Data-processing software

A data-processing software is a computer program making it possible to make Word processing.

Types of software

Text editor

A text editor is a software which makes it possible to access and modify texts interactivement (coded for example in ASCII or Unicode). It was not in general concerned with working, except on the machines Wang.

Interactive word processing

A interactive word processing makes it possible to control, in an interactive way through a IHM, working of a whole of texts (being able to contain images) in a document (for example one CV, a report/ratio of thesis, a mail, a periodical); some of these editors are known as WYSIWYG: the software makes it possible to work on a representation with the screen of the document identical to its final aspect ; it is the form most used in Bureautique. The word processing modern generally uses the alphabets and other characters covered by Unicode.

The market in 2006

In 2006, in the economic world, in France, the reference of the market east Microsoft Word, software of which the use is regulated by Microsoft. (Word became the reference thanks to a great number of functionalities, with the hacking, publicity and its dominant position). In 2006, in the field of the software of which the use and the distribution are free, the reference is OpenOffice.org Writer by which versions enriched exist. In 2007, in France, in the spheres of the State, the policy, and the public administrations, the knowledge robots are OpenOffice.org Writer and Microsoft Word.

Principal functionalities

A data-processing software must above all:

  • starting from a character string constantly modifiable, to produce correct lines from the typographical point of view: no inopportune cuts (before a punctuation mark, in the middle of a number, etc) and possible caesura of the words;
  • to assemble the lines out of screens or pages, by complying with the rules of the typography (not title isolated in bottom from page, for example);
  • to release the writer of the visual aspect of the document: the writer expresses himself with his language and the software translates it by a highlighting of the text which makes it very easily usable by the readers.

The responsibility for the end result is shared between the user and the software. For example:

  • the distinction between the separating white of words and the white in a word, must often still be made, or at least controlled, by the writer: space normal or Nonbreaking space;
  • the writer expresses what it writes with styles, whose name has a direction for him, and the software must automatically ensure the additional page layout and functions to facilitate the exploitation of the document, in particular, by its readers.

In 2007, the principal awaited functionalities of a good professional word processing are, in an not-exhaustive way:

  • the Interworking with other word processing (formats of standardized files);
  • the possibility of exporting a text formatted printed (interchange format like the pdf, impression);
  • the management of méta-information such as keywords, the authors and the titles;
  • the interactive edition (to copy, stick, cross, research, cancellation, navigation);
  • a skeletal posting (rule, bars tools, presentation of several parts of documents in window distinct);
  • the possibility of managing fields varying with the remainder of the document (numerical Indices, Contents, calculations);
  • contained nonconventional, which is not text (images, formulas mathematical, tables; grafts; diagrams), in a format interopérable;
  • the possibility of formatting the text and of creating interdependent styles. We understand by there
    • formatting of characters (bill of character, colors, underlining, hyperlinks,…);
    • formatting of paragraphs (withdrawals, spacings, alignment/justification, automatic classification,…);
    • formatting of the page layout (Margins, size, orientation,…);
    • formatting of zones of text (Position, borders,…)
  • an orthographical and grammatical corrector;
  • management of the revisions;
  • programming of macro-orders, possibly decorated of an graphical interface, in a high-level language;
  • management of the ASCII characters then Unicode, including the bidirectional Text.

Styles
A style is a working of text intended to be applied to several places. The modification of the style changes the setting into form for all the paragraphs or portions of text using this style.

If all the paragraph or, more obvious still, several paragraphs uses the same working, better is worth to use a style.

The styles allow to separate the subgrade. When it is indicated that the text is of style “Titrates N ”, one indicates the function of the text without indicating the way in which it will be formatted; this one is defined in the dialog box of management of the styles. Thus, for the titles of chapter or section, it is recommended to use the styles Titer 1, Titer 2,… what will make it possible to build the contents automatically. A user can define his own styles, for example to create a style “Patronym” for family names (which, in French typography, appear into small capital), or “Programs” for the names of software.

Moreover, the user can seek all the elements of text of a given style, for example to make a list of it (this can be automated by a macro-instruction).

The name of “style” indicated a catalogued working when the text was transcribed manuscript with typewriting or the typography. Since the authors use the word processing to write, the style became the process control language of the author to indicate to the machine what it does. The style is the reliable manner to mark out the documents to automate the page layout and to authorize many treatments on the documents. It is the interface between the automatic author and systems. To facilitate the communications between authors and the interworking of the automatic systems, the standardization of the terminology of the styles becomes essential.

Fields

A field is an automatically generated text. The typical examples are the contents, generated starting from the titles of chapter and section, the index, generated starting from “entries” which one inserts and which are themselves of the fields, the number of page, the name of the alphanumeric chapter current, the values calculated according to what precedes,…

Automatic word processing

A automatic word processing is a software making it possible to treat text automatically; in other words, it is a compiler for a language of working of texts: the user uses a standard text editor and composes a document (source) by using a semantic beaconing, and in the second time, the compiler produces the document in its printable, or consumable form; the compiler combines the semantic beaconing (for example: descriptions in sections , blocks or quotation ) with a Style sheet to produce the consumable shape of the document. This form is preferred for all that relates to the technical edition, and, a fortiori , when intervene of the complete chains of subcontractors, in order to guarantee a homogeneity of presentation on each level, according to the choices of each one (see SGML).

Orthographical corrector

The orthographical Correct and a language like Perl or Awk were regarded as data-processing software.

Old data-processing software (not WYSIWYG)

Famous systems of word processing

The system Wang acquired a very great popularity in the Années 1970 for three primary reasons:
  • excellent the Ergonomics of its police forces to the screen (although those are with fixed Chasse);
  • the intelligent use of the double brightness , then of the video inversion ;
  • a system of research which was progressively carried out striking of the characters of the sought chain, moving the cursor in the text and putting in double brightness the first chain answering the criterion. This system ensured an important time-saver: work in masked time, no letter in to type too much (it was the subject of a Brevet Wang, put since in the public domain).

Data-processing software WYSIWYG

  • AmiPro
  • AbiWord
  • AppleWorks, software marketed by Apple. This software has several modes (word processing, vectorial drawing for CAM, Tableur, Database…). This software was formerly named ClarisWorks.
  • KWord
  • OpenOffice.org, StarOffice, NeoOffice/J (for Mac OSX)
  • Pages, software included in the continuation iWorks marketed by Apple for version X of Mac OS
  • Scribus, FrameMaker, PageMaker (although it acts more in these three cases of CAM than of word processing strictly speaking)
  • WordPerfect
  • Microsoft Word
  • Isofting eWriter Web site
  • WordPad , delivered with the operating system Windows
  • Works integrated Microsoft in its first versions, comprises a type of specific file, different of Microsoft Word

Let us note that there exist also tools on line (see this list)

Data-processing software WYSIWYM

Languages of description of documents

Internal bonds

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