5 ms·

WordStar was a really good programming editor, if you put into text mode. I wrote a lot of C and assembler code using it back in the 1980s. And it was a good w

WordStar was a really good programming editor, if you put into text mode. I wrote a lot of C and assembler code using it back in the 1980s. And it was a good word processor - much easier to get to grips with than WordPerfect, IMHO.

toast0 5y ago
I use JOE as my programming (and general purpose) editor, which is modeled after WordStar in a lot of ways. Once, I happened upon a WordStar installation and was able to use it just fine, because I already knew the concepts (I think the command prefix isn't ^K though, so it felt a bit off?)
- geraldbrandt 5y ago
  Joe (or jstar) is my go to console editor.
  - GekkePrutser 5y ago
    Does it still save bak files everywhere though? I used it for a while and it littered folders everywhere with them as it doesn't clean them up. I tried turning it off but an update came through that changed something and turned it back on, and then I came across nano which felt nicer :)
    - toast0 5y ago
      I actually like those ~ files everywhere, because it makes for an easy and (almost) universal undo. But it does make a mess, and I understand why you might not want them. I would be surprised if you can't turn them off, though... and I'm even more surprised they came back after an update, I wonder if you set it in the system config and not a personal config, so it got overwritten when you updated; but possibly the config value changed names too. :( That's very frustrating, and I hope nano treats you well.
geraldbrandt 5y ago
WordTsar doesn't do non-document mode... though I'm thinking about it.
tssva 5y ago
To give an opposite opinion form the same time period. I found WordStar much more difficult to come to grips with than WordPerfect. WordPerfect 4.2 with a XT layout keyboard is by far my favorite word processor experience to date.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- zabzonk 5y ago
  I could never get to grips with WP's use of function keys. In fact, I hate all software that uses function keys.
  - xbar 5y ago
    F7 to save. Seriously, if I could still use WordPerfect 4.2 today, I would. I would put up with 5.1 if necessary.
    - lproven 5y ago
      The Linux version is freeware now: https://xwp8users.com/ https://xwp8users.com/
      - app4soft 5y ago
        > The Linux version is freeware now I can't see such statement on linked site; instead its clarifies to use "legitimate copy": > This site provides information designed to assist an owner of a legitimate copy of a version of WordPerfect, who desires to use it on a current Linux distro, in doing so. BTW, Here is Reddit thread[0] & screenshot[1] posted in comments. [0] https://old.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/cgw9f5/using_wordperfect_81_for_linux_the_final_32bit/ https://old.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/cgw9f5/using_wordper... [1] https://i.imgur.com/mhZ4Ahm.png https://i.imgur.com/mhZ4Ahm.png
        lproven 5y ago

toast0 5y ago

I use JOE as my programming (and general purpose) editor, which is modeled after WordStar in a lot of ways. Once, I happened upon a WordStar installation and was able to use it just fine, because I already knew the concepts (I think the command prefix isn't ^K though, so it felt a bit off?)

geraldbrandt 5y ago
Joe (or jstar) is my go to console editor.
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  Does it still save bak files everywhere though? I used it for a while and it littered folders everywhere with them as it doesn't clean them up. I tried turning it off but an update came through that changed something and turned it back on, and then I came across nano which felt nicer :)
  - toast0 5y ago
    I actually like those ~ files everywhere, because it makes for an easy and (almost) universal undo. But it does make a mess, and I understand why you might not want them. I would be surprised if you can't turn them off, though... and I'm even more surprised they came back after an update, I wonder if you set it in the system config and not a personal config, so it got overwritten when you updated; but possibly the config value changed names too. :( That's very frustrating, and I hope nano treats you well.

geraldbrandt 5y ago

WordTsar doesn't do non-document mode... though I'm thinking about it.

tssva 5y ago

To give an opposite opinion form the same time period. I found WordStar much more difficult to come to grips with than WordPerfect. WordPerfect 4.2 with a XT layout keyboard is by far my favorite word processor experience to date.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
zabzonk 5y ago
I could never get to grips with WP's use of function keys. In fact, I hate all software that uses function keys.
- xbar 5y ago
  F7 to save. Seriously, if I could still use WordPerfect 4.2 today, I would. I would put up with 5.1 if necessary.
  - lproven 5y ago
    The Linux version is freeware now: https://xwp8users.com/ https://xwp8users.com/
    - app4soft 5y ago
      > The Linux version is freeware now I can't see such statement on linked site; instead its clarifies to use "legitimate copy": > This site provides information designed to assist an owner of a legitimate copy of a version of WordPerfect, who desires to use it on a current Linux distro, in doing so. BTW, Here is Reddit thread[0] & screenshot[1] posted in comments. [0] https://old.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/cgw9f5/using_wordperfect_81_for_linux_the_final_32bit/ https://old.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/cgw9f5/using_wordper... [1] https://i.imgur.com/mhZ4Ahm.png https://i.imgur.com/mhZ4Ahm.png
      - lproven 5y ago