problem copying from Nisus Writer Classic to NWE 2.5

David Waterhouse · Post by **David Waterhouse** » 2005-11-03 20:49:16

I have started the painful process of transferring a large number of text files from Nisus Writer Classic to Nisus Writer Express 2.5; and run into peculiar problems. One recurrent one is that text converted to NWE 2.5 sometimes displays as an immensely long column of single characters, instead of the normal succession of horizontal lines. I can remedy this by using the command "Remove Attributes and Styles"; but then italics and other things also disappear. So far the only way I have discovered round the difficulty is to copy the Nisus Writer Classic file first into Mellel, and then from Mellel into NWE 2.5. This seems ignominious! Is there a better way? And what is causing the problem in the first place?

Post by **martin** » 2005-11-03 21:49:27

This sounds like a problem with the ruler. Most likely your tail/right indent is set so far in that very little text fits per line. You may be able to remedy this within Express by adjusting the tail indent, or removing the ruler from your text.

All this points to a bug in the Classic file reader. If you would, send us a copy of the original file by using the feedback reporter in Express (use the Help > Send Feedback menu). Thanks.

Anne Cuneo · Post by **Anne Cuneo** » 2005-11-11 06:14:11

I have all kinds of problems transferring files from 6.5 (or earlier) to Express 2.5. Sometimes the same as David, sometimes I get just garbage, sometimes it just says Nisus cannot open my files. The best thing that happens, is that they open in TextEdit, but without formatting. I never understand why I get this result rather than that. As I had used Nisus Classic exclusively for 10 years, this annoys me no end. Shouldn't there be a translator from Nisus classic to Nisus Express? If I ask this, it's because through Word 2000 I can import everything with formatting. As I don't have Word 2000, and don't want to have it, this annoys me even more (I experimented on somebody else's computer).

rmark · Post by **rmark** » 2005-11-11 09:59:35

Anne and David,

As Martin has written

All this points to a bug in the Classic file reader. If you would, send us a copy of the original file by using the feedback reporter in Express (use the Help > Send Feedback menu). Thanks.

This gives us a copy of the file for testing.

The "translator" is built into Nisus Writer Express. There are an almost infinate number of different things in files that can "confuse" the translator (it happens with humans and human language too… of course). We learn from each example that people share with us.

David Waterhouse · Post by **David Waterhouse** » 2005-11-15 16:48:43

I am glad to know that I am not the only person having difficulties converting Classic files to NWE 2.5. Further to my previous note, I have just spent several days (yes, days) correcting a 64-page bibliography which mingles Roman ("Regular") and Italic typeface with Japanese script (mostly kanji). When I copy the Classic file into NWE 2.5, Regular and Italic get hopelessly jumbled, particularly following a group of kanji. The problem then persists for several pages, before gradually diminishing until the next group of kanji comes along. Words which should be in Regular come out in Italic, and vice versa. Sometimes only part of a word comes out wrong; and sometimes even the kanji appear in Italics. To make matters worse, when I save my corrections and close the file, I am liable to find that some of the kanji are back in Italics next time I open it. I am using in NWE 2.5 the Times system font, together with Hiragino Mincho for Japanese. I have many other Classic files which combine Regular, Italic and Japanese (or Chinese or Korean) script, and dread to think what lies ahead: but of course computers save us so much time...

David Waterhouse · Post by **David Waterhouse** » 2005-11-18 09:02:35

With the kind help of Martin from Nisus, both my problems are solved. I had been using primitive methods of transferring files from Classic to NWE 2.5, with either Copy & Paste, or Drag and Drop. They ought to work, but don't. If instead one uses Command-O from NWE, then selects a Classic File from the little window that opens in the middle of the screen, all is well (except for the inevitable message about fonts not being recognised). This comes as a great relief to me.