HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Chapter 6 SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
AWCONVERTER (A.02.01)
by David Taylor
Personal Software Division
AWCONVERTER (HP 27526) is a document format converter available under HP
DeskManager (version B.00.00 onwards). When a user reads or prints an
AdvanceWrite document within HP DeskManager, AWCONVERTER is called to
convert the document to text. The resulting document is displayed on the
terminal or printed. The converter can also be invoked by HP
DeskManager's CONVERT command. The CONVERT command enables AdvanceWrite
documents to be converted into either ASCII text, HP Word format, or
Executive MemoMaker format; it also enables HP Word and Executive
MemoMaker documents to be converted to AdvanceWrite format.
The only AWCONVERTER user interface is that supplied by HP DeskManager.
AWCONVERTER performs conversions using the new features offered by
AdvanceWrite Plus F.03.00. The AdvanceWrite documents created by
AWCONVERTER will be compatible with AdvanceWrite I, II and III and
AdvanceWrite Plus F.02.00 and F.03.00.
CONVERTER SPECIFICATION
Here is a summary of the conversion objectives:
* AdvanceWrite to ASCII text.
The principle is to keep all the text while retaining the
appearance of the document as far as possible.
* AdvanceWrite to and from HP Word.
The objective of the conversion is to provide as comprehensive and
accurate a conversion as possible. Where precise mapping is not
possible due to differences between HP Word and AdvanceWrite, the
conversion will attempt to retain the printed appearance of the
document and the text will be retained. In the case of complex
documents, some reformatting may have to take place before or after
conversion.
* AdvanceWrite to and from EMM.
The objective is to retain the printed appearance while making the
document easily editable after conversion.
Restrictions :
* AdvanceWrite to HP Word :
* Headers and footers are truncated after 25 lines. (The user is
not warned about this).
* The maximum size of a document that can be converted is
approximately 80 pages. If this limit is hit, split the
AdvanceWrite document up into smaller sections and convert each
section separately.
* Footnote references are converted as underlined, italicized small
f's and the text will be put on a separate page at the end of the
document.
* Character and line overstriking is not performed. The
character/line is placed after the character/line to be
overstruck.
* Various items are converted to regular text:
spreadsheets
note lines
footnotes
* Equation edited text will be converted to half spaced text with
the bind lines option on. The carriage returns will be at the
right hand margin.
* On Screen Columns are converted into a table type form, with left
and center tabs positioning the columns as appropriate.
* Revision marked text is converted to ordinary text.
* A new format line will be created with the right margin moved in
an appropriate amount. The paragraph will be indented.
* All AdvanceWrite page numbering will be converted into the system
variable, $PAGENUM.
* Section/Outline Marks will be converted to bullets.
* Marks that are printed as spaces, e.g., space taking wheel marks
are converted to spaces.
* Marks that take no space on printing, e.g., non-space taking
wheel marks are ignored on conversion.
* Right justified tabs are converted to spaces.
* Document subject and author are no longer converted as these
fields are now user defined in the AdvanceWrite document.
* HP Word to AdvanceWrite :
* An AdvanceWrite document of a standard size is built before
conversion starts. HP Word document to be converted may be
larger than this AdvanceWrite document. In this case conversion
will fail. The HP Word document will have to be split into
smaller sections which can then be converted.
* Maximum number of format changes is 56. If this maximum is
reached the document will not be converted. The HP Word document
must be reformatted or split up before conversion will take
place.
* Maximum number of headers/footers is 30. If this limit is
reached, the document will have to be reformatted or some of the
HP Word headers/footers will have to be deleted.
* Center and right tabs are converted to left tabs. The text is
not tabbed. Reformatting of the resulting document is required.
* System and user variables (except $PAGENUM and the date system
variables) are converted to underlined text.
* Envelope paragraphs are converted to regular text.
* AdvanceWrite to EMM:
* Footnote text is converted as a separate page at the end of the
document.
* Spreadsheet text, note lines and footnotes are converted to
ordinary text.
* Equation edited text is converted to ordinary text.
* Onscreen columns are converted to a tabular form, filled out with
spaces.
* Revision marked text is converted to ordinary text.
* Section/Outline marks are converted to *.
* Marks that take up space in AdvanceWrite are converted to spaces.
* Marks that do not take up space in AdvanceWrite are ignored.
* The AdvanceWrite left margin is ignored and EMM text starts in
column 1 in order to maximize use of EMM's restricted line
length.
* If the right margin is still greater than 79, the line is split
at a word boundary.
* Headers and footers are ignored.
* Line drawing characters are converted to *.
* References to graphics (TIFF) files are converted to an ordinary
text line giving the name of the TIFF file, followed by an
appropriate amount of blank space for the graphic. This is so
the EMM document can be printed without converting the graphic.
* The converter will cope with any legal AdvanceWrite I, II, III,
or Plus document, but best results will be obtained by keeping
the AdvanceWrite and EMM line length the same, avoiding use of
onscreen columns and complex document structures.
* Right justified tabs are converted to spaces.
* EMM to AdvanceWrite:
* Use of format lines is limited to avoid hitting the AdvanceWrite
format line limit. The left margin is set up using indents and
tabs. Format lines are only used to control justified text,
hence on unjustified text, the last character on the line may be
some way from the format right margin.
* EMM graphics areas are converted to AdvanceWrite graphics areas
referring to files of the same name except that the .GAL
extension is replaced by .TIF. The graphic is not automatically
converted, but the AdvanceWrite document will print without it.
* MemoMaker files, as opposed to EMM, will be converted
successfully provided no line exceeds 79 characters (possible on
some versions of MemoMaker).
* An AdvanceWrite file of standard size is built before conversion
starts. If this is not large enough the EMM document must be
split up.
* The converter will cope with any legal EMM document, but best
results will be obtained by keeping AdvanceWrite and EMM line
lengths the same, terminating table data by <Enter> and avoiding
complex document layouts.
GETTING THE BEST FROM AN ADVANCEWRITE/EMM CONVERSION
While the AdvanceWrite/EMM converter will handle any legal EMM or
AdvanceWrite document, best results will be obtained by using each word
processor in the way it is intended.
Specifically, if the document originates in EMM, format it as simply as
possible. Keep the left and right margins, and the justification state
as constant as possible. Leave the complex formatting to be done in
AdvanceWrite.
If the document originates in AdvanceWrite, remember that EMM does not
support the extended formatting capabilities of AdvanceWrite. Therefore,
format the document simply for transfer to EMM, particularly keeping the
margins to 79 or less characters. Complete the formatting when the
document has been checked for content in EMM and returned to AdvanceWrite
format for final printing.
SENDING AN ADVANCEWRITE/EMM DOCUMENT
Use AdvanceMail or AdvanceLink to transfer an AdvanceWrite or EMM file to
the HP 3000. If you use AdvanceMail to transfer a message containing an
AdvanceWrite or EMM file it will be correctly recognized on the HP 3000.
If AdvanceLink is used to transfer the AdvanceWrite or EMM file to the HP
3000, the correct file code will have to be put onto the file when it is
up on the HP 3000. (Each file on the HP 3000 has a code associated with
it, this code gives the file its identity, e.g., an AdvanceWrite file has
the code 1274). This is done (for an AdvanceWrite file) as follows :
:FILE <AdvWrite file name>; CODE=1274
:FCOPY FROM=<transferred file name>;TO=*<AdvWrite file name>;NEW
The AdvanceWrite file then has to be copied into HP Desk before it can be
mailed.
COPY FROM (<AdvWrite file name>)
The procedure for an EMM file is similar except the filecode is 1265.
When an AdvanceWrite file is received it can be read and printed :
READ <item number>
PRINT <item number>
or, when transferred to the WORK AREA, can be converted to ASCII text, HP
Word or EMM format using the CONVERT command
CONVERT <item number>
<format number>
Similarly, an EMM document can be converted to AdvanceWrite.