The Word Processor Editing Window

Use your PC to Master Japanese and Chinese

The Word Processor Editing Window

Word Processor Windows

Documents are displayed, printed, and edited in a document window(5- 1). To display the status of the active window(5- 1), Smart Characters displays three optional windows: the status bar(5- 2), the hidden characters(5- 4) window, and the Ascii Codes(5- 5) window.

Additionally, several buttons on the toolbar display as pressed or unpressed according to the status of the active window, selected text, or text at the insertion point.

Pay Attention

Entering and formatting text in multiple languages is a snap as long as you understand Smart Characters text objects(4- 1) and pay attention to the object type(4- 2) and input mode(4- 2) indicators.

If you don't pay attention to the input mode, the keys you press may surprise you with unwanted consequences. For example, just wanting to write in Japanese will not accomplish hiragana text entry if the input mode is set to Pinyin! See More Complex than a Word Processor(4- 1).

Document Window
Document windows

(4- 3) display a portion of a document according to the format and view settings in effect for that window. You can interact with a document using hypertext(D- - 4), or turn hypertext off for editing. You can scroll the window and zoom out to display more text or in to display larger text.

Active Window

You can have many s (5- 1) open simultaneously, but no more than one can be active at a time (none may be active if all windows are minimized(D- - 5)). A maximized(D- - 5) window is always the active window. Alternatively, the topmost or the last activated restored(D- - 7) document window is the active window. Most menu commands and dialog boxes affect only the active window. Any selection in the active window is highlighted.

The active window usually has the input focus(5- 1).

Input Focus

The input focus designates the window that is to receive input from the keyboard. No more than one window of any kind can have the input focus at any one moment. The window with the input focus usually displays an insertion point(5- 1). Additionally, the parents of the window with the active focus usually have their title bars highlighted.

Insertion Point

The insertion point uses a flashing caret (text cursor) to mark the location at which text will be inserted or deleted. The insertion point displays a symbol to indicate the input mode. typewriter keys(5- 6) insert text into a window at the insertion point according to the input mode(4- 2). See Typewriter Key Behavior(5- 6). The BackSpace key deletes text to the left of the insertion point, while the Delete key deletes text to the right.

Redraw to Be Sure

For fast response, a document window does not always automatically update annotations or word wrap after each keystroke, so a portion of a line or the window may continue to display text in a previous format. This happens in particular when you change character attributes, tab stops, or insert an object type code(D- - 5) into an existing text object(4- 1) to split it. Whenever you make such changes, be sure to use the View Redraw Line(3- 6) or Redraw Window(3- 7) commands to update the line or window.

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Last Modified: March 23, 1996