WordStar Non-Document to Document Conversion Program

                      Dr. William C. Parke


Micropro's  WordStar word processor creates and handles two kinds 
of files.   A "document" file uses high-bit flags to signal  word 
boundaries,  "soft"  spaces and "soft"  carriage  returns.  These 
flags let WordStar properly justify and format the file.  A "non-
document"  file uses no formatting or justification flags.   This 
type of file is created to edit data or program source code,  for 
which text formatting is not required.

A  "document"  file can easily be converted to  a  "non-document" 
file  by simply using the CP/M utility PIP to copy the file  with 
the "Z" switch set.  For example,

     >PIP DESTIN.DOC=SOURCE.DOC [Z]

will create a file DESTIN.DOC from the file SOURCE.DOC which  has 
all  high-bits of each character (also called the parity bit) set 
to zero.   This conversion may be necessary if you intend to edit 
the file with another word processor besides WordStar.

There are occasions when you may wish to convert a "non-document" 
file to a "document" file.  For example,  the "non-doc" file  may 
have  been created on some other word processor,  or it may  have 
been  a WordStar "doc" file transferred via modem with the parity 
bit masked off.   This type of conversion is a less trivial task.  
Micropro   suggests  that  you  enter  the  file  as  a  WordStar 
"document" file,  delete all unwanted spaces and carriage returns 
and reformat each paragraph.  This is a laborious procedure.

The program WSDOCON was written to relieve this labor.   It  will 
do the following:

1) Establish word boundary flags.

2) Make all extra spaces between words "soft" spaces.

3) Set all carriage returns within a paragraph to "soft" carriage 
returns.  Paragraph boundaries are recognized by the existence of 
blank  lines  (more than one carriage return-line  feed).   These 
boundaries are not made "soft".

4) Convert tab characters ( hex 09 ) into spaces,  at the  option 
of the user.

The command format is:

     >WSDOCON SOURCE.DOC DESTIN.DOC

or   
     >WSDOCON SOURCE.DOC

The  second  form  will  write the converted  file  back  to  the 
original file.

WordStar  does  not  use tab characters (CTL-I's) in  its  files.  
Instead,  the tab key is converted to the (user settable)  number 
of  spaces.  However,  other word processors,  such as  PIE  from 
Software Toolworks, use tabs in the file to preserve space.

WSDOCON will convert each tab encountered into a single space, in 
anticipation of a reformating within WordStar.  If there are tabs 
in  the your file which establish fixed columns,  you may wish to 
preserve  these tabs in the conversion.   This can be done  using 
the "/T" switch in the form:
     
     >WSDOCON SOURCE.DOC DESTIN.DOC /T

A  second  switch  ("/N") is available for the  conversion  of  a 
"document" file to a "non-document" file.  You may find this type 
of conversion more convenient using WSDOCON than using PIP, since 
you need not create a new file in the process:

     >WSDOCON SOURCE.DOC /N

After  using  WSDOCON to create a "document" file,  you  can  use 
WordStar to reformat paragraphs to you liking.