Basic Operations

How to Open an Existing Document

Now that we have created a new document and closed DBT, we want to go back and make some changes.

1. Open DBT again. Once you have done that, we will open the document.

2. Select File: Open from the menu; OR: Type Ctrl + O

3. Select "letter.dxp". This is the file that you created and saved in the simple tutorial.

4. Click Open. You can double-click the file that you want to open in lieu of clicking the Open button.

How To Make Changes To An Already Existing Print Document

Notice where the cursor is located. When you save a document, the position of your cursor is also saved. When you open that document, you can move the cursor one of two ways:

• Using the mouse, click on the point in the text where you want the cursor to be.
• Using keyboard arrows, move the cursor to the point on the text where you want the cursor to be.

Now we will continue working with our letter.

1. Insert the cursor in front of the question mark in the sentence "How are you?"

2. Add the word "doing".

3. The text should now say "How are you doing?"

Cut and Paste, Copy, Insert, Highlight

You can do all of these things just as you do in other word processing programs.

To select text, click at your start point and drag over the text using your mouse, or use the shift key with arrows. (Some find that using the keyboard instead of the mouse is quicker and more precise.)

1. Select the words "I am learning how to use the Duxbury braille Translator. " (Select text using your mouse or shifted arrow keys.)
2. Cut the words you selected. To cut text, select Edit: Cut from the menu or type Ctrl + X.
3. To paste text, select Edit: Paste from the menu or type Ctrl + V. Move the cursor and paste the words "I am learning how to use the Duxbury Braille Translator." before the words "How are you doing?"
4. To copy text, select Edit: Copy from the menu or type Ctrl + C. Copy the words "I am well."
5. Paste the copied words before the words "I am learning how to use the Duxbury Braille Translator."
6. Save your changes.
7. Close the document.
8. Close DBT.
   You have just made changes to your document, saved the changes and closed both the document and the application that created it.
9. Open DBT.
10. Open the document "letter.dxp".

The text should now say:

Dear Mother,

I am well. I am learning how to use the Duxbury Braille Translator. How are you? I am well. It is not very hard! All you have to do is to type in the text, tell the program to translate, and emboss!

Love,

Misty.

About Saving Documents: Save vs. Save As

There are two ways to save a document. You have already seen the Save command, which saves any changes to the document that you have made. The Save As command does the same thing, but saves the changes as a new document.

1. Delete the fourth sentence, "I am well." from the document.

2. Choose File: Save As from the menu or press the F3 key.

3. Name the file "letterch.dxp"

4. Save the document in your working documents folder.

5. Close the document.

6. Open letter.dxp.

As you can see, "letter.dxp" has not changed -- because you selected Save As rather than Save. Save As saves the changes you make into an entirely new document.

7. Close "letter.dxp"

8. Open "letterch.dxp" and observe the changes.

How to Print a Document

The subject of setting up your printer is covered in the section "Installation and Setup." Please be sure that printer setup has been completed before proceeding with this step. If you do not have a printer, skip this example.

1. Key in Ctrl + p or select File: Print from the menu. (Note: If you have not set up a printer, you will only get an error message.)

2. If you are printing/embossing a braille (dxb) document, some embossers allow printing a translated line of print before or after each line of braille. In order to activate this feature, select Interline Print in the print dialog box.

3. Set the number of copies and the print range.

4. Click OK.

How to Edit an Existing Braille Document

You can edit a braille document directly using 6-key chording. This means that six of the keys on your keyboard can be set to correspond with the six dots in a braille cell. In order to type a braille cell, simultaneously press the keys that correspond with the dots in that cell. Use the space bar and Enter keys as usual for spaces between cells and forcing the end of a braille line.

As you probably know, the Braille dot positions are customarily numbered as follows:

1 • • 4
2 • • 5
3 • • 6

Usually, the corresponding keys are:

F = Dot 1 • • Dot 4 = J
D = Dot 2 • • Dot 5 = K
S = Dot 3 • • Dot 6 = L

Most keyboards support chording. However, the chording keys can vary from one keyboard to another. In order to determine if your own keyboard supports 6-key chording, open DBT and start a new braille document. Type all of the above keys at once. If you see a full cell, your keyboard supports 6-key chording.

Chording is turned off and on using the F2 key. You can use the Global Menu, View Options to change the keys that make up the braille keyboard. Click here for more on Customizing your 6-Key Mode.