A Word Process for a TI-99/4a
My own attempt at a word processor for the TI-99/4a. The goal of this project is to understand how a word processor would be written on older technology. It's fun to imagine that it will be better than TI-Writter/Word-Processor, but it's not going to be better than a product available to you to run in Windows or Linux. This project is a strange form of fun and a vanity project, not something that is practical.
Emu-writer distinguishes itself from TI-Writer with the following featues.
- When you wish to insert text into the middle of a paragraph, just move the cursor to the desired location and start typing. No need to press FCTN+2 followed by CTRL+2
- FCTN+3 is used as a backspace-delete key.
- FCTN+0 is used to switch between Vertical mode and Windowed mode.
- Windowed mode works the same as TI-Writer; when paragraphs will be more than 40 characters wide on paper, it is necessary for the screen to move to the left or right within a page.
- Vertical mode assumes that a user wants to read text from the screen. On screen, the wrap algorithm assumes a paragraph width of 39 characters, even though the printed document will have wider paragraphs.
- It is not necessary to switch modes before printing. The print algorithm automatically wraps the paragraphs for 80-columns.
- I realize that this is possible in TI-Writer, but that program makes it less intuitive. The user has to know how to wield the Editor's margin-and-tab configuration in a way that is complemented by the Formater program.
See documentation here
If you would like to build this software from your own machine, you can probably figure out how to do so from my notes. Over time, I'll try to to clarify them.
EMU-WRITER -- A semi-modern word processor for a semi-modern world.
EMU-WRITER -- Be a little late to the party.
EMU-WRITER -- WYSIWhaaaaaat?
EMU-WRITER -- You didn't think you needed it, but now you know.