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WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS - how to make an ASCII file
Step 1 - Create the ASCII text file from Word Perfect 5.1
  1. From WordPerfect 5.1, open your finished document.
  2. Press Shift F7 (Print).
  3. Press (S)elect Printer. Choose DOS TEXT PRINTER from the list.
    Note: if that printer is not on your list, you can install it by doing a WordPerfect Install (use your original WordPerfect diskettes), Minimum install, update printer driver only.
  4. Press (E)dit (P)ort (O)ther, then enter a unique filename for the new ascii text file.
    ( Use the file name "C:\sample.prn" while you are learning.
  5. Press ZERO to go back to the previous screen, then press (S)elect, (F)ull Document.
  6. A new copy of your document will be converted to ASCII TEXT and written to a new file.

Step 2 - Open the ASCII text file in ProEDIT - Verify the Conversion

Clean up the ASCII file: add missing page breaks, fix Title Pages, etc.

  1. Start ProEDIT by pressing "Start", "Programs", ("PROTEXT" or "ETSPRO"), then "ProEDIT".
  2. Select "File", "Open" and select the ASCII TEXT file which you created (above).
    (Type "C:\sample.prn" in the "File name" box if you used our filename suggestion above)
  3. Visually inspect and clean up the document, inserting Page Breaks if needed.
    There MUST be a PAGE BREAK at the bottom of EVERY PAGE in the document!
  4. Select "File", "Save", and exit ProEDIT.
  • Note: You can enable ProEDIT "Options", "Run ProTEXT on Exit".
    to automatically open your file in ProTEXT!
ProEDIT

Step 3 - Open the ASCII text file in ProTEXT

Run ProTEXT (the condensing program)

  1. Start ProTEXT by pressing "Start", ("PROTEXT" or "ETSPRO"), then "ProTEXT".
  2. Select "File", then "Open" and select the ASCII TEXT file which you created.
    (Type "C:\sample.prn" in the "File name" box if you used our filename suggestion above)
  3. Select "File", then "Print" to Print your Condensed Transcript.
  4. Proceed to "Run ProDEX" (or you can enable "Options", "Run ProDEX on Exit").

Run ProDEX (the keyword indexing program)

  1. Start ProDEX by pressing "Start", "Programs", ("PROTEXT" or "ETSPRO"), then "ProDEX".
  2. Select "File", then "Make an Index" and select the ASCII TEXT file which you created.
  3. Select "File", then "Print an Index" to Print your Word Index.

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