Editing WordStar (section)

== Emulation ==

Although no current version of WordStar is available for modern operating systems, some former WordStar users still prefer WordStar's interface, especially the cursor diamond commands described earlier in this article. These users say that less hand movement is necessary to issue commands, and hence that writing under this interface is more efficient. The user accesses the nearby Ctrl key and then a letter or combination of letters, thus keeping his hands on or close to the [[Touch typing#Home row|home row]] instead of moving them away from it to reach for a specialty key or a mouse.

To accommodate these users, WordStar emulation programs were created. One such program is CtrlPlus by Yoji Hagiya, which remaps the standard PC keyboard, making many WordStar commands available in most Windows programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/y_hagiya/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027004149/http://geocities.com/y_hagiya/|title= CtrlPlus|access-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref> CtrlPlus switches the Control and Caps Lock keys so that the Ctrl key is back where it was on older keyboards, next to the A key. It also gives functionality to the chief cursor diamond commands mentioned in this article.

Another WordStar emulation utility is 'WordStar Command Emulator for Microsoft Word', also known as 'WordStar for Word,' by Mike Petrie. Designed to work in conjunction with CtrlPlus, the Command Emulator adds many more WordStar commands to MS Word than CtrlPlus by itself, and also changes Word 97-XP's menus to be more like those of WordStar 7.0 for DOS, the last DOS version of WordStar. For example, Ctrl+K? was WordStar's word count command and Ctrl+QL was its spell check command. Hitting these commands in the WordStar Emulator within Word runs Word's equivalent commands. WordStar for Word also adds WordStar's block commands, namely Ctrl+KB to mark the beginning of a block, Ctrl+KK to mark the end, and Ctrl+KV to move it. Alternatively, Ctrl+KC could be used to copy the block. WordStar for Word works on all versions of Word from Word 97 through 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wordstar.org/index.php/wordstar-emulator|title=WordStar Emulator|website=wordstar.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206130158/http://wordstar.org/index.php/wordstar-emulator|archive-date=2012-02-06}}</ref>

The WordStar Command Emulator is written in Microsoft [[Visual Basic for Applications]] (VBA), a [[macro programming language]] based on [[Visual Basic (classic)|Visual Basic]] built into [[Microsoft Word]] to allow for a high level of customization. Most [[Word add-ins]] are written in this language.

[[GNU Emacs]] used to come with a library 'wordstar-mode.el'<ref>[https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Emulation.html 45 Emulation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031315/http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Emulation.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref> that provides WordStar emulation, but it's been declared obsolete as of version 24.5.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/news/NEWS.24.5|title=NEWS.24.5 |website=www.gnu.org}}</ref>  A macro set for [[Vi (text editor)|vi]] that provides WordStar emulation is available.<ref>See [http://ringtail.its.monash.edu.au/pub/vi/macros/ this archive directory] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611065857/http://ringtail.its.monash.edu.au/pub/vi/macros/ |date=June 11, 2015 }}, scroll to "ws.Z" and Save-As, and gunzip the resulting file.  Clicking the link to the file will erroneously view the binary as plaintext.</ref>

The cross-platform [[Joe's Own Editor|JOE]] editor is a very WordStar-like alternative. When invoked as <code>jstar</code>, Joe emulates many WordStar [[keybindings]]. JOE lacks formatting options and essentially only operates in non-document mode, but formatted documents can be authored in [[HTML]]/[[CSS]], [[Markdown]] or another [[markup language]].