Tweaking the Classic Mode of WP 12 to improve the emulation of WPDOS 5.1

This section contains tips for tweaking Corel WordPerfect 12, so that Classic Mode emulates WP 5.1 for DOS more closely. For a more complete review of Classic Mode, see WordPerfect 12.

The following abbreviations are used below:

• WP 12: Corel WordPerfect 12 (for Windows)
• WP 5.1: WordPerfect 5.1 DOS

WordPerfect 12 already has a 5.1 version setting in workspace manager under the tools menu.

Entering Classic Mode

When WP 12 starts for the first time, it will give you the choice to first select one of several emulation modes. If this choice is not presented, select Tools, Workspace Manager, Classic Mode.

Tweaking Reveal Codes

Select Tools, Settings, Display, Reveal Codes. Uncheck "Use system colors". Change the text color to white, and the Background to DOS blue by chosing "More" and entering this color: (R,G,B=0,0,168). For an even closer WP 5.1 experience, change the font to Fixedsys. Note that this font cannot be adjusted in size, and may be too small. If necessary, try Courier New. When you have chosen View, Zoom, "Margin width" you should use a font of about 14 to match a font size in your document of 12. Uncheck "Show spaces as bullets".

Tweaking the Application Bar

Right-click on the Application Bar at the bottom of the window and choose Settings. Uncheck Digital Signature. Check Num Lock State. Uncheck Printer. Uncheck Shadow Cursor On/Off. Double click on the Num Lock icon to change it to NUM. Double click on the AB icon to change it to CAPS. Drag CAPS completely to the right. Drag Insert/Typeover (General Status) completely to the left.

Tweaking the menu bar

Still to be written

Reverting to the default settings for Classic Mode

This section explains how to revert to the default settings for Classic Mode. (This is necessary because not all initial settings can be preserved by saving to a template. Templates contain changes made in Settings (Shift-F1), Customize, but not Settings (Shift-F1), Display.)

Wish list for Corel to improve WP 5.1 emulation

This wish list includes:

• a wider range of variable size display fonts such as Courier New, a variable height version of Fixedsys, and possibly others as well;

• being able to customise the foreground and background colors for the various font styles (bold, underline etc) (although this can be simulated with macros it's hard to do, and the document and Reveal Codes screen become cluttered with extra codes);

• not having Feature 34288 in Tools, Settings, Customize, Keyboards behind keys that invoke a WP 5.1 menu, and having the name of the menu item there instead;

• being able to display a traditional WP 5.1 application bar at the bottom of the screen, which can include non-WP 5.1 functions at the right hand end (perhaps someone will make this and Corel will put it on their website).