NB Commands |
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For an alphabetical list of Nota Bene commands, see Commands: alphabetical list.
A command is an instruction that you give to the program. There are two kinds of commands in Nota Bene: •An immediate command is one that is implemented immediately, with no record of the command retained in the file. The commands to save, print, cut, copy, paste, or find are all examples of immediate commands. •An embedded command is a command that will continue to have an effect in the document long after it is issued. A record of the command is retained or "embedded" in the document when it is issued. All formatting commands are embedded commands (e.g., commands that set the spacing, font size, indentation, tabs, etc.). The commands to insert footnotes or annotations are also embedded commands.
Like other Windows word processors, commands can be issued by using the drop-down menus at the top of the screen (see Menus). Commands can also be issued by using keyboard shortcuts or toolbar buttons (see Keyboard Shortcuts). Unlike other Windows word processors, Nota Bene commands can also be typed on an action line. Many Nota Bene commands can be issued in all four ways. For example, you can issue the command to save an already named file in any of the following ways: •On the menu at the top of the Nota Bene screen, click File, Save •On your keyboard, press Ctrl+S •On the toolbar just below the menu, press the Save button (move your cursor to the button with an image of a diskette on it and the words "Save Document" will appear indicating that this is the Save button) •Press F9 to move your cursor to the action line, type the command SA and then press F10 or Enter.
Action Line
The action line provides an efficient way of directing the program for users who prefer to use the keyboard and have taken the time to learn some of the Nota Bene commands. The commands used on the action line are usually two letters or short English words (e.g., SA to save a file or TODAY to insert today's date). As shown in the following examples, a two-letter command is often followed by a space and then further instructions. •The command TS 1,2,3 would set tabs at 1, 2, and 3 inches (assuming that your default unit of measurement is inches). •The command SZ 12PT would set the point size to 12 points.
Commands in Nota Bene are not case-sensitive and can be typed in either upper or lower case letters.
To use the action line, press F9 to access the action line (or use the mouse to click at the beginning of the action line). Then type in the command and press F10 or Enter to implement the command. To return to the text area from the action line without executing a command, click anywhere on the text area of the screen.
One limitation to using the action line is that long file names (longer than 8 letters, a period and an extension of up to 3 letters) cannot be used on the action line. To open files with long names or to issue other commands that use a long file name, you must use the menus.
Review Commands
You can scroll through a list of commands that have been entered on the action line by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Up or Ctrl+Shift+Down. This feature recognizes only commands that have been entered using F10. Commands implemented by pressing Enter immediately after typing the command on the action line will not be included.
Commands in Show Codes View
Commands in Nota Bene are visible and can be edited in Show Codes View. The commands shown in codes view are the same as those that can be typed on the action line, except that the space (if any) that must be used on the action line is omitted in codes view and units of measurement may be automatically added. Commands in codes view are surrounded by double-angled brackets. For example, the tab set command mentioned above would be shown in codes view like this: «TS1IN,2IN,3IN». Commands can be edited in codes view. For example, if you wanted to add an additional tab at 1.5 inches, you could just type it in so that the command in codes view looked like this: «TS1IN,1.5IN,2IN,3IN». If there are problems with the formatting of your document, they can usually be corrected by inspecting and editing the codes. For information about a specific code, place your cursor on the code and press Ctrl+F1. For more information, see Show Codes View and Editing in Show Codes View.
Depending on your preferences and experience with word processors, you may prefer to use the menus, the action line, keyboard shortcuts or toolbar buttons to direct the program. Most people use some combination of all four. Nota Bene Help provides instructions using each available method.
Even if you are most comfortable using the menus, you should be familiar with how Nota Bene commands work and how to do very basic editing in Show Codes View. This level of expertise can be obtained fairly quickly by reading all of the following pages:
A short introduction to the use of Nota Bene commands and Show Codes View is available in one of the sample files. Open this file by clicking Help, Sample Instructional Files and selecting Tips on Formatting.
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