covers all actions, unlike WordStar where it only undoes text delete.

(b). The Undo buffer can undo a large range of previous edits. WordStar would undo, then undo the undo - repeatedly. There is a Redo command to undo the undo. This is currently only available from the Edit menu or the standard toolbar as its ^Y command in Word clashes with WordStar's delete line command.

(c). *If the cursor is within a marked block and the block is deleted using ^KY three ^U's will be needed to restore the block. WordStar only needed one. This is because both the editing markers and the block need to be undone. Only one ^U is required if the cursor is positioned outside the marked block, or for ^KC and ^KV (which WordStar cannot undo), therefore, before deleting a block, move the cursor outside of the block.

(d). The Undo function will not maintain a previously highlighted block, but will position the cursor to the start of the block that has been undone. For example, highlight two words (use SHIFT+ARROW keys for now), type ^K" to capitalise them. Now type ^U. The two words remained selected until the undo operation, which has moved the cursor to the start of the first word. This is done to prevent accidental overtyping of the highlighted block, as in Windows, by default, typing replaces the selection, i.e., the highlighted text.

3. Help | About title changed for the add-in.

4. EditPaste keyboard command now also has ALT+P option to replace psudo Windows ALT+V (in place of normal CTRL+V) as previous assignment of ALT+V prohibited direct access to the View menu.

5. Find (^QF) operation corrected so that the find operation starts at the following word, rather than the word that the cursor is resting in. The assumption being that you don't want to find a word that you're already positioned next to. Word will have loaded the word that the cursor is in or that is immediately to its right. Note, if there is a space between the cursor and the word to its right, Word will use the next word to the left instead. This is because Word considers a word to start at its first character, and to continue up until the next non-space character, punctuation mark, or paragraph mark, etc.

6. Changed operation of highlighting so that blocks only remain highlighted for around 1s rather than until the cursor is first moved. Versions 1.1 to 1.3b would keep the block highlighted which led to the chance of the block contents being deleted by accident if the user started typing. The user had to move the cursor first to deselect the block. This is because Windows' default mode of operation is to replace the selection (highlighted area) with whatever is typed.

7. Block move highlight added.

8. Block copy highlight added. Temporarily highlights new copy of block.

9. Implemented ^QP for block copy - should be able to use ^QV to go to start of where block copied from (same as ^QB) and after that, to use ^QP to go back to start of where block copied to. This didn't used to be possible.

10. ^PB modified to work in a more WordStar fashion. Type ^PB to mark desired start point of Boldface (if you change your mind repeat the command). Move to the other end of the area you want in Boldface (can be done at any time) and type a second ^PB.

If you decide you got the second ^PB in the wrong place use ^U to undo, then reposition the cursor and type ^PB again. Unlike WordStar you cannot have nested ^PB's and remove any one at will - you need to mark both start and end of the area to toggle between Bold and Normal each time you want to make a change because the start marker is lost once the command is complete.

If you forget where you placed the start of Bold marker, use Insert > Bookmark..., ensure the Show hidden bookmarks option is selected, and GoTo the bookmark called _wsPB_.

ALT+B still uses Word's Bold function. Any text that's highlighted when the ^PB's are typed will be included in the area that gets toggled. If an area is highlighted, two ^PB's will toggle its state rather than remove the marker.

If you continue typing immediately after an emboldened section of text Word will infuriatingly assume that you want to continue the bold. Type a space first, or type yor text and then modify the formatting later.

11. Modified ^PS (Underline), ^PT (Superscript), ^PV (Italic), ^PX (Strike- Through), and ^PY (Subscript), to work in similar fashion to ^PB (see 10, above).

12. Reassigned redundant WordStar ^PD (Double-Strike) print command to give Double-Strikethrough text formatting. Works in same way as ^PB (see 12, above).

13. Assigned WordStar Custom Print command ^P! to toggle Hidden text formatting. This works as ^PB (see 12, above). To show hidden text on screen, use the Utilities (old Tools) > Options... menu, select the View tab and check the Show hidden text option. The text will be shown with a dotted underline. You can also use the Show All toolbar button (paragraph symbol), or ^KH to toggle this function.

14. Implemented copying of text and paragraph styles from marked block during ^KW (Write to File). Append still not available yet.

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Bug fixes v1.4

1. Additional menu corrections:

Edit menu Find still showed Word's CTRL+F instead of WordStar's CTRL+Q,F.

Edit menu Replace showed Word's CTRL+H instead of WordStar's CTRL+Q,A.

EditUndo always showed 'Undo Bold' - Changed to read 'Undo'.

EditRedo always showed 'Repeat Doc Close' - Changed to read 'Redo'.

2. Corrected deletion of ^QP or ^QV (return to...) markers if two operations were carried out from the same 'return to' position without these markers having been moved inbetween times.

For example, in version 1.3: Start at position X on a line. Type ^QS, ^QP, moves to the start of the line and then back to position X. Now type ^QD, ^QP, an undefined marker error occurs. This has been fixed in version 1.4.

3. Corrected effect that if Change to Sentence Case (^K.) command run with more than a sentence highlighted, the whole document would be acted upon. Now only those sentences/paragraphs highlighted are affected (note that a hard return constitutes a sentence break). Also modified undo to stop multiple undo's being necessary and added changes to stop the sentence(s) remaining highlighted following the command. The cursor position is now also maintained.

4. Block copy wasn't highlighting copied block in keeping with other block highlighting features. Now fixed.

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Copyright © 1999, 2000 Michael Petrie, United Kingdom.