been awhile--I have a question, I think it was here that someone did up a program that counted how many time you used words in a ms. After a computer crash I lost the program and would love to have it back.
If oyu have the link, or did the program would you mind sharing again?
Shawn
Posted by RFLong (Member # 1923) on :
Hi Shawn
I'm afriad I don't have the program but I'm sure someone will.
I just wanted to say that it's great to hear from you again!
Cool! Thanks LDS!
Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :
Microsoft WORD has a word count built into it. As long as you don't have any specific text highlighted, it will count the words in the entire document.
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
This word counter counts the number of each word you have....it's a way to look for words you use too often. MS word does not do that. Posted by RavenStarr (Member # 2327) on :
It could if Lord sold MS the program... although they'd probably just screw him and find some way of making it seem like they invented it all along so they don't have to pay him... this is why I base a lot of my evil characters on Bill Gates... Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
One day I might add a few more features to it. It was fairly usefull for the couple hours it took to create.
As for MS...they can add it to MSWord if they wish. I bet they could make it work fast and better than mine, wouldn't hurt my feelings.
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
Thank you. I use the thing a lot and am glad you still have it around.
Thanks again.
Shawn
Posted by keldon02 (Member # 2398) on :
Thanks! I wonder how many 'that's I have in the chapter I'm working on?
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
My problem word, or verb, is "was"...
Posted by Jaina (Member # 2387) on :
Mine is "really." I use it way too often. I had no idea! But now that I think about it, I use it a lot when I talk, too. I need to get on that...
Well, thanks for writing something that can point it out to me! I'm impressed; you came up with that in a couple of hours? I couldn't write a program like that to save my life!
Posted by Shendülféa (Member # 2408) on :
Grr...I can't use it because I don't have a Windows. I guess I'll just have to write my own for Mac, then--once I learn how (and that's not till next school year...)
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
Since people like it, I might have to add a few more things to it. I wanted to have it go to the words so you can see where they are used, but I didn't get quite that far.
I'm open to suggestions that would make it more usefull.
As for the Mac...can't help with that one.
Posted by HSO (Member # 2056) on :
Useful stuff...
A way to highlight possible homonymic errors. Common words like "There, Their, They're" etc.
This may be difficult, though, as you'll need a source file to reference to.
Also, consider a README.txt file to accompany the program. I had no idea what I'd end up installing on my computer. I'm paranoid -- but after multiple virus scans, I finally ran the program.
A help function wouldn't hurt, too. And pop-up labels for the icons on the toolbars didn't show up for me.
I could go on with other things that I'd like to see, but the program is good as is. These would just be nice things to have. That's all.
Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :
What a great program.
I use "only" too much. Go figure.
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
As far as an install program...does it need one? Virus scan is always a good idea, but the exe is it so creating a 15 item install program to install 1 program file...seemed kinda silly to me.
tooltips...easy enough. Help file, I could.
What I was thinking of trying to add was first word in a sentance counts, and paragraph as well. For my own purposes, I want to make it jump to the different words in the list when selected/specified.
Posted by Shendülféa (Member # 2408) on :
quote:As for the Mac...can't help with that one.
It's alright. Once I learn how to do some more programming, I'll write one for Macs.
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
This is probably a really dumb question, but how does it work with .doc files? Do I have to open the file as a .txt to get the program to work? When I choose to open as 'other' I just get gobbledygook, but .doc isn't an option.
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
quote:I wanted to have it go to the words so you can see where they are used, but I didn't get quite that far.
That would be great!
Shawn
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
It will support text, or rtf (Rich Text Format). Word documents are a proprietary extended rich text. You can either select all in word then copy and paste it, or save it as text or rtf.
I've been concidering turning it into a revision tool of sorts, but I have no desire to make it a word (or wordperfect) replacement.
I originally wrote it for myself, but figured someone else might find it usefull. I didn't realize many people used it. Now that I know I'll see if it can't be made a little nicer.
Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :
LDS
May I list the program as a software resource over on Liberty Hall? Would you rather wait until you enhance it?
What is it written in? Can it be easily ported to Java and thus be made available to other platforms?
Thanks for the software. I used it recently in revision stage on Stone Musings #3. IT pointed out repeat word issues I hadn't seen.
Posted by rickfisher (Member # 1214) on :
The program is great. I agree about being able to click on a word in the list and have it find the entries; that was the thing I had thought of that would be really nice. Another possibility would be to find doubled words: pairs of the same word with nothing but (at most) punctuation between. It would flag things like: "The man who isn't tall doesn't have to worry, but the man who is, is dead." As well as "had had".
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
Sure Mike, I'm not sure when I will get a chance to change it. I'm hoping in the next week or two. It can be usefull as it is.
I didn't think of double words...I know I've done that a few times.
Posted by Jules (Member # 1658) on :
For people with MacOS X, you could try the following:
Save as a text file Open a console window run the following command:
Open 'newfilename' with a text editor. You should find the most common words at the bottom of the file.
It won't be perfect, but it's a reasonable first approximation. People with Linux, Windows+Cygwin or other Unix-like systems should also be able to do the same.
Posted by Ergoface (Member # 1429) on :
LDS,
I know this is your baby, but I'd love to see the source (or even your flow design). Here's my deal, I'm a VBA junkie. The first thing I thought when I looked at this is it would make an awesome Word add-in. I know all you non-Word users would not be interested, but there are lots of us Word users who could use it.
I'm sure I could probably build the thing from scratch, but the first thing I learned when I started programming for money is that there is no joy in reinventing the wheel.
Let me know. Dave
Posted by HSO (Member # 2056) on :
That's the thing... I can think of a few simple ways to do some of it in Word using only basic commands and toolbar buttons (recorded in a macro), but why bother? LDS has already done it in a nice self-contained package, thus saving me from actually having to do it.
I can, however, write a quick macro to launch the word count program while in Word. That would be sort of plug-in like... sort of.
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
Ok, I finally opened it up last night, and started looking at it. Amazing how many little problems I found just looking it over.
I'm going to try and add a few more usefull functions to it. Might even throw together a help file...
Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :
When you get done revising your program, will you post how we can get it? Some of us have never used your handy-dandy word-gizmo before and are looking forward to taking it out for a spin!
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
I'm probably going to use one of my web sites to put up info and a download link for it. I'll drop a message when it's ready.
Posted by KatFeete (Member # 2161) on :
Conveniently enough, Holly Lisle recently mentioned Concorder in her blog. It does the same thing the Windows program described in this thread does, and it's for Mac.
Yay for dedicated freeware programmers.
[This message has been edited by KatFeete (edited April 22, 2005).]
Posted by TNWriter (Member # 2522) on :
Lord Darkstorm,
Thank you so much for creating such a program. The only way to make it better would be to link it to MS Word to omit the copy/paste process. Please let me know if you do the adjustments for this.
Again thank you, TNWriter
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
I have done some work with hacking into Word. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't seem to like people using thier software in any way. From one version of Word to the next, it breaks all kinds of things.
I am working on improving some of the functions and a few of the internal structures to allow it to do more. The current functions don't compensate for things like "...". It doesn't show in the count, but it shows up in the background. To work with sentance and paragraph counts, this needed to be changed.
I'm glad it is usefull. I'll let everyone know once I've finished improving it.
I'll see if it can't be made a little nicer.
