XyWrite (was Re: not-even-newbie printer question)

[SL Baur <steve@example.com>]

Peter Evans <peter@example.com> writes in tlug@example.com:

> http://www.escape.com/%7Eyesss/_xywhat.htm (what is XyWrite?)

I can't let this pass by without commenting.

> xyWrite 3 pioneered the auto-replace feature that while you type
> substitutes a word or phrase for a user-defined abbreviation.

This is flatly incorrect.  It sounds like emacs abbrev mode which
was written _before_ the time frame described, so "pioneered" is an
exaggeration at best.

> the superb Microlytics spellcheck and thesaurus are integrated.

This sounds like emacs ispell mode.

> A versatile internal script language, 100 per cent user-remappable
> keyboard, and other configuration aids make XyWrite a uniquely
> powerful and elastic text processor the user can reshape as a front
> end for any system that accepts raw ascii--e.g., the 'net--or coded
> ascii source--e.g., www, dtp (and before dtp typesetting systems),
> interpreters, or compilers.  You can run a XyWrite Programming
> Language script that shells out from the xyW command line to a C
> compiler, then optionally shells out again

Internal script language?  100% mappable keyboard?  A primitive
version of M-x compile?

It doesn't sound like this editor had anything original.  But then
again, I might be biased.

> http://www.well.com/conf/media/SF_Free_Press/nov7/_jon_carroll.html
> (XyWrite is an evil tool of capitalism [I'm not making this up])

About what I expect from a San Francisco newspaper.  Actually the
situation he is describing sounds like the now familiar situation of
offices foisting off MS Office, Outlook Express on employees.  He has
my sympathy.