At the bottom of the Q-menu is a useful command that repeats any valid command as many times as you like. For instance, place the cursor at the start of a sentence and issue the REPEAT NEXT COMMAND command, A@] @], and then the CURSOR RIGHT A CHARACTER command, A [[I. The cursor will move a column at a time to the right, and you will see this message above the RULER LINE:
TYPE 1--9 TO VARY SPEED, SPACE TO STOP
This message tells you that you can increase or decrease the speed with which the command executes. The slowest speed is 9, and the fastest is 1. If you don't specify a rate, the command will execute at the normal rate of 3. To terminate the command, press the
1
SPACE BARI.
You can use this command to repeat any other command.Lesson 9: Print-Control Characters
Before you print your document, you can add special command characters that control your printer and produce special effects.
All of these PRINT-CONTROL characters are listed in the PRINT-CONTROL HELP menu (AJP) and the Reference Guide, so if you want more information quickly, remember to use these added resources.
You enter print-control characters into the file by first issuing the ENTER CONTROL CHARACTER command, "P, followed by the control character. Documents containing control charac-ters will appear disorganized, with lines of text possibly over-flowing margins. Do not worry too much about the appearance of your text, because PRINT-CONTROL characters are purely symbolic and will not print or affect the printed formatting of your document. Also, there is a way to make the control charac-ters disappear to see exactly how your document will appear with the "OD command.
Many of the print-control features we are about to investigate greatly depend on the capabilities of your printer and the soft-ware that directs it. Refer to the section in Chapter 2 in this manual that tells you how to use SETUP to match your printer to the Osborne 1. Your dealer should also be able to supply you with the necessary information to help you fully utilize your particular printer. You may also have to use another program, INSTALL, to inform WordStar that you have a special printer.
See Appendix A for details on the INSTALL program.
In this demonstration you will receive instructions to insert spe-cific text. You may want to create a new file devoted especially to learnirig the following print controls; save your current file with "[RJ@], then create a new file called TRIAL.TST from the no-file menu. An alternative method is to enter the text and control characters we tell you into your present file, then block it and send it to a file named TRIAL.TSTwith the "KW
command.
Some of the print-control characters are used like toggle com-mands: each successive use of the character either turns the fea-ture ON or OFF. You embed print-control characters in your text by using the ENTER CONTROL CHARACTER command, "P, followed by the control character. To test your printer's capabil-ity, enter each example exactly as shown, preceding each
of the printer control characters with "P. Number each example so you can keep track of which features work when you print the file.
You can make titles and headings stand out by using the BOLDFACE CONTROL character, "B. Boldface type is created when characters overstrike characters offset slightly from one another on DAISYWHEEL and other printers capable of in-cremental motion. The character may strike numerous times on less expensive Teletype-like printers to create boldface type.
Enter the words:
1. This is an example of the BOLDFACE feature.
Next place the cursor in front of the word BOLDFACE, issue the command "[f] , and press the control letter []]. Now move the cursor to the end of the word BOLDFACE and again issue "[f]
followed by the control letter []J. The top line of your file should look like this:
1. This is an example of the A BBOLDFACE A B feature
DOUBLE-STRIKE causes each character to strike twice for extra clarity but is not as dark as boldface. This PRINT-CONTROL character can also produce an extremely sharp impression for an entire document on printers that use carbon ribbons.
Enter the words:
2. This is an example of the DOUBLE-STRIKE feature.
Surround the words DOUBLE-STRIKE with "[f] [[] on each side. The first" PO turns the DOUBLE-STRIKE ON, the second
"PO turns it OFF. The second entry in your file should now look like this:
2. This is an example of the A DDOUBLE-STRIKE A D feature
Inserting characters to control the printer is easy. Continue by entering the text in each of the following examples. Remember
to use "P before each of the control characters:
3. This is a test of the "SUNDERLINING"S feature.
"STo-underline-an-entire-line-place-underscore-characters-between-words-like-this. "S
4. This is a test of the "XSTRIKE OUT"X feature used to illustrate the omission of text.
Subscripted text prints slightly below the surrounding text. The subscripted portion is lower by 3/48ths of an inch, and the DOT command .SR (described later), can change this amount. Some printers are not capable of fractional line roll, so subscripts print on the line below if it's empty; otherwise, there is no subscript effect at all.
5. This is a test of the "VSUBSCRIPT "V feature, which slightly lowers the text.
6. This is a test of the "TSUPERSCRIPT "T feature, which slightly raises the text.
The color of print can change on printers that have a two-color ribbon. Special installation is required to activate this character on nondaisywheel printers.
7. This is a test of the" YRIBBON COLOR TOGGLE" Yon printers with color selection.
The PRINT-CONTROL characters just described were toggle commands that turned a particular feature ON and OFF. The control characters in the remainder of this exercise initiate a fea-ture at a particular point in the document. Proceed in the same manner as you have, continuing to number your sample entries.
You can enter the control character, "C, into a file to tell the printer to stop. Use this character as many times as you want anywhere in the text. When the printer receives the "C, printing
halts, and the message appears on the STATUS LINE. The no-file command, P, or the in-file command, "KP -whichever initiated printing-will restart the printing.
8. This is a test of the STOP PRINT "C CONTROL character, which halts the printing until Par "KP is issued.
Character pitch can switch between ALTERNATE pitch, "A (Elite), which is usually 12 characters per inch, and STANDARD pitch, "N (Pica), ten characters per inch on Daisywheel printers.
You can further modify these features with the DOT command . Cw, described later.
9. "A. This is a test of the ALTERNATE character feature.
"N. The STANDARD character pitch is returned in this sentence.
After you know about DOT commands and are using .HE and .FO to specify headings and footing, you can use the LEFT-RIGHT HEADING/FOOTING PRINT CONTROL, "K. Its effect is to print headings, page numbers, etc., that print on the left-hand side of even numbered pages and on the right-left-hand side of odd pages so text prints in the appropriate position when the document is collated.
Depending on your printer, the PHANTOM SPACE and the PHANTOM RUBOUTcontrol a specific code that prints a spe-cial character. The exact character depends on the print wheel in use. Try it!
10. This is a test of the PHANTOM SPACE character ("F) and the PHANTOM RUBOUT character ("G), which will be a surprise.
11. This is a test of the NON BREAK feature which causes separated "Owords "Oto"Obe "Okept"Otogether.
The STRIKEOVER CONTROL character is useful for putting ac-cent marks over letters or creating special symbols by printing different characters in the same spot.
12. This is a test of the STRIKEOVER feature, which creates an accent mark over the word "repousse I\H'."
WordS tar makes allowance for four user-defined USER PRINT-CONTROL characters. These control characters are for accessing special printer features that vary among printers. Until you define these commands, the control characters I\Q, 1\ W, 1\ E, and
1\ R serve no purpose. See your dealer for more information on defining these features.