Alpha Template README file
06-02-2002


1)  Introduction

The Alpha templates are templates for Microsoft Word.  There are two flavors.  Alpha95 is designed for Microsoft Word 6.0 and 95.  Alpha97 is designed for Microsoft Word 97.  

This latest release of Alpha97 (2.2) contains excellent code contributions by William Stevens for better Word 2000 compatibility.  I reworked most of the code of Alpha97 to incorporate these contributions, make some other improvements, and to make the macro code more readable.  Several workarounds for bugs in Word have been incorporated into the macros.

I presume that Alpha97 will work with Word XP, but I have not tested it.  Because I object 
to the Office XP activation scheme,  I am not likely to test it at any time in the near future.
I would welcome evaluations or code contributions from Word XP users, however. 


2)  Installation and getting started

Each ZIP file contains this readme file, the appropriate alpha template, and a tutorial document.  To install, copy the alpha9x.dot file into your templates directory (usually 
c:\winword\template or \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates).  

Load the tutorial file with Word.  It should take fifteen minutes to go through.  
Think of it as a small investment, with the return being much time saved in writing future papers.


3)  Features

Alpha95 contains the D&J Equation editor macros for formatting equations properly.  These were 
improvements of macros published by Microsoft.  The D&J Equation editor macros were obtained from 	     
http://imdl.marc.gatech.edu/john/djsoftware.html

Alpha97 does not contain the D&J Macros.  Most of them don't 
work with Word 97.  I rewrote all the macros for Alpha97 from scratch.  However, they do 
contain the same method for equation formatting, if not the same code.  
 
Both alpha templates contain a macro to facilitate the automatic numbering of journal references.  
Alpha97 also includes a macro for easy journal cross-referencing.


4)  Caveats

I have used these templates extensively myself for journal papers, school papers, 
and my dissertation.  I haven't found any bugs or other major problems with the templates.

There are, however, several annoying bugs in Word, as I have found out the hard way.  :(
If you run into problems, I'd suggest that you check the MS support website first.
	http://support.microsoft.com



5)  Warranty

This is free software.  I cannot take responsibility for the use or misuse of these
templates, or for what other people may do to or with them.  In other words, there is 
no warranty of any sort.  
  
As with anything you download from the internet, you should check the Alpha template
and tutorial document with a good piece of Anti-Virus software.  Better yet, examine the source code!  


6)  Source code and liscencing

The macro source is not hidden, and can be accessed from within MS Word.  I think this is 
very important for two reasons.  First, people should be able to modify them if they want.  
Second, if people can see the source, they can read it and insure that no virus code is included.

You are free to use and distribute these templates and tutorial documents, as long as this readme file is included with them.   You can use them for any purposes, including business use.  I'm not out to make money.  

You may modify them as you will, so long as you give appropriate credit.  I request
that you send modifications to me so that I may fold them into the main distribution 
for all to benefit from.
 
Since the orginal equation formatting technique was developed by MicroSoft, I don't think you can sell the Alpha templates, except perhaps for a small fee covering distribution and media.  
 
YOU MUST NEVER MAKE THE SOURCE HIDDEN, even if you modify it.  You cannot remove this restriction if you choose to redistribute Alpha97 or derivative works.


7)  Other resources.

You may wish to take a look at MicroSoft's source code for formatting equations.  
This was the starting point for the D&J Equation Editor macros, wihch was in turn the starting point for the equation formatting macros in Alpha97.  This source code is 
contained in Microsoft support documents Q123430 and Q158918.  


Michael O'Brien
mobrien@unm.edu

P.S. 
If the Alpha97 macros don't work in future versions of Word, and you have enabled macros, it may be that MS changed the version number of the equation editor.  There is a line in the visual basic macro source which reads

	Selection.InlineShapes.AddOLEObject ClassType:="Equation.3", FileName:="", _

Change "Equation.3" to whatever is appropriate for your version of Word (e.g., "Equation.4").
