Why use a Terminal Word Processor?

Why use a Word Processor in your terminal when you can just use a Text Editor?

This video tries to answer that question.

If you're interested in retro UNIX software, you can try out WordPerfect for UNIX here!

[mitchelvalentino]

I prefer to work in the terminal as much as possible, including word processing. This isn’t so easy on Linux, where the only viable options in the terminal are either Wordgrinder or forcing a text editor to behave like a word processor, both of which have limitations. Most of the time I don’t mind, yet I grew up with DOS word processors and still enjoy the DOS way of writing. So this video _really_ caught my attention, and I can’t wait to to have a go at it. Cheers!

[KeyFilmation]

This program fills a critical gap in the current state of play regarding terminal or text-based word processors. That gap is footnotes. Now, finally, academics and legal professionals (and many other fields) can use a terminal on a modern system to write articles. Thank you for porting this!

[che]

Oh My Goodness! I was so happy to watch this video! Thank you of posting it. I was born when DOS was born. 🙂 I miss using DOS. I am seeking equipment to begin my love affair with DOS again. Thanks Travis!

[leejacksondev]

Thanks for this. I’m going to have a go. Used to use something similar years ago.

[captainkeyboard]

I have a microcomputer that I use as my standalone "keyboard, " meaning powerful typewriter. Today, I use Microsoft Word 2021, and am still discovering more techniques to make working with a variety of documents easy like never before. It beats the ordinary typewriter easily. Having and using a Canon color laser printer finally gets the job done.

[jinchoung]

generally wp are for generating text where the final output is a physical printed page. if you want to control where margins and page breaks happen, you defo want to use a wp. it's simply the most direct way of doing it.

it would be awesome if there would be way to see pictures in terminal. Kind of Terminal-2 concept!

[wisteela]

I've so got to get WordPerfect and 1-2-3 running on my old Wyse WY-60 terminal.

[xTHETRINCHOx]

Pc setup... But hp 95lx + 123 & WP its portable couple!

[DZCL-photo]

I feel like word processors are bashed so much mainly because of the ones that came with windows. For example I have the Windows 3.1 version of Word Perfect. You can already see it going downhill from there even though it is no comparison to word. The DOS versions were much more streamlined and distraction free. I guess developers had to adapt word processors to GUIs too quickly and their development never recovered from it.

[kippie]

I’d rather use LaTeX and did for University over a 2400 baud modem from a terminal.

[sebastiansanhueza]

Apologies for the dumb question, but is there a way of running a word processor like this on a Windows terminal? I mean, without VMs or any Linux extension. Sorry again - I know I'm out of my depth here.

[mundo]

There is a emacs key binding for all of this...

[purpleidea]

In the video you say "ragged right" but the text says "ragged left". HTH Cheers!