.chapter The VAX Document Preparation System .IFNOT NBI .RM72 .LM5 .ENDIF NBI .STHL ,0 .ap .flags bold .enable bolding .hl 1 Introduction One of the overriding goals of the VPW system is to provide a casual VAX user with friendly, yet easy access to the the many productivity tools available on the VAX system. As much as possible, the casual user should not have to understand how to talk "computer" with the VAX to be able to use some of its basic services. The VAX system provides many services similar in concept to those found on dedicated word processing systems, ie directories, a full screen video editor, and a document formatter. The Document Preparation System is used to tie these capabilities into a coherent whole and to keep track of the documents produced. .hl 1 Assumptions and Goals .FLAGS BOLD This version of the VAX Document Preparation System tries to provide a complete environment for the creation, editing, revision, formatting, printing, filing and retreiving of documents. The user is not expected to be familiar with VAX terminology (or at least not much). Its use is targeted toward professional staff who find it convenient to prepare memos, letters and papers prior to transmission to the secretarial word processing system. The system assumes the user wants to work with documents. A document is defined as a text file with a ^*.RNO\* type. The user, however, never should have to worry about this. All documents should be referenced by 1-9 character names ^*ONLY\*. The sole exception to this is that when a document is formatted for tranmission to the NBI word processors, an additional temporary formatted text file is created with an extension ^*.NBI\*. This document is created in a special subdirectory [.NBI] and is automatically deleted after successful transmission to the NBI. .hl 1 New Concepts This version of the system introduces several new concepts. The user's current directory becomes the working desk. This desk can contain two types of documents: .LIST .LE;^*ACTIVE\*. Active documents are currently out on top of the desk and are available to be worked on. .le;^*FILED\*. Filed documents are stored in a named file folder on the desk. .end list Also on the desk is an index of all documents known to the the VAX Document Preparation System. In addition to the document name, it keeps track of to whom it was sent, the document type, creation date, filed or active status, and the subject matter. This index can be rapidly searched by subject, document type, or file folder to locate documents. .HL 1 Requirements for Using the Document Preparation System The Document Preparation system only runs on VT100 compatible type terminals with the advanced video option. It is assumed that the user has enough disk space available for the system to use. Prior to editing any document it checks the current disk quota and does not allow editing to occur if the available disk space is too low. However, for performance reasons, it is not possible to monitor disk quota allocation continually. Users with small disk quotas should not attempt to store documents in file folders unless the file folders are periodically copied to tape and deleted from the user's account. It is assumed that accounts with small quotas exist solely to prepare documents to the secretarial Word Processor and that, once the documents are transmitted, they can be deleted. .hl 1 Available Training and Manuals for Using the System To use the Document Preparation System effectively, the user should understand how to use the DEC Standard Editor (EDT) in video mode. The user is urged to take the EDT Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) course offered on the VAX. The user also should learn basic document formatting commands (RUNOFF). A brief primer on using the document formatter (RUNOFF) is also available on the VAX as a mini-CAI course. Both courses may be accessed from the VAX Professional Workstation as follows: .list .le;Type VPW to start up the VAX Professional Workstation .le;Type I to enter the Instruction menu. .end list .tp11 Manuals for both the editor (EDT) and document formatter (RUNOFF) may be ordered: .list .le;EDT####manual#######from DEC Direct Sales Catalog AA-M476A-TK .le;EDT#Pocket#guide####from DEC Direct Sales Catalog AA-M477A-TK .le;RUNOFF#manual#######from DEC Direct Sales Catalog AA-J268B-TK .LE;RUNOFF#pocket guide from DEC Direct Sales Catalog AA-M548A-TE .END LIST For the editor (EDT) course, a special keypad overlay exists and may be obtained. .hl 1 First Time Use of the System The first time one uses the Document Preparation System, the user must establish certain default settings (which may be changed later). These default settings are used to minimize typing while using the system. Generally, once a document has been specified to work on, one or two keystrokes and a carriage return may be used to go from one word processing function to another in a rapid manner. The user also may elect to select a special word processing directory or to specify that their terminal is to be reset to its original settings when VPW exits. Remember, the system is supposed to be "Bomb Proof." If it isn't, you found a "BUG", so please report it. Getting out of the system can always be accomplished by typing a Control-Y. Exiting from any prompt without performing any action can generally be accomplished by typing Control-Z (which should return operations to the previous logical function (menu). .hl 2 Setting Document Defaults The first time user is asked for a first and last name, for prefix codes for letters and memos, and for a default file folder name for storing documents. In addition, each user is requested to specify the name of a secretary to notify when a document is ready to be picked up. The prefix codes are used to assign names automatically for each letter or memo sent. The prefix codes must be different. A good choice is the users three initials plus M for memos and L for letters. A good choice for a file folder might be MEMOS, or LETTERS or your initials prefixing the word FOLDER. .hl 2 Selecting a Word Processing Directory When the Document Preparation System starts up, it checks to see if the logical name WP__DIRECTORY exists. If it does, the user's default directory is set to the directory specified. For example the command .lit $ ASSIGN ddcu:[USER.RUNOFF] WP_DIRECTORY .end lit would switch the user to device DDCU: on directory [USER.RUNOFF] for the duration of the session. When the Document Preparation System exited, the user is returned to his/her initial device/directory. .hl 2 Setting Default Terminal Characteristics When VPW is invoked, it establishes terminal characteristics best suited for its displays. If a terminal is set by default for inverse video, VPW will reset it to normal video. If the terminal is a VT200 series terminal, on exit, VPW will reset the terminal to its power up settings. However, if the terminal is a VT100, the reset sequence, c, is not sent because it produces such a bizzaar, time consuming display. Hence, the terminal will be left in normal video mode when VPW exits unless the user elects to tell VPW that the terminal should be returned to Inverse Video mode. If it is desired that VT100 terminals be reset to Inverse Video (regardless of power up settings), the user should add the line .lit $ Reset_Inverse_Video:=="T" ! Set to inverse video .end lit to his/her LOGIN.COM file. .hl 2 Selecting a Secretary The Document Preparation System assumes the ultimate goal for each document is to be transmitted to a secretary for insertion into the company Word Processing system. As such it is important that each user's secretary know when a document is ready to be picked up. While the non-DEC word processors do not automatically receive mail, several times a day, each secretary should access the VAX system just long enough to see if they received any mail telling them that a document is ready. The secretaries to whom one may send a document are defined in SYS$SYSVPWFILES:SECRETARY.LIS. The format of this file is a 20 character VAX User__Name (with trailing spaces if needed) followed by the secretary's full name (upper and lower case). When selecting a secretary to notify, the user must select one of the secretaries in this file even if the user has no intention of ever sending a document to a secretary. .hl 2 Verify Your Disk Quota The document preparation system will not let you do much of anything (ie edit a document) unless you have more than 100 unused blocks in your disk quota allocation. The disk you are editing on must have a disk quota file and it must have a quota for your account. Whether or not you have EXQUOTA privileges does not matter to the system. If your quota is not large enough, you may not create files. The quota is checked using the program SYS$UTILITY:GETQUOTA as taken from a VAX SIG tape. The reason for the stringent quota checks, is that for normal users, nothing is more upsetting (and I mean absolutely nothing) than to be editing for an hour, then go to exit, and find all one's work has been lost due to lack of adequate disk quota. .hl 2 Your Initial Desk Contents When you first invoke the Document Preparation System, your desk (whatever VMS directory you are on) has, at a minimum, two files on it, DOCDFLT.CTL and LASTDOC.COM. DOCDFLT.CTL is an ASCII text file containing your default parameters. LASTDOC.COM is an ASCII command file used to record the last document number the user used. Each time a new memo or letter is created the next higher number is used and the file is updated. When you create your first document, you also create a document index file, DOCINDEX.FIL. This file is updated every time the status of a document is changed by the system. .page .hl 1 Using the VAX Document Preparation System. The VAX Document Preparation System provides an integrated word processing package which lets users create and file letters, memos, papers, and reports, check them for spelling errors, and either prepare them for transmission to the NBI word processor or print them on a VAX printer. When the Document Preparation system starts up, the following menu is displayed. .IFNOT NBI .rm80 .lm-5 .ENDIF NBI .flags bold .tp 18 .KEEP .NOFILL .b ^*VAX Document Preparation\* .b Default document name: ^*NOT\* set .b You may choose: .b ^*AC\*tive - Active document list ^*S\*pell - Spell check document ^*AN\*alyze - Analyze English use ^*S\*pell ^*W\*ord - Add word to spell. dict. ^*CL\*ean - Clean up your desk ^*T\*ransmit - Transmit document to WP ^*CR\*eate - Create a document ^*V\*iew - View formatted document ^*D\*irectory - Unfiled document list ^*WAS\*tebasket - Throw away a document ^*ED\*it - Edit a document ^*F\*iler - Document Filer Menu ^*K\*ill - Kill a print job ^*EX\*it - Exit menu to DCL ^*M\*odify - Modify WP defaults ^*\* - Return to previous menu ^*P\*rint - Print/Format document ^*PF2\* / ^*PF4\* - HELP / New VPW Window .b Choice: .IFNOT NBI .RM72 .LM5 .ENDIF NBI .NOKEEP .FILL Below the title line information about the default document name is displayed. When the system is first started, no default name exists. The default name is set the first time you enter a choice and it prompts for a document name. Thereafter, it remembers that document name and will operate upon it by default if a carriage return is entered when it prompts for a document name. At the bottom of the menu, the system prompts you to select a "Choice:". The choice can be abreviated to one or two characters. The intensity highlighting on the terminal shows which characters to input. The system will not let you input an invalid response. You may exit to DCL by typing EX at the "Choice:" prompt, or Control-Y at any time. You may return to the previous menu by typing Control-Z or pressing RETURN at the "Choice:" prompt. .HL 2 Default File Types The system keeps track of the current name and type of the document being worked on. At the start, a default type of .RNO is assumed. Each time the menu is displayed, the current value of the default document name is shown. The default document name is used to simplify the input process. Once defined, all that is generally needed when prompted for a name is a carriage return and the Document Preparation System will use the default document specification. Likewise, when the system prompts for a name it is never necessary to append a document type as the default type (.RNO) will be used. However, appending a document type is legal and will change the default type to the specified type. For example, if the default document type is .RNO, entering a JGD54 when a name is requested for editing will result in JGD54.RNO being edited. .! If, however, you entered JGD54.DOC, the document JGD54.DOC would be .!edited and the default document type would be changed to .DOC. Changing the .!default type from .RNO is not supported and is provided only as a convenience .!for a few more advanced users. Note however, that the system will not let .!you create documents with any extension other than .RNO. .!If the default document type is changed, the .!menu status line will display a message indicating the Default Document Type. .!Further note, that .!changing the default document type may not be supported in the future. .hl 2 The Phantom Directory In order to enable automatic deletion of documents following successful transmission to the NBI, a special phantom (and somewhat temporary) subdirectory is created which provides delete access for the world. Formatted output documents waiting transmission are placed in this subdirectory ([.NBI]). If all documents have been transfered from this directory, the VAX Document Preparation system may delete this directory, so do not place anything in it. Its use is reserved solely for the VPW system. .HL 1 Document Preparation System Options .hl 2 The ^*ACtive\* Option There are two ways of viewing the contents of your desk. First one can look at all documents, junk and otherwise. This is done with the DIR command. Documents listed with the DIR command are on your desk, but they may not have been created by the Document Preparation System. Rather, they may have been imported from some other account and hence not be entered in the document index. The second way of viewing the contents of your desk is with the ACTIVE command. The Active command only lists those documents which are shown to be ACTIVE in the document index. Note that the ACTIVE command does not check to see if documents which are displayed as being active are indeed on your desk (account). .hl 2 The ^*ANalyze\* Option Along with the Dennison University spelling checker, is a program which will analyze a document for English errors. After selecting a document, you are presented with a menu of options for checking that document. You can check for passive voice, deadwood phrases, sexist language, sentence beginnings, or spelling errors and interactively correct text you do not like. .HL 2 The ^*Clean\* Option Every time a document is edited, a new version of the document is created. After each editing session, the Document Processing System purges your documents to keep the most recent four copies of work in progress. Even so, if numerous documents are being worked on, your "Desk" can become cluttered with previous drafts of documents. Since desk space is always at a premium (and so is disk space) the Clean option can be used to delete all documents waiting for transmission to the NBI (.NBI documents) but not sent, and to remove all documents (.RNO documents) except for the latest versions. The Clean option has no effect on any other files in your directory. Users comfortable with using DCL can drop out of the Document Processing System at any time and selectively purge work in progress. After the Clean option is entered, the system prints a warning message and asks if you want to continue. Any response other than one starting with an upper or lower case "Y" will immediately return you to the Document Preparation Menu. The way the Clean option works with NBI documents deserves some mention. The formatted documents waiting for transmission to the NBI reside in a special subdirectory ([.NBI]) on the user's account. Only the .NBI type documents within this "Phantom" directory are deleted. After deleting all the .NBI type documents, the subdirectory itself is deleted. Now, when a document is created for transmission to the NBI, an entry is also made in a special index of documents awaiting transmission to the NBI, SYS$SYSVPWFILES:DOCXFER.IDX. So that the VPW system will not think these documents are still awaiting transfer, these entries in this index are also deleted. If an error message occurs saying that SYS$SYSVPWFILES:DOCXFER.IDX is missing, contact the system manager since this index file is required for successful transmission of the documents to the NBI. .hl 2 The ^*Create\* Option Before editing, a document must be created and entered into the system. Five types of documents are allowed: Letters, Memos, Papers Reports and Scratch. The Create option will automatically insert the proper document formatting control commands (for use by RUNOFF) so that the document will be properly formatted. The exact commands depend on the type of document being created, and the current pitch defined for the letter quality printer (SYS$LQ__PITCH__1) defined by the system manager. Formatting commands for either 10 or 12 pitch are automaticlly inserted. However, pitch changes should be done infrequently (if at all) by the system manager since previously created documents will not reflect the pitch changes. The Create option keeps track of the last Memo or Letter number that was created and assigns one higher number each time you create a new document. Documents are named based on the document prefix you assign and a document number you input. The Document Preparation System keeps an index of all documents so that they can be retrieved easily. The document name, together with the topic of the document, the recepient, and the document type are filed in DOCINDEX.FIL, as appropriate. If you wish, you may enter in any document number when the system prompts for it. In the event that that document already exists, you are asked if you want to delete the old one and edit a new one with that number. If you don't want to delete the old document you are allowed to edit the old one and modify it. However, in this case no new entries are made in the document index. Scratch documents are special in that when one is created, no entry is made in the document index. At any time during the document's life cycle, the Document option can be used to modify the contents of the document index. However, for simple tasks, the Document Filer Menu handles most tasks in a manner transparent to the user. .hl 2 The ^*Directory\* Option The Directory option displays all documents currently on your "Desk" and all documents waiting for transmission to the NBI (if any). Only the highest version number of a document is ever shown, so it is periodically necessary to use the Clean option to recover disk space. .hl 2 The ^*Edit\* Option The first time a document is edited, the Create option should be used. Thereafter, use the Edit option. When the system prompts, enter the name of the document you want to edit. Since a default document type is always defined, you must enter only the document name. Entering a complete document specifier (name and document type) will result in the default document type being modified. The Edit option invokes the DEC standard editor (EDT) with a special initialization file so that text entry will start at the appropriate place and so that word wrapping is enabled. .hl 3 Guarding Against ^*Errors\* If you are engaged in using the system and either run out of disk space or the system crashes, ^*Do Not PANIC\*. Your work in progress probably can be saved if you report the problem at once. If an error occurs and you continue to use the system, you may eventually destroy all copies of the good versions of your documents leaving only the corrupted ones. If your disk allocation is so small that the editor will not let you exit, try issuing a QUIT/SAVE command. Whether the the command succeeds or fails, then get help. Do not Control-Y out of the editor. .hl 2 The ^*Exit\* Option When done with processing a document, use the type Control-Z or simply RETURN. It will return you to the previous menu or the VAX command level depending on how the menu was entered. A Control-Y or EXIT can be used to return you directly to DCL. .TP 18 .hl 2 The ^*Filer\* Option The Filer option invokes the Document Filer menu. Documents may be thought of as being either ^*ACTIVE\* (on your desk) or ^*FILED\* away in a file folder. The Document Filer allows one to move documents in and out of file folders and to manage the Document Index. Specifically, the Document Filer menu allows one to: .KEEP .NOFILL ^*DI\*splay - Display an index of past documents ^*DO\*cument - Use The Document Manager ^*F\*older - List active file folders ^*I\*ndex - Index contents of file folder ^*S\*tore - Store a document in a file folder ^*R\*ecall - Recall a document from a file folder ^*E\*xit - Return to DCL ^*\* - Return to the previous menu ^*PF2\* / ^*PF4\* - HELP / New VPW Window .NOKEEP .lm+5 .FILL .hl 3 The Document Filer ^*Display\* Option An index of all past documents is kept in DOCINDEX.FIL on your current VAX directory. The Display option can be used to display the documents in that index. You are prompted for a search string. A carriage return will result in all documents being displayed. A control-Z will return you to the main menu. If something is known about the document (document type, to whom, subject, etc) a search string (or multiple search strings separated with "|"s) can be entered to display only part of the index. .hl 3 The Document Filer ^*Document\* Option The Document option allows one to access the document index directly. Entries can be added, deleted or modified. The index can be searched for topics or keywords, and the results displayed either on your terminal or printed on the line printer. The document index represents a log of all documents processed by the Document Processing System. Where reasonable, the index tracks the status of the document. When a document is filed, the index is updated to show where the document is. However, some documents are just printed, filed in a regular file cabinet and thrown in the wastebasket. These documents will still appear in the index as a log of when they were written, to whom they were sent, and the topic. If it is desired to eradicate all traces of the document, the Document option must be used to delete the document. The Document option uses the VAX NoteBook utility to maintain the document index which is discussed in subsequent chapter. Perhaps the most useful feature of Document option is the ability to search the document index for selected topics. For example you could produce a list of all documents in a certain named file folder, or a list of all documents sent to a person relating to a given subject. .hl 3 The Document Filer ^*Index\* Option The Index option allows you to see the Index of a specific file folder so that you can tell what document names are stored in that folder. When invoked, it requests the name of a file folder. If you input a valid name, it displays the current contents of that folder in a formatted fashion. If the name is invalid, it warns you and prompts to see if you wish to see a list available file folders. When the Index option prompts for a name, a single "?" (followed by a carriage return) will also display a list of available file folders and again prompt for a name. .hl 3 The Document Filer ^*Recall\* Option The Recall option lets you remove a document from a file folder and place it in active status. You may not retrieve a document from a file folder if an active document of the same name is on your desk. If the desired document is not on your desk, you may choose either to extract the orignial document or make a copy of it. If the original document is removed from the folder, the active document on your desk becomes the only copy of that document. If you request a copy of the document in the folder, the original copy of the document in the folder is retained. When the Recall option prompts for input (document name, file folder name), a "?" will produce either a listing of your ACTIVE documents or an index of the available folders. .HL 3 The Document Filer ^*Store\* Option When the document is no longer being actively used, it is useful to place the document in a file folder. Not only is your "Desk" less cluttered, but the one or two disk blocks are saved for each document placed in a folder. The file folders are VMS Text Libraries, but this should be transparent to users. The Folder option displays all currently active folders. You can store and retrieve documents only from currently active folders. When a document is filed away in a file folder, the document index is updated to reflect its new location. At any time, you can search your index (Display option) to see where a document is. The Store option prompts you for the name of a document to store, the name of a file folder to use, and whether or not to store the original or a copy of the document. If either the document or folder name is not known, a "?" may be entered to display a list of active documents or folders, respectively. If the document name does not exist, a display of current documents is produced. If the folder does not exist you are asked if a folder with the new name should be created. At the prompt for the folder name, you have the option of just hitting carriage return and using the default folder name (it will have to be created the first time you use it.) Great care has been taken to insure that important documents are not inadvertantly destroyed. You are not allowed to place a document in a folder if a document of the same name is already there. You must either not place the document in that folder or agree to overwrite the existing document. When placing a document in a file folder, you either place the original document or a copy there. If the original is placed there, the original ceases to exist on your desk. If a copy is placed there, the original document is still left active on your desk. .lm-5 .hl 2 The ^*Kill\* Option The Kill Option can be used to stop ("Kill") a print job. When invoked it prompts you for a job number. If you do not know the number, enter a question mark ("?"). It then will use QD to produce a formatted display of all print jobs in the queue, and then prompt you for the number of the job to kill. .hl 2 The ^*Modify\* Option The Modify option is used if you wish to change any of the default parameter settings for use by the Document Filer. These settings include the default file folder name, the default prefix name for memos and letters, and the default name for the sender. The first time the Document Filer is used, these parameters are prompted for. Thereafter, the Modify option can be used to change these parameters. When modifying parameters, a return leaves the current entry alone. .HL 2 The ^*Print\* Option The Create option automatically places format control commands in the document. The Print and View options will use these embedded control commands to format the document for output. Output may either either be displayed on your terminal, sent to the line printer, or the letter quality printer. All other output is automatically deleted after printing. One option the system gives you is to print only a range of pages. This option should be selected only if you do not need to format the entire document. This can happen if a minor correction was done on one page of the document which didn't change the pagination. In this event, it is faster to format only the modified page, print that page, and merge it with the previously printed pages. If, during the course of answering questions for the Print option an error is made and it is desired to give up and return to the main menu, type Control-Z. .HL 2 The ^*Spell\* Option The Spell option will check the user's document for spelling errors using the Dennison University Spelling Checker utility. The spelling program is rather complex and has considerably more options for use than used by VPW. The interested user is directed to the documentation on this program and the English Analysis program on the Decus [VAX83C.DENNISON] directory. Each user can have a private dictionary (DEFAULT.WRD) of words not normally recognized as correctly spelled words (names, places and technical words) which would otherwise be flagged as incorrect. If a user does not have such a file on their document processing account, a private dictionary will be created (from the system default dictionary) the first time the spelling program is used. The Spell Word option on the main menu can be used to add words to this private dictionary. The Document Processing System can check for spelling errors in two ways, interactively or batch. In interactive mode, SPELL will inform you of each suspect word as it is encountered and give you the option to change it. If you elect to change it, it will drop you into EDT in a section of text containing the offending word and allow you to change that word. When you exit any changes made are merged into a new, corrected document. In batch mode any errors or suspicious words found will be displayed on the screen in a formatted manner. After each run of the spelling program, a document SPELLING.ERR is created listing all errors. It may be used to include into the file being checked a listing of all the errors. The spelling program is not perfect. It misses spelling errors, does not catch words which are spelled correctly but are the wrong word for the context, and sometimes flags correctly spelled words as being incorrect. Be warned. Perhaps, be thankful -- people are still useful. .hl 2 The ^*Spell Word\* Option The Spell Word option will allow you to add words to your private dictionary word file, DEFAULT.WRD. The format of the private dictionary word file, is one upper case word per line. The list of valid words is terminated with a "[". Words the system does not think are valid follow the "[". When you invoke the Spell Word option, the system will prompt you for words to add, one word at a time. When you are done, type a carriage return. Your new words will then be merged with your existing dictionary (if any) and the system dictionary (if any) into a new verion of DEFAULT.WRD. Your old dictionary will be purged. At this time the only way of correcting an incorrectly spelled word is to use the editor to edit DEFAULT.WRD and remove the offending line. .hl 2 The ^*Transmit\* Option or alternatively formatted for transmission to the NBI word processor. The document type for output formatted for sending to the NBI is .NBI. NBI formatted documents will be automatically deleted folowing transfer. Documents for transmission to the NBI are created on a special, "Phantom," subdirectory [*.NBI] which has ^*NO\* protection. Any document in this subdirectory can be deleted by ^*ANYONE\*. You must not place documents in this subdirectory. It is used only by the VPW System. When documents are created for transmission, an entry is also made in SYS$SYSVPWFILES:DOCXFER.IDX specifying the file name for transfer, and the user's name (Logon name) requesting the file be transfered. This index file is used by the VAX Professional Workstation to simplify transmission of documents to the NBI. If you get an error message saying the file is missing, contact the system manager at once. Document transmission cannot take place until this index file exists and the document to be transfered is entered in it. .hl 2 The ^*View\* Option The View option will display a formatted document at the user's terminal. It provides a simpler access to getting formatted output to the terminal than the Print option. If the document type is .RNO it formats and displays the document. Otherwise, it displays the document without formatting. .hl 2 The ^*Wastebasket\* Option The Wastebasket option is used for permanently destroying a document. When invoked, the Document Preparation System will display all unfiled documents and prompt for which files are to be deleted. All copies of a document selected for the wastebasket are destroyed.