'Cleaning Up' After an Upgrade
After installing a major ClarisWorks upgrade, such as ClarisWorks 4.0, you may notice that you still have another ClarisWorks folder on your hard drive. The ClarisWorks 4.0 installer places an entirely new version of the program onto your hard drive, so the other ClarisWorks folder which contains ClarisWorks 2.1 or ClarisWorks 3.0 is no longer necessary.
* Very important: On most Macs, when you save a ClarisWorks document, it is automatically saved into the same folder as the ClarisWorks application (unless you specified otherwise). This means that your old ClarisWorks folder(s) may have files that you created that will be irretrievably lost should you throw them in the Trash before making sure that they do not contain personal files. Before emptying the Trash, make sure you do not have personal files in the Trash.
If you use the Launcher (included with System 7.5 and most Performas), ClarisWorks 4.0 will automatically create a Launcher icon for ClarisWorks 4.0 for you. However, it will not remove Launcher icons for older versions of ClarisWorks automatically. To do so, open your System Folder. In the System Folder, open the Launcher Items folder. Then, throw out any icons that point to older versions of ClarisWorks. (Hint: They may be in folders within the Launcher Items folder.
Converting Old Files
Once you have your new version of ClarisWorks loaded on your computer, you can update or convert all your old files immediately by opening them with your new version of ClarisWorks. However, you may just as easily choose not to open all of your files at once, but open your files one at a time as you need them. The conversion of each of your old files occurs when it is opened in the new version of ClarisWorks. By default, ClarisWorks 4.0 will open your old ClarisWorks files when you double-click on them. However, it will not automatically replace the old file with a new file using the new ClarisWorks 4.0 format, but instead keep the old file and save a new file with a name that ends in a [v4.0] suffix (see Figure 1).
If you like, you may change the Preferences in ClarisWorks 4.0 so that you will not be alerted that you are opening an old file, and so that any old file you open will be replaced by a file in the new format. This saves time Ñ no annoying dialog boxes! Ñ and saves space on your Mac, as you won't have two copies of every file you use -- which can certainly be confusing.
To change this, launch ClarisWorks 4.0, and either open a new document or open an existing document. Then, go to the Edit menu and select Preferences. See that the General icon in the list on the left-hand side of the window is selected. If it isn't, select it by clicking once on it. (Hint: You may have to scroll up on the left-hand window to see it) Then, uncheck the following two options on the right-hand side of the window: Old Version Alert and [v4.0] Suffix. Then, click Make Default. Finally, close the Preferences window. From now on, whenever you open an old ClarisWorks document, it will seamlessly convert itself to the new ClarisWorks 4.0 format without bringing up any dialog boxes. This makesopening old files in ClarisWorks 4.0 faster and easier.
Tip: Convert all your files all at once to save time!
For a mass conversion of all your files, you can 'drop launch' the files onto the ClarisWorks icon. To do this, group select or ÒmarqueeÓ (draw a selection rectangle around the appropriate files so that they are simultaneously highlighted, or 'darkened'; see Figure 2). Drag the selected group of document icons onto the application icon for ClarisWorks. You will then see the selected documents you translate in rapid succession. You can then either save the converted documents under new names, in which youÕll have two copies of the document (one old and one converted copy). To have just a single copy of the file, name it the same as the old copy to replace the old copy.
Increase Memory for better performance
Sometimes, you may need to increase the memory (RAM) allocated to ClarisWorks. However, before increasing the memory allocation to ClarisWorks, you'll want to see how much RAM your computer has installed. To do that, select About this Macintosh... from the Apple menu when you are in the Finder. The Window looks like this (see Figure 3):
In Figure 3, the total memory in this Macintosh is 16, 384 K (or 16 megabytes). Of that, 3,989 K are used by the System, leaving roughly 12,000 K that can be used to run applications, such as ClarisWorks. You will want to make sure that the Largest Unused Block number (here 12,332 K) is large enough to accommodate a greater memory allocation (usually 2,000 K) for ClarisWorks.
Once you have made sure that you have the 'memory to spare,' follow these steps to allocate more memory to ClarisWorks:
1. Quit ClarisWorks, if it is currently running.
2. Open the ClarisWorks Folder.
3. Click once on the ClarisWorks Application Icon, just so it is highlighted.
4. Go to the File Menu and choose Get Info. (See Figure 4.)
5. Change the Preferred Size to 2000 K.
6. Close the Get Info box.
7. Restart ClarisWorks.
Automate settings in Each Environment
Do you find yourself changing the font, tabs, page setup and point size each time you create a new document? If you do this regularly, you may want to set up some defaults for each type of document you can create in ClarisWorks. For example, you can 'preset' ClarisWorks to always use your preferred font in all the Word processing documents you create. To do this:
1. Open a new word processing document.
2. Set all the defaults you might want changed (font, font size, page setup, tabs, etc.).
3. Choose Save As under the File Menu.
4. Save the document as ClarisWorks Stationery with the name 'ClarisWorks WP Options.'
Make sure the file is saved to the Claris Folder inside the System folder.
All new WP documents will come up with the defaults you set in your ClarisWorks stationery document. Check your online help in ClarisWorks, under the keyword 'stationery' for more uses of stationery documents for automating your work flow.
Use the Draw environment for Complex Documents
Many times with complex documents like newsletters, posters, and party invitations, the first impulse is to create the document in the Word Processing environment as it will contain a good deal of text. However, it is often much easier to do this type of 'page layout' work in the Draw environment. In the Draw environment, you can more freely place and resize text blocks, use all the draw tools, work with other types of frames, and link text boxes using the Frame Links command.
Keep work in a safe place
Your ClarisWorks files are often important to your business, your home finances, or your personal correspondence. You can probably think of many more good reasons to make sure you have a safe copy of your files. Floppy disks are not as reliable as your hard drive, so if your primary copy is on a disk, make frequent copies to your hard drive. If your hard drive currently contains the only copy of many important files, you may want to back them on to floppy disks, lock the disks, and put them away in case of an emergency.
Reverting to saved and Undo
When you edit one of your files, and moments later find that your change seems like a terrible mistake, remember that you can almost always undo your mistake. First try going to the Edit menu and choosing that first option, Undo. This can save you some from experiencing a late night disaster. However, be aware that the Undo command works on a very immediate level. You can, foe example, undo or redo typing, and depending on when you did your last save (whether it was minutes ago or hours ago), undoing your typing could mean undoing paragraphs (if you haven't saved in hours) or undoing words or sentences (if you haven't saved in minutes). The 'industrial strength' Undo command is the Revert command, which allows you to 'go back' to the previously saved version of your document. When you use this command, be aware that the good and bad work is lost, almost as if you had never even done anything after your last save.
See it as it really is
In spreadsheet, paint, draw, and database, the view you get on screen is not always the way the file winds up printing. Under the View menu, try turning on Page View. The page breaks and document margins will then show you a more accurate view of what the final printed version may look like. This is especially important for spreadsheets, as any row or column that will not fit completely on the page gets pushed to the next page.
Word processing
Use Tabs Over Spaces
For professional looking documents, avoid using spaces to set indentations in blocks of text or at the start of new paragraphs and separate text sections. Use the tab key or set a new tab on the ruler (Select Tab... from the Format menu; a tab on your ruler is represented by a triangle icon). The tab character is the dark arrowhead that points to the right. To see it, go to Preferences under the Edit menu and select Show Invisibles. (See Figure 5.) With tabs in your document, the printed result is smoother and more legible.
Text that floats
A little-used feature of ClarisWorks is the independent text frame. This text frame can have its own margins, style, and even its own columns. You use an independent text frame for creating reversed text (white text on a black background), for example To create a new independent text frame in a Word Processing document:
1. Hold down the Option key as you draw a text frame.
2. Enter your text in the text frame.
The text in the text frame in completely independent of the text in the main Word processing document of which it is part. You can still spell check and apply styles, but to select and edit the text in the independent text frame, you need to click in that frame.
Database
Easy Database Graphing
When you have database information that calls for a graph. Try this:
1. Do a find for the records you wish to see graphed.
2. Choose List View from the Layout menu (ClarisWorks 4.0 owners: Choose Show Multiple from the Layout menu).
3. Choose Select All from the Edit menu.
4. Then choose Copy from the Edit menu.
5. Choose New from the File menu and select spreadsheet.
6. Choose Paste from the Edit menu.
Then with little or no manipulation you can create a graph as you would with any other spreadsheet.
Drawing
Perfectly Spaced Drawings
Many times in Draw mode you may need to duplicate a single object repeatedly. And you would like to have them equidistant. By duplicating the first object, repositioning the duplicate, then choosing Duplicate from the Edit menu once again, all consecutive duplicates will be uniformly spaced just like the first one.
Placing Objects Precisely
When working in the Draw environment, you may find that the objects you have drawn 'snap' to only certain areas on the document. You can never get them exactly where you want them. To get around this, go to the Options menu and choose Turn Autogrid Off. Now you should be able to accurately place objects anywhere on the document. For small movements or 'nudging' an object, use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the object. This will move the selected object one pixel at a time. Be sure to use your Alignment tools in the Draw environment (select Align Objects... from the Arrange menu; see Figure 6) to align objects you have selected.