From: rick@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu (Richard M. Warner)
Subject: Re: WP for Windows or Word?
Organization: San Jose State University, Math & CS
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:41:36 GMT

In article <1992Aug19.133735.1@bigez> dmmatt@bigez (Mike Mattix) writes:
>From: dmmatt@bigez (Mike Mattix)
>Subject: Re: WP for Windows or Word?
>Date: 19 Aug 92 13:37:35 GMT
>In article <1992Aug19.060722.25549@ee.ubc.ca>, tau@ee.ubc.ca (AU TRI BANG) writes:
>> In article <cchapman.115.714074768@matd.gatech.edu> cchapman@matd.gatech.edu (Charles H. Chapman) writes:
>>>In article <1992Aug17.080928.1@bigez> dmmatt@bigez (Mike Mattix) writes:
>>>
>>>Stuff deleted...
>>>
>>>>...  My kingdom for reveal codes!!
>>>
>>>
>>>Exactly!  *All* word processors have hidden codes, even Word.  In Word
>>>the codes are totally hidden.  Formatting is much easier when you have
>>>the option to *see* the codes and control exactly where they are placed.
>> 
>>     That's what I thought, too.  But when I saw someone format a document
>> in WORD with such ease, I got to thinking that maybe it's my own incompetence.
>> Could it be that we find formatting without seeing the codes hard because
>> we learned it that way?  I once asked a Word user to use WP, and he said
>> that formatting is "weird" in WP (he didn't use reveal codes).
>>   
>>     I find that new users prefer WordWin to WPWin.  Only WPDos users
>> like WPWin.  Maybe the next version of WP will change all that.
>
> I certainly don't operate in reveal codes mode constantly.  I like ease of
>formatting as much as the next person.  I guess it comes down to what individuals
>mean by 'ease' of formatting.  I do know that I like the control that going into 
>reveal codes mode gives me when things go badly.  I don't think it would be 
>asking too much of MicroSoft to add that kind of a feature.  I guess it does go
>back to WPDOS (which I hate BTW) but the feature has a great deal of benefit.
>
> I guess it goes back to the simple: Why can't the computer give me what I wanted,
>not what I asked for'.  In W4W I can't even be sure what I asked it to do!!
>

The way formatting is applied and stored in a Word document is very
different than the way it is applied and stored in a WP document.  
WP stores a formatting code at the point in the file that the formatting
is applied.  If it is a 'grouped' code like BOLD, then WP knows to keep it
active until it finds the second, matching code.  Otherwise, it remains
in effect until a code that changes that feature to something different is
entered.  Therefore, changes in formats are accomplished via the
entry/deletion of specific formatting codes.

Word has a formatting hierarchy: character, paragraph, and division.
There are some differences, but basically they all work via pointers to 
the actual formatting information, which is actually appended to the
tail of the document file.  Character level formatting pointers are
grouped with each character, paragraph level pointers are stored in the
end of paragraph character, and division level format pointers are
stored with the division mark character.  Changing format information in
a Word document is primarily a matter of moving pointers to point 
somewhere else, not inserting a code that has a specific meaning.  (If
you really want to screw up a Word file, go into a byte level disk
editor and start changing bytes at the end of the document  :-)     )

Neither is necessarily better than the other.  Each has its strengths
and weaknesses.  One problem that a lot of neophyte Word users tend to
have is that they will randomly enter/delete paragraph markers to 
adjust spacing between lines and/or paragraphs.  Often they delete the
'wrong' marker and may end up losing a lot of formatting information.
The deletion of this one character can result in the loss of font type,
size, and attribute, line spacing, indent, numbering and a host of
other information.  It can be traumatic for some users to have a simple
deletion screw up the results of a lot of moderately complex formatting
tasks.
  
>Mike Mattix
>Agricultural Group of Monsanto
>P.O. Box 174
>Luling, LA 70070
>INTERNET Address: dmmatt@bigez.monsanto.com
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.apps