Word Microscope Release Notes ============================= Welcome to this version of Word Microscope. Visit the home site at www.neilramsden.co.uk/microscope for latest news. Contents ~~~~~~~~ * Requirements * Installation and Removal * Limitations * Issues * Working directory * Functionality - current * Functionality - future Requirements ~~~~~~~~~~~~ WM is fairly undemanding and should run on most PCs. We plan for a Mac version some time in the future. Currently, we've run it successfully on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Word Microscope on PC requires: * Windows XP or above; * mouse or other pointing device; * Internet link. It may also work on earlier Windows versions, but these are untested (and definitely not supported). An Internet link isn't essential for core operation, but will allow web tools to be used: * Word Searcher; * Interactive Suffix Checker; * on-line Etymology; * Introduction * Word Microscope Home Page; * Spelling Glossary. There are no audio effects, so no need for speakers or head-phones. Installation and Removal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This version will install independently alongside any previous test version. The setup program produces the following: - binary and support files; - program shortcuts; - but NO explicit Windows registry entries; - and currently no Desktop shortcuts (though this could be added if requested). You will normally need power user or administrator privileges to install or remove this test version (if not, you won't be able to write the necessary files). Windows may prompt you for an administrator password if you are not logged in as one. The program now has the necessary hooks to associate .XWM session files with Word Microscope, so that you would just drag a file to Word Microscope in Windows Explorer. Double-clicking in Windows Explorer now also works correctly. You would, however, need to set this up manually beforehand. Issues ~~~~~~ These more abstract concerns have been with us since inception: * How to convey limitations in program knowledge, eg. no appreciation of meaning, which is essential for the user to bring to their dialogue with the computer. Using the Skopo character is partly in response to this. * How to provide automated program power without taking away user autonomy. Working directory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More technical users, may find it useful to know that Word Microscope now changes its working directory on start-up. This is intended as a temporary measure, since WM currently uses relative pathnames for resource files, such as Help files. In previous versions (in version 1-0-test-D3a and before), WM would usually fail when run from outside of Windows Start menu (producing some fairly ugly-looking error messages). Current Functionality ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can now: Home Site * Visit the Home Site, including hints on use and plans for future changes Next Steps * Get hints on what to do next, as a pop-up or a side-bar Files * Sign on and off, with shortcut sign-on button * Save and restore a session * Drag .XWM session files to Word Microscope in Explorer * .XWM files can now be associated with WM in Windows (manual only) Viewing & Editing * Select and modify screen Layouts (View menu) for better use of space * View and edit Specimen Word (by default, the specimen is now inferred) * View and edit Current Word Sum - add/remove elements * View and edit Word Family list * View and edit Word Matrix (it's recommended to use automatic matrices, rather than manual editing) * View, partially edit and print Findings Log * View and edit a Scratch-pad for temporary notes * Type (fairly!) directly into a cell * Edit a cell via dialogue * Pop-up a cell context menu (on a PC, right-click the cell) * Copy and paste * Drag and drop * Do and undo * Merge duplicate elements * Select cells from an element gallery, including a reference bank of Skopo's elements Ideas Probe * Inspect target words for checking (acting as a simple spelling check) * View possible analyses for specimen & target words * Explore base or affix ideas, and inspect a base or affix for checking * Explore word sum ideas, and inspect a word sum for checking structure * View ideas for word families Web and other tools * Real Spelling Suffix Checker flowchart * Link to Word Searcher * Link to Suffix Checker * Link to Etymology web site Help * View built-in Help * Link to Introduction * Link to WM web site * Link to Spelling Glossary * View these Release Notes * View Licence * View current key data * Get version information Key File Manager * Install a supplied user key * View key file details * back-up your user key * Learn about WM key files form Help Installation * Install/remove using an automatic setup program (basic only) Future Functionality ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See the WM web site for more specific future plans. Still to add, or being considered: i) Possible new functions Viewing & Editing * Less strict edit limitations, eg. allow apostrophes and hyphens, policy on case * Edit word sum joins * Edit/write element meanings * Show links between duplicate cells (this no longer seems important since merging duplicate elements) * Edit contents of Findings Log more fully (workaround is to save log then use your preferred web page editor) * Copy and paste Findings Log eg. into MS Word (workaround is to save log then use your browser; or select findings text and use Control-C) Ideas Probe * Copy and paste, esp. word family list ii) Improved functions Files * Save and restore a session (fuller, with version control) Viewing & Editing * Make cell-editor close more consistently (much improved now) * Split a cell, eg. [active] into [act] + [ive], and update all affected word sums and the word matrix * Remember which cell is in focus? * Edit/save/restore element gallery (low priority) * Cell short-cut keys, eg. DEL? (low priority) * Reduce manual changes in the word matrix to the cells the user is currently working on (low priority) * Show moving cell image during drag and drop (low priority) Ideas Probe * View word evidence ideas for a putative suffix * Improve analyses of fused compounds, eg. * Improve handling of bound bases, eg. , * Improve handling of complex affixes, eg. <-ation> * Improve handling of final syllabic * Improve word and element stores, eg. Americanisms (color, etc), non-words (schh) * Try to handle eg. in + voce -> invoke * Fill-in other missing patterns, eg. , * More help in drilling into a many-element analysis (low priority) Web and other tools * Customise the Tools Menu * Link to Dictionary? (removed from test versions) Configuration * Configure options (started) * Command line options, file associations (started) * Whiteboard facilities? (low priority) * American plus British spelling (low priority) Help * Bring Help up-to-date (ongoing) * Link to Tutorial iii) How it looks Design * Microscope character, "Skopo" (needs finishing) * Screen colour scheme and icons (need finishing) Configuration * Personalisation, eg. font, background? iv) Known bugs Viewing & Editing * Fix confusing message in undo/redo when editing * Improve matrix sizing: currently, some rows are over-sized (partly fixed) * Improve investigation date so it's the latest saved date rather than viewing date (low priority) The home site includes a page showing our plans for what we expect to do next. Neil & Louise Ramsden 12 Sep 07 -> 15 Oct 13