Re: general curiosity

[nsivin@xxxxxxxx (Nathan Sivin)]

I was surprised by Mr. Hickling's account of his troubles learning
XyWrite for Windows. The reference guide does explain clearly how to
change fonts, how to establish a different default font, and how to
start a document with a choice of style that specifies fonts and
anything else you want. All that is necessary, when dealing with such
clear-cut questions, is to use the index.

When I went from XY to XW, I skimmed my way through the manual to
find what is in it, and noted on a card important functions that were
not obvious, so I could find them again. Among the things I
discovered is the default file XWSET.DFL (Ref. Guide, sec. 18), which
lets you specify an enormous number of parameters with a minimum of
effort. The manual explains what these defaults are, and the file (a
XyWrite text document) is largely self-explanatory.

It is quite true that there is no tutorial, and that that steepens the
learning curve. But for those used to exploring and using indexes,
the manual, which covers every aspect of XW's extreme customization as
well as operation, covers the bases really well. Once you learn to
use styles--which, unlike the bloated mass programs, are easy to
change directly, in one go--you will find that it will do most of what
people depend on desktop publishing programs for. There is plenty to
grouse about, as with any computer application, but the combination of
speed and customizable power is what keeps us using the program.

--
Nathan Sivin
History and Sociology of Science
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia PA 19104-3325
(nsivin@xxxxxxxx)