Q--> When I tried to print my document, I got an error, "STRING TOO LONG" with no other explanation. I couldn't even PRINT PREVIEW without getting the same error. What does this mean?

A--> This seems to be the error that Atari forgot to document. What it means is that somewhere in your file you have a string of characters that is longer than the space between your left and right margins. Most often this turns out to be a long underline, such as might be used in a blank form to be filled out by hand after it is printed. The solution is very simple. If, for instance, you are using a 60-space line, just be sure to hit [RETURN] after every 60 underline characters. You can check it out with PRINT PREVIEW [OPTION-P] to see that your lines are exactly the way you want them before printing.

Incidentally, to print a continuous underline rather than the dashed effect you get with some printers, press the [INVERSE] key before and after the underline. If you have already typed the underline and want to change it to inversed, place the cursor on the first character and hold [CTRL-U] until you reach the last one.

Q--> How can I split a large file into two smaller ones?

A--> Press [SELECT-T] to go to the top of form. Press [OPTION-B] to mark the beginning of the block. Cursor down to the place where you want to end the first section of your file. The text will become highlighted (inversed). Then press [OPTION-S]. You will be prompted for the name of the file to be saved. Give it a different name from the original file. When disk activity has stopped, move the cursor to the next space and again press [OPTION-B]. Then push [SELECT-B] to go to the bottom of the file. Now push [OPTION-S] and type the name of the file for the second section. When disk activity stops, you can check the directory for the three files. (Press [ESC] followed by "1" or "2".) When you are certain that the two smaller files have been saved successfully, you may delete the original larger file if you no longer need it. Remember to back up the two new files before turning off the computer.

If you have any questions concerning word processing in general or AtariWriter Plus in particular, send them to the editor of the MFACC Bulletin. We'll try to publish the answers promptly.