TAMING ADVANCE PAGE PREVIEW

	Advanced Page Preview (APP) is a major addition to Wordstar.
It adds not only usefulness, but also accounts for a major portion of
the bulk of Wordstar.  One of the (Mostly) undocumented features of APP
is the ability of the user to tame the beast and control just how much
of it you want.

	The comments here are applicable to the 091-4 releases only.
The original 085 release of WS5.0 behaves differently.  It won't be
repeated but hereafter all references to Wordstar (W*) mean Wordstar
version 5.0, release 091 through 094. You can identify your release number
by pushing  a '?' from the main menu (help level 3 or lower)  or with
an ^O? from inside Wordstar.

	APP as distributed comes with a total of 16 font generation
files.  You can recognize them because then all have a file extension
of '.WSF'  Fourteen of these are found on the PREVIEW disk and 2
are illogically hidden on the POSTSCRIPT disk (presumably due to lack
of space on the PREVIEW DISK.

	Predictably, unless you do some taming, as described later
you will find that APP will not perform properly unless ALL 16
of the WSF files are copied into your WS5 Subdirectory along with the
rest of Wordstar.  If APP gives you problems count your WSF files
as many folks have missed the two WSF files on the Postscript disk.

	The first time you use APP some magic will occur.  A subdirectory
will be created off of your main Wordstar directory.  Wordstar assumes
it is going to be placed in a subdirectory called "WS5".  The subdirectory
will be a named with a series of numbers with an extension "CRT"  On
my system the Subdirectory name assigned is: "03200190.CRT"

	The directory name may be a cipher for something and it is not
clear to this writer whether it will always be the same or whether you
may under certain conditions get more than one of these subdirectories.
You should also note that this subdirectory will not display on the
Wordstar directory and is not visible to the Wordstar "L" command.
You can see it with a "DIR" however.

	A necessary component of APP is a file called FONTID.CTL which
will also initially appear in your WS5 subdirectory.  As documented by
MPI when the CRT subdirectory is created the FONTID.CTL file will be
copied into the CRT subdirectory.  IT is an ASCII configuration file and
it may be edited with the Wordstar editor (USE the NON-Document mode) 
I haven't demonstrated that the Document mode is fatal but it is not
recommended.  A good general rule is to ALWAYS use non-document edit mode
when dealing with 'program files'.

	One of the things less well known is that when the FONTID.CTL
file is copied to the CRT subdirectory, it is also changed somewhat
by Wordstar in the process.

	If you view the bottom of the FONTID.CTL file in the WS5 subdirectory
it should look something like this:
;
01=NPSHLV1
02=NPSHLV2
03=NPSHLV3
04=NPSHLV4
05=NPSTMS1
06=NPSTMS2
07=NPSTMS3
08=NPSTMS4
09=PSHLV1
10=PSHLV2
11=PSHLV3
12=PSHLV4
13=PSTMS1
14=PSTMS2
15=PSTMS3
16=PSTMS4

Similarly, if you view the same file in the CRT subdirectory it will 
look like this:


VER=V5.00
01=NPSHLV1  NPSHLV1 ,100 050 4006
02=NPSHLV2  NPSHLV2 ,100 050 4206
03=NPSHLV3  NPSHLV3 ,100 050 4106
04=NPSHLV4  NPSHLV4 ,100 050 4306
05=NPSTMS1  NPSTMS1 ,100 060 4403
06=NPSTMS2  NPSTMS2 ,100 060 4603
07=NPSTMS3  NPSTMS3 ,100 060 4503
08=NPSTMS4  NPSTMS4 ,100 060 4703
09=PSHLV1   PSHLV1  ,100 050 C004
10=PSHLV2   PSHLV2  ,100 049 C204
11=PSHLV3   PSHLV3  ,100 052 C104
12=PSHLV4   PSHLV4  ,100 052 C304
13=PSTMS1   PSTMS1  ,100 047 C405
14=PSTMS2   PSTMS2  ,100 044 C605
15=PSTMS3   PSTMS3  ,100 047 C505
16=PSTMS4   PSTMS4  ,100 043 C705

	You should recognize that the names in this list correspond
to the FILE names of the 16 WSF files located on you system (hopefully)
You can decode the file names easily.  

	'NPS' = Non proportional spaced
	'PS'  = proportional spaced
	'HLV' = Helvetica font  (ADOBE spells this 'Helvitica', but the
Wordstar spelling checker insists on 'Helvetica')
	'TMS' = Times font

	The trailing 1 to 4 also means something, you can discover
pretty much what each WSF file contains by TYPING each WSF file
and noting the message at the beginning.
	For example the NPSHLV1.WSF will disclose itself as a GOTHIC 20 pt.
light.  A full list of WSF files and their contents is as follows:

	NPSHLV1.WSF         GOTHIC 20PT LIGHT
	NPSHLV2.WSF         GOTHIC 20PT LIGHT ITALIC
	NPSHLV3.WSF         GOTHIC 20PT BOLD
	NPSHLV4.WSF         GOTHIC 20PT BOLD ITALIC
	NPSTMS1.WSF         COURIER 24PT LIGHT
	NPSTMS2.WSF         COURIER 24PT LIGHT ITALIC
	NPSTMS3.WSF         COURIER 24PT BOLD
	NPSTMS4.WSF         COURIER 24PT BOLD ITALIC
	PSHLV1.WSF          HELVITICA 10PT LIGHT
	PSHLV2.WSF          HELVITICA 10PT LIGHT ITALIC
	PSHLV3.WSF          HELVITICA 11PT BOLD
	PSHLV4.WSF          HELVITICA 11PT BOLD ITALIC
	PSTMS1.WSF          TIMES ROMAN 9PT LIGHT
	PSTMS2.WSF          TIMES ROMAN 9PT LIGHT ITALIC
	PSTMS3.WSF          TIMES ROMAN 9PT BOLD
	PSTMS4.WSF          TIMES ROMAN 9PT BOLD ITALIC

	The next thing that you should notice is that in the CRT subdirectory
you will find a number of CRT files.  ONE of these be being created each
time you encounter the <BUILDING FONT> delay prompt when using APP.
EACH time APP encounters a font it will look to FONTID.CTL for the list
of available WSF files, select the WSF file that is most like the needed
font and then use the EXISTING crt file if it is present or generate one
if so similar CRT file exists.  EACH WSF file is capable of being the
source of several sizes of the same font style.

	You can easily decipher the code used to assign the file names
to the CRT files.  The first 2 digits of the CRT file name correspond
to the number of the WSF file as listed in the FONTID.CTL file.
For example the following CRT files happen to be present on my system
at the moment:

	01120144.CRT
	03120144.CRT
	05120060.CRT
	05120072.CRT
	06120072.CRT
	07120072.CRT
	08120072.CRT
	13120028.CRT <------------file name explained below.
	13120060.CRT
	13120120.CRT
	14120028.CRT
	14120060.CRT
	14120120.CRT
	15120028.CRT
	15120060.CRT
	15120120.CRT < TIMES-Bold proportional expanded
	16120028.CRT

	On this list the '13120028.CRT' file is from file 13, the 
Times Roman (proportional) with a width of 28. <last two numbers>
Also note that there is a -60 and a -120 on the list.  From this
you should devine that my printer and hence APP is capable of
proportional condensed, proportional and proportional expanded type.
the '14' series are the same thing in italics.  Ditto for the
15's in BOLD and the 16120028 is obviously a BOLD-ITALIC-COMPRESSED
PROPORTIONAL font.  This writer has not cracked the cipher for the
'120' appearing in the middle of the filename.  It might, for example,
be reserved, or identify the video display type.

	The exact family of CRT files that you will have depends on
your printer.  If you have a daisy wheel printer which only does
Courier in two widths your list will be a lot shorter than if you
have a modern and smart 24-pin matrix printer.  For example the
NEC P2200 supports a list of 32 different fonts on the ^P? directory
each of which have the regular, italic, bold, and bold-italic variations.

	Some variations share the same CRT file, but I can still generate
up to 84 different CRT files consuming 1.2m of disk space.  If you want
to force your system to generate a MAX number of fonts for your printer
make up a file containing several lines like this:

<fonttype>Standard^Y,Italic, ^BBOLD/ITALIC, ^Y BOLD ^B

You should, of course, use the real print controls and do a separate line
for each <fonttype> found on your <^P?> directory of fonts. Then start
APP and be prepared for a lot of font building.  Expect a LOT of disk
space to disappear.  Afterwords you can recover the disk space by
deleting the new CRT files from the CRT subdirectory, or by reinitializing
APP as described below.

	BIRTH CONTROL IS POSSIBLE

	One way to avoid numerous CRT files is abstainance.  If you
never invoke APP with more than 1 or two fonts (and always the same ones
the number of CRT files will not proliferate.

	There are more reliable methods of control, however.
First note the presence of the 

	VER=V5.00

	at the beginning of the file list in the FONTID.CTL file
in your CRT subdirectory.  That is the CODE that APP uses to tell
itself that APP has been installed.
	If you simply use a ^Y to NUKE that line out of the FONTID.CTL
file, you will find that APP will REINSTALL itself (and delete all of
your existing CRT files.  If you have used a bunch of odd-ball fonts
and don't want to be bothered to delete the CRT files just edit
that line out of FONTID.CTL (in the CRT subdirectory) and APP will
erase all present CRT files and start generating them over again.

	The usefulness of this knowledge is that APP will work with
fewer than 16 WSF files.  While you are striking the VER=V5.00
you can strike as many of the references to WSF files as you like
(you must leave any 1) and APP will still work.  The only difference is
that you will have a smaller variety of fonts display in APP.

	As I said before APP will always choose a font that best  fits
the printer from the selection of WSF files available.  If only 1 WSF
file is listed, all will come out of that file.

	Thus if you strike all references to WSF files except #5,
APP will display all fonts in various widths of COURIER standard font.
Italics and bold and bold italics would all display standard.  You need
not strike the list from the bottem up or worry about the sequence
numbers being in order (the numbers 1-16 in the left column).  They will
automatically be resequenced when APP regenerates.

	As long as you strike the VER=v5.00 APP will regenerate
and accommodate any combination of reduced list that you choose.
If you never use BOLD-ITALICS you might strike all 4 BOLD-ITALIC
WSF file references.

	In my example you will note that files 9 through 12 are unused.
Even when I make all 84 CRT files for my P2200 it never uses files
09 through 12 (unless I force it to by eliminating its closer match 13
through 16 proportional fonts.  This is because the P2200 does not
support a Helvetica proportional font.

	Once you take the WSF file reference out of the FONTID.CTL
file (in the CRT SUBDIRECTORY) you can also delete the corresponding
WSF file from the WS5 subdirectory (to recover the disk space.)

	Using the information, I have provided you can decide on your
own how badly you want to control the proliferation of CRT files
(at the compromise of loss of display variety in APP and start striking
the WSF references.  Just remember to force a regeneration by
striking the VER=V5.00 each time you change something.

	You do not need to fiddle with the FONTID.CTL in the WS5
subdirectory.  It will not be looked at by APP unless you delete
the FONTID.CTL file from the CRT subdirectory.

	Knowing this you can experiment with APP by deleting
WSF file references from the FONTID.CTL file until you have
compromised visual variety with non-proliferation to your satisfaction.
Assuming you have not erased the WSF files from the WSF subdirectory,
(or restore them) you can regenerate APP to its full glory of 16
WSF file references by DELETING the FONTID.CTL from the CRT subdirectory
in its entirety.

	In this latter instance, APP will reinstall itself 'from the top'
by copying a fresh FONTID.CTL from the WS5 subdirectory, and starting
anew (with all new CRT files as well)

	My point is this:  If disk space is so valuable to you that
you are willing to settle for fewer than the full measure of FONTS
you can throw away 15 of the 16 WSF files and limit APP to generating
only 3 or 4 CRT files max and still have a USABLE APP.

	My computer of choice at the moment is a CGA compatible LCD
display on a NEC Multispeed HD.  If one seriously believes that you can
visually distinguish 84 different graphics fonts on such a low resolution
display then . . . .  My point is that it simply makes sense to tune
APP down a bit, particularly if you have a low performance system, or would
prefer to have a megabyte or so of disk space available for something other
than storing CRT files.

	Submitted by Robert VanNatta
