A Potted History of WordStar. While researching next week’s PC Magazine column listing the 10 WORST software programs I ran into this outstanding history of Wordstar and the MicroPro corporation. Excellent reading.
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I miss WordMaster. WordMaster had the best command mode search and replace functions I have ever seen. If WordMaster had had a ^K^B block begin and ^K^K block end method of cutting and pasting text, instead of the “scratchpad”, it would have been a perfect editor.
The command mode search and replace functions could do things like match this character (in hex if you want) followed by any 2 characters, followed by some other character, move forward 2 lines, and insert this text.
All that, and hit v and you were in a full screen editing mode.
I still use the WordStar key combinations in Delphi and Joes own editor, my current favorite editor.
Les
I miss WordMaster.
WordMaster (WordStars precursor) had the best command mode search and replace function I have ever seen. If WordMaster had used WordStars ^K^B block begin and ^K^K block end method of cutting and pasting text, instead of the “scratchpad” method, it would have been the perfect editor.
WordMasters command mode search allowed you to do things like: find some character(s) (In hex if you like) followed by ANY two characters, followed by some word, move up 2 lines, then insert some text. All that, and press V and you are in a full screen edit mode. I have yet to find any other editor with as powerfull search and replace features.
Les Hildenbrandt
Hey, John.
…and the users saw that it was good.
Parts of the code left room for improvement, but the ^Key interface WAS instrumental in turning tiny ventures into small/medium sized operations by automating wordprocessing and leveraging the technology to spreadsheets and simple DBMS’es. It still has no equal for ergonomics, speed, and precision. Especially, when aided by shortcuts and the level of customization available in an offering like “UnderGround Wordstar”. Ward Starr and Mel Murch are gone, but not forgotten.
Thank you!
I still use the interface in most development tools, and “WordStar for Word” cuts *.doc preparation in MS Word in half.
Had Ms. Hycheck (sp?) been fairly treated and DataStar been released as a fully relational offering, along with the rest of the Star family, who knows?
Again, thanks.
As ever–
Dean
Great article, thanks for unearthing it. I still have a copy of WordStar for CP/M, from 1984 or thereabouts (on a 360Kb floppy disk – which has probably dissolved by now, 20 years on). Ran it on a Kaypro 2x. What a great program it was in those days!
– Neville Hobson