I am developing this program using FaceSpan 2.1 and AppleScript 1.1, plus a few scripting additions (osaxen) available online. The parsing/conversion/fileIO routines are already completed; I am now doing the interface. This is a sneak preview, but it is not yet written in stone. Please email me with your comments! Speak now or forever hold your pee ;-)

Windows

[X] No "untitled" document

Word will launch without opening a new untitled document window.

[X] No global templates or add-ins

Word will launch without loading any global templates or Word Link Libraries.

[X] No Tip of the Day

Word will launch without displaying Tip of the Day.

Documents/Macros/Libraries

the popup image will display a checkmark to indicate if any items have been entered. The popup menus' first item is Edit List..., then a separator line, then the list of items (if any).

Documents:

View or edit list of documents to open.

Macros:

View or edit list of macros to run.

Libraries:

View or edit list of WLL add-ins to load. (Can it be more than one?)

Settings File:

Displays the current settings file's name.

Location:

Displays the current settings file's location.

Animated Triangle icon:

Expands or collapses the window, to show or hide additional information about the settings. A menu item under the pulldown View menu (Show Info/Hide Info) is linked to this window item.

Created:

Displays the current settings file's date and time of creation.

Modified:

Displays the current settings file's date and time of modification.

Line Length:

Displays the length of the command line shown below it. The length maxes out at 255 because Word stores the settings in a simple Pascal string (one length byte).

In Memory/On Disk

Radio buttons to choose where the displayed command line should come from.

Command Line

Displays the command-line representation of the current record or settings file (selectable via the radio buttons).

Menus

File

New

Opens a settings record in memory (or maybe New... for a new file like ResEdit instead of Save As... -- not sure yet).

Open...

Select an existing settings file to be the current one for editing and saving.

Close

If record is dirty, prompts to save changes before closing.

Save

Saves settings to current settings file. If none selected (i.e., used FileNew) then works like Save As.... Marks current record as not dirty.

Save As...

Creates a new file into which the settings record in memory will be saved. This will then become the new current settings file, and the record will be marked as not dirty.

Quit

If record is dirty, prompts to save changes before quitting.

Edit

View

Show Info/Hide Info

Displays info about the current file and current record, including the settings record as a command line and the length of the line (max 255 characters). I made this a part of the main window, with an expand/collapse triangle.

Options

Import Word Settings {6}

Replaces current settings record with settings from the Word Settings (6) file.

Import...

Replaces current settings record with settings from another file.

Edit Document List...

Same as first item in popup Documents: menu in main window.

Edit Macro List...

Same as first item in popup Macros: menu in main window.

Edit Library List...

Same as first item in popup Libraries: menu in main window.

Export to Word Settings {6}

If current file is Word Settings (6) then acts same as FileSave. If different file, then updates settings in Word Settings (6) but does not affect "isdirty" flag for the current record.

Export...

Updates settings in another file with the current record's settings. Does not affect "isdirty" flag for the current record.

WordStart

Launch Word

Launches Microsoft Word (just a convenience).

Preferences...

Set behavior of drag and drop in Finder, for dragging settings files onto WordStart (edit settings, copy settings to Word Settings (6) and launch, modifier keys, etc.).