WordPerfect vs MS Word - A Neglected Comparison
I bought my first Word Processing package in 1981, for my Apple IIe
computer, and I've been doing word processing ever since. Since about
1990, when I trained as a court reporter, I've almost exclusively worked
doing audio transcription. (In my work, I very seldom come across
Stenotype writing, rather using recorded audio and standard word
processing software.) This is fairly arduous work, which needs me to
key in at the normal speed of speech - between 150-180 words per minute-
for hours on end.
Over the decades I've read many pages of text comparing WordPerfect to
MS Word. The main areas covered seem to be how WordPerfect has "Reveal
Codes" and issues of "compatibility" of text documents. Ho hum. Up
front, I'll say I've been using WordPerfect since Version 5.0 for DOS. I
adore Reveal Codes and I've only ever had compatibility issues when the
client for whom I have worked has MS Word, but it's either an old
version, or they haven't installed all the conversion functions. Yet
for some reason, they expect ME to buy the latest version of MS Word.
(WordPerfect for Windows (ANY version) will open ANY WordPerfect
document as far back as Version 4.0.)
However, seldom (in fact never) have I ever seen discussed probably the most fundamental
function of a word processor - text entry - ie "vanilla flavoured"
typing. I can almost hear the eyebrows being raised. How on Earth can
one version of a word processor enable a typist to enter text more
quickly than another version?
I hope to show here how correctly using WordPerfect can enable a 40%
decrease in entering keystrokes compared to the finished output.
There are three functions I'll draw to the reader's attention. Hot Keys, Quick Correct and Macros.
Hot Keys: Both packages have this function. Using this the operator can
attach text, functions or (occasionally) macros to a single keystroke
combination (KSC). These KSC's are:
(1) the ordinary keystroke (KS) (eg the lower case letter/ number),
(2) Shift KSC (SKSC) (eg the upper case letter/ number),
(3) Ctrl KSC (CKSC),
(4) Alt KSC (AKSC),
(5) Shift Alt KSC (SAKSC);
(6) Shift Ctrl KSC (SCKSC),
(7) Ctrl Alt KSC (CAKSC), and
(8) Shift Ctrl Alt KSC (SCAKSC).
(I think that's all.)
All in all I've counted over 500 combinations which are available to the
operator. (I stress here that I'm discussing ONLY the Program's
facilities, NOT whether any particular operator can find a use for all
of them. Myself, I only use about 20% of the KSC's available. )
So how does WP differ to WPWIN? Firstly, in a fashion similar to the
"Reveal Codes" function, WP has what can be described as a "keyboard
map", which shows the operator EVERY KSC in one scrollable window.
Using this an operator can not only see immediately which KSC has
something attached to it, and what it is, whether a text string, a
function or a macro, but also how many KSC's are free. MSWORD only shows
one KSC at a time. Secondly, in MSWORD not every KSC will be able to
have a macro attached. (See below for "Macro"). It seems (and I'm
willing to be corrected here) that only the Function keys (Fk) are macro
friendly.
How do "hot keys" speed up text entry? Speaking personally, eg, when I
press CKSC A, the text string "ation" appears on screen. CKSC B gives
me "because". CKSC M gives me "ment" and so on. Hot keys can be linked
eg if I wish to type "adjustment", I strike "ad" then CKSC J ("just")
and CKSC M ("ment").
Macros: A macro is like a mini-program. Eg I have created a macro
called "copyall" which selects and copies an entire document, saving it
into the "clipboard" to be pasted in another program. Another set of
macros I use to (a) capitalise the initial lower case letter of a word
or (b) lower case the initial capital letter of a word. These latter
two macros are attached to CKSC R and AKSC R respectively.
Another WP gift is the function of instantly creating a keyboard file
for a specific topic. With this I can copy an existing keyboard file,
rename it, and swap from one to another with a click of a mouse button.
Eg typing in a coroner's court hearing, a forensic pathologist goes
onto the stand to read his or her post mortem report, I can immediately
swap from "standard" keyboard to a previously created "medical" keyboard
then back when the pathologist has finished.
The only way I can do that with MSWORD is by changing the document
template, which is very unhandy. (I have on occasion had to open a
second document using a different document template, type the medical
part, then copy that document and paste it into the first one.)
Quick Correct/ Auto Correct.
Each program has two functions which are almost identical, in WP it's
called "QuickCorrect" and in MSWORD "AutoCorrect". In these functions I
can create an abbreviation for an expansion. Eg "td" can be expanded to
"today", "Ityt" expands to "I take you to" etc. In both functions the
expansion occurs when different keys are pressed, eg, space bar,
punctuation characters etc. However over the years I've found this most
unsatisfactory and looked for a way to have the expansion occur ONLY
when I wished it. After a bit of fumbling around I created a macro
which I could attach to any keystroke I wished. I chose a keystroke
which meant that I did not have to move my hands from the "home row" of
keys. (This won't work with MSWORD, since the macro has to go on a
function key at the top of the keyboard.)
The body of the macro is shown under. The only thing that needs to be
done is that "QuickCorrect" function "replace words as you type" has to
be unchecked. The macro simply activates that function, expands the
text then deactivates it, returns to the document and deletes the space
which is automatically inserted.
Application (WordPerfect; "WordPerfect"; Default!; "EN")
QuickCorrect (State: On!)
Type (Text: " ")
QuickCorrect (State: Off!)
DeleteCharPrevious ()
In MSWORD exactly the same steps as above do exactly the same thing - except that when a macro is created, it doesn't work.
The other great thing with WP is the size of the file of abbreviations
for QC. MSWORD seems to have a limit in AutoCorrect of about 28 KB, and
if that size is exceeded it is possible to get an "out of memory error"
message. In WP the file for QC is in excess of 220 KB, and I've never
had an out of memory error message. It has well over 7,000
abbreviations.
I mentioned above about saving 40% of keystrokes. How? This is a very
subjective measure, but have a look at the text below. This is a piece
of transcript I did a couple of years ago, but the names have been
changed for confidentiality reasons:
****************************
HIS WORSHIP: Yes, thank you?
MR MONITOR: May it please the court, my name is Monitor, I appear on behalf of the first and second plaintiffs.
MS FEATHERN: May it please you sir, Ms Feathern for the defendant.
HIS WORSHIP: Yes, thank you.
MR FRANKLE: May it please you your Worship, I appear for the third party.
HIS WORSHIP: Yes, thank you. Mr Monitor?
MR MONITOR: If your Worship pleases, this is a copyright case involving
an action by the plaintiffs as against the defendant, Richard Keith
Haute. The case arises as a consequence of the second plaintiff,
Homestead Holdings Pty Ltd, otherwise trading as Anthem Homes, being a
builder that designed a set of drawings for a house to be built for the
defendant, a Mr Richard Keith Haute. The - - I'll call them - - instead
of calling them the second plaintiff, I'll call the second plaintiff
Anthem Homes, if that pleases the court, the third party, Beeswing
Holdings Pty Ltd, that company trades as Machard Homes, so we have
Anthem Homes and Beeswing Homes. Gregory Thomas Ching, he is the owner
of the copyright, the original architectural design, of a particular
design of house, and he licensed the use of that to Anthem Homes. For
the purpose of these proceedings, your Worship should have an amended
particulars of claim, particulars of amended defence, amended statement
of claim against the third party, and a re-amended particulars of
defence by the third party.
What I propose to do is take you through the particulars of claim to
start with. The first plaintiff is a building designer. He will give
evidence to tell the court of his background and experience. The second
plaintiff is a company that is incorporated. On the amended defence
there is a denial of the Anthem Homes or Homestead Holdings Pty Ltd
being an incorporated company. That denial is now withdrawn.
MR FRANKLE: Can I just rise, and I do apologise to my learned friend for
interrupting him, but there's a minor housekeeping matter that should
be dealt with at this early stage.
HIS WORSHIP: Yes.
MR FRANKLE: And that is for the third party. I simply seek a direction,
that we haven't had one the past, although the case has been run that
way, and the direction I seek is the direction that the third party's
liability to the defendant be determined at this trial.
****************************************
Above is the published transcript. Below is what I actually keyed in. It
looks a bit of a mish-mash but I'll try and explain my "code". Where
you see an asterisk "*" followed by a letter, this is a key stroke
combination. Eg *t means I pressed Ctrl (Or Alt) T to get the text
string "the". However where you see a text string followed by a hash
"#", this is a QuickCorrect expansion. Eg Yh# means I've typed "yh" and
hit my expansion key to get "Your Honour".
As you can see there is a considerable saving in keystroking, an even
greater saving when you take into account the "invisible" savings
created by reduction in typing errors. An example is my proclivity to
key the word "the" by typing t-e-h- [backspace] [backspace] h-e. So
using the keystroke Ctrl T actually saves me typing more than one extra
keystroke.
If this text appears to "jammed up" this is because when there is a
change in speaker, the new paragraph spacing is included in the
keystroke combo, as described above.
##################################
*1Yes, t*k? *3Miplc#, my name is Monitor, I ape# obhfo# *t ft# and sec#
ptf#s. *4Mipl# y* sir, Ms Feathern for *t dft#.*1Yes, t*k. *5Mipl# y*
yw#, I ape4# *t 3pty#. *1Yes, t*k. Mr Monitor? *3If yw* pl*s, this is a
copyright case ivog# an acn# by *t ptf#s as ais# *t dft#, Richard Keith
Haute. *t case arises as a cnsq# of *t sec# ptf#, Homestead Holdings Pty
Ltd, otw# trading as Anthem Homes, be*i a bldr# *h designed a set of
draw*is for a house to be built for *t dft#, a Mr Richard Keith Haute.
*t - - I'll call *tm - - instead of calling *tm *t sec# ptf#, I'll call
*t sec# ptf# Anthem Homes, if *h pl#s *t crt#, *t 3pty#, Beeswing
Holdings Pty Ltd, *h coy# trades as Machard Homes, so we hv# Anthem
Homes and Beeswing Homes. Gregory Thomas Ching, he is *t owner of *t
copyright, *t orgl# archtl# design, of a pt# design of house, and he
lcs#d *t use of *h to Anthem Homes. For *t pu# of *tse pcdg#s, yw# sh*o
hv# an amdd# pt#s of claim, pt#s of amdd# dfc#, amdd# stm# of cl# ais#
*t 3pty#, and a re-amdd# pt#s of dfc# by the 3pty#. *W I pps# to do is
ty# thr*g *t pt#s of cl# to start with. *t ft# ptf# is a bldg# designer.
He will give ev# to tell *t crt# of his bakg# and xpc#. *t sec# ptf# is
a coy# ie# inc#d. On the amd# dfc# th# is a denial of *t Anthem Homes
or Homestead Holdings Pty Ltd be*i an inc#d coy#. *h denial is now
wdwn#. *5Can I *j rise, and I do apols# to mlf# for interrupting him,
but th#e's a minor hskpgm# *h sh*o be dtw# this early stage. *1Yes.
*5And *h is for *t 3pty#. I simply seek a drn#, *h we hvn# had one *t
past, alth*g *t case has been run *h way, and *t drn# I seek is *t drn#
*h *t 3pty#'s lbly# to *t dft# be dtm#d at this trial.
**********************************
Obviously I could have made some "case specific" abbreviations, eg Athem Holdings etc to reduce the keystroking even further.
I've created a much more detailed blog, with instructions on various
topics, as well as lists of abbreviations, both QC and hot key.
http://proword-transcription.blogspot.com/
