           FrEdWriter Tips                                               1
 
 
 
 
 
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 TIPS ON USING FREDWRITER
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 GENERAL TIPS
 o Think of the FrEd disk as two separate programs:
    - MAIN MENU at boot: although other items bring you
      back to the main menu when done, once you go into
      Fred, you have to <Q>uit Fred (reboot) to get back
      to this menu.
    - FRED: Once you go into FrEd, all of FrEd is in
      memory.  The computer is FrEd until you reboot.
 
 o CONTROL RESET will take you to main (editing) screen, if
   you get stuck or hung up somewhere in FrEd.
 
 o Try it, if you're not sure you can do it!
 
 o Sometimes Fred boots to 80 columns, even when you choose
   40 columns.  This happens if you press ANY OTHER KEY after
   you press the 4.  This is because  FrEd looks for the LAST
   KEY PRESSED while it is loading.  If the LAST KEY PRESSED
   is not 4, it comes up in 80 columns. Reboot.
 
 o Use copies of Fred without documentation and have students
   save right onto it.
 o To understand the PRINT MENU more clearly, pressing RETURN
   will do whatever item is highlighted.  ESC will take you
   out of print menu.
 
 o You must enter a name when formatting a disk.  If you
   don't give it a name, the program continues as if it is
   being formatted.  But in fact it will not be.  If this
   happens, reformat it with a name (such as: BLANK) to make
   it useable.
 
 o When first using copies of Fred with students, you may
   find a disk won't boot.  Recopying Fred solves it, unless
   the disk is bad.
 
 o Think of spaces and returns as characters:  they can be
   inserted or deleted as needed.
 
 o Use the SET TIME & DATE option on opening menu.  This
   makes it easier to verify when files were saved, for
   current or older work.
 
 o You can move up to 256 characters at a time.  When you
   reach the limit, it will not let you take in more.
 
 o Sometimes, in the middle of a paragraph, a sentence
   beginning on the left edge of the screen will display with
   a space that you can't remove. It's only a quirk in FrEd's
   screen display.  It will print correctly.
 
                                                      (c) D.Beck 2/86
 
 
 
 FrEdWriter Tips                                               2
 
 
 
 
 
 SAVING and LOADING FILES TIPS
 o When you type in a filename to save or load, you can type
   over another name already there.  Any letters at or after
   the cursor will be chopped.  You do not need to remove
   letters under or after the cursor.  (In fact, you will
   notice that DELETE will not remove them.)
 
 o Acceptable filenames in ProDOS:
     - Up to 15 characters long
     - Must begin with a letter
     - After first character: letters, numbers, periods
     - NO SPACES
 
 o Sometimes FrEd may refuse to save or load without giving a
   PRODOS ERROR message.  For some "unacceptable filenames"
   (symbols, commas, etc), FrEd knows they are invalid and
   won't continue with the save or load.  So, always watch
   for the red light on the drive to see that FrEd does save
   or load.
 
 o Review saving files: students seem to get confused easily
   with:  (1) valid names (no spaces, too long, etc.). (2)
   typing over old names (delete won't delete, just moves
   cursor to left.)  (3) think they've saved when they
   haven't -- explain  "bad pathname" remark AND remind them
   to always watch for the red light on the drive to go on.
 
 o If you end up in SAVE or LOAD, and you don't wish to save
   or load, move cursor as far left as you can and press
   return to get back to the editing screen.
 
 o Type  =  at the <S>ave prompt if you want to save under
   the name already showing.
 
 o <S>aving with the same name will save the file in memory
   over the file on the disk.  It will ask if you really want
   to do this the first time in a session you do it.
 
 o Save your work every once in a while, every 10-15 min for
   long periods of work.
 
 o Make back-up copies of files that are important.
 
 o Loading in a file only loads a COPY of what's on disk.
   Saving a file only saves a COPY of memory to the disk.
 
 o Before loading in a new file, remember to clear memory
   with <N>ew.  With scrolling of a file up and out of view,
   some students don't undertand a saved file is still in
   memory and load in a new file:  end up adding onto a file
   in memory, or loading several copies of the same one...
 
 o Inside FrEd you can only SAVE and LOAD files.  Other disk
   and files utilities are available out of the opening menu.
 
 
                                                      (c) D.Beck 2/86
 
 
 
 FrEdWriter Tips                                               3
 
 
 
 
 
 PROMPTED FILES TIPS
 o Put a title for a prompting file at the end of a file in a
   box.  Include instructions to use <B> to go to the
   beginning.  When loaded, you will see the title box.
 
 o In general, make prompted files in 40 columns, to exchange
   with other teachers.  40 column prompting files can be
   used in 40 or 80 column display.
 
   With 80 columns prompt files, show it in the filename,
   (such as, REPORT.PET.80).  80 column prompted files can
   only be used in 80 column format.  If loaded onto a 40
   column screen, the longer lines will "wrap around", break
   the boxes and the cursor will stop inside boxes.
 
 o In Prompt Mode the screen looks the same.  You can't tell
   except by using it.  A quick way to see: press return...
 esponse and two more returns under the box for
   the last response.  (The second return will add a blank
   line between paragraphs.)
 
   When you set up for paragraphs, think of how the file will
   be without prompts: all responses between 2 returns will
   form a paragraph.
 
 o Experiment with prompt boxes. You may write into boxes as
   you make them or make boxes first and fill them later. It
   is up to you.  Use whichever way is simpler for you.
 
 o After removing prompts from a file, the file may appear to
   have extra spaces on lines.  This is an idiosyncracy of
   FrEd's display. The easiest way to remove these stray
   spacings is to use <W>idth.  Use <W> to change width and
   then, <W> again, back to the default (38 for 40 columns,
   65 for 80 columns).  Text will be displayed as it really
   is, ready for final editing.
 
 o A prompt box gradually scrolls up out of view when a
   student types many lines below it.  The reason: FrEd's
   cursor remains at the middle of the screen, scrolling new
   text up. To keep prompts in view, such as a word bank
   (word list), as a student types, place them in the top of
   the prompt box below the cursor.
 
 o Make a prompted file blank with the first and last boxes
   already constructed with instructions you would type again
   already inside.  Load it in, fill in the rest of the file
   and save it with a new name.
 
 
                                                      (c) D.Beck 2/86
 
 
 
 FrEdWriter Tips                                               4
 
 
 
 
 
 TEACHING TIPS
 o Using RETURN key correctly will take some explanation and
   practice.  Students seem to understand quickly about
   "wrap-around", that is, not using return at the end of
   lines within paragraphs.  Many seem to extend this to not
   using RETURN at all, typing spaces to get to the next
   line, etc.
 
   Explain that RETURN key is an instruction to the computer
   to: "Go to the next line NOW".  When you want to go to the
   next line to type more text, use RETURN.
 
 o Use SET DATE/TIME option from first menu before going into
   FrEdWriter.  This helps telling old from new files,
   identifying current files, etc.
 
 o LOADING/SAVING files  Several problems can occur with
   SAVING and LOADING files.
 
    -After SAVING a file, have students catalog to see
     that old/new files are saved by checking: (1) size
     and/or (2) date.  Sometimes students don't realize
     their file was not saved, if they used a name
     unacceptable to ProDOS, etc.
    -Have students be sure to catalog after booting with
     <L>.   Some have used <S> and without thinking try to
     "load" a file at the Save prompt.  The blank memory is
     then saved over their file.
    -When loading in another file, remind students to clear
     memory with <N> for a "new document".  Some load files
     on top of other files and end up saving "multiple"
     files.
 
 o W-P lets you erase/change only errors  Many students want
   to "delete" correct writing to get back to errors, which
   means re-typing much text.  It helps to emphasize writing
   in several steps.  First, write to get your ideas down,
   without worrying about spelling. Then using <B> go back to
   the beginning and go through text correcting spelling.
   Then, go through for sentencing and paragraphing, etc..
 
                                                      (c) D.Beck 2/86
