End of Alignment Code in WP 5.1

DocumentID: 602205
Revision Date: 29-Feb-96 1:29:29 PM

The information in this document applies to:
WordPerfect® 5.1 for DOS

Problem

Solutions: WPCorp was tracking the number of calls received from customers requesting an End of Alignment code to be included in WP 5.1. In WordPerfect 5.0, the End of Alignment code was represented by the [C/A/FLRT] code. Before the 05/31/91 release of WP 5.1, there wasn't a visible end code when using Center, Tab Align, and Flush Right. Some customers are accustomed to aligning information by moving the cursor past the end of alignment code and typing in another character. With the 05/31/91 release, there was an End Center/Alignment code added to the program. (Please refer to the 05/31/91 Software Change Notice.) The following are some suggestions for working around not having an end of alignment code: With WP 5.1, there is no visible code that ends these various kinds of alignment; instead the user must insert a code that triggers the ending of alignment. For the most part, this is completely compatible with the way documents were created in WP 5.0, since a following tab, flush right, hard return [HRt], or hard page [HPg] code ends alignment. There are some exceptions, however, but all but one of these can be solved easily. One exception is columns of numbers that are right aligned that need to have parentheses to indicate negative numbers, but are not decimal aligned (because they have no decimal points): 1,234 350 This situation can be solved by using decimal aligned tabs. The decimal/align character can be set to a parenthesis ()) if the numbers in that section of the document do not use an actual decimal point. Otherwise, a paired style can be used for negative numbers such that the beginning part of the style has a code setting the decimal/align character to ) followed by (, and the ending part of the style has a ). The same technique can be used if other characters are intended to be positioned after the alignment column; a different style would be used for each character. Using a style also makes it simple to change from parentheses to minus signs if that is desired later. A simpler, more general solution is to use a tab followed by a left margin release just before the character that is to be positioned after the alignment column. This solution has a drawback of having the cursor bounce around a bit as the Right arrow is used to move through the text, but it is simple and works with right tabs as well as decimal tabs; however, it does not work for the last tab stop before the right margin. Text may or may not line up exactly at the center. The location of the tab stop determines where the text will be located. With the default tab and margin settings used in WP 5.1, the text will be two characters to the left of the center mark. This adjustment is not very noticeable since all lines formatted in this way will be at the same location. If users would like text centered exactly, they can add a tab stop at the actual center (4.25"). This new tab setting can be placed in the Initial Codes in Setup (Shift-F1) to ensure that each newly created document will have the same alignment. The only case WPCorp has had reported that is difficult to solve is the following: apparently some people used centering between margins like a tab stop, especially for the closing of letters. They would press the Center key, press Enter to end the center, then back across the hard return [HRt] code and insert text after the [C/A/FlRt] code. Obviously, you can simply put a left tab stop at position 4.25", but if what is truly desired is for the text to begin at a point in the middle of the margins, then this will not work if margins are later adjusted. This method of aligning text is not very common.

Answer:

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