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author | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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committer | Norbert Preining <norbert@preining.info> | 2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900 |
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tree | 60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/reese.tex |
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diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/reese.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/reese.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..c45b2d31fd --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_2/reese.tex @@ -0,0 +1,634 @@ +\newcommand{\GLOSS}[1]{\textsc{#1}} +\newcommand{\key}[1]{\texttt{#1}} +\newcommand{\Ascii}{\textsc{Ascii}} +\newcommand{\MP}[1]{} + +\title{Word processing} +\author{R.~Allan Reese} +\begin{Article} + +The software most used by students, including research students, at +Hull is MicroSoft Word. This is {\em their\/} preference; when the +Computer Centre consciously offered introductory courses using the +Works integrated package which has a simplified word processor compared +with Word, it was found that students quickly switched to using Word. +The reasons for this preference are largely peer and societal pressure; +it is unlikely that students should immediately need the more advanced +formatting features of the product. Many students are rather vague as +to what they are using: a typical enquiry starts with, ``I was typing +into Windows when \ldots .'' + +The local preference is seen much more widely, and again the reasons +are hard to identify apart from marketing pressure. Word has no +apparent technical superiority over its rivals (WordPerfect, Ami Pro) +but has captured a large majority of the world market. Nigel Lodge of +\GLOSS{CHEST} reported (verbal report to \GLOSS{UCSG} committee +meeting, January 1996) that while WordPerfect was functionally +equivalent, available to UK HE sites on a similar unit-based licence, +had the advantage that documentation could be copied under the licence, +and was well under half the price (\pounds 16 per unit compared with +\pounds 38), nevertheless, sales through Chest were biased to Word in +the ratio 22:1. It seems that Microsoft dominates the market because +it has a stranglehold on operating systems; this is similar to the +situation summarized in the 1960s and 70s when ``no one ever got fired +for buying IBM kit.'' + +Change is slow to bring about. As JISC point out\cite[paras~36--38] +{JISC:95}, ``The protection of existing investment [in resources and +knowledge] is an extremely powerful factor in any decision to extend or +replace computing equipment. \ldots The same factor can be seen at work +even with an individual\ldots wishing to retain existing peripherals and +package software. \ldots Personal workstations should be regarded as +having a relatively short effective life of two to four years only. +[However,] while interesting new technologies are emerging all the time, +they often become significant only when a supplier perceives a market +advantage in exploiting them, or when a major and completely new project +opens which has no `legacy' problem.'' The pressures on students occur +in departments (perhaps driven by both students and staff in mutual +feedback) and when they talk to other users at the machines. + +Standardization on Word is, however, not necessarily appropriate or +helpful for students or academic writers. Word has developed as a +product over ten years entirely under the control of the MicroSoft +Corporation and, while the name has stayed the same, the product has +changed dramatically in appearance and function. The +documentation\cite{winword} does not contain a statement of the design +aims of the program, but it is a fair assumption that the primary +concern is to support the commercial office market, which is the +largest and most lucrative. The extensive range of features concentrate +on text and document formatting: features such as mail-merge, +boilerplate letters, documents composed from standard paragraphs are +not obvious requirements for original text composition. One +semi-evident development policy has been to suggest that Word provides +most of the functionality of a true DTP package. The overheads of these +unwanted features have created problems, especially for novice users +working on open-access machines in university computer centres. + +Students using shared machines need to renew the whole system at the +start of each session. Failure to do so may lead to the student's work +being affected by a previous student\Dash whether accidentally or +maliciously. This involves basic rebooting of the PC, logging on to +the network, loading Windows and loading the word processor before the +document can be opened. On a PC network, as is currently and +increasingly the norm, this process may take up to several minutes, +dependent upon the other demands on the network. This is a ridiculous +overhead when all the student wants to do is type and edit text, but +the students remain adamant that they prefer to type directly into a +fully WYSIWYG version. + +Once the student has the document on the screen, there is an +unacceptably high probability that the document will be damaged or +lost. This can occur as a result of user incompetence, inadvertent +action, or system failure. An example of the first results from our PC +network system having many logical disk-drives visible to the user; new +users not infrequently save their first document onto a network drive +letter in the temporary area. The word processor knows only that the +buffered document has been saved; the network allows the user to +logout; it is only when the student comes back for a second session +that they find their floppy disk has no files on it. Usually this is a +lesson that is learned once and before any serious work has been lost. +Much more anguish is caused by students selecting accidentally some +random feature of the word processor. For example, in MS Word you can +select (highlight) the complete text and then a single press of the +ENTER key deletes it! Of course, the text has not then been lost but +merely copied to the clipboard. Unfortunately, the student often does +not know this, and their subsequent panic actions generally lose the +clipboard and often overwrite the disk copy with the blank buffer +before they come (in tears, whether male or female) for help\Dash +either file archaeology or a miracle. Other problems occur because +the student clicked a mouse button when the cursor was at some random +point in a window or toolbar. System errors can be protected against +only by frequent and independent backup. Despite the name, `system' +faults may be due to factors totally beyond the control of the computer +service `systems' staff: one case of repeated failures was traced to a +student who habitually used the same workstation, and whenever she got +into difficulties switched the power off and on at the wall switch\Dash +thus crashing all the PCs on that bench. + +The third disadvantage of high-performance word processors is that they +encode a large amount of physical formatting within the document file. +The file format is proprietary and binary\Dash highly complex. As a +result, any file that is not 100\% readable and correct may be unusable +by the program. Multiple footnotes in particular cause problems in +academic writing. When files have been corrupted due to a physical +disk fault or failure while writing, the bulk of the text can generally +be recovered but formatting is lost and usually so are footnotes. Even +when the program functions, there is no intuitive or essential logic to +the manipulation of footnotes: do you, for example, delete a footnote +by selecting the marker in the body or the footnote text? + +\subsection{Features of Word in relation to needs} + +The pre-eminence of MS Word as a tool for academic writers means that +if it does not meet the needs of the task, or if its method of working +is unwieldy, the software may be a drag on the effectiveness of the +writer. Even worse, the user may be controlled by the technology, +doing things `because they're there' and overlooking options because +the program lacks them. This is not an unduly cynical view. +Commercial software necessarily plays down those features that it does +not provide, and trumpets those features which have been added at the +last upgrade. Previously perfectly good working practices can be swept +aside because a new feature has to be promoted. Let us examine how +Word meets the requirements laid out in Section~\ref{Sec:composing}: + + \begin{description} + \item[text input] + Switch on the PC, start Windows, then start Word\Dash and you obtain a +screen on which you can type words. The exact appearance of the screen +should be configured according to user preferences, but this is not +feasible on open-access computers. Every user must be given a clean and +consistent system that conforms to the documentation. A personal copy +on an individual's machine can be configured, but the user needs to +understand and record the changes. Problems can arise when documents +are moved between systems with different set-ups; style or template +files may need to be copied and re-linked to documents that use them. + +Word has options that make space characters and other special codes, +such as paragraph marks, visible. These are used by default, which +should make it easier for students to learn the differences between +features: for example, spaces and tabs. + +Word is, of course, WYSIWYG and this is an aspect that is frequently +commended. The temptation is therefore to type and format in one +operation. The Computer Centre strongly advises the use of +stylesheets, but these are ignored in the RSA elementary syllabus. The +use of an extra {\tt Enter} at the end of paragraphs has been +discussed; this practice would be counter-productive once stylesheets +were introduced, since the stylesheet defines a `standard paragraph' +which would contain information on spacing and indents. The default +paragraph format is single spaced, left aligned with no indent; it +could so easily have had the more conventional first-line indent. + +The biggest drawback to Word for basic use is the sheer complexity of +the screen. Absolute beginners to word processing have the problem of +recognizing the multitude of visual cues on the screen and equating +these with meaningful functions. There are, by default, menus and +toolbars, other active points where clicking the mouse does something, +a ruler, and all the paraphenalia of Windows. It is easy to catch some +key inadvertently (or click the mouse in the wrong place) and the +unexpected happens. Overcoming this is a matter of familiarity, but it +underlines the need for training. Very little is truly intuitive. + +Despite being `WYSIWYG', Word offers four different ways of viewing a +document: Normal, Page layout, Print preview and Outline. Initial text +input is best done in Normal mode, which is the default when starting. +This view shows most text attributes (font, size, etc.) and spacings, +though centered text will not appear centred on the screen as the edges +of the `page' are not marked. Graphic inserts and multiple-column text +are simplifed in this view, but this should not cause problems during +composing. Page and section breaks appear as dotted lines and headers, +footers or footnotes are edited in separate windows. Page layout shows +the physical arrangement of the page on the screen, and provides an +alternative way of editing structures. Print preview takes account of +the exact features of the printer. While you cannot edit in this view, +It shows two pages side by side and allows you to adjust page +parameters such as margin widths. Provided the system is consistent +(and that may be a big assumption), the writer can be confident that a +document can be composed, formatted and printed as wanted, first time. + +Word has several methods for inputting characters that are not assigned +single keys. Apart from foreign language letters, this includes +characters like long-dashes and opening quotes that resolve ambiguities +in the typist's reduced character set. If you are in the process of +typing, the optimal method is probably to use either a key-combination +or a `dead-key' method. A key-combination involves holding down one +key while pressing another, similar to using \key{Shift} to obtain +capital letters. \key{Alt} is an obvious centender. The `dead-key' +method involves pressing one key (or combination) and then another; the +two keys are combined in one character. This is a traditional method +for obtaining accented characters on a manual typewriter, where the +dead-key does not move the paper. Word does provide such mechanisms. +Characters can be inserted by key combinations or by typing a numerica +character code. However, these shortcuts have fallen victim to the +\GLOSS{WIMP} paradigm; the first method advised in the manual and in +the on-line help is a pull-down menu that shows all the symbols in the +extended character set. The manual suggests an alternative of mapping +the keyboard to a foreign character set; this method simply moves the +problem, since there is still a mapping from the 102-key keyboard to a +256-character set. The optimum for habitual use of a few characters +would seem to be to use the symbol menu once, and to make a note of the +keyboard shortcut. + +Word will also make changes to your text as you type. The auto-correct +feature is discussed below under the topic of checking. + + + \item[notes] +Notes for the writer are used in two contexts: notes that will form +part of the text, and notes for the writer's own use. A note involves +two components: a marker within the body of the text, and the note +itself. Notes may appear on the printed page as footnotes or endnotes. + The inserted mark may be a number or a special character; unless +footnotes are used very sparingly, a numbering system is easier to +follow. Word automatically renumbers footnotes whenever you add, +delete or move footnotes. + +Notes for the author's use can be inserted as `annotations', which are +similar to footnotes but are stored as `hidden' text. The same chapter +of the manual describes the use of revision bars for keeping track of +changes in a text. Hidden text can be hdden, viewed or printed, but if +visible will affect the pagination. Annotations are printed +separately, after the body text, but if annotations are printed, then +so is hidden text. Hidden text can be treacherous; a colleague in my +department once received from a national committee a file containing +earlier ideas as hidden text\Dash which they probably did not want to +distribute. Word's annotations do not quite match the functions of +`comments' in LaTeX or `attached notes' in Journalist, as discussed in +Section~\ref{latex:input}\MP{do it!}. + +While the footnotes mechanism has the required features, there are +several drawbacks. One is that this is seen as `advanced' use. It is +documented under `Special features', well after features like tables +and inserting graphics. The mechanism is not intuitive. Inserting a +footnote opens a \GLOSS{dialogue box} for the in-text mark and a box +for the actual text; deleting a footnote is done by selecting and +deleting the mark\Dash deleting all the text does not delete the mark. +Users are often confused between `footnote' and `footer'. Both of +these are training points, but they lead to misuse. It may be a +consequence of misuse, but the mechanism of storage appears to be be +unstable, especially on networked computers; footnotes seem to be +implicated in a high proportion of files that `become unreadable'. +Word document files are complex binary structures, which must read +completely or not at all. Since academic writers perhaps use footnotes +far more commonly than do office workers, it may be that this is a +weakness of the program. Finally, it is conventional to typeset +fotnotes in a smaller font than the body text and single spaced even +when the body text is double spaced, but Word does not apply these +rules automatically. + + + + \item[moving text around] +The major advantage of a word processor over a typewriter is the +ability to manipulate your text without retyping more than the +corrections. Word provides for revisions on-screen and through +command menus. Screen editing is standard; position the cursor +anywhere and use \key{Del} and {\tt Insert} or {\tt Overtype} input. +Beginners get confused between \key{Backspace} and \key{Delete}, and +they have difficulty positioning the cursor with the mouse\Dash it's +easier to use keys because the cursor then moves in discrete steps. + +Larger changes are made by selecting text, using the cursor keys or the +mouse. The standard method of working in Word is to select text and +apply an operator. The mouse can be used to select words, lines or +paragraphs at a time, by subtle positioning. The equivalent keyboard +operations use two or three-key combinations. You can also select a +column of text within a tabbed table, a useful feature. A frequently +reported problem at the Helpdesk is however: `I've lost all my text,' +or it may be stated as `I was using Word and the screen went blank.' +This is the (undocumented?\MP{?}) feature that \key{Enter} acts like +\key{Del}; students use the menu option to `select all the text' with +the intention of applying some format, but they press \key{Enter} and +all the text disappears. It is actually copied to the clipboard, so +users who recognize what has happened can use `undo' to retrieve it. +Unfortunately, by the time they come to the Helpdesk, it is usually too +late. If they exited from Word as well, it will have also destroyed +the previous version on file. + +Moving text by cut-and-paste works within a document, between +documents, and between Word and other Windows software. However, as +an example of the ad hoc design elements that have gone into Word, +consider the following (Word for Windows version 2 manual, p109): +\begin{quote} +If you include paragraph marks in your selection when you copy or move +text between documents, the formatting and styles applied to the +paragraphs are also copied. If you copy more than 50 paragraphs in +[sic, do they mean from?] a document you have saved at least once, all +styles in the document are copied along with the paragraphs. +\end{quote} + +Word has another mechanism called `the spike'. This is described under +the Glossary section and differs from the clipboard in that selected +items are appended to the spike rather than overwriting its existing +content. Material can be accumulated on the spike and inserted once or +repeatedly. + +There is also a facility to move or copy text without involving the +clipboard. This strikes me as needing considerable practice, and just +the sort of feature that fails when you have something irreplaceable in +the clipboard. It's too much like Chinese plate juggling. And having +three distinct mechanisms for essentially the same job is another +symptom of the emphasis by the vendors on shear numbers of features +rather than consistent design. + +Other editors provide a single command to transpose two letters, but +this feature is lacking from Word: a pity as transposition is a very +common typing problem. + +Large scale reorganization of text can also be carried out using +outlining. This is less likely to lead to duplicated text or +arbitrarily omitted words\Dash word processor syndrome. + + + \item[find and replace] +Find and replace is the feature that starts to use the computer as a +processor rather than merely a storage device. It can be used within a +document as a fast way of moving. With a replacement text, it can be +used to correct mistakes, make systematic changes, or make repeated +changes with the user deciding whether or not to carry out each. The +text searched for can be a word or phrase. Word will find a phrase +even if it appears to have a linebreak in the middle, since that is +Word's interpretation of a space for display purposes. You can +restrict the matching to whole words and to the specific letter case. + +Find and replace can be applied to formatting, but it does not seem +possible to change a format element, such as `italic', by inserting a +markup code, such as \verb|<italic>|, for example to transfer a +document into an \Ascii\ environment. + +It is a peculiarity that the shortcut keys for some special characters +are different within the search and replace menus from those while +inputting text. + +The Glossary system can be viewed as an alternative for find and +replace, with the same objective of making input faster while also +ensuring the text uses frequently used words or phrases consistently. + +Word's Find system can be used to search across documents, as a way of +identifying files by their content. This feature is provided through +the {\tt Files/Find file} menu, rather than {\tt Edit/Find}. + +More general pattern matching, file finding and text manipulation +features are available in an add-in product +PowerSearch\cite{powersearch} which, once installed, appears as simply +another item in the Word {\tt File} menu. Such facilities as +\GLOSS{boolean} and \GLOSS{proximity searches} would be valuable to +frequent users of Word who create many files and need to keep track of +them. They are of less interest to the research student working +basically on one large document. + + + \item[cross-referencing] +Word uses the concept of `bookmarks'. You can insert as many as 450 +bookmarks in a single document. Bookmarks are created at the current +cursor point by the {\tt Insert/bookmark} command. The user types in a +name; if that name has already been assigned, the original bookmark is +removed \MP{with warning?}. Bookmarks can be used to find that point +by the {\tt GoTo} command, as links to another document, or to create +cross-references to page numbers of item-numbers in lists. + +As with many features of Word, the effect on bookmarks of many actions +is undefined or arbitrary. `If you {\em cut} marked text and paste it +to a new location, the pasted text is still marked. If you {\em copy} +marked text and paste it to a new location, the pasted text is marked, +but the original text is not longer marked. If you paste marked text +into a different document, the bookmark and bookmark name are also +pasted.' If you copy but never paste, does the bookmark stay where it +was? If you copy, close the document and open another, then paste, do +you get the bookmark in both documents? These may seem quibbles, but +are indicative of a system where you `suck it and see', and be prepared +for the next release to behave differently. + +Automatic cross-referencing can be used to generate a table of contents +and an index or other lists. Although this is not a trivial task +intellectually, having an index makes a large work so much more usable, +this feature should be given more publicity. + + \item[tables] +Simple tables can be set up using \key{tab} but tabs have to be set at +predefined distances on the ruler. It is not possible to type and +choose a point within the text for a tab; this seems an omission. + +The manual suggests a much easier alternative is the `tables' feature. +Tables created this way look very like spreadsheets, and some +students\Dash perhaps because they have previously used an integrated +package such as Works\cite{works}\Dash are inclined to switch to +Excel\cite{excel} for even the simplest table. Word tables are also +the recommended method for positioning side-by-side paragraphs. + +Word shows the outline table with dotted gridlines for input. This may +prompt users to opt for full borders around each table cell\Dash a very +poor design choice. Examples in the manual further reinforce the +limited view of tables as strictly rectangular sets of cells conatining +similarly formatted items; in the examples, all the items are +left-justified within the cells. Cells can be merged across a row, to +make an item spanning two or more columns, but the manual states that +they cannot be merged down a column, so for example a brace linking +rows would not be possible. The manual does not show any example where +items on different rows are aligned differently, but this would appear +to be possible as each cell operates like a self-contained +mini-paragraph. Indeed, one feature that is documented is that you can +insert a tab within a cell. However, as \key{tab} moves the insertion +point (cursor) from cell to cell when you are working in a table, it is +necessary to use the special convention that \verb|CTRL+TAB| sets a tab +position\Dash another example of the ad hoc interface. + +When looking for examples of very simple published tables for a +workshop, I was struck that almost every table in published journals +had some special feature or complication. Most tables were qualified +by footnotes, and a footnotes within the table used a separate marking +system from those in the text. Word does not mention this, but it +might be accommodated by making each table into a separate `section'. +This would then raise further complications in printing the complete +sequential document. + +Tables that follow the design recommendations of Chapman\cite{chapman} +can be produced using Word but are not encouraged. Rules (lines) to +span and conceptually bind groups of cells have to be inserted as +`part-borders' of the cells. The Word for Windows 2 manual shows one +example that used just single rules to offset a row of headings, but +goes on to hint `the more the merrier': +\begin{quote} +You can apply borders on top of any of the gridlines to make a table +easier to read. \ldots You can use different line styles for any +borders you apply to table cells. For example, to add a double border +to separate the column headings from the table entries as shown in the +following illustration [omitted], first apply single borders to all +sides of the cells \ldots\ then select the first row of the table, and +change the line style of the border below the row. +\end{quote} +Word for Windows 6 has, under the `Insert Table' menu, dialogues called +`Wizard' and `Autoformat'. The Wizard offers a selection of +heavily-boxed tables, characteristic of Word output. Autoformat offers +over forty styles: some good, some bad. Perhaps not wisely, but too +well? + +Table entries can be highlighted by using alternative fonts, by borders +or by shading. No doubt there exist examples that use all three. + +The `Windows philosophy' of design appears again in relation to the +size and positioning of tables. Although column widths can be +prescribed through dislogue boxes, the manual advises: +\begin{quote} +Unless your table design requires very precise column dimensions, it's +easiest to change the column width by dragging the column borders or by +dragging column markers on the ruler. +\end{quote} +In the WYSIWYG world, if it looks about right to the untrained eye, it +is apparently good enough. + + \item[lists] +Bulleted or numbered lists are common requirements, particularly in a +document that is a systematic description. Lists may be nested. +Creating a simple list is easy in Word\Dash perhaps too easy, as the +student with the `dot in her thing' (Section~\ref{dot:thing}) found +out. A list can be input as plain paragraphs, and then turned into a +list, or each item can be created in sequence. + +The formal description of a bullet list is that Word creates each item +as a symbol, followed by a tab, and the rest of the item formatted as a +\GLOSS{hanging paragraph}. The tab can be replaced by a space, though +the click-box that does this does not make it obvious: the attached +label is `Hanging indent by'. + +Numbered lists can use one of a variety of number formats. Outline +headings, described in the next section\MP{check?} have the option of +using a hierarchy of numbers. + + \item[logical flow] +Most of the features discussed so far speed up the process of typing +and correcting text, or allow the author to specify structures that +will assist the reader. Outlining is a facility and a technique that +assists the author by allowing shifts of perspective. The writer can, +while composing, look at the text at any level from its skeleton to the +fine detail. + +Outlining in a word processor has the advantage over outlining on paper +that it is dynamic. Topics can be moved about, and attached at +different levels. If you move headings, any sub-headings or associated +text is moved as well. So the task of reorganizing text can be carried +out at any level, and there is less danger of losing text or leaving +part of it in the wrong place than if you had to select each word with +the mouse. + +Headings can be arranged in any number of levels, and in `outline' view +you can select how many levels are displayed at a time. The body text +can be displayed in full, or showing the first line only of each +paragraph. The headings themselves may appear in the final document, or +they may be suppressed or used to form the table of contents. They can +also be printed separately to give a working overview. The manual also +suggests the technique of splitting the document window while editing, +with the normal view in one pane and the outline view in the other. +Unless you are using such techniques, with multiple views or multiple +applications open at once, it is hard to justify the power of a modern +PC for basic text input. + +A concept related to outlining and structure is the `template'. Every +Word document is based upon a ocument template, which is a file that +describes various attributes. This is perhaps not obvious because the +default template \verb|normal.sty| is so basic; the point was made +earlier that the `standard paragraph' is neither proper indent nor +blocked format. Templates can specify formats for pages, paragraphs or +other objects; they can contain boilerplate text that is the same in +every document; and they can contain many different styles. Templates +can be used to save repetitious work and to apply consistent house +style. They can also tailor the working environment by customizing +menus, toolbars, macros and glossary items, and the keyboard. A +university might well develop its own template and require its use when +dissertations are printed. + + \item[handling multiple documents] +One of the most distressing aspects of using a computer is the loss of +a file. For obvious reasons, for because of sod's law, the probability +of a file being lost increases with the size of the file, the amount of +work that would be lost, and the tightness of the deadline. It is also +apparent that the speed and ease of manipulation of a file decreases as +it gets larger. Any document of the size and complexity of a +dissertation should therefore be split into components rather than +stored as a monolithic file. + +The Word manual suggests that any document longer that twenty pages is +a candidate for splitting. The terminology is complex, since a +document can be divided into `sections' which are still stored as a +single file, or into multiple documents where each is stored as a +separate (\verb|.doc|) file. Multiple files can be printed +individually (leaving the user to manipulate page numbers etc.\ to +maintain continuity), or the user can set up a `master' document that +combines all the subfiles for output. + +Having the text of a dissertation spread across multiple files raises +problems of maintaining consistency of style and usage. The `find' +command can be used across multiple files, after which up to nine files +can be opened in separate windows. The need to apply similar edits +across several files would be one reason for using the `macro' facility +to store a sequence of operations. + + \item[checking] +Word boasts a number of commands which it collectively calls `proofing +tools'. These include spell-checking, grammar-checking, a thesaurus +and the hyphenation option. + +Each of these tools is language-dependent, and MicroSoft makes a +feature of Word being usable with multilingual documents. +Unfortunately, the data files necessary to support these commands are +not available for every language. The pull-down menu of languages +shows some twenty names of languages, from Brazilian~Portuguese to +Swiss~German. Word lists for the spell-checker are available for all +of these but are not installed by default. Grammar files are available +for English and French (and maybe a couple of others). Thesarurus and +hyphenation files are equally patchy. + +For what it does, the system is impressive. Each document has a +default language, but any selection of text can be marked as another +language. Running a check should use the appropriate file(s) for each +language, but in practice is likely to generate only messages that the +files are missing. In addition, the method of spell-checking does not +work very well for inflected languages: English typically only has two +forms for a noun and three for most verbs, but German has case endings +for nouns and Spanish has multitudinous forms for verbs. Such +languages demand an algorithm that identifies the root of each word; a +worthwhile proofing tool would be able to detect inconsistencies of +gender and person. + +The grammar checker for English is based upon the algorithm in Correct +Grammar\cite{CG} but in my experience gives less reliable results. The +number of alternative styles and degree of customization have been +reduced from the parent program. + + \item[revising] +The operations of revising a text are well supported by the operations +of find-and-replace, annotation and outlining. + +Word documents are binary files, so can be passed to an editorial +reader as a disk file or as an attachment to an electronic mail +message, but needing coding/decoding at each end. Passing the file +assumes that the reader has access to a compatible version of Word; in +practice this means the {\em same} version, as converting files between +word processors or between versions is not a hundred-per-cent reliable. + The obvious way to return comments is as annotation text. + + \item[formatting] +Word formatting operates at several levels and is highly complex. Even +a simple operation like applying page numbering can cause problems. +Students come to the Helpdesk when they are unable to position, or +delete, or print page numbers. They are confused by the sophisticated +terminology and control for headers and footers. + +Formatting is best carried out as a separate phase from writing, if +only because adding or deleting text may affect the formatting of +several pages following. Word does not have the cocept of a +\GLOSS{float}. The nearest equivalent would be to manually fix an +object as a graphic insert and allow the text to flow round it, but +this would not ensure that, for example, a figure could not occur +before the page where it is referenced. + +Formatting in Word also has to take account of the physical +characteristics of the output device. Final tuning should always be +carried out in print-preview display. This is WYSIWYG par excelence: +the user is encouraged to fiddle until it `looks about right'. + + + \end{description} %end of list of Word's + features + +My conclusion is that while Word is a powerful program that has many +features that commend its use as a document preparation system, it also +has drawbacks and one of these is the complexity that provides several +alternative ways of performing almost any task. Once an operation is +completed and is not as desired, it becomes a forensic job to deduce +what has been done, and Herculean challenge to undo or correct it. + +Word is fashionable, but it is largely fashionable because it is a +fashion. The nature of fashion is to change, and Word changes at a +whim with each release. Whatever the merits of its features, it seems +they are not grounded in a coherent philosophy. +\end{Article} +\endinput + + + +R. Allan Reese Email: r.a.reese@ucc.hull.ac.uk +Head of Applications, Computer Centre Direct voice: +44 1482 465296 +Hull University Voice messages: +44 1482 465685 +Hull HU6 7RX, U.K. Fax: +44 1482 466441 + |