One last thing on the "0 menu that we promised to show you and that may interest you is an explanation of the HYPHEN HELP feature. HYPHEN HELP is usually ON. Look on the "0 menu to determine what condition this feature is currently in and if it is not already turned ON, do so with H.
With HYPHEN HELP ON, place the cursor at the beginning of a paragraph and issue the REFORM command, "[]]. If there happens to be a long word that can be divided between lines and thus improve spacing, WordStar will indicate where this word can be hyphenated. HYPHEN HELP checks that the word can, in fact, be divided by syllables; selects a proper position for the hyphen; and then allows you to decide if you want to insert a hyphen at the indicated location.
The cursor will stop where HYPHEN HELP suggests that you enter the hyphen; though you can move the cursor around and select another place to insert the hyphen if you like. Once you insert a hyphen, the REFORM operation, including HYPHEN HELP, will continue until the end of the paragraph is reached.
If a hyphen is not desirable at the suggested location, simply issue another ,,[]], and the operation will continue. If SOFT-HYPHEN ENTRY is ON, hyphens will be soft. To explicitly enter a hard hyphen while SOFT-HYPHEN ENTRY is on, issue "p before typing the hyphen.
Lesson 6: Block Maneuvers
On the "K menu are the commands used to save a file, or ma-nipulate a file just as if from the no-file menu. Also shown are the BLOCK commands used to manipulate a specific portion of text. The BLOCK commands are used to select a portion of text so you can move, copy, delete, or even write it to another file.
Here is the K menu:
There are two types of blocks: the usual margin-to-margin blocks and special column-to-column blocks. The usual
WordS tar blocks are used for normal text and encompass every-thing between the beginning and ending markers. On the other hand, 1/ column blocks" are different in that they extend from the column of the beginning marker to the column of the end marker. Column blocks are usually used to manipulate columns of numbers or tables without disturbing data on either side. To specify a column block, use the COLUMN MODE switch "KN
whose current state may be determined by looking on the" K menu.
To mark a block and, in effect, select that portion of the docu-ment to be manipulated, place the cursor at the beginning of the material you want blocked and use the BLOCK START com-mand, "[K] []] . A will appear on the screen to indicate the position of this beginning marker. Next, move the cursor to the end of the section you wish to block and use the BLOCK END command, "[K] [K]. The text within the block will become dim, making it easily discernible from its surroundings.
The marked block is always the source for any block operations.
You can redefine the boundaries of a block by moving the cursor and setting a new beginning and/or ending marker. Block opera-tions that require a destination assume the cursor position at the time of the block command as the location for the new place-ment of the block.
There is a limit to the size of block you can move or copy. If you see the message, reposition the BLOCK END MARKER closer to the beginning and try manipulating the text in smaller segments.
To make a copy of your block, move the cursor to the location in your document where you want the copy transferred. Use the INSERT A RETURN command, "N, to make room if you want the copy inserted within some existing text. Then issue "[K] @] . The BLOCK COpy command, "KC, produces a duplicate of the block and includes the block markers at the destination speci-fied by the cursor. The duplicated portion of the document will become the new block, and the cursor will be set at its begin-ning. Text at the original site of the block will remain unaltered.
If you'd like to return to the place from which you copied the block, use the CURSOR TO SOURCE OF LAST BLOCK com-mand, "I]] [2J.
When you finish making copies, you can use the HIDE/DISPLAY
BLOCK command,
"!Kl
[8], to return the characters to their nor-mal brightness (i.e., "unmark" them). When a block is hidden in this manner it is impervious to any block operations until you redisplay it with another "KH command. Try to make a copy while it is hidden; you can't do so.Now redisplay the block with the
"!Kl
[ill command and we will demonstrate how to move a block. To move the block of text, place the cursor at the desired destination and use the BLOCK MOVE command,"!Kl
[SZ]. The block will be moved to the loca-tion specified by the cursor. The block markers move with the block and remain displayed. Hide the block with"!Kl
[8] and then move the cursor with "[Q] [SZ] to the space that resulted from moving the block. If necessary, use the REFORM com-mand, "B, to clean up the margins.At this point you should note the difference between the BLOCK MOVE command and the BLOCK COpy command.
Copying a block duplicates the marked text in a new location-you will end up with two copies of location-your text. Moving a block physically relocates the marked text to the new location.
If you have been trying these procedures as we described them, you should have at least two duplicate portions of text. Try to delete one of these portions with the BLOCK DELETE com-mand, "[!g [Y]. Nothing happens if your block was still hidden from the last demonstration. If the block was not hidden, then it vanished from the screen along with its markers. Redisplay your block with "[!g [8J and delete it with "[!g [Y]. The block will disappear, leaving the block markers at the sight of the deletion.
You can see why it is a good idea to always hide a block when you are through with it; you don't want to accidentally delete it.
When a block is deleted, the markers are hidden and remain at the deletion site. The cursor does not move, but "QV can send it to where the deletion took place.
Sometimes you may want to extract a segment of text and save it in a separate file on diskette for later use. Since you deleted
your last block of text, mark another block. Next, issue the BLOCK WRITE TO FILE command, "[K] ~ . After you issue
"KW, you'll get a request for the name of a file where a copy of the block is to be sent:
NAME OF FILE TO WRITE MARKED TEXT ON?
Supply a valid file name so that WordS tar knows where you want the block stored. If you specified the name of a file that already existed, this message would appear:
FILE B:name.typ EXISTS ... OVERWRITE? (YIN)
If you pressed Y (for yes), the block would replace the contents of the existing file. If you pressed N (for no), you would be given a chance to supply another file name. Send the block you have marked to a file named TRIAL.BLK on the B drive.
Enter B:TRIAL.BLK in response to the NAME OF FILE prompt.
Press
I
RETURNI
after supplying the file name.NOTE
The disk identifier (B:) is necessary in this case because of the way you started WordStar at the beginning of these lessons and opened the file to be edited. If you had
"logged" the B drive with command L from the no-file menu, the drive identifier would not be needed. It is also possible to make the B drive the logged drive from within the file you are presently working on with the "l<L command.
Once you have finished writing (copying) the block to the file named TRIAL.BLK, hide the block with "[K] [8J. Now, just to make sure that the block was copied successfully, issue "[K] [g, enter B: and press
I
RETURNI
to log drive B, then issue "[K] [I] tolook at the directory of drive B for the file named TRIAL.BLK.
Issue 1\ IE] [£J again to get rid of the directory.