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Converter from Chiwriter files version 2 or 3 to Adobe Reader pdf files.

This document is oriented for recovering old CHI files, not for full use of Chiwriter version 3 (that
is also possible, but not explained here).
Presently, Chiwriter's converter is in french, for a desk PC (not portable) with a french standard
keyboard AZERTY (named 101 keys). Help, menus and explanations are also in french. Wholly
tested on Windows 9x and XP.
If you wish only recover CHI files without any modifications of them, you can use any
computer or keyboard (on Windows 9x or XP). To read them or print them.
The french version will suit for that, because only a few keys are used for this minimum use.
Some modifications are possible for full english language, US or Italian standard keyboards
QWERTY, in order to modify your CHI files, or for using Chiwriter as main math editor.

INSTALLATION
- Go to my web page :
http://jphdupre.chez-alice.fr/chiwriter/ftp.html
and download the file
CW3_PS_Install.zip 3 MO Chiwriter version 3.15 française pour conversion PDF
- Open a temporary folder (on your desktop, for example). Any name, but It must be empty.
- Unzip CW3_PS_Install.zip in that folder and click on Installation.bat
- Installation is automatic in
C:\CW3-PS
folder and sub-folders (no possible change).
- Answer "Yes" to install the Chiwriter's menu on your desktop.
(You can recover the menu in the folder C:\CW3-PS\Menu Chiwriter)

USE OF CHIWRITER'S CONVERTER


The converter from Chiwriter to Adobe PDF is based on 3 systems :
- a genuine installation of Chiwriter version 3, but configured for Post-Script printers (you do not
need one),
- outputs from Chiwriter to files .BIN (Post-Script format) instead of the printer (not existing),
- an Open Source program (GNU free licence) to convert files .BIN to files .PDF

Folders to use
1) Files .CHI to be read or converted must be in the folder
C:\CW3-PS\Doc
(you can save elsewhere or erase existing files at installation, for explanations -in french- and
tests use).
2) For safe, intermediate files .BIN (Post-Script format) are put in the folder
C:\CW3-PS\Bin
(existing files are overwritten without any message).
3) Converted files .PDF are automatically put in the folder
C:\CW3-PS\Pdf
(existing files are overwritten without any message).

Launching options
You have 3 main options :
- lauch Chiwriter alone (without the converter) : to read, copy and paste, or modify CHI files,
- launch the converter alone : if converts automatically files .bin existing in the BIN folder,
- lauch simultaneously Chiwriter and the converter : files .bin are converted when you quit
Chiwriter
- I suggest you use only this third one.

The launching menu


The menu is automatically put on your desktop if you have answered "Yes" at installation.
Otherwise , you can recover it in the folder :
CW3-PS\Menu ChiWriter
Any shortcut may be copied anywhere you want, renamed as you wish, and after, the menu
created on your desktop in installation may be erased.
I suggest that you use the simultaneous launch of Chiwriter and converter using the shortcut
"Chiwriter vers PDF auto" and renaming it "Chiwriter PDF"
Just test once other options of menus, and do not modify default options.

Reading CHI files without conversion


Just double click on the shortcut "Chiwriter PPDF".
When CHiwriter is open, you choose to launch a CHI file with
ALT + L (like Load) --> Nouveau document --> Enter --> choose your document (by arrows) -->
Enter
You can read the CHI file without any conversion to PDF.
Page up and down are used for scrolling pages.
Because Chiwriter is in MS-DOS, the Chiwriter's window is full screen. So Use Alt +Tab to scroll
for the desktop or other opened programs.
Load a new CHI file to be read :
Alt + L (like Lire = read) --> abandon du document en cours ? (giving up modification) --> Oui
--> choose a new CHI document
Or quit Chiwriter :
Alt + F (like Fin) (and giving up modification if necessary).

Copying CHI files to TXT files


This not a conversion to PDF, but to text file .TXT
For that choose
Alt + S (like Save) --> Document --> Alt = N ( change Nom like Name) --> export ASCII --> Alt +
S (Save)
Be carefull to change the name otherwise you will overwrite your .CHI source.
You will find your ASCII file with the new name and extension .CHI (this is wrong) in the folder
C:\CW3-PS\Doc
Change extension .CHI to .TXT
You can now open your TXT file with Notepad, Wordpad or MS Word (if you have it) in order to
copy and paste the text to your math editor.
You recover the text, but you have lost :
- appearance of the text (bold, underlined, italic, and so on),
- formulas that must be rebuilt in your math editor.
Load a new CHI file to be read or converted to TXT file or quit Chiwriter (see .
Note that copy and paste from the Chiwriter's windows is not possible because Chiwriter version
3 is using old MS-DOS without mouse (version 4 use the mouse, but conversion from version 3 to
version 4 is too complicated and slightly bugged).

Conversion to PDF format


When Chiwriter is opened and a CHI file loaded, print towards a .BIN file :
Alt + I (like Imprime) --> vers Disque (towards disk) --> choose a name (the same is better)
without extension .BIN (it will be added automatically) --> Imprime (a second time)
Be carefull not to forget Imprime a second time, otherwise the .BIN file will not be created.
The intermediate file .BIN will be created in the folder
C:\CW3-PS\Doc
You can prepare simultaneously several CHI files for conversion.
The conversion will occurs automatically when you quit Chiwriter (Alt + F like Fin) if you have
choosen the shortcut "Chiwriter vers PDF auto" when launching Chiwriter. Otherwise you must
use the shortcut "Conversion BIN vers PDF" to convert .BIN files separately.
All files .BIN in the Doc folder will be :
- copied for safe in the Bin folder
- erased from the Doc folder
- converted in the Pdf folder
C:\CW3-PS\Pdf
PDF files may be read by Adobe Acrobat Reader (or similar) and printed.

Copy and paste from PDF files


In Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can copy pages in the clipboard and paste them into your math
editor.
You will recover the text but like in the paragraph "Copying CHI files to TXT files", you will loose
appearance of the text and formulas.
So you spare paper sheets by avoiding printing, and have only to rebuilt formulas (and
appearance of the text), reading them from the Chiwriter's screen or PDF screen.

Eventual problem with conversion in PDF format


1) missing lines at top of first page
Add 2 lines at the top f the 1rst page :
--> move the cursor to the top of the page --> type twice Enter
2) truncated lines
The converter (only studied for me in proportional printing) accept lines of :
- 50 characters in Pica 10 (fixed width 10 characters per inch)
- 63 characters in Elite 12 (fixed width 12 characters per inch)
- 78 characters (the maximum in Chiwriter) in Proportional printing with Courrier quality.
If you obtain truncated lines in PDF conversion, the best way is to change the type of font for
Proportionnel :
Alt + I (Imprime) --> C (Corps) --> P (Proportionnel) --> Enter
and qualité Courrier :
Alt + I (Imprime) --> Q (Qualité) --> C (qualité Courrier) --> Enter
By default Chiwriter is configured in proportional with draft quality, so you have to change
the quality in each CHI document.
To avoid this, the best way is to change default configuration for qualité Courrier. For that
- open Chiwriter without loading any document
- verify the font proportional
Alt + I (Imprime) --> C (Corps) --> P (Proportionnel) --> Enter --> Escape
- change the font's quality
Alt + I (Imprime) --> Q (Qualité) --> C (qualité Courier) --> Enter --> Escape
- Save the configuration for all CHI files :
Alt + C (Configuration) -- > E (Etat) --> S (Sauvegarder) --> you see the param file PSCRIPT.PAR
--> Enter
Now you may quit Chiwriter or load any CHI file for conversion without truncated lines.
3) Wrong formulas
Because you use proportional font, rows for formulas must be on the same line. Otherwise
you get formulas with some bad shifts in them. You do not see that on the Chiwriter's screen or
with fixed width fonts.
The only way to repare that in proportional font is to modify the CHI file and put the upper or lower
rows for formulas entirely on the same line.

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