Tips 2
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View those ASCII files before you send them off

Most reporters are unaware that you can view an ASCII file before you send it off to a customer or your office. This feature is important because it gives you the opportunity to review the converted transcript. If any questions arise later on you'll know, with confidence, that the file converted properly. If everything is correct on your end then chances are the receiver is not doing something right.

Once you've converted a wrk file to an ASCII there are two ways you can look at the end result using the AristoCAT software. The first is by using the AristoCAT File Management Program. To the right of the upper Reporter Folder window you'll find an area labeled 'VIEW FILES OF TYPE'. Clicking on the black down arrow will display a drop-down menu listing various file types. Select the catagory ASCII Files and the Reporter Folder window will display all the ASCII type files. Simply select the file you wish to view (only a single file can be selected to view at a time) and click on the heading 'VIEW>VIEW TEXT FILES'. A small window will appear displaying the selected file. Note: If you should decide to send the converted ASCII file to your A drive then when you go thru the process to view the ASCII you will have to navigate to the A drive to select and view the file.

The second method is to use the ASCII Conversion Program. Open the ASCII Conversion Program and automatically a window will open displaying your work files. Click the 'CANCEL' button and you'll see the ASCII Conversion Program background screen. From the headings click on 'VIEW>VIEW TEXT' and a window will open displaying all the ASCII files in your Reporter Folder. Select the file you wish you view and click 'OPEN'. The View Text window will open. Clicking the 'OK' button will close the window.

Note: We are now suggesting you zip your ASCII & *.wrk files before sending thru the internet. The advent of ever more aggressive anti-spam & anti-virus software in use by internet service providers occassionaly creates changes in an ASCII or *.wrk file sent as an attachment. You may view your ASCII file before sending and all will be well but when it reaches the recipient random pound signs (#) appear throughout the text. These pound signs are footprints left behind by the aggressive anti-spam & anti-virus programs. A zip archive acts as a protective casing around the attachment. Be sure to make the recipient aware you'll be sending the material in a zip archive. The email feature of the File Management Program will automatically zip the files you have selected for emailing. More information on both the zip and email features can be found under the appropriate headings. Simply click on 'HELP' under each of the headings

Changing the date in all your Include Files in a single step

Open the File Management Program. Across the top of the window are headings. Click on the heading INCLUDE FILES>CHANGE DATE IN FILES. A warning will appear suggesting you backup your Include Files. If you wish to continue without backup click the YES button, if you want to take the time to backup your Include Files (select BACKUP from the headings of the File Management program) click the NO button. When you click YES the small window displayed below will appear:

Simply enter the current date in the Include Files and then enter the new year date and click OK. The program will search your Include Files for the old date and replace it with the new. Simple!

Important Reminder! - Backup your Personal Dictionary particularly if its been awhile since you last did so. We can't stress enough how important it is to have a current backup of your Personal Dictionary and the process is quick and simple:

1. Place a newly formatted, labeled floppy diskette in your A drive (have additional formatted diskettes on hand in case the backup process requires more than one diskette).

2. Open the Dictionary Management Program. Click on the heading 'PERSONAL DICTIONARY>BACKUP/RESTORE>BACKUP'. The program will begin the backup procedure. If necessary the program will prompt you to insert additional diskettes.
Note: The Backup Personal Dictionary process not only backs up your personal dictionary, but also your information file(s).

3. Once the backup is finished find a safe, secure location for you backup diskettes. Note that you need to keep a copy of your personal dictionary with your computer and another copy off premise in the event of fire or theft.

4. If you want to back up your personal dictionary to different media than a floppy diskette (such as a CD or USB Flash Drive), use the File Management Program. Under View Files of Type choose Dictionary Files. Then make sure your Diskette Drive shows the device you want to back up to.

5. There is a Backup menu option in the File Management program. This Backup option will back up your personal dictionary, all information files, include files and numerous other user files. It will zip all of these files together and copy it to the Diskette Drive in one step.
Note: This process DOES NOT back up any of your work files (*.wrk). The File Management Backup option is especially useful for moving your user files (include files, function key settings, etc) to a new computer.

Chasing 100% Translation

Since time is money, particularly for court reporters, we are always looking for ways to give the community of AristoCAT user's shortcuts for getting transcripts out the door in the fastest way possible. To that end we offer this tip on how to get almost 100% translation early on in the production of your transcript.

Of course many of you are aware that when you view your notes using the AristoCAT View Notes Program, pressing the F9 function key will display the English translation for each steno stroke. Any steno stroke not defined in either your personal dictionary or the job dictionary will display as an untranslate. With the English now in view, when you press the Home key the Steno program will stop not only at FLAG strokes, but also at untranslates. At this point you have the option of defining the untranlate and adding it to your personal dictionary. To define an untranslate or to define a mistranslate, place the cursor (highlight bar) on the last stroke of the steno outline and press a number to indicate the number of strokes for the definition. For example, if you are defining a two-stroke outline, place the cursor on the second stroke and press 2. After pressing a number to indicate the number of strokes, a dialog box will appear allowing you to type in the English for the steno. Don't forget to check the "Add to personal dictionary" box or use the Alt+P shortcut key if you also want to add the definition to the personal dictionary batch file. Note that any entries you define this way automatically go into the job dictionary.

The steno program also colors the English differently to indicate where the outline is defined. For example, if the English translation is colored green this means the translation is in both the job dictionary and the personal dictionary batch file. If the English is colored blue this means the translation is in the job dictionary only and finally, if the English is colored black the translation is only in your personal dictionary. Note that you don't have to review and update your personal dictionary batch file before you translate since the entry you just defined is in the job dictionary and therefore will translate.
Of course, you can search your note file by steno, but when the English is showing, you can search the note file by English. Click on the Search menu item and then click on Find English or use the Ctrl+F4 shortcut key.

To save yourself a step it's possible to turn on the 'View English' function so each time you open the View Notes program, the English is displayed. Simply click on the 'Options' heading at the upper left corner of the View Notes program window and then click on 'Options' from the small menu. The options window will appear. Click on the white box to the left of the sentence 'Show translation when program starts'. A check mark will appear. Now, each time you open the View Notes program, the English translation will appear.

Edit Commands

Did you know that several of the editing commands allow you to easily apply the command to a phrase and global the result as well as optionally add the phrase to your dictionary? Simply mark off a word or phrase with the Mark Word function key before you do that command.

For example, the command Alt+- (hyphen) will insert a hyphen between two words. The cursor will then position itself at the beginning of the next word in the event you wish to hyphenate that word as well. This works well when you wish to hyphenate a word or phrase in context, but what do you do when you wish to global the word or phrase and perhaps put it in a dictionary as well?

The procedure would be to first highlight the phrase, then press Alt+-. The hyphenated phrase would then appear in the definition window, then all you need do is press the backslash to global the phrase and put it in your dictionary.
For example, when "son in law" translates in the transcript, use the Mark Word function key to highlight "son in law" and press Alt+-. "son-in-law" will appear in the definition box and you can press the backslash to global this.
Another example is the Cap Letter command. Say that the phrase "city of bend police department" translates in lower case and you want to put this phrase in your dictionary since it will appear a lot in future transcripts. Highlight this phrase and press the Cap Letter function key and "City of Bend Police Department" will display in the definition (note that the Cap Letter command knows not to capitalize the word "of".) Press the backslash and the phrase will be globaled in caps throughout the rest of the transcript and be added to your dictionary.

Other edit commands which work as described above: Cap Word; applying print formatting commands such as bold, underline, subscript and superscript.

Contact technical support at (800) 727-4786 or support@aristocat.com