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#1
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Is there a Fast Search in Word?
Does Word have an analog to the "Fast Search" feature in WordPerfect?
(In WordPerfect, the Fast Search tab appears when you hit "open file".) In Word Help it refers to something called "Find Fast" which it says is in the Control Panel, but it isn't. I've got Word 2000. Thanks in advance for any replies. |
#2
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Well the FindFast has probably not been installed because it is a load of
XXXX. Instead, download the free Google Desktop Search engine and use that: way faster than anything 'windows'. -- Terry Farrell - Word MVP http://word.mvps.org/ wrote in message oups.com... : Does Word have an analog to the "Fast Search" feature in WordPerfect? : (In WordPerfect, the Fast Search tab appears when you hit "open file".) : In Word Help it refers to something called "Find Fast" which it says : is in the Control Panel, but it isn't. : : I've got Word 2000. : : Thanks in advance for any replies. : |
#3
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Google Desktop searches several kinds of file formats but (oddly)
doesn't search WordPerfect files. This makes it useless to us because we've just made the (reluctant) switch from Wordperfect to Word and all our old documents are in Wordperfect. |
#4
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As you convert the files to Word or store them as text files, they will be
indexed by Google. However, see below on actually using converted WP documents in Word. Here is some general info on moving from Word Perfect to Word: Word and Word Perfect work very differently from one another. Each program's methods have strengths and weaknesses; but, if you try to use one of these programs as if it were the other, it is like pushing on a string! You can easily make a lot of extra work for yourself. If you are unwilling to take the time to learn to use Word's methods, you should stick to using Word Pad. You'll have a lot less grief, although you'll miss out on a lot of raw power. See http://www.addbalance.com/word/wordperfect.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...ordPerfect.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...AndGotchas.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...Converters.htm http://businesssoft.about.com/comput.../blconvert.htm for information on Word for Word Perfect users. For mo http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...platePart2.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...platePart1.htm http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Number...gExplained.htm http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...latesStore.htm Function Keys In Word 2000 (or later) You can get the function keys to display in a special toolbar at the bottom of the screen if you want (something like pressing F3 twice in WP). The following macro will do this. Sub ShowMeFunctionKeys() Commandbars("Function Key Display").Visible = True End Sub Word's Extend key (F8) gives something similar to block processing. Formatting and Styles Learn about Styles - really learn! http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm I resisted for years and now regret every day of those years because although that string was still very hard to push, it kept getting longer and longer, and had some very important projects tied to it! Once you understand styles and the Word concept of organizing things into Chinese boxes everything falls into place and instead of pushing a string, you can push a button that turns on the very powerful text processing machine known as Microsoft Word and it will start doing your work for you instead of running around behind you trying to undo what you just thought you did. Converting documents Word / Word Perfect Some special characters in Word Perfect documents don't convert well to Word. There is a macro to assist with this described at http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/...html#macroword and can be found at http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/WPSymbolConv.bas. This was prepared by Edward Mendelson. Otherwise, look at the macro from http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=212396 Use these on _copies_! As for converting documents from Word Perfect to _use_ in Word... In a word, don't plan on it. I would not recommend using converted documents long-term. They will be filled with formatting anomolies that will get you at the worst time. This is especially true of any documents containing automatic numbering or bullets. Try recreating form documents in Word using the following process: In Word Perfect (if you still have it, in Word if not) save your files as text files. Use your converted files as references to show you how you want your formatting to look. Create a new document in Word and insert the text from the text file. Save this new document as a Word template. Format it the way you want using styles, not direct formatting. Save it again. To use a template within Word, use File = New and pick your template. This will create a new document for you. Merge documents have special problems and should be recreated from text files or retyped in Word. To convert data files, consider generating labels in WP as a document, converting that to Word, and then using http://www.gmayor.com/convert_labels...mail_merge.htm to get a new Word data file. Note that conversions usually do create documents that look passable and print OK; the problems I'm referring to have to do with editing / making changes, that is, using the documents long-term. (See below on reusing documents vs. using templates.) Conversion back to Word Perfect: There is a problem (in addition to the ones mentioned for conversion _to_ Word) with Version 2002 (XP) and later of Word. The conversion file only works for conversion _to_ Word, not from Word to Word Perfect! Earlier versions went both ways. To fix this, you need to find the old conversion file WPFT532.CNV from a Word 97 or Word 2000 installation and copy it to your new installation, replacing the file of the same name. Note, the change making the file one-way was done as a security measure. While I don't know of any problems the old file causes, keep the new installation's file somewhere as a backup just in case. Boilerplate and Forms In WP a lot of people use macros to hold chunks of text - boilerplate. In Word this function is filled by Templates, AutoText and AutoCorrect, not macros. Follow the links at http://addbalance.com/word/wordwebre...s.htm#AutoText for more information on these tools. You can use FILLIN and ASK fields or UserForms to query the user. For some form documents, Word's "online forms" work very well. For more about online forms, follow the links at http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...nTheBlanks.htm especially Dian Chapman's series of articles. Reusing Documents vs. Using templates General practice in WP is to have a document and copy and edit it to create a new document. This is not good practice in Word. In Word, construct a good, tight, template for your documents and use that template when constructing new documents. Among other things, this can avoid embarrassing "metadata" (http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/metadata.htm) and things like surprise headers and footers from creeping into new documents. It's a lot of reading, I know. It's OK to chunk it down and do a bit each day, but I would recommend that you make it a top priority to do that bit each day. In the (short) long run, it will save you both time and grief. -- Charles Kenyon Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome! --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn from my ignorance and your wisdom. wrote in message oups.com... Google Desktop searches several kinds of file formats but (oddly) doesn't search WordPerfect files. This makes it useless to us because we've just made the (reluctant) switch from Wordperfect to Word and all our old documents are in Wordperfect. |
#6
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I'm confused--WordPerfect has a fast search. You want to know if Word does.
Yet it appears that you need to search WordPerfect files, so why do you care if Word has the feature? You can use the google desktop for Word files. I don't think Word is going to search your WordPerfect files. On 2/9/05 12:49 PM, " wrote: Google Desktop searches several kinds of file formats but (oddly) doesn't search WordPerfect files. This makes it useless to us because we've just made the (reluctant) switch from Wordperfect to Word and all our old documents are in Wordperfect. -- Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/ MacWord Tips: http://www.word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/ What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ |
#7
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That was not a computer generated reply although it is stored on computer.
It answered your question and gave additional information I thought you might be able to use. I still suspect that you could use it if you were truly interested in working better with Word. I somehow doubt that you will use it. Word's search tool is inferior to Google's and why on earth do you expect it to search Word Perfect files? -- Charles Kenyon Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome! --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn from my ignorance and your wisdom. wrote in message oups.com... I hate computer generated replies! Seriously, can anyone answer my question? |
#8
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Daiya,
We can't use WordPerfect any more to search our (thousands of) WordPerfect files because, with our new network software, WordPerfect keeps crashing (for reasons no one can figure out). That's why we had to switch to Word. The reason I thought Word might be able to search WordPerfect files was because WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS searched ALL kinds of files -- text, Word, WordStar, Multi-Mate, you name it. I know this because I just tried it on the 5.1 program I still keep on my computer. Following the on-screen prompts, you hit F5, enter the directory name, then press 9, then enter the word or phrase you wanted searched, then press 6 to preview each hit. (The fact that you expressed surprise shows how much our expectations have been lowered. We just don't expect programs to do what was a matter of course in 1988.) This feature was great in the old pre-network days when I kept all my files in the same directory. Unfortunately 5.1 does not search within subfolders, so we can't use it for searching the network drive. As for whether WordPerfect 10 (the version we were using) could search for other file types, I don't know (because it keeps crashing). As noted, Google Desktop doesn't search WordPerfect files. So you see the quandary we're in. Any help would be appreciated. |
#9
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P.S. I finally could get into QuickFinder from the WordPerfect program
we were using. It DOES search for other file types, but can't preview them (like WP 5.1 could). |
#10
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My recommendation would be to work with the people who provided your
networking to get WP to work and / or take the time to convert your old WP files that you want to search to text files. You can do this using Word's auto conversion, probably. Do it after you have the Google tool enabled. Also, write to Google and ask them to include WP files. My guess is that they will, probably sooner rather than later. -- Charles Kenyon Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome! --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn from my ignorance and your wisdom. wrote in message oups.com... Daiya, We can't use WordPerfect any more to search our (thousands of) WordPerfect files because, with our new network software, WordPerfect keeps crashing (for reasons no one can figure out). That's why we had to switch to Word. The reason I thought Word might be able to search WordPerfect files was because WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS searched ALL kinds of files -- text, Word, WordStar, Multi-Mate, you name it. I know this because I just tried it on the 5.1 program I still keep on my computer. Following the on-screen prompts, you hit F5, enter the directory name, then press 9, then enter the word or phrase you wanted searched, then press 6 to preview each hit. (The fact that you expressed surprise shows how much our expectations have been lowered. We just don't expect programs to do what was a matter of course in 1988.) This feature was great in the old pre-network days when I kept all my files in the same directory. Unfortunately 5.1 does not search within subfolders, so we can't use it for searching the network drive. As for whether WordPerfect 10 (the version we were using) could search for other file types, I don't know (because it keeps crashing). As noted, Google Desktop doesn't search WordPerfect files. So you see the quandary we're in. Any help would be appreciated. |
#11
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Charles,
I'm not sure if our network person has an anti-Wordperfect bias but he says it seems to be a problem with Wordperfect itself. Your suggestion as to auto conversion is a possibility, if what you mean is something that converts many files at once. We have thousands of old files and of course one cannot predict which ones would be useful in the future; ALL of them will have to be searchable. But how do you run auto conversion? Word's Help files don't seem to refer to tit. |
#12
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Monstrous typo!
I meant to say Word's Help files don't seem to refer to IT. (They don't refer to "tit", either.) |
#14
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Thanks, but there's no "Other Documents" tab. The left side of the
File Open box has "History", "My Documents", "Desktop", "Favorites" and "My Network Places". Nor is in the buttons along the top. |
#15
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wrote:
Thanks, but there's no "Other Documents" tab. The left side of the File Open box has "History", "My Documents", "Desktop", "Favorites" and "My Network Places". Nor is in the buttons along the top. Gack, wrong dialog. Try File New instead. Sorry 'bout that! -- Regards, Jay Freedman Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org |
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