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Reveal codes

Reveal codes is a pane below your text that shows where each format starts and ends, such as [BOLD] and [bold] around bold text. It is free in Retroprose, on Alt+F3 or F9.

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The Retroprose editor with the reveal codes pane open below the text, showing codes such as [BOLD] and [Head 1] among the words.
The text above, and the same lines below with every code in place.

What are reveal codes?

The word processors of the late 1980s used reveal codes to show what was in a document. You write in the text as usual, and the pane shows the same lines with every code in place. A format with a start and an end has two codes: capitals to switch it on, lower case to switch it off.

The codes

There are no codes for fonts or colours, because a Retroprose document has none.

  • [BOLD] [bold] and [ITAL] [ital]: bold and italic, on and off.
  • [Head 1] to [Head 3]: the three levels of heading.
  • [Bullet] and [Par Num:1]: bullet lists and numbered lists.
  • [HRt]: a hard return, where you pressed Enter.

Deleting a code

With the pane open, press Delete on a code, or Backspace just after one. The format goes and the words stay. Delete [BOLD] and its [bold] goes too, so a format is never left open.

Questions

What are reveal codes?

Codes that mark where each format in a document starts and ends, such as [BOLD] and [bold] around bold words.

How do I turn on reveal codes?

Press Alt+F3 or F9, choose Reveal codes on the View menu, or use its button on the key bar. Do the same again to close the pane.

Is reveal codes free?

Yes. It is in every edition of Retroprose, including the free floppy disk edition.

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