ChiWriter FAQ

ChiWriter is a scientific word processor that was sold by Horstmann Software Design Corporation between 1986 and 1996.

As of July 1, 1996. ChiWriter is no longer sold or supported.

I don’t have my ChiWriter disks anymore. Do you have any?

Here is what I have: Version 3 | Version 4. It runs on Linux with Dosbox. It might run under Windows, but you are completely on your own.

How do I convert my files from ChiWriter to another format?

You have two options. Generate ASCII or generate PostScript. To generate ASCII, export to ASCII and have your other word processor read the ASCII file. You lose all fonts and equations.

Alternatively, you can generate PostScript. See the next topic.

How do I convert a ChiWriter file to PostScript

First, install the PostScript printer driver and fonts from the original distribution disks.

In ChiWriter 4, do the following.

  1. Print|Settings. Switch to the PSCRIPT.PRN printer driver.
  2. Print|Options. Select Print to file and Go.
  3. This creates a file (yourdoc).BIN. Rename it to (yourdoc).PS

In ChiWriter 3, do the following.

  1. Print|Change Printer. Switch to the PSCRIPT.PRN printer driver.
  2. Print|To file. Select (yourdoc).BIN as the file name
  3. Print|Go.
  4. This creates a file (yourdoc).BIN. Open a DOS window and execute the following command:

CD \CHIWRITE\DOC (or whereever your document is stored)

COPY \CHIWRITE\PSCRIPT\INIT.PS+\CHIWRITE\PSCRIPT\*.PSF+(yourdoc).BIN (yourdoc).PS

What can I do with the PostScript file?

  1. Give it to the person who asked you for it
  2. Print it on a PostScript printer
  3. View it with a PostScript viewer such as GhostScript
  4. Feed it to Adobe Acrobat

How do I convert a ChiWriter file to TeX?

Sadly, there is no good way to do it. There used to be a somewhat functional ChiWriter to TeX converter, but it has been lost in the mists of time. Export to ASCII and rekey the symbols and equations in TeX.

I don't understand the directions about running ChiWriter or creating a PostScript file. Can you give me further help?

No.