WRITING SOFTWARE - FlashWRITER Update

FlashWRITER on target for end of May Beta release ....

So get on board and join the intrepid team of Beta testers - just leave a comment here if you are interested. You will forever be immortalised in the acknowledgements page of the program, get free advertising for your Blog / Website and be one of the first to try out FlashWRITER. Help shape a tool tailored for writing and build up your frequent flyer Karma points.

Over the weekend (between blackouts) I managed to finish off:

1. My rambling detour down HTML tagging land - FlashWRITER now handles a subset of HTML tags, in particular the ones I needed to create the Help files (Bold, Italic, Underline, Page Colour, Text justification and bullets) and will even highlight tags blue automatically. I will add other tags if required or requested. I also stuck in a button to preview your HTML files in the default browser. It will never replace a WYSIWYG editor but does the trick for simple pages. 
2. The recent file list code. FlashWRITER will remember the names of the last 4 files that you have opened. You have the option to clear this manually or everytime the program closes. 
3. Adding bullet and paragraph increase / decrease indent buttons to the tool bar. 
4. Adding the option to quick open your story ideas file. You can also quick open the FlashWRITER log file (which is handy for debugging but I may delete this in the final release) and the configuration file (which stores program options).

I'm still chipping away at the Help files - I do one a night. It is easy but boring work. This is probably why most software has rubbish help files.

Major remaining program tasks are:

• Title block coding (author name, address, etc);
• Publisher Templates - I will do these in XML so anyone can edit, produce or read them. Who knows, publishers may even start distributing them so that they get pieces formatted the way they like it;
• Complete the writing history code (cumulative word counts and elapsed time);
• Autosave code; and
• Finish off the option dialog code.

27 Days until Beta Launch...