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Default 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.

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TF
 
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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.
:


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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.

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Charles Kenyon
 
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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.



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I hate computer generated replies!

Seriously, can anyone answer my question?



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Daiya Mitchell
 
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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/

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Charles Kenyon
 
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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?



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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.

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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).

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Charles Kenyon
 
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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.





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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.

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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.)

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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.

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