WordStar for DOS Configuration Files

Introduction

This feature lets you save multiple copies of your WordStar "user area" in .CFG files, and specify a particular .CFG file when starting WordStar. Each .CFG files is only about 8Kb in size, so you can create many of them to suit how you work, or each project you're working on. You can then start WordStar using the appropriate configuration.

You can check if you currently have any .CFG files by typing DIR *.CFG at the DOS prompt from within your WordStar directory.

  

FAQ Topic WordStar Configuration Files
  No File Menu WordStar Configuration Files
  Help Menus Activating WordStar Configuration Files &
Creating the Default Configuration
  Cursor Movement Creating Additional Configuration Files
    Scrolling Specify a new name on starting WSCHANGE
    Scrolling Specify a new name on exiting WSCHANGE
  Formatting Running WordStar With Different Configuration Files
  File/Block Operation Turning Off Configuration Files
  Search & Replace How to Recover if the Configuration Files are Deleted

 

WordStar Configuration Files

The WordStar user patching (configuration) area contains a variable named MPMFLG. This is a setting for multi-user or networked systems. If you have multiple users, they may want their own configurations - screen colours, default directories, etc. This is what the configuration files are for.

MPMFLG has a default value of 30hex or 0011 0000b. To use configuration files you need to set bit 6 from 0 to 1, changing the value of MPMFLG to 70hex or 0111 0000b. Note: bit 0 is on the right, bit and bit 7 is on the left!

These settings are listed in a file installed with Wordstar called PATCH.LST. If the PATCH.LST file isn't in the WordStar directory and you have WordStar 7, you can run the PATCHLST.EXE program to create it.

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Activating WordStar Configuration Files & Creating the Default Configuration

Follow the steps below to activate WordStar configuration files, and to save a defailt configuration that matches your current WordStar settings:

  1. Run WSCHANGE
  2. Type WS.EXE to select your WordStar program (change this name if you've renamed Wordstar)
  3. Type WS.EXE again to write the changes back into the same file.
  4. In WSCHANGE select option E (patching)
  5. In the Patching Maenu, type an equal sign"=" to enter the user patching area - you will be asked for the name of a variable.
  6. Type: MPMFLG, then press Enter. You will see a list of hexadecimal numbers, that by default will look like the line below:

    023C 30 02 01 00 00 00 FE 00 02 00 47 02 11 05 02 00 0.........G.....

    The first number, 023C, is the "address" in the file for MPMFLG, and may change between WordStar versions. The next 16 numbers are the settings. The 0 on its own is the ASCII representation of the first setting number - 30, and the G, is that of the 11th, 47. The dots represent numbers that don't have an ASCII character equivalent.
  7. The first byte of MPMFLG normally contains 30, as shown above. This needs to be changed to 70, so type 70 to specify that configuration files are to be used. The screen should now look like that shown below:

    023C 30 02 01 00 00 00 FE 00 02 00 47 02 11 05 02 00 0.........G.....
             70
  8. Type a dot "." to accept the change. The line of vaules should update to show the first value as 70 instead of 30, as shown below:

    023C 70 02 01 00 00 00 FE 00 02 00 47 02 11 05 02 00 p.........G.....

    The 0 at the end of the line will now be a letter p, the ASCII character with the value of 70hex.
  9. Type X to return to the Patch menu; then X again to go back to the main WSCHANGE menu; then X again to Finish with the Installation.
  10. Type Y when prompted "Are you through making changes?"

    You will be given a new screen that only appears if you have configuration files activated: To create the default configuration you must give the file the name WS as this is the name that is always used if you don't specify a perticular configuration file. It contains the "default", current, settings.
  11. Type WS, then Enter, to create your default configuration file.

If you now run WordStar, it will appear to load and run just as always. it will be transparent to you that WS.CFG is being loaded as your user area.

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Creating Additional Configuration Files

There are two ways to create additional configuration files once the configuration file option has been turned on as explained above:

Specify a new name on starting WSCHANGE

  1. Run WSCHANGE
  2. Type WS.EXE to select your WordStar program (change this name if you've renamed Wordstar)
  3. Type a different name in the second option "name the installed version of WordStar", the name you type here will become the name of the new configuration file.

    If you leave the value empty, and just press the enter key, you will be prompted to select an existing configuration file. You cannot provide a new name at this point. Press Esc and try again or select the existing configuration that's closest to your new requirements and continue using the steps from "Specify a new name on exiting WSCHANGE", below.
  4. Make your configuration changes, and then exit from WSCHANGE to save these changes into the file you named in step 3, above.

Specify a new name on exiting WSCHANGE

  1. Run WSCHANGE
  2. Type WS.EXE to select your WordStar program (change this name if you've renamed Wordstar)
  3. Type the WS, in the second option "name the installed version of WordStar", to load your default configuration into WSCHANGE. Any changes you make will be based on this configuration. If you want to modify any other existing configuration, type that name instead.
  4. Make your configuration changes, and then exit from WSCHANGE
  5. You will be prompted to "Choose a file to contain new settings". Type WS to update your default configuration file; the name of any other configuration file to update that; or a new name to create a new configuration without changing any of the existing ones.

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Running WordStar With Different Configuration Files

To run WordStar with the default configuration just type WS, as usual, or to explicitly specify the default configuration, use: WS /=WS.CFG

To run WordStar using a different configuration file type: WS /=MYCONF.CFG where MYCONF.CFG equals the configuration file name.

TIP: You can give the editing screen a different color scheme in each configuration to remind you which configuration you're currently using.

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Turning Off Configuration Files

If you decide you no longer want configuration files, you can deactivate them by following the activation steps above, but setting MPMFLG from 70, back to 30.

If you are sure you won't want to use these files again, you can delete all of the CFG files in your WordStar directory by typing DEL *.CFG.

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How to Recover if the Configuration Files are Deleted

Should the default configuration file WS.CFG ever be deleted while you have the use of configuration files turned on, you will get an error message on starting wordStar:

"Can't find C:WS.CFG".

You can quickly recover a default configuration file as follows:

  1. Run WSCHANGE
  2. Type WS.EXE to select your WordStar program (change this name if you've renamed Wordstar)
  3. Type the WS, in the second option "name the installed version of WordStar"
  4. Type X, then Y to exit WSCHANGE. A new WS.CFG will have been saved using default settings from your last update to WS.EXE before you activated configuration files

If you don't want to use configuration files, turn the option off as detailed above. You can then delete the WS.CFG file again.

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