MacWrite
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|subcat=Document | |subcat=Document | ||
|released=1984 | |released=1984 | ||
| + | |subcat2=Word Processor | ||
| + | |type code={{Type Code|MW2D}} | ||
| + | |wikidata={{wikidata|Q1430257}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''MacWrite''' was the word processor on early Macintosh computers. It originally was released by Apple as one of the programs that came with a Macintosh, but was later spun off to Claris as a separate software product; this did not succeed in competition with other word processors, so it was eventually discontinued by the mid-1990s. | '''MacWrite''' was the word processor on early Macintosh computers. It originally was released by Apple as one of the programs that came with a Macintosh, but was later spun off to Claris as a separate software product; this did not succeed in competition with other word processors, so it was eventually discontinued by the mid-1990s. | ||
== File identification == | == File identification == | ||
| + | The first two bytes of a MacWrite file are a [[Endianness|big-endian]] integer distinguishing MacWrite versions. | ||
| − | + | MacWrite versions 1.0 - 2.2 used version 00 03 in this field. | |
| − | + | MacWrite versions 4.5 - 5.0 used version 00 06 in this field. | |
| + | MacWrite II used version 00 2E in this field. | ||
| + | |||
| + | MacWrite Pro used version 00 04 in this field. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Format details == | ||
MacWrite 2.2 stored text in a compression scheme where the (language-specific) most common characters (for English, " etnroaisdlhcfp" in that order, with the space character first) were stored as one nybble each (half a byte), where the values 0 through E corresponded to the characters in the most-common list. The nybble value F signaled that a different character followed, meaning that characters not on the list took three nybbles (a byte and a half) to store. This usually averaged out to a savings, since the most common characters typically make up a high portion of the text. | MacWrite 2.2 stored text in a compression scheme where the (language-specific) most common characters (for English, " etnroaisdlhcfp" in that order, with the space character first) were stored as one nybble each (half a byte), where the values 0 through E corresponded to the characters in the most-common list. The nybble value F signaled that a different character followed, meaning that characters not on the list took three nybbles (a byte and a half) to store. This usually averaged out to a savings, since the most common characters typically make up a high portion of the text. | ||
MacWrite 3.x and up used a different compression system, and were designed so files could be edited directly on disk without loading the entire file into memory. | MacWrite 3.x and up used a different compression system, and were designed so files could be edited directly on disk without loading the entire file into memory. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Version History== | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |Version 1.0||1984.01.24||Encore Systems||WORD/MACA | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Version 2.2||1984.05||Encore Systems||WORD/MACA | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Version 4.5||1985.04||Encore Systems||WORD/MACA | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Version 4.6||1987.07||Encore Systems||WORD/MACA | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Version 5.0||1988.03||Claris||WORD/MACA | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Version II||1989.01||Claris||MW2D/MWII | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Pro 1.0||1993.03||Claris||MWPd/MWPR | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |Pro 1.5||1994||Claris||MWPd/MWPR | ||
| + | |} | ||
== Programming libraries == | == Programming libraries == | ||
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/libmwaw/ libmwaw: reads old MacWrite and ClarisWorks documents] | * [http://sourceforge.net/projects/libmwaw/ libmwaw: reads old MacWrite and ClarisWorks documents] | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==ScreenShots== | ||
| + | [[Image:MacWrite1.0-About.png|350px]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Sample files == | ||
| + | * {{DexvertSamples|document/macWrite}} | ||
== Links == | == Links == | ||
| Line 24: | Line 58: | ||
* [http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1131479 Discussion of converting old MacWrite documents] | * [http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1131479 Discussion of converting old MacWrite documents] | ||
* [http://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6902 Another discussion] | * [http://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6902 Another discussion] | ||
| + | * [https://happymacs.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/in-search-of-macwrite/ In Search of MacWrite - Changing Type/Creator to open] | ||
[[Category:Apple]] | [[Category:Apple]] | ||
[[Category:Macintosh]] | [[Category:Macintosh]] | ||
Latest revision as of 02:45, 29 December 2023
MacWrite was the word processor on early Macintosh computers. It originally was released by Apple as one of the programs that came with a Macintosh, but was later spun off to Claris as a separate software product; this did not succeed in competition with other word processors, so it was eventually discontinued by the mid-1990s.
Contents |
[edit] File identification
The first two bytes of a MacWrite file are a big-endian integer distinguishing MacWrite versions.
MacWrite versions 1.0 - 2.2 used version 00 03 in this field.
MacWrite versions 4.5 - 5.0 used version 00 06 in this field.
MacWrite II used version 00 2E in this field.
MacWrite Pro used version 00 04 in this field.
[edit] Format details
MacWrite 2.2 stored text in a compression scheme where the (language-specific) most common characters (for English, " etnroaisdlhcfp" in that order, with the space character first) were stored as one nybble each (half a byte), where the values 0 through E corresponded to the characters in the most-common list. The nybble value F signaled that a different character followed, meaning that characters not on the list took three nybbles (a byte and a half) to store. This usually averaged out to a savings, since the most common characters typically make up a high portion of the text.
MacWrite 3.x and up used a different compression system, and were designed so files could be edited directly on disk without loading the entire file into memory.
[edit] Version History
| Version 1.0 | 1984.01.24 | Encore Systems | WORD/MACA |
| Version 2.2 | 1984.05 | Encore Systems | WORD/MACA |
| Version 4.5 | 1985.04 | Encore Systems | WORD/MACA |
| Version 4.6 | 1987.07 | Encore Systems | WORD/MACA |
| Version 5.0 | 1988.03 | Claris | WORD/MACA |
| Version II | 1989.01 | Claris | MW2D/MWII |
| Pro 1.0 | 1993.03 | Claris | MWPd/MWPR |
| Pro 1.5 | 1994 | Claris | MWPd/MWPR |
[edit] Programming libraries
[edit] ScreenShots
