Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!DOCKMASTER.ARPA!TMPLee
From: TMPLee@DOCKMASTER.ARPA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: WordPerfect for the GS
Message-ID: <871213030233.769363@DOCKMASTER.ARPA>
Date: 13 Dec 87 03:02:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 69

Yes, Rex and your friend, whoever you are (I receive info-apple by a
means that drops the return address so unless its included in the text I
can't tell) there is a WordPerfect for the GS.  Version 1.1, which was
more-or-less a port of the IIe version to the GS has been around for
awhile.  Version 2.0 has just been released, although I don't know how
far it has penetrated to dealers:  by virtue of having sent in a long
set of comments on 1.1 I was given the chance of being a beta test site
for 2.0; we (beta testers) received our copy of the "release" version
about two weeks ago.

Short description of 2.0:  operates almost completely with the mouse (if
you wish -- keyboard also usable for anything.)  Supports as many
windows as you have memory (i.e., you can be working on that many
documents:  I've had up to five on the screen at once.)  Although its
been awhile since I used the MS/DOS version the major things it is
missing from that are multiple columns, the math column feature,
red-lining/change bars, and lawyers line numbers.  Oh yes, it does not
have the automatic paragraph/ outline numbering features.  Other than
that the files are compatable with the MS/DOS versions.  Has Speller and
Thesaurus.  Footnotes (several styles possible) and endnotes;
Multiple-line Headers/Footers.  left, left/right indents; margin release
(for hanging indents.)  macros, including conditional.  Handles (at
least the imagewriter, the only printer I have) 144 dpi proportional
spacing font perfectly (e.g., when right justifying.)  Its a little slow
compared to something like Appleworks, but a lot more powerful.  Since
I've used it for so long I can't judge anymore how easy it would be for
a casual user to learn (I remember the MS/DOS version taking a little
while) but my guess is that with its pull-down menu interface the
learning curve would be pretty quick.  Oh yes, for those who use that
kind of thing, has a very flexible merge facility.

The interface is worth a longer description.  There are really three
ways of selecting "functions" (e.g., cut/paste a block) 1) major
functions are on one of about a half dozen pull-down menus (file, edit,
print, style, "special" ) etc.  -- there is also a separate menu entitle
"help" that has "all" the functions, but its purpose is really 2) by
typing control-"character", where "character" is the first letter of the
function you want, a portion of the "help" menu is displayed covering
that function and others with the same initial letter; typing more
characters (if necessary) moves down the menu to select the one you
want, so "close" (a file) could be selected by ctrl-c l CR (if I
remember right); 3) any function can have associated with it a single
key "keyboard-equivalent", either option-character or apple-character --
it comes with predefined equivalents for the common functions (e.g.,
close is option-c) {no keyboard overlays!  hurray}, but any existing one
can be changed and unused ones assigned.  single-keys (option or apple)
can also be defined as macros.  (my only disappointment here is that if,
say option-x is defined as a macro, apple-x is also the same macro and
would only have a different meaning if it were assigned as a
keyboard-equivalent ot an existing function.)

The numeric keypad is used as cursor control keys (as in the MS/DOS
version.)  User can select what colors he want the display to be in
(text, highlighted text (e.g., current block), bolded text, background)
All such things (keyboard-equivalents, varios default-settings) can be
saved in a file that is automatically used set them on booting.

The latest version (2.0d) still has a few minor bugs (e.g., it lost
track of the end of page when there were too many footnotes; can't have
both HEADER A and B on at the same time (not a real problem, since a
header can be arbitrarily long)) but is already far more robust than 1.1
ever was and I think even than the last version of the MS/DOS one I
used; the minor bugs will of course be corrected shortly -- we have been
told that the remaining 4.2 features will also be incorportated.  (no
schedule)

That help any?

TMPLee@Dockmaster.ARPA