Tony wrote:It seems like any file that has to leave Nisus (to Word say) and then come back irreparably loses it British English preference on the Languages tab of Nisus preferences
The language preferences tab does not show you the language that is applied in your document. Language is an attribute of text and like fonts and other formatting is applied to individual words in your document. To correctly determine the language applied to a particular selected piece of text you need to look at the Language palette, the Format > Language menu, the Language toolbar item, or the Language tag.
I just constructed a document that used both US and British English. I then opened it in Word (2004), made some changes, saved it and reopened it in Pro. As expected the sentences marked in the British language stayed as such.
Thanks for your reply Martin. My problem is that I cannot get the global language to stick within the preferences (namely British English). Even when I create a Nisus New file without text, change everything to British English and save as template. Start a new, empty file from that and in Nisus Languages preferences have disappeared, with the Language box having gone white and the Based On being empty. The QuickFix then defers to US English. However if on the Menu bar I go to Format and Language British English is ticked, and the appropriate flag is on the bottom of the page. Is this a font problem or a style problem perhaps? I assumed, like I said previously, that it was export/import but it seems as though it happens before then.
Tony: I'm not sure I understand exactly what you're describing, but I think you might be a bit confused.
As language is a property of text itself, there isn't really any "global" language. There is only the language that is set by default in new files you create. To change this default language:
1. Open your Nisus Writer preferences.
2. Switch to the "New File" pane.
3. Click the "Format" tab.
4. Change the "Language" popup button to "English (British)".
From now on new documents you create should have this language applied.
I have US system software running US Nisus Writer Pro with German system keyboard selected: New Untitled Page opens with US flag at bottom - just changing to British flag and Save As Template gets me through Word 2004 - as Martin did above - without loss of British flag on reopening. I have no Windows though...
HE
MacBook Pro i5
SSD 840/850 Pro
High Sierra 10.13.6
Nisus Writer Pro 3.4
Thanks for your patience Martin. I have always done as you've described. However were I then to create a new document from any such created file template with British English as its language, the Languages preference is blank and the QuickFix defaulted to US (-which is the annoying thing because any I create are then unavailable until I reset QuickFix to British).
P.S. Thanks for the reply Elbrecht, but the British flags are there, its just the language disappears inside Preferences.
Tony wrote:However were I then to create a new document from any such created file template with British English as its language, the Languages preference is blank and the QuickFix defaulted to US (-which is the annoying thing because any I create are then unavailable until I reset QuickFix to British).
I don't know what you mean by "reset QuickFix". Which list of QuickFix corrections is used is decided by the language that is applied to your text. The way to change which QuickFix corrections are used is to change the language that is applied to your text.
When you create a new document from your configured template, which item on the menu Format > Language is checked? This is the language used for QuickFix.
Also, what do you mean by the "languages preference is blank"?
Create a new file. Change everything to British. Open up the preferences. Go to the Languages tab. Set that to English (British). Go to QuickFix. Set the Language there to English (British). Close preferences. Type a word or two and save. Close Nisus. Open up the document. Go into the preferences. Perhaps its me, but when I open the Langauges Tab, the box above Based on is blank, likewise Based on is blank (despite the fact that the list of languages is down the left). Go to Quickfix. The language there has reset to English (US).
Tony wrote:Open up the preferences. Go to the Languages tab. Set that to English (British). Go to QuickFix. Set the Language there to English (British). Close preferences. Type a word or two and save. Close Nisus. Open up the document. Go into the preferences. Perhaps its me, but when I open the Langauges Tab, the box above Based on is blank, likewise Based on is blank (despite the fact that the list of languages is down the left). Go to Quickfix. The language there has reset to English (US).
This is entirely expected. The Languages and QuickFix preference panes control settings of all the languages available, in no way do they control which language/QuickFix is active in your document.
Think of it this way: in the language/QuickFix preference panes you configure abstract properties of the languages, eg: do I want to spellcheck text in this language? What corrections would I like made? This doesn't change any existing documents or text. Then later on you apply these languages to actual text in your document. At this point the choices you made in the preferences are taken into account.
The problem I have with this is, say I am working on a document, everything set to British. I make some QuickFix changes (say an abbreviation that I want filling out). I save close etc. When I go back in that QuickFix abbreviation is no longer immediately available (because Quickfix has gone back to US English). The only way I can once again make it available is to go back into preferences, go into QuickFix, change the language back from US English to British.
Tony wrote:When I go back in that QuickFix abbreviation is no longer immediately available (because Quickfix has gone back to US English).
There is no separate setting that specifies which QuickFix is active, and hence it cannot "go back". As I've tried to relate, the only thing that affects which QuickFix abbreviations are active is the language applied to your text. When you look at the Format > Language menu for this document, what does it say?
Try and replicate what I am saying. Create a new blank file. Change everything to English (British), in Format > Language as well as in the Preferences making Languages tab set Language to English (British) [perhaps this is unnecessary but please indulge me] and likewise in QuickFix ensure the Language dropdown is also set to English (British).
Now type a few words. Also, and this is my point, create a couple of QuickFixes. Test them to see if they work. Save file and close Nisus. Now when you open that file those QuickFixes are, for me, inaccessible until I go back into the preferences and reset the dropdown from English (US) and back to English (British).
Do what you say, don't forget to also go Menu Bar | Format | Language and make sure you have the right language set. Also make sure the little doover at the foot of the window has the right flag in it.
THEN save your document as your Nisus Writer New File to User | Library | Application Support | Nisus Writer using the Document Template format (.dot suffix).
Quite NWP, launch it again and oppen a new file.
Cheers, Geoff
Geoffrey Heard, Business Writer & Publisher
"Type & Layout: Are you communicating or just making pretty shapes" -- Revealed! The secrets of how you can use type and layout to turbocharge your messages in print. See the book at http://www.worsleypress.com
Tony wrote:Try and replicate what I am saying. Create a new blank file. Change everything to English (British), in Format > Language as well as in the Preferences making Languages tab set Language to English (British) [perhaps this is unnecessary but please indulge me] and likewise in QuickFix ensure the Language dropdown is also set to English (British).
Now type a few words. Also, and this is my point, create a couple of QuickFixes. Test them to see if they work. Save file and close Nisus. Now when you open that file those QuickFixes are, for me, inaccessible until I go back into the preferences and reset the dropdown from English (US) and back to English (British).
Hi Tony- I gave it a try exactly as you describe and for me there is no problem. The entries I've added to the list of corrections for "English (British)" work exactly as they did before I reopened the file. When you reopen the file the Language menu still indicates "English (British)"?
Can you send me the file you're working on using the menu Help > Send Feedback? It would be best to submit the feedback just after you reopen the file and fail to trigger a correction you've added to the British QuickFix list.
The length of this discussion shows that there is a problem. I use Australian English, and am constantly having to be on the alert to swoop down on the US English (and flag!) appearing at any possible opportunity. The point is, Nisus claims to be able to handle different languages, but clearly has difficulty recognising that there is more than one form of English. This does not give me much confidence in the programming. So I'm hoping for a fix.
That's funny -- I use Australian English too, but I have no problem with NWE or NWP switching into US English.
It only moves into US English when I open a document which was originally produced in US English or I deliberately switch it because I'm writing something for the American market.
Cheers, Geoff
Geoffrey Heard, Business Writer & Publisher
"Type & Layout: Are you communicating or just making pretty shapes" -- Revealed! The secrets of how you can use type and layout to turbocharge your messages in print. See the book at http://www.worsleypress.com
