WordPerfect occurs as package for word processing. At a height of its popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was the de facto standard word processor, but has since been eclipsed within sales by Microsoft Word. Although a DOS and Microsoft Windows versions are better known, it has been available for the wide kind of computers & operating systems, including Mac OS, Linux, Apple II, most popular versions of Unix, VMS, Data General, System/370, AmigaOS, Atari ST, and OS/2.

WordPerfect for DOS
WordPerfect was originally by Satellite Programs International, Inc. of Orem, Utah, which later renamed itself WordPerfect Corporation. Originally written for Information General minicomputers, inside 198Two a developers ported a program to the IBM PC when WordPerfect 2.Twenty, continuing a version enumeration of the Information General series. A program's popularity took off using a introduction of WordPerfect Four.Deuce inside 1986, by having automatic paragraph enumeration (significant to the legal market), & the splitting of a prolonged footer & its unfair overflow to the bottom of the next site, when whenever it got been professionally typeset (valuable to the academic market). WordPerfect Four.Deuce became a foremost program to overtake a original market leader (WordStar) in the major application category on the DOS platform. Around 1989, WordPerfect Corporation freed a program's virtually all successful version ever: WordPerfect Five.Unity for DOS.

WordPerfect utilized all but each conceivable combination of function keys with Ctrl, Alt, & Shift modifiers. This was inside counterpoint to WordStar, which used single Ctrl, within conjuction by using traditional typewriting keys. Several population however understand a function key combinations from a DOS version, which were designed for a layout of the original 1981 IBM PC keyboard, sustaining deuce columns of work keys at the left prevent of the keyboard. E.g., a Tab key & a related F4 (Indent) functions were adjacent. This superfluity of keystroke possibilities, conjunct by owning a developers' wish to keep a interface unhampered "clutter" like in-screen menus, mass produced it necessary for virtually all users to utilise the keyboard templet showing both work. Infamously, WordPerfect utilized F3 instead of F1 for Aid, F1 instead of Esc for Natural, & Esc for Repetition (though the configuration stock inside late versions allowed these functions to become rotated to other standard locations).

WordPerfect Corporation produced the kind of adjunct & spin-off products. WordPerfect Library (introduced around 1986) was the pack of utilities that involved the customizable memory-resident menu cautilized DOS scale known as Husk, project shift (which allowed many computer computer software to remainside open & selectable by the hot-key combination under DOS), an open application interface (API) that more software developers can access, an advanced (for even its period) macro processor, the Clipboard, the Calculator, the Calendar by using the running off to-commotion listing & alarms, the flat-file database known as Notebook that can be used by itself or in WordPerfect merges, & more features. LetterPerfect was a scaled down version of WordPerfect by owning the further advanced features flushed however by having file & (mostly) keystroke compatibility.

WordPerfect for Windows
WordPerfect was late inside coming to market by owning the Windows version. WordPerfect Five.Unity for Windows was freed inside late 1991, by which instance Microsoft Word for Windows was already at version 2. WordPerfect's work-key-centered interface did non adapt swell to the fresh paradigm of mice & pull-down menus, especially sustaining numbers of of WordPerfect's standard key combinations pre-empted by incompatible keyboard crosscut that Windows itself utilized (e.g. Alt-F4 became Exit Program instead of WordPerfect's Prevent Text). A DOS version's telling arsenal of finely tuned printer drivers was besides rendered obsolete by Windows' have of its have printer driver.

WordPerfect became section of an office suite when the company entered into the co-licensing agreement by using Borland Software Corporation in 1993. A offerings were marketed when Borland Professional, containing Windows versions of WordPerfect, Quattro Pro, Borland Paradox, and a LAN-depending groupware pack known as WordPerfect Professional (does'nt to become confused using a complete applications suite of the equivalent title late marketed by Corel) according to the WordPerfect Library for DOS. A WordPerfect line of merchandise was sold twice, number one to Novell in June 1994, who so sold it to Corel in January 1996.

Between a weaknesses of the Windows version, & Microsoft's coincidental aggressive marketing of Word for Windows as part of the Microsoft Professional applications suite, WordPerfect's sales suffered the decline from either which it never recovered. Amongst its left avid users come several law house & two or three universities, to which Corel nowadays caters when niche markets (using, for instance, the major low to the United States Department of Justice in 2005 [http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel3/Section/Display&sid=1047022946165&cid=1047024657698&gid=1047022985433]). Around November 2004, Novell filed an antimonopoly cause against Microsoft for alleged anticompetitive behaviour that Novell claims led to loss of WordPerfect market share [http://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/2004/11/pr04077_pdf.html].

Inside 1993, WordPerfect Corporation attempted a unique marketing experiment for WordPerfect 6.Cypher for Windows. The compact disc named Innovators was released containing the demonstration version of WP 6.Cypher along using eleven music tracks primarily written by Sam Cardon and Kurt Bestor. Them re-freed a disc around 2000 without the demonstration, however sustaining 2 extra audio tracks.

Comparison to other word processors
WordPerfect aficionados cite numbers of reasons how come it assume it superior to its challenger (especially Word), including: a Reveal Codes work, which allows a user to see & edit tons formatting codes, & so obtain complete control across a text.; further stable treating of yearn, heavy formatted documents than Word; a ability to produce documents while forgoing getting to apply styles, possibly for heavy formatted text (although styles could however become utilized whenever desired); supplementary easygoing & more dependable redaction of tables, especially whenever it contain incorporate cells & a user wants to add or even delete cells; right features for creating tables of authorities withwithin legal documents, & including footer in word numbers, which appeals to writers & legal counselors; greater utilise of work keys when cutoff for usually utilized features; multi-level paragraph enumeration which works properly (in comparison Word, which for the total of years suffered from either the major bug in that region); a ability to choose different menu versions, keyboard layouts, & keyboard crosscut; the wide kind important & exportation purification.

Victims preferring a MS Word cite its better integration by having more MS Professional software (like e-mail programs), and WordPerfect's unfortunate implementation of Windows conventions inside its early Windows versions. Late versions use at times provided better compliance sustaining interface conventions, file compatibility, & possibly Word interface emulation.

Corel added "Classic Mode" inside WordPerfect 11. This was an attempt to win back users that got switched to MS Word, because WordPerfect for Windows was & then different from either a DOS version it knew & loved, and to entice any hang on to-outs however utilizing it to update. Understand WordPerfect 12, which was released within 2004, for an extended description of the Classic Mode.

WordPerfect includes the of these-apply force PDF creation feature, which lets users create PDF documents while forgoing buying Adobe Acrobat. It likewise features the built-constitutional dictionary and a thesaurus which suggests new words from either the drop-down pack when users nature and severity. Unlike Word, completely editions of WordPerfect since version Sestet too apply a equivalent file format, making it easy for users to part documents disregardless of which version single users use installed.

WordPerfect for Macintosh
Development of WordPerfect for Macintosh did non start parallel to versions for more operating systems, & utilized version figures unconnected to contemporary releases for DOS, Windows, etc. A number 1 release reminded users & reviewers of the DOS version, & was non especially successful in the marketplace. Version Two was the sum re-rescript, adhering supplementary closely to Apple's UI guidelines. Version Three took this farther, making extensive apply of the technologies Apple introduced around Systems 7.0–7.Quint, when remaining convenient & capable of going swell in older machines. Corel freed version Trine.V inside 1996, followed per improved version Deuce-ace.5e. It was never updated beyond that, & a product was in time discontinued. As of 2004, Corel has reiterated that the company has there is no plans to farther get WordPerfect for Macintosh (like creating the native OS 10 version).

For many years, Corel allowed Mack users to download version Leash.5e from either their internet site gratis, & occasionally Mackintosh users however utilize this version. A download is however available at web sites enrolled at [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wordperfectmac/], along by owning a necessary OS 8/9/Classic Updater that slows scroll speed & restores functionality to the Style & Window menus. Rather more Mac OS applications of its age, it takes a Classic environment to become installed to rerun in OS X. An choice for Macintosh users wishing to utilize a extra higher-to-date versiin of WordPerfect is to set up the Windows version on top of Virtual PC for Mac. There doesn't come out to exist as any third-person development of the WordPerfect clone or even operate-alike for OS X.

WordPerfect for Linux

Around 1995, WordPerfect 6.Cypher was manufactured available for Linux as part of Caldera's internet professional pack. Around late 1997, the freshly version was mass produced available for download, however got to exist as purchased to become activated. Hoping to establish themselves in the nascent commercial Linux market, Corel besides developed their have distribution of Linux.

Although a Linux distribution was fairly easily-received, a response to WordPerfect for Linux was varied. the select few Linux promoters appreciated a accessibility of a easily-known, mainstream application for the OS. Developers of more Linux-compatible word processing system questioned a require for an additional application in the category. Advocates of open-source software scoffed at its proprietary, closed-source nature, & questioned the viability of the commercial application within a market dominated by loose software package. A performance & stability of WordPerfect 9.Cypher (non a native Linux application such as WP 6-8, however from either the Windows version using the experimental WINE compatibility library) was highly criticized.

WordPerfect failed to benefit the big user base, & when section of Corel's vary of strategical counsel resulting the (non-voting) investment by Microsoft, WordPerfect for Linux was discontinued & their Linux distribution was sold to Xandros. Inside April 2004, Corel re-freed WordPerfect 8.Unity (a go Linux-native version) by owning a few updates, as a "proof of concept" & to end line text a Linux market. As of 2005, WordPerfect for Linux is not available for choose.

Versions

Versions for DOS include:

1982 WordPerfect 2.Ii for DOS 1983 WordPerfect 3.Zero for DOS 1984 WordPerfect 4.Cipher for DOS 1986 WordPerfect 4.Two for DOS 1988 WordPerfect 5.Zero for DOS 1989 WordPerfect 5.Ace for DOS 1993 WordPerfect 6.Cipher for DOS 1995 WordPerfect 6.Single for DOS 1997 WordPerfect 6.Deuce for DOS

Versions for Apple II include:

1985 WordPerfect 1.Nought for Apple II 1986 WordPerfect 2.Nought for Apple II

Versions for the Apple Macintosh include:

1988 WordPerfect 1.Cipher for Macintosh 1990 WordPerfect 2.Zero for Macintosh 1993 WordPerfect 3.Cipher for Macintosh 1995 WordPerfect 3.Quint for Macintosh 1997 WordPerfect 3.5e for Macintosh

Versions for the NeXT Computer include:

1991 WordPefect 1.Zero.Unity for NeXT Computers

Versions for Microsoft Windows include:

1991 WordPerfect 5.One for Windows 1992 WordPerfect 5.Deuce for Windows 1993 WordPerfect 6.Nought for Windows 1996 WordPerfect 7.Cipher for Windows 1997 WordPerfect 8.Cipher for Windows 1999 WordPerfect 9.Nought for Windows (WordPerfect Professional 2000) 2001 WordPerfect 10.Nought for Windows (WordPerfect Professional 2002) 2003 WordPerfect 11.Nought for Windows (WordPerfect Professional 2003) 2004 WordPerfect 12.Nought for Windows (WordPerfect Professional Dozen)

Versions for Linux include:

1996 WordPerfect 6.Nought for Linux 1999 WordPerfect 8.Single for Linux 2000 WordPerfect 9.Cypher for Linux

Versions for Java include:

1997 WordPerfect for Java

Future Versions

Several require the first version of Word Right to trend lines OpenDocument, though no formal announcement has been manufactured. Corel is an original member of the OASIS Technical Committee on a Open Document Format, and Paul Langille, the senior Corel creator, is one of the original quaternary authors of the OpenDocument specification. As well, Corel sent the letter to Massachusetts supporting their choice OpenDocument, expression, "Corel strongly supports the broad adoption of the open standards Massachusetts has outlined, including XML, the OASIS Open Document Format and PDF.... Corel remains committed to working alongside OASIS and other technology vendors to ensure the continued evolution of the ODF standard and the adoption of open standards industry-wide." [http://www.mass.gov/Aitd/docs/policies_standards/etrm3dot5/responses/corel.pdf] Numbers of call for it unlikely that Corel would invest such effort, & say that it might act to assure adoption, forgoing implementing it themselves. [http://www.dwheeler.com/essays/why-opendocument-won.html]

User Groups
Association of WordPerfect Professionals