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EARS
Filename: (ALTODOCS)GYPSY.EARS;3
Creation Date: MONDAY, 4 AUG 1975 12:26-PDT
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GYPSY: THE GINN TYPESCRIPT SYSTEM
Attached is a description of the user facilities of the Ginn typescript
system.
An almost identical system is available at PARC for playing only. People
are invited to try the system and get a feel for its use. Our version is
slightly obsolescent, somewhat buggy (though not dangerous to your disk),
and will not be maintained in any way. It lacks many facilities one would
need for the general-purpose editing done at PARCo We recommend Bravo
for doing useful editing work in this building.
The system is available as GYPSY.DM. You must have 550 disk
pages and the "new" operating system before retrieving and unloading it.
The following features differ from their document descriptions:
* It runs on one disk.
* Substitute operates on a source, not a target.
* LOOK is a pseudonym for the CTRL key.
* LOOK-L and R are unavailable for margin changing.
Remark font is obtained by LOOK-R instead of by LOOK-
X; remarks are always visible. LOOK-J justifies poorly.
All LOOKs operate on a source instead of a target
(except during typein).
* Page turning using LOOK is unavailable. Printing is
unavailable.
* The scale at the top edge of the screen extends from
the far left to 2/3 of the way across.
* BW (backspace word) is the blank key alongside BS.
* CUT can be done with ESC; PASTE with SHIFT-ESC.
* Fast scrolling is available: hold the middle key down
along with either scroll key.
* Page 1 of the directory permits arbitrary files to be
fetched, but they can not be formatted or paragraphed,
nor may paragraphs from formatted files be pasted into
them. For such documents, the left edge becomes a line
select area.
* To see how font changes are run-length encoded, do a
LOOK-H.
We have no interest in hearing about bugs at this time. If you end up in
Swat or in an endless loop, Boot. If you have useful work to do, use
Bravo.
XEROX
GYPSY: THE GINN TYPESCRIPT SYSTEM
April 20, 1975
Larry Tesler
Palo Alto Research Center
Timothy Mott
Ginn and Company
Gypsy is the "typescript" component of the Ginn Publishing System being
developed at PARCo It is oriented towards the preparation of the content of a
book with little concern for its format. A second component of the system will
be called a "pagescript" system and will deal with the makeup of pages for
photocomposition.
The typescript system was delivered to Ginn in March, 1975 and trial production
use began in April. The hardware and software are not yet adequately reliable,
so most of the current effort in development concentrates on reliability
improvements.
The system is used both by highly trained operators and by minimally trained
editors. The training period is four hours to two days, depending on the
experience and the goals of the trainee.
The primary responsibility of the operator is to key in an author's manuscript as
accurately as pOSSible, using boldface, italics, and underlining where appropriate,
and noting other formatting instructions in asides typed in a special "remark
font". When version one of the typescript is completed and stored, the
system produces hard copy for editorial scrutiny.
At this point the editor may work on line to make revisions or may mark up the
printout and ask an operator to make the revisions. In either case, the editing
facilities of the system are used to alter the stored text producing version two.
This process may be repeated several times before a final version of the
typescript is obtained. Printouts have in the left margin a bar (change marker)
next to each paragraph which contains a change from the preceding version.
The last version of the typescript becomes the first version of the pagescript
when it is time to make up the pages for the book. In the page layout stage,
graphics editors will operate the pagescript system.
The software is programmed in BCPL for the Alto computer. The standard lID
devices include an ascii keyboard, a three-button mouse, a five-key keyset, an
BOO-sean-line bit map display, and one or two removable disks. The disk in
drive a is mounted at all times and stores software, fonts, and so forth. The
disk in drive 1 stores several versions of several chapters of a single book in
progress, so it is frequently removed.
The remainder of this memo deals only with the typescript system.
Tesler and Matt The Gypsy Typescript System
The Display
The display is divided into vertically stacked "windows". Most of the time there
are three windows, as follows:
I command window
ICancel File Scan for {}
document window
waste basket
The command window has two lines. The first is usually blank but occasionally
displays a feedback message. The second line contains a menu of commands
which can be invoked by pointing at the italicized command word and pressing
a mouse button.
The document window displays almost a full page worth of text. The text can
be scrolled behind the window to bring hidden portions into view.
The waste basket has two lines but can be expanded at the expense of the
document window. Whenever material is cut (deleted) it is put in the waste
basket so that the operator can see what has been cut and have access to it
for reinsertion.
When the mouse is rolled on the table, a distinctive symbol follows its motions
on the display. Currently this mouse symbol looks like a large capital I with
wide horizontals.
The Directory
When Gypsy is started up, the document window displays the contents page of
a directory listing all documents that are available on the disk in drive 1. The
contents page has entries such as:
Turn to Page 2
The World of Gonzo Journalism, Chapter 14, HST, 2/5/75
This entry announces that chapter 14 of the named book is on this disk, and
that its versions are listed on page 2 of the directory. To turn to page 2, the
operator invokes the Turn command by pointing at the word Turn and pressing a
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Tesler and Matt The Gypsy Typescript System
mouse button. When this is done J text like the following appears in the
document window:
The World of Gonzo Journalism, Chapter 14, HST, 2/5/75
Fetch Version 1
Authors original manuscript, 2/6/75, MJE
Fetch Version 2
First set of editorial revisions, 2/7/75, DMN
Fetch Version 3
First set of authors revisions, 2/14/75, DMN
Fetch Version 4
Second set of editorial revisions, 2/21/75, MJE
Fetch the Working Draft
Make the Working Draft into Version 5
This list announces the presence of four editorial versions and an operator's
working draft of version 5. Invoking a Fetch command brings the corresponding
version or draft into the document window. Versions may be scrolled and
scanned J but they may not be edited. The working draft may be edited and
then filed as a revised working draft.
After all changes have been made to a workingdraftJ it is turned into a version
by typing a description under the Make line and then invoking the Make
command. This command automatically edits the directory to reflect the new
status of the document as follows:
The World of Gonzo Journalism, Chapter 14, HST, 2/5/75
Fetch Version 1
Authors original manuscript, 2/6/75, MJE
Fetch Version 2
First set of editorial revisions, 2/7/75, DMN
Fetch Version 3
First set of authors revisions, 2/14/75, DMN
Fetch Version 4
Second set of editorial revisions, 2/21/75, MJE
Fetch Version 5
Typographical corrections, 2/23/75, MJE
Create a new Working Draft
If more versions are needed later J the operator will invoke the Create command
to create a new working draft and continue as before.
To add a totally new document to the diskJ the last entry in the contents page
is invol Add new Page 7
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Tesler and Matt The Gypsy Typescript System
The operator must first type a descriptor for the document below the Add line
before invoking Add. This command automatically edits the contents page to
reflect the addition, and creates a new page at the end of the directory with the
correct title and a Create command ready to be invoked. The initial working
draft will normally be empty, but there are ways to make a working draft from a
copy of another document, or from a text file on a cassette tape produced by
an off-line word processor.
Editing
After a working draft is fetched, the operator may wish to edit it. First it is
necessary to specify the location where a change is to be made.
If the top mouse button is pressed and released while the mouse symbol is
pointing to text, a caret symbol appears between adjacent characters. The
caret specifies a target for text insertion. It can also be positioned at either
end of a word or line of text or at the left end of a blank line.
Only one target exists at anyone time. When a new selection is begun, the old
target is deselected.
If the operator types on the keyboard, text is inserted at the target. Any text
to the right of the caret is moved over to accommodate the additional material.
If the line overflows, the paragraph is realigned immediately so that each line
contains as many words as can possibly fit.
Typing new material and typing corrections are the most frequent editing tasks,
so they have been made simplest. Less frequent but still simple are deletion,
rearrangement, and copying of text.
If the top mouse button is pressed while the mouse symbol is pointing to text,
but not released immediately, the operator can draw to the right and/or down to
black out a passage of text (Le., white characters on a black background).
The blacked out text is another kind of target, an alternative to the usual caret.
It may cover one or more characters of a paragraph, or may cover one or more
whole paragraphs. Whole paragraphs are selected by drawing downward in the
left margin.
Once text is blacked out, it can be cut by pressing either of two equivalent
CUT keys; one on the keyboard and the other on the keyset. The cut material
is put into the waste basket. Its former space is closed up and a caret
appears there to allow typein of new material in its place.
All cut material since the last Fetch is retained in the waste basket for possible
retrieval, but only the first few lines of the most recent cutout are visible
without scrolling.
If the operator types when the target is blacked out, Qvertyping occurs. Each
, character of the target is replaced by new material and the target is shortened
in the process. If the target is completely over typed, it becomes a caret and
insertion resumes. If it is not completely overtyped, the operator must cut the
remainder. Normal practice is always to cut after overtyping, since it is harmless
even when unnecessary.
In addition to the target, there is one other selection that can exist called the
source. Each time a passage is cut and put in the waste basket, it is
automatically selected as the source, and any previous source is deselected.
Th~ source is marked by a dotted underline.
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Tesler and Matt The Gypsy Typescript System
Once a source exists, it can be pasted or copied to the target by pressing
either a PASTE key on the keyset or SHIFT-CUT on the keyboard. The effect
is very much as if the operator had typed the material from the source.
It should be noted that a cut followed by a paste undoes the cut, and that a
cut followed by a new target selection followed by a paste effects a move.
Special keys on the keyboard are SHIFT, LOCK, BS, BW, CUT, RETURN, TAB,
and LOOK.
SHIFT and LOCK are as on any typewriter, except that LOCK locks only the
letters and SHIFT means un- when pressed in conjunction with other special
keys (e.g., SHIFT -CUT is un-CUT, i.e., paste).
BS backspaces the target, deleting the character to its left. At the beginning of
a line BS deletes the last character on the previous line, and at the beginning of
a paragraph it merges the paragraph with the preceding one. BW is similar but
it backspaces over a whole word.
CUT has been previously described. RETURN begins a new paragraph. Two
RETURNs are needed if a blank line is desired between paragraphs. TAB is
presently non-functional; it is reserved for future table facilities.
Views, Fonts, and Formats
LOOK is used like a shift key in conjunction with another key. It controls
special views, font changes, and paragraph formatting.
To make spaces, change markers, or remarks visible in a window, use LOOK-
SPACE, LOOK-\' and LOOK-=, respectively. The corresponding SHIFT-LOOK
combinations cease these views.
Font changing uses LOOK-B for "look bold", LOOK-I for "look italic", LOOK-U
for "look underlined", and LOOK-X for "look remark". SHIFT -LOOK-B means
"un-look bold", and so forth. For example, during typein, LOOK-B starts
boldface typein and SHIFT -LOOK-B stops it. If there is a blacked out target,
then it is balded by LOOK-B and unbolded by SHIFT -LOOK-B.
Paragraph formatting uses LOOK-C for "look centered", LOOK-J for "look
justified", LOOK-L and LOOK-R to pull in the margins, and SHIFT combinations to
reverse these effects.
LOOK-P ("look para9raph") turns all the text of the target into a single
paragraph. LOOK-N ("look normal") takes all special fonts and formats out of
the target.
Page Turning
The five keyset keys are labelled as follows:
PASTE down-arrow (blank) up-arrow CUT
The arrow keys on the keyset scroll text back and forth in that window which
contains the mouse symbol. Scrolling is a pleasant method of scanning a
document, but it is too slow for finding material many pages away. Therefore,
three additional methods of bringing material into the document window are
provided.
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Tesler and Mot t The Gypsy Typescript System
If a document has been paginated for printing, then the system remembers where
in the text the page breaks occurred, and the user can look at page 24 by
LOOK-24, that is, by holding down LOOK, pressing 2 and then 4, and letting up
LOOK.
The operator can always turn to the beginning of the document by pointing the
mouse symbol at the upper left corner of the display and pressing the top
mouse button. The end of the document can be reached by pointing at the
upper right corner instead. The top of the screen is in fact a scale useful for
turning to any part of the document.
Sometimes the operator wishes to scan the document for a passage containing a
key word or phrase. The menu in the command window contains a
Scan for {}
command for this purpose. The search key is typed into the {} and then Scan
is invoked by pointing and pressing a mouse button. The system scans the
document starting at the second line of the document window until it finds an
occurrence of the key. If none is found, then the message "Not found" is
displayed at the top of the command window. Otherwise, the text is scrolled to
bring the line with the desired content to the top of the document window.
Furthermore, if either the middle or bottom mouse button was used, the found
content is selected as the target or as the source.
Scan may be invoked again to scan for another occurrence of the same key.
To search for a different key, the text inside {} is edited before invoking Scan.
Advanced Features
Experienced operators learn to use the middle and bottom mouse buttons for
speed and additional capability. These buttons select a passage of text that is
at least one character long (at least a paragraph long if in the left margin), i.e.,
they can not position a caret. This means that a single character or paragraph
can be selected without drawing. Furthermore, if the button is clicked twice
within half a second, a whole word can be selected without drawing. The middle
button selects a target and the bottom button selects a source.
PASTE copies the source to the target. If the target is a caret, a copy of the
source is inserted there. If the target is blacked out, a copy of the source
replaces it (the target text is first deleted and tucked in the waste basket).
The waste basket after any CUT or PASTE always displays the last passage cut
or paste, selected as the new source. This permits multiple copies to be easily
made.
The special keyset combination CUT +PASTE effects a transpose. The text of
the source and the target are interchanged. If the target is a caret, this is
equivalent to a move.
Printing and Filing
When a document is being viewed but has not been edited, the menu contains:
Directory Printer Cassette Scan for {}
If Directory is invoked, the document in the document window is replaced by the
directory. If Printer is invoked, the menu displays the new set of choices:
6
Tesler and Matt The Gypsy Typescript System
Double spacing Headings Page numbers Repaginate Start
allowing various printing options to be invoked before an invocation of Start.
Printing begins with the text at the top of the document window. During
operation of the HyType, the menu line contains Stop, which allows the operator
to stop the printer in case of paper difficulties. After the HyType has stopped
and the paper has been adjusted, Start will restart printing at the top of the
page that was interrupted.
Once a document has been edited, the menu offers:
Cancel File Scan for {}
When File is invoked, the document with all its changes is filed back on the
disk replacing the working draft so it can be Fetched at a later time. If Cancel
is invoked, the user intends to abandon all the edits that have been made to the
document since the last Fetch or File. The effect is actually the same as
Oi rectory; a different key word is used only to remind the user of whether or
not the document has been edited.
Windows
In addition to the three standard windows, the user may create other document
windows and change their sizes. When the mouse is moved into an area at the
extreme right edge of the screen, its buttons will perform window commands.
The top button moves a window boundary. This is most useful for enlarging
the waste basket.
The middle button splits a window into two windows upon the same document.
The bottom of the two becomes the current window, marked at all times by a
small gray box in the left margin. Scan and other menu commands always deal
with the current window and with the document that is displays. On the other
hand, the scroll keys always scroll the window that contains the mouse symbol.
The bottom button divides a window, showing the original document in the
upper portion and the directory in the lower portion. The lower portion becomes
the current window. The user may then Fetch another document into this
window.
The middle and bottom buttons in combination delete a window.
Whenever a target is selected, the window pointed at to begin the selection
becomes the current window. It is possible to start a target in one window and
draw to a point in another window upon the same document. All the text in
between is included in the selection, even if it is not visible. It is similarly
possible to scroll while drawing in order to include text that was off the bottom
of the window when drawing began.
Training
When novices are trained, only the top button on the mouse is active, and the
window commands are disabled. This helps prevent confusion during initial
experiences with the system. Advanced users may use the full range of
facilities, including all those described above plus some others such as one to
Substitute every occurrence of one phrase by another phrase through a
selected range of the document.
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Tesler and Mot t The Gypsy Typescri pt System
There are no "modes" in Gypsy, so any key may be pressed at any time, and it
always has the same meaning. In certain cases, a key's function has no object
and it is ignored; for example, if CUT is struck and the target is a caret, nothing
happens. In other cases, an operation is dangerous or meaningless, and a
message is displayed on the top line explaining why nothing was done, and if
possible, suggesting what to do (such cases rarely occur). There are
operations which may take several seconds, such as a Scan or a File, and a
reassuring message is displayed on the top line while these are in progress.
Mouse buttons, although not mode-dependent, act differently depending on what
area of the screen the mouse is in. To let the operator know what area it is
in, the shape of the mouse symbol changes to a paragraph symbol along the left
edge, a gray box along the right edge, a bird along the top edge, and a gray
diamond over a command word.
Acknowledgments
Gypsy was a joint effort of many people at PARC, Ginn, and other Xerox
locations.
Principal designers of the command language were Larry Tesler, Tim Mott, and
Dan Swinehart. Designers of the more difficult kernel software were Charles
Simonyi and Butler Lampson. Valuable advice was provided by J Moore, Jeff
Rulifson, and Peter Deutsch on implementation, and by Peter Deutsch, Nilo
Lindgren, and Alan Kay on command language. The kernel software was
produced by CSL's Software Production Environment, with metaprogramming by
Charles Simonyi and programming by Tom Malloy and Mark Kahrs. The command
language, the directory, the menu, and much of the formatting software were
programmed by Tim Mott and Larry Tesler. Robert Sproull authored parts of this
memorandum.
General specifications for the system were provided by Harold Hall, Bill English,
and Dave Damouth. More specific requirements were evolved in discussions with
Darwin Newton and the editorial staff of Ginn. Particular credit is due John
Selman for refining the directory scheme originally conceived by Jeff Rulifson.
Discussions with J. R. Keddy and Jack Shemer of ADL were valuable in
formulating early designs. Trial use by several secretaries and user studies
conducted by Tom Moran, Beverly McHugh, and David Liddle contributed to late
refinements of the user interface.
8
Tesler and Mott The Gypsy Typescript System
Command, Summary
To select a caret target:
Point with the mouse, push the top button, release.
To select a blacked out target:
Point with the mouse, push the top or middle button, draw to the right,
release. '
To select a source:
Point with the mouse, push the bottom bl,Jtton, draw to the right, release.
To select words:
Double click the middle or bottom button before drawing.
To select paragraphs:
Draw downward in the left margin.
To insert new text:
Select a caret target, type the new material on the keyboard.
To delete text:
Select a blacked out target, press CUT.
To undo the delete:
Press PASTE.
To replace text by new typing:
Select a blacked out target, press CUT, type in the new material;
Or:
Select a blacked out target, overtype new material, press CUT (last step
may be omitted if nothing left blacked out).
To move text:
Select a blacked out target, press CUT, select a caret target, press
PASTE;
Or:
Select a source and a caret target in either order, press CUT +PASTE.
To copy text:
Select a source and a caret target in either order, press PASTE.
To transpose two passages:
Select a source and a blacked-out target in either order, press
CUT+PASTE.
To make a target and typein look bold, italic, underlined, or remark font:
Press LOOK-B, LOOK-I, LOOK-U, or LOOK-X. Their opposites are SHIFT-
LOOK-B, etc.
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Tesler and Matt The Gypsy Typescript System
To scan for a key:
Type the key in the place provided and invoke Scan by pointing at the
command word, pressing a mouse button, and releasing it.
To substitute one short passage for another:
Scroll the menu up, type the two passages in the places provided, select
a target as the range ( or invoke All to make the range be the whole
document) and then invoke Substitute.
To scroll a window:
Point the mouse within the window, hold down the appr~priate keyset key.
To move a window boundary:
Point the mouse along the right edge of the boundary, press the top
button, move up or down to the new position, and release.
To split a window on one document:
Point the mouse along the right edge of the window, press the middle
button, release.
To divide a window to see two documents:
Point the mouse along the right edge of the window, press the bottom
button, release. Then Turn to the desired directory page and Fetch the
second document into the lower window.
To delete a window:
Point the mouse along the right edge of the window, press the middle and
bottom buttons together, release.
Filing and printing:
Point at the appropriate menu or directory command word, press a mouse
button, release. For adding a new page or making a new version, first
type a description below the command, then a carriage return, before
invoking the command.
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