The TK-WRITER Word Processing package provides a fast and easy-to-use facility for creating, editing and formating textual information, whether a short memo or a one hundred page formal document. Although relatively simple to learn and to use, it does provide a wide range of operations which the casual user may forget from time to time. To get the best use of the word processing package, familiarize yourself with the contents of this manual.
The manual is designed to provide the information necessary to learn and operate the TK-WRITER Word Processing Software. The sections outlined below will help you get started in addition to serving as a reference later:
| Overview | The overview section provides general information regarding TK-WRITER's capabilities. It's a useful starting point. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Getting Started | This section is for first time users. It provides the information necessary to understand and use the basics of TK-WRITER. It will also provide some general concepts which will be useful throughout. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Directories, Macros, and Text Buffers | Once you know the basics, there are a number of topics which need to be discussed to make you life easier. In this section you are introduced to three of them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Printing Techniques | Today there are thousands of printers available, each one with its own unique language, capabilities and requirements. This section introduces you to the techniques that are used with TK-WRITER to allow you to access the many features of your printer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference | This section is provided for reference during the use of TK-WRITER. Detailed instructions are provided for each of the system's commands, functions and screens. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Integration Notes | The TK-WRITER editor can be integrated with other software. This section provides the details needed by the programmer to accomplish this. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System Information |
Appendix A is included to provide the information necessary to install
TK-WRITER on your computer system. Operating system and terminal
definition programs are discussed. Appendix B lists the default function
key settings for a number of common terminal types.
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CHAPTER 1 |
OVERVIEWThis overview of the capabilities of TK-WRITER will help you to understand how TK-WRITER works and what it can do for you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Multi-User | he TK-WRITER Word Processing package is designed as a multi-user system. Many users can be creating, editing and printing documents at the same time. The only restriction is that two users may not edit the same document concurrently. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full Screen Editing | TK-WRITER provides full-screen editing. Along with three lines of format and mode information, the user has access to a full 21 lines of text at a time. With terminals that support compressed mode, TK-WRITER can handle documents up to 128 characters wide. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Features |
Some of the editing functions that TK-WRITER makes available to the user
are: Cursor Control . Up, Down, Right and Left CursorScreen Control . Next Screen . Previous Screen . First Screen Document Control . Word Wrap ModeFormat Control . Cut LineEditing Control . Insert CharacterPrint Control . Underline TextMiscellaneous . Spelling Checker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Document Management | The TK-WRITER Word Processing package includes a comprehensive Document Management System which provides selection, security, and maintenance of the word processing environment. The user may create and manage large numbers of documents under a two level filing scheme. Security may be optionally maintained at both the directory level and the document level of that hierarchy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disk File Update | The documents are stored on disk and all changes made to the document are immediately recorded to the disk for data integrity. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Printing Flexibility | Documents can be printed using a variety of printers such as dot matrix, letter quality, and laser. The software provides the control for pagination, automatic page numbering, variable line and character spacing, fonts, proportional spacing, full margin selection, right justification, auto-underscore, super/ subscripts, and automatic footnote insertion. Some options are not available on matrix printers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Online Help | TK-WRITER contains more than 80 help screens that are available to the user by means of the HELP function key. The software is "context sensitive" meaning that it provides the appropriate help for the current function being performed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utilities | TK-WRITER provides a number of utilities that may be used to supplement functions covered by the editing and printing processes. Some of these utilities provide the ability to copy and merge entire documents, change the description and security requirements, control list processing functions, and remove old documents and empty directories. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Terminal Independence |
TK-WRITER supports a wide range of CRT terminals. Device utilities found
in the System Configuration option allow the user or system manager to
define new terminal types and/or modify existing types. These utilities
also define the use of special keys on the keyboard so that the user may
select which keys will perform which function.
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CHAPTER 2 |
GETTING STARTEDThis section provides the basic instruction for the beginner or infrequent user of the TK-WRITER Word Processing system. It assumes that the user is already familiar with the layout of the keyboard and has had some use of the CRT.
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Function Keys |
Because TK-WRITER can easily be run on a variety of terminals and can be
reconfigured to address the individual needs of each system, it is
impossible to provide instructions which refer
to specific keys. We recommend that a function key template be developed
for the terminals at your site to ease the problem of key definition. For the purposes of this manual, we will refer to keys by their assigned function such as LINE DELETE or MACRO KEY, rather than their physical name. The HELP screens provide a FUNCTION KEY MAP that may be of use if you have no idea what key is defined to what function. If there is no provision for function keys, or if there are not enough keys to implement all of the functions of TK-WRITER, some of the functions may need to be invoked by control codes. A control code is performed by holding the CONTROL key down while pressing another key. For example, a CONTROL-W would be performed by pressing the W while holding the CONTROL down.
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Starting TK-WRITER |
If TK-WRITER has been added to your computer's menu system, it can be
started from that system. If not, the main menu of TK-WRITER is invoked
by executing the following MUMPS command:
D ^TKWP NOTE: If your terminal has not been used for PG&A's Toolkit products before, you may be asked to identify the type of terminal you are using before starting. A list of the available types will be listed for you to use in making a selection. Enter the number next to the type of terminal you are using and press 'RETURN'. If the TK-WRITER menu appears but is not displayed properly, your terminal may be incorrectly identified. See Appendix A for more information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Using The Menus |
The first encounter with the word
processing
package is in the form of a menu which is displayed on the screen.
A menu provides the user with a list of options from which to choose.
Below we see a list of options found on the Main menu of the Word
Processor. The order in which you select these options is based upon the
task that is being performed.
Using the menus in the word processor is easy. There are two methods of selecting an option on each menu: 1.) You can type the first letter of the option desired. Notice that this letter is displayed at the front of the option. On the menu shown above, either a E, C, D, P, S or Q could be entered. NOTE: If your system is configured to require a 'RETURN' on the menus, you will have to press the 'RETURN' key to complete the selection after a letter has been entered. Otherwise, the letter alone will execute the selection. For our purposes we will assume that you are required to press the 'RETURN' throughout this manual. 2.) The desired option can also be selected using the line selector. This is the arrow to the left of one of the options. This arrow can be moved up or down with the 'CURSOR UP' and 'CURSOR DOWN' keys. (The 'SPACE' bar can also be used to advance the pointer). When the line selector points to the desired option, press the 'RETURN' key. After the option is selected, you will be shown the first screen of the option chosen. In some cases, this will be another menu. Use the QUIT option to return to the previous menu. If, for example, you have selected the Print options, and then want to get back to the Main menu, type 'Q' to quit. (You may also use the EXIT function key.)
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Document Directories |
All documents in TK-WRITER are stored in directories, which may be
thought of as file cabinets; just as documents may be organized in various
filing cabinets in your office, you may want to store TK-WRITER documents
in different directories. As the number of documents grows, so will the
need for more directories.
Before a new document can be created, the directory in which the document is to be stored must be selected. As shown in the illustration below, the Current Directory is displayed in a small box at the top of TK-WRITER's main menu. If the space is blank, then it indicates that no directory has been selected.
To select a directory, point to the Directory Options line on the main
menu
by moving the pointer or pressing
If you chose correctly, the screen illustrated below should appear on your
terminal.
For convenience in identifying and selecting directories, TK-WRITER
requires a single or double character designator be assigned to each.
This
is done when the directory is created, and can be composed of either upper
or lower case characters, or both. Enter a designator for this new
directory and press 'RETURN'.
After entering the letter, you will be given the opportunity to provide a
short description or title for this new directory. Enter the description
and press 'RETURN'. If a typographical error was made, use the cursor
keys to position the cursor on the error and 'RUBOUT' or 'DELETE'
to remove the character. Of course you can also type right over it as
well.
When the Description has been entered, the cursor will move to the
Password
field. Passwords are optional, so let's skip through it for now. Press
'RETURN'.
TK-WRITER automatically assigns the creation date when the directory is
created. Therefore, we can return to the Directory Options menu by
pressing 'RETURN'.
TK-WRITER will list all the directories that are currently available on
your system. Your new directory should also be listed among the others.
Move the highlighted arrow on the left with either the 'CURSOR UP' and
'CURSOR DOWN' keys, or the 'SPACE' bar, until it points to your new
directory. (Of course, if there is only one directory, this will be
unnecessary).
Press 'RETURN' to complete the selection of the directory being indicated
by the arrow. TK-WRITER will return you to its main menu. However, now
the directory which you have created and selected will be shown in the
small box at the top.
Start by selecting the CREATE A NEW DOCUMENT option from the main menu.
Notice that this screen is very similiar to the one used to create a new
directory. As you can see from the illustration below, you can provide
each document with a description, the author's name or initials, line
length as well as some other optional items.
With some practice and experimentation, you will be able to determine what
line length is best for your purposes. However, here are some hints. If
you will be printing on a standard sheet of paper with an inch border on
the left and right, then you have 6 1/2 inches to type on. At 10
characters-per-inch (CPI), that's 65 characters. At 12 CPI, there will be
enough room to type 76 characters.
For the purpose of this demonstration, create this document with a line
length of 65.
After pressing 'RETURN' (or the 'TAB' key), the screen will clear
momentarily and the top and bottom margin lines for the document will be
drawn. There will be 21 blank lines available for typing with the cursor
positioned on the first. This is the "TK-WRITER Editing Window".
To move above or below the current displayed portion of the document, you
can scroll up or down one screen at a time, or one line at a time.
Begin typing. There's no need to stop when you reach the end of the line,
because Word Wrap Mode is on. TK-WRITER will automatically move the last
word to the beginning of the next line. It is not necessary to press
'RETURN' at the end of each line within a paragraph.
There may be times when you want to turn the Word Wrap off. In order to
make a change you will need to press the 'SELECT' function key.
Now you may already know what key on your keyboard is the 'SELECT' key.
(Hopefully it is marked for you either on the key cap or on a template of
some sort.) But let us suppose that you don't know. How do you find out?
If you press the 'HELP' function key during the edit mode you will see the
following screen.
Move the cursor down to the Function Key Map and press 'RETURN'. You
will be given a listing similiar to the one shown below that will tell you
which keys do what on your particular terminal or PC. Look for the
'SELECT' key. (You will also see a listing of the default settings for
your particular terminal or PC in Appendix B.) Press the 'EXIT' key to
get out of the help screens.
If you type with Word Wrap OFF, the cursor will advance to the next line
when the last cursor position is reached, but the last word, or portion
thereof, will not be moved to the beginning of the next line.
Now switch the Word Wrap mode to HYP. In this mode, your typing will be
the same as Word Wrap ON, except when the last word on the line is over
six characters in length. It will then beep on each new character typed.
By moving the cursor left with the 'CURSOR LEFT' key you can point to the
position on the word where it is to be hyphenated. Press 'RETURN'.
TK-WRITER will break the word where selected, add a hyphen (unless you
point to a space) and bring the remainder of the word down to the next
line.
The 'NEXT SCREEN' and 'PREVIOUS SCREEN' functions are used to quickly move
from page to page within a document, while the 'FIRST SCREEN' function
will return you to the beginning of the document.
Did you make a mistake while you were typing? You may use the cursor keys
and move back into your text to correct it. You can either type over the
original, or use the INSERT CHARACTER or DELETE CHARACTER keys to insert
or delete characters from the line. You can then move down and do some
more typing.
When you need to go back and edit text already in your document, you may
be faced with several problems. Let's look briefly at some of the common
problems that occur while editing a document and a few ways to make that
make situations easier to resolve.
First, remember that we said that we could use the cursor keys to move
around on the screen. In practice, this method can sometimes be tedious.
Several functions have been included to speed up the process of moving
around in a document.
For example, the 'RETURN' key will bring the cursor back to the left with
one keystroke. Or, if the cursor is already on the left margin, using the
'CURSOR LEFT' will wrap the cursor to the right margin.
One function called 'ADVANCE TO NEXT WORD' can be used to advance from any
position to the beginning of the next word. Another such function is
'MOVE TO END OF LINE'. It can be used to quickly position the cursor at
the end of the current line, regardless of its length.
When doing columnar work, it is generally a good idea to set TAB stops in
order to be able to move from one column to the beginning of the next by
pressing the 'TAB' key.
Another common situation is having to insert a whole sentence in the
middle of an existing paragraph. We could move the cursor to the last
correct word and then retype the paragraph. Better yet, use the 'CUT
LINE'
function to break open the paragraph and insert the approximate number of
blank lines, type in your addition, and then use the 'REFORMAT PARAGRAPH'
function to close the paragraph back up.
This solution may sound a little complex, but it's not really so bad.
Let's break it down and look at it in more detail.
Add some text. Need more space? Use the 'INSERT LINE' function to add
another blank line, or as many new lines as you need. If you end up with
extra blank lines, you can remove them using the 'DELETE LINE' function.
Now that some text has been added to the middle of the paragraph, the
remainder of the paragraph needs to be brought back up and reformatted.
That's the job of the REFORMAT PARAGRAPH function.
The REFORMAT PARAGRAPH function is used frequently so it is important that
you feel comfortable using it. There are two things to remember. First,
the REFORMAT PARAGRAPH function will start its operation at the cursor
position and will continue until it encounters a blank line.
Second, the margins of the reformatted text will be the current template,
unless you override it by answering NO to the question it asks you. If
you do answer no, then you will be asked to enter the number of spaces
from the left and right that the text should be indented. A little
practice will make this process quick and efficient.
Another situation! Suppose there is a paragraph in your document that
would make more sense somewhere else. In such a situation, the 'COPY/
MOVE/ INSERT' function is useful.
When your text has been marked, press 'RETURN'. TK-WRITER will ask you
to assign a name to this marked text. Why? Because it does not know what
the destination is for the text, and will save the marked text under that
name so that it can be recalled at the proper time. Any name may be used,
so long as it is not already in use. However, TK-WRITER does not
distinguish between upper and lower case characters. Press 'RETURN'
when you have entered the name and you will be returned to Edit Mode.
The next step is to insert this text somewhere in the document. Move the
cursor to the line in the document where the text is to be inserted. It
can be on the current screen, some other screen or even another document.
For this example, use your current document. Press the
Although you will not see any immediate change when the 'RETURN' key is
pressed, the text will be moved into your document. But before you can
continue, TK-WRITER must know whether or not the text just inserted should
be deleted, or saved for another use. Press Y
for YES, DELETE IT,
unless you wish to save it. When completed, TK-WRITER will return to Edit
Mode with the now inserted text displayed on the screen.
There are many possible short cuts such as those described here. The more
you use TK-WRITER and experiment with its capabilities, the more
comfortable and efficient you will become with it. Good luck.
The process of printing a document begins by selecting Print Options from
the TK-WRITER Main Menu or if you are currently in the edit mode you can
select the Quick Print in the OTHER OPTIONS menu.
First, some background. TK-WRITER does all of it's printing offline
. That means that while your document is being printed, you can go on and
use the CRT for other purposes. To accomplish this, we need to supply the
TK-WRITER Printer with the name of the document(s) to be printed along
with other pertinent information. This information is then entered into a
Print Queue.
Unless you are British, or a computer aficionado, you may not understand a
queue. It is a list or a line with a particular order. You do not stand
in line at a bank in England -- you stand in a queue.
Just as people get in line at the end, documents are added to the end of
the queue. Each will be printed when it is first in the queue. There is
a different queue for each printer identified to TK-WRITER.
Now back to our example.
Select Print Document
from the Print Options menu. You will be
shown a list of the documents that are in the current document directory.
Find the document you just created and select it by pointing the arrow to
it and pressing 'RETURN'.
You will then be shown a screen for the printer selection. On this screen
you are asked to supply the device number of the printer to be used, the
number of copies of the document to be printed, and which pages to print.
For this quick example, just enter the number of the desired printer and
press 'TAB' to accept all of the remaining fields.
If you don't know the number assigned to your printer, ask your system
manager who maintains a list of these numbers. Also make sure that the
printer that you have selected is turned on.
When finished with the printer selection screen a brief message will be
displayed on the screen as a verification that the document has been
queued. If the printer you selected is not already printing a document,
it will begin printing yours.
If it requires loose sheets of paper to be hand-fed, then the printer will
beep at you twice each time it is ready to print a new page and wait for
you to insert a sheet and press the 'BREAK' key on the printer.
If a document is to be reused for another purpose, you may want to change
the name and description of the document. Use the Edit Document
Description option on the Special Options Menu for this.
There is a limit of 999 documents to a directory and a limit of 9999 lines
for each document. Other than this you need not concern yourself with
limits unless the system manager tells you that the disk drive where the
documents are stored is running out of room.
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