WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows - Penn Printout, Mar 1992

The University of Pennsylvania's Online Computing Magazine

March 1992 - Volume 8:6

Full advantage: WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows

By Sheila Fleming

PC users frustrated by word processors with cryptic formatting codes or confusing function keys can breathe a sigh of relief. The recently released WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows takes full advantage of the Windows graphical environment, providing WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is- What-You-Get) screen display and better access to commands via pull-down menus. The program is almost fully compatible with its DOS cousin, WordPerfect 5.1-both versions use the same file format, making their files interchangeable. Word-Perfect for DOS users can upgrade to the Windows version either by purchasing the program from the Computer Connection (which also carries the full package for new users) or by mailing an order form (available from the Computing Resource Center) to WordPerfect Corporation. The upgrade includes a license permitting users to run both the DOS and the Windows version on their computer, as well as a copy of the very useful "Transition Guide from WordPerfect for DOS."

The designers of WordPerfect for Windows have obviously learned from the mistakes of their colleagues who designed the poorly implemented first release of Word-Perfect for the Macintosh. Rather then simply porting the DOS version to Windows, they have redesigned the user interface to capitalize on the Windows environment. WordPerfect for Windows has a well-designed screen lay-out with a menu bar displayed at the top of the screen and the current font at the bottom. Essential features, which are hidden in a labyrinth of menus in the DOS version, are options listed under pull-down menus. As many as nine documents can be open simultaneously, depending on the amount of available memory. With dynamic document ex-change, a capability for linking documents so that changes made in one appear automatically in the other(s), multiple documents can be modified in one step. The WYSIWYG feature allows formatting changes to appear on the screen instantly. Gone are the days of painstakingly memorizing function-key commands; using a mouse you can point and click your way to professional-looking documents.

Button Bars

Button bars, one of the most impressive features of WordPerfect for Windows, provide quick access to frequently used menu commands and macros. You can assign a different command or macro to each of a series of "buttons" across the top or down the side of the screen and then invoke the command or macro assigned to a button by clicking on the button rather than selecting from the pull-down menu. Several default button bar layouts that can be customized are included, or you can create your own button bars. Custom button bars are especially handy when you work on a variety of documents, each requiring its own set of frequently used commands.

The ruler

Thanks to more good design, WordPerfect has an optional on-screen ruler from which you can quickly change fonts and line spacing, set margins and tabs, define tables and columns, create styles, and change justification. Setting tabs or margins is as simple as selecting a tab or margin marker and dragging it to the correct position on the ruler; a vertical guideline shows the exact placement in the document. Additional document formatting options are assigned to buttons that work much like the buttons on a button bar. By clicking on the justification button, for example, you can select left, right, or full justification from a pop-up menu, and using the line space button you can choose among single, single and a half, and double spacing or create custom line spacing. From the tables button, it's a snap to create and modify custom tables of up to 32 columns. And when you click on the font button, a dialog box (a miniature window) appears in which you can choose text attributes, such as font, style, and size; a preview box lets you see the format before you apply it to your document.

Graphics capability

Incorporating graphics with text is a painless process that desktop publishers will find especially valuable. Sixteen graphics formats, including the popular EPS and TIFF formats, are supported. WordPerfect's viewer feature lets you easily select a graphic from your hard drive or from a diskette. You can then view, move, delete, size, and otherwise edit the graphic right in the document window. With the figure editing feature you can rotate, reverse, scale, crop, outline, or stretch an image, and with the zoom feature you can magnify a specific area in 25 percent increments up to 200 percent. Creating and modifying captions is also very easy, and you can anchor an image to a word, paragraph, or page so that the image and text will stay together despite editing or pagination changes.

File management

File Manager, a stand-alone feature that you can run without opening WordPerfect, lets you manage your hard drive, diskettes, and network drives. You can quickly move through your DOS directories and subdirectories to locate, open, copy, move, and delete files, or preview the contents of a graphic or text file without opening it. The File Manager also allows you to display information about files, such as name, type, size, and attributes, in a custom format; to search for files using criteria such as a file name, a date range, or even a word or phrase contained in a file; and to access a directory or group of files without entering the full pathname each time.

Other features and enhancements

WordPerfect for Windows has a bevy of other features that are not found in the DOS version or are enhancements to their DOS counterparts. A few of the most useful ones are listed here.

Undo reverses the most recent change to a document.
Speller allows you to check spelling in one document while working on another. Because Speller is a stand-alone application, you can use it with other Windows applications.
A language feature lets you use the date, sort, and spell checking capabilities while working in a language other than English. You need to purchase the corresponding foreign language module, which includes a dictionary and thesaurus, to take advantage of some of these capabilities.
Files can be converted from, and saved to, more than twelve different word processing file formats, including Microsoft Word and Word for Windows, Multimate, WordStar, WordPerfect 4.2/5.0, and text (ASCII).

Users of the DOS version of WordPerfect will see changes in a few other areas. WordPerfect for Windows defaults to the Common User Access (CUA ) keyboard layout common to most Windows programs. CUA key mapping is different-the <F1> key, for example, is mapped to Help rather than to Cancel. It is, however, possible to switch to the WordPerfect 5.1- compatible keyboard layout. The graphical environment causes a slight loss of speed which users accustomed to the DOS version may find frustrating. They can switch to Draft Mode, where they will see a familiar sight-a document screen with a monospaced font. Font changes and graphics are not displayed unless previewed, so the program runs faster, especially with heavily formatted documents. Finally, some of the terminology used in the DOS version has been changed to reflect Windows usage. For example, the Block command is referred to as Select, and Text In/Out is referred to as Save As. All the changes in terminology are listed in the transition guide.

Printer drivers

WordPerfect for Windows offers a choice of using either Microsoft Windows printer drivers or WordPerfect printer drivers. (A printer driver is software that "tells" the computer in what format to send information to the printer.) WordPerfect provides drivers to support more than 900 printers-many more than are provided with Windows. Although the Windows drivers come with several built-in fonts, including some scalable fonts, WordPerfect drivers offer more flexibility in font and paper size selection. They are, therefore, the better choice.

Documentation and help

Users have several options when it comes to documentation. The extensive online context-sensitive help system is very helpful, though confusing. If you can't find what you need there, try the excellent "WordPerfect Workbook," which provides step-by-step instruction on using the most popular features. The "WordPerfect Reference Manual" contains explanations of WordPerfect features and has an extensive appendix with a section on troubleshooting. Finally, the README file that comes with the software contains last-minute information and changes that could not be included in the manuals. WordPerfect's toll-free Customer Service Center provides competent assistance during business hours, and a toll number is available after hours.

Conclusion

Apart from being a bit slower than the DOS version and having a few minor problems of the sort that frequently plague new software releases, WordPerfect for Windows is a powerful word processor that is easy to use and enjoyable to work with. DOS users who have been leery of switching over to Windows might want to take the plunge with this application. WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows is available for evaluation at the CRC's Locust Walk Facility. If you would like to try it out, call 898-9085 to make an appointment.

SHEILA FLEMING is a Consultant for the Computing Resource Center.