Menus and Dialogs

Use your PC to Master Japanese and Chinese

New opens a new, empty document window. New documents are based on templates: Smart Characters document files that you create to contain initial formatting and display settings, and possibly standard text, headers, and footers.

Use Template In (Path) selects the template file you want to base the new document on. Templates are stored in the directory specified by the User.ini Doc Template(B- - 6) section Path entry.

New specifies whether a new document or a new template will be created.
Use Any File invokes the Open File(3- 1) dialog to locate any Smart Characters document to base the new document on. Selecting a plain (i.e., no formatting) DOS text file derives format and display mode(3- 7) settings from the Scw.ini 2.9 Defaults(B- - 3) and the factory defaults.

Open

Open invokes the Open File(3- 1) dialog to locate a file to be opened into a new window. You can open as many documents at the same time as you may need to facilitate efficient cutting, copying and pasting -- using the Window menu to switch between open documents.

If a file's size is over 65000 bytes, it will not fit into a document window without the optional unlimited file size editing(4- 3) accessory installed. See the File Too Large(A- - 6) error.

For examples and ways to deal with different options, see Retrieving the First Lesson (Chinese)(2C- 10), and (Japanese)(2J- 9).

Open File dialog

The Open file dialog browses for file names.

File Name: select the file (name) you want to open. This box lists files with the extensions you've entered or selected. To see a list of files with a particular extension, type an asterisk (*), a period, and the file extension you choose. For example, if you want to see all files with a .TXT extension in a directory, type *.txt. List Files Of Type selects the type of file you want to open. See Asian Text File Types(3- 2). When opening a file that is not a Smart Characters format file, the File Format(3- 2) dialog appears to select a format.

Drives selects the drive where Smart Characters looks for or saves the file.

Directories selects the directory where Smart Characters looks for or saves the file.

Asian Text File Types

List Files Of Type allows specific selection of the type of file you want to open or save. Smart Characters uses a unique symbol set(D- - 7), encoding methods(D- - 3), and document format(7- 2). Import and export filters convert to and from any of the following native formats and the Smart Characters format. See the Save Form Query(A- - 5) dialog.

Smart Characters Format Types

*.sc Untyped Smart Characters hypertext(D- - 4) files using any symbol set(D- - 7).

*.jp0 Japanese document files using the 0:Combined(4- 9) symbol set.

*.jv0 Japanese vocabulary files.

*.ch0 Chinese document files.

*.cv0 Chinese vocabulary files.

Native Types

*.jis Japanese Shin JIS(D- - 7). All Japanese types use the standard JIS symbol set levels I and II. Shin JIS and Shift JIS are the predominant Japanese encoding methods for word processing.

*.sjs Japanese Shift JIS(D- - 7).

*.euc Unix Japanese(D- - 8).

*.jse Escape JIS(D- - 3) encapsulates JIS into default English text using ad-hoc standard escape sequences.

*.b5 Chinese Big Five(D- - 1) uses a symbol set of traditional characters.

*.gb GuoBiao(D- - 4) uses a simplified(4- 10) character symbol set. Its encoding method is the same as the .euc.

*.hz Chinese HZ uses the GuoBiao symbol set and the JIS encoding method encapsulated by .hz escape sequences.

Generic Types

*.* All files.

*.ini Initialization files (open as Plain Text, Interpret File As).

*.txt Unformatted, plain text native code page (e.g., Ascii) files.

*.rtf Rich Text Format(D- - 7). You can change, add to, or delete file types by editing the entries in the Scw.ini Doc Open Types(B- - 4) section. You can add import and export filters to the Text Converters(B- - 3) section.

File Format Dialog

The File Format dialog selects a document format(7- 2) for conversion prior to opening or interpretation.
File Format lists the available file formats. See Asian Text File Types(3- 2) and the Scw.ini Text Converters(B- - 3) section.

Plain Text skips conversion. Selecting Convert File From opens the file as a Smart Characters file. Selecting Interpret File As opens the file in Ascii Only display mode(3- 7).

Convert File From converts the file from the selected file format to the Smart Characters object-oriented file format and 0:Combined symbol set(D- - 7).
Interpret File As opens the file as is, without conversion, and displays it using native fonts (not included). Install native fonts to match the file format symbol set(D- - 7). See Importing Native Files(7- 4) and Use Other Fonts(8- 5).

Replace

Replace invokes the Open File(3- 1) dialog to choose or specify a new file to be opened into the active window. This is handy when you have a window precisely positioned, and want to view another document using the same window. It is also handy if you want to view a file in Ascii Only display mode(3- 7). If the current document has changed, the Query Save Changes(3- 6) dialog prompts you to save or discard the changes.

Abandon

Restore (Abandon) discards any editing changes made to a document and restores the last-saved version of the document. Use this when you have made changes that you do not wish to keep, and wish to start over. The Query Save Changes(3- 6) dialog will prompt to save or discard the changes.

Clear

Clear removes the current file or document from the active window, leaving it empty and starting a new document. Use this to remove a file from a permanent document(4- 3) window.

Close

Close closes the active window. If the current document has changed, the Query Save Changes(3- 6) dialog prompts you to save or discard the changes.

You cannot close the permanent document(4- 3) windows, but you can minimize them to icons. This way, the permanent windows always have the same accelerator key number in the Window menu.

Save

Save saves the current file. If the file cannot be saved, the File Not Saved(A- - 4) error message will appear.

Note: it is good practice to save your work often, and to make sure that you have enough room on disk for your work.

Save As

Save As invokes the Open File(3- 1) dialog to choose or specify a different file name or file format (e.g., BigFive or Shift-JIS). If the file cannot be saved, the File Not Saved(A- - 4) error message will appear.

You can save files as a native file type, although the annotations will be discarded. Select a format in the File Type control. See Asian Text File Types(3- 2) and the Save Form Query(A- - 5) dialog.

Save All

Save All saves all open documents that have changed, individually confirming each save.

Print

The Print dialog prints a document. Before printing, you must install and select a printer. To install a printer, see your Windows documentation. Use the Printer Setup(3- 4) command to select a printer.

Printer indicates the active printer and the printer connection.
Print Range specifies the pages to print:

All prints all the pages in the document.
Selection prints the page containing the insertion point(5- 1).
Pages prints the pages you specify.

Print Quality selects the quality level. The selections available depend on the active printer.
Copies controls the number of copies you want to print.
Print to File prints a document to a printer file on the drive you specify instead of routing it directly to a printer. Print a document to a file in order to use a printer connected to a computer that does not have Smart Characters installed. When you choose the OK button, Windows displays a dialog box so that you can type a file name for the printer file. Printer files tend to be quite large, depending on the printer's resolution. To print the file, copy it to the printer (e.g., on lpt1) using the DOS command:
Copy /b FileName lpt1.
Collate prints each copy is separately when you print multiple copies, which is slower than printing multiple copies of each page.
Setup selects a printer and a printer connection. You can also control default printer settings for the selected printer. See Printer Setup(3- 4).

Printer Setup

Printer Setup selects a printer and allows setting of print options.

Printer selects the printer you choose to use. Only printers installed on your system will appear. Installation of printers and configuring of ports is done through the Windows Control Panel. Verify that the latest print drivers are installed. See Print Driver Errors(A- - 10). Setup displays a separate dialog box to control default settings for the printer you select. The options in the setup dialog box will vary depending on the printer you install.

Print Preview

Print Preview displays the current page as it will be printed. If you specify a range of pages, Smart Characters will display each page along with a dialog box to Continue to the next page or to Cancel the preview.

Embed User Characters

Embed User Characters embeds user characters(4- 10) into a document when saving, and displays user characters in the document according to any embedded user font(4- 12) instead of according your own user font.

Smart Characters scans the document for user characters as it is being saved. The user characters in use in the document are assembled into a new character set unique to the document, and a corresponding proxy font(D- - 6) is created. This font is then appended to your document, so that when your document is transmitted electronically, your user characters can be correctly viewed on another Smart Characters system, even though it has different user characters.

Smart Characters uses Host ID (License) numbers to track user characters in multi-user installations. If an incoming user character is different from the system's user character, you can adopt and reassign the new character. To avoid overwriting an improved character with an earlier version, earlier files from the same host use the host's current user character, ignoring any embedded user characters in the document. This allows you to make a rough initial version of a character, and improve its appearance in all of your documents at a later time. These changes can be adopted into other systems with different host IDs.

Attach Objects

The Attach Objects command specifies whether to save objects attached to (included within) a document file, or to save them in a associated file. The associated file name is always the document name with an extension of .ole. See How Objects Are Stored(4- 15).

Save objects in an associated file if you are saving a file to be used by Smart Characters for Students, or if you wish to delete all your objects at once (by deleting the associated object file).

If you transmit a document that uses an associated object file, remember to send it along with the document.

Help

The Help dialog selects a new help file. This is handy to provide for Japanese, Chinese, or German help screens, or for different nomenclature to taste. If you change the menus and dialogs, it is almost too cruel to not change the help file.

Two styles of help can be installed: standard Windows help, and Smart Characters hypertext(D- - 4) help. Select the Smart Characters for Students help to try the hypertext help. You can use Smart Characters to write hypertext help files in any language. See Creating New Help(12- 1).

License Registration

The License Registration dialog enters the registration number from your license. Each registration number works with your software serial number to create a unique Host ID that is used to identify the user characters(4- 10) in your document as originating from your system. Additionally, upgraded registration numbers activate certain optional accessory modules. This dialog shows the registered user, your software serial and license numbers, and license key (the digits just before the license name). A license key of 00 indicates that your license is not registered. The registration number always displays as a sample to keep your registration number private. For instructions, see Registering Your License(1- 8). You can also examine your license data in the Help | About dialog.

User

The Select User & Project dialog selects default preferences and a new desktop (open and closed document files) from a list of saved projects. Select a user or project name to switch preferences.

The default project names are Welcome, Japanese, Chinese (Chinese with bopomofo), and Pinyin (Chinese with pinyin). You can create new user or project names based upon the selected configuration. A newly-created project becomes the current default. Multiple users and projects are handy for the following purposes:

To accommodate different projects, such as customer correspondence, homework, or tutorial.
To accommodate different users in the same office.
To accommodate different language and default preferences.

Select a User Name to close the current user or project and open another.

Edit invokes the Edit User(3- 6) dialog to change user and project initialization (.ini) file names.
New copies the currently selected user name, then invokes the Edit User dialog to change user and initialization (ini) file names. Change the names, and select Use Existing File if you do not want to copy the current user configuration into a new file.
Delete deletes the user name, but not the corresponding initialization file. If desired, use File Manager to delete the initialization file.

Edit User dialog

The Edit User dialog creates or edits users or projects. It is invoked by the User(3- 5) command Select User & Project dialog Edit and New commands.

New Name specifies the desired user name.
File Name specifies the corresponding ".ini" file name. User .ini files are saved in the same directory as Scw.ini.

Copy Current User copies the .ini file corresponding to the Currently selected user (initially displayed in the File Name control).
Use Existing File does not copy the current user .ini file. The file specified by the File Name control must exist.

Quick Open

The quick open file list at the bottom of the File menu shows the most recently closed files in the current project. Select a file to re-open and display it as it was just before you closed it. The document window will be sized, displayed, and scrolled, and the insertion point(5- 1) positioned on the same line as it was when you closed the file. If you have edited the file using another word processor, the document display may need to be adjusted. If you have moved or deleted the file, the Open File(3- 1) dialog appears to browse and locate it or another file.

Query Save Changes

If the current document you are about to abandon or close has been changed, the Query Save Changes dialog will appear to prompt you to save or discard your work:

Yes saves the changes and closes the file.
No discards the changes and closes the file.

Cancel cancels the open request and keeps the existing file open.

Need more info? Go to the Customer Service Page. Questions or comments? E-mail to Apropos Customer Service

Apropos Customer Service home page 617-648-2041 (custsvc@aproposinc.com)
Last Modified: March 23, 1996