Overview

WordCab is a file cabinet for Microsoft Word for Windows versions 1.x and 2.0. It allows you to manage WinWord files by title instead of by filename.

The WinWord title is set using the Summary Info dialog under the File menu. You can set an option (Tools menu, Options dialog, Save option group, Prompt for Summary Info option) that will cause WinWord to prompt you for a title whenever a new document is saved. WordCab only shows the first 64 characters of the title.

WordCab only displays files with a .DOC suffix.

WORDCAB.EXE and WORDCAB.HLP can be installed together in any directory. Files WORDCAB.INI and WORDCAB.DAT will be created in this same directory the first time WordCab is run, and updated each time WordCab is run thereafter. The .INI file contains the screen position and directory from the last time WordCab was invoked. The .DAT file contains some directory cache information to make WordCab start up faster. WordCab makes no other changes to your system besides creating these two work files.

WordCab accepts an optional pathname as a command line parameter. This pathname can be either a directory or a file. If a directory, WordCab will use this directory as its starting directory, instead of the directory from WORDCAB.INI. If a file, WordCab will open this file in WinWord before displaying the WordCab list box.

WordCab attempts to open multiple documents using a single instance of WinWord, instead of starting multiple instances of WinWord.

The Refresh command on the View menu causes WordCab to read the current directory and update the list box to reflect documents deleted, added or changed since WordCab was started. A Refresh is needed, for example, when file manager is used to delete a document while WordCab is running. A Refresh is automatically performed whenever WordCab is started or when the WordCab current directory is changed. Also, deletes performed using the WordCab file menu are immediately reflected without requiring a refresh.

The maximum number of files in a single directory that WordCab can show in its list box is 780. If there are more than 780 .DOC files in a directory, only the first 780 will be displayed and you will be notified by a message box.

A good way to use WordCab is as follows. Invoke WordCab instead of WinWord. Select a document. Edit the document in WinWord. Close the document, but do not close WinWord (CTRL+F4). Use ALT+TAB to switch back to WordCab. Select another document to be edited in WinWord. By keeping WinWord active between documents, the second and subsequent documents can be opened much faster.