This is a very short list so far--it will probably grow. Most of the questions and answers assume that you are working on a Windows computer.

1. Where can I get free software?
2. How do I download and install software?
3. How can I save the output of a program to a file?
4. How can I copy and paste?
5. How do I print your PowerPoint slides?

Where can I get free software?

There are a variety of sites.

For free compilers and information about programming languages, your best starting point is Burks 5 Online, http://burks.bton.ac.uk/.

For software in general, a good starting point is CNET's download.com, http://download.cnet.com/. This site has software for PCs, Macs, Linux, and handhelds. There is a "Help" link just above the advertisements at the bottom of the page.

There is a huge repository of Macintosh software at the Info-Mac Archive, http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive.html.

How do I download and install software?

Read "The Beginner's Guide to Downloading," http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10000-7-1526174.html, at CNET.

There are often special instructions that you must follow after you do the basic installation. Read the home page for the software you are installling and look for those special instructions, and follow them. For example, the jEdit home page has a column of links, and one of those links is "Windows Installation."

Viruses are a big problem in the PC world. Always have an up-to-date virus checker installed, and download software only from sources you trust.

How can I save the output of a program to a file?

If the programming language has a GUI, and if the File or Edit menu has a Save or Save As... command, you can use that.

If you are running a program from UNIX or from the MS-DOS window, you can redirect its output. For example, if you are running a Java program, you can use something like:

java MyProgram > myOutputFile

Otherwise, you will have to open a suitable editor, copy the text, and paste it into the editor. This is a trivial operation under almost any operating system except Windows. For Windows, see How can I copy and paste?

How can I copy and paste?

On a Macintosh, click and drag to select text, or choose Select All from the Edit menu, then choose Copy. Open any editor and choose Paste from the Edit Menu. This always works.

Under Windows, something like the above works maybe 75% of the time, but the rest of the time you have to try a bunch of things, especially if you don't have a menu bar at the top of the window. Here are some techniques for specific applications:

MS-DOS

To copy: Right-click in the title bar and choose Edit -> Mark. The drag the mouse over the text you want to copy (it will highlight) and either right-click in the title bar and choose Edit -> Copy, or just hit Enter.
To paste: You can only paste at the end of the text. Right-click in the title bar and choose Edit -> Paste.

SWI-Prolog

To copy a small amount: Drag the mouse to select text. Don't do anything more.
To paste: Hit Ctrl-V.
To copy a large amount: Left-click where you want to begin copying (you won't see any indication this works) or click and drag a small amount (so you can see what you are doing). Then use the scroll bars to move to the end of the area you want to copy, and right-click. Caution: SWI-Prolog lets you select more than you can actually copy at one time. When you paste it somewhere else, check to make sure you copied it all.

Otherwise, try this:

Sometimes there are Copy and Paste commands in the Edit menu. The shortcuts for these are usually Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V. Some programs have the commands in a menu and shortcuts, but one or the other doesn't actually work. If one doesn't work, you can't assume that the other one doesn't work--try both.
To select a large amount of text, sometimes clicking and dragging past the end of the window will cause the window to scroll. If it doesn't, try selecting the start of the text, using the scroll bar to get to the end, and right-clicking at the end.

 

How do I print PowerPoint slides?

After choosing whether you want 3 or 6 slides per page, check either Black & White (in the lower left corner of the print dialog box) or Pure Black & White. If you try to print them in color on a black and white printer, they may be unreadable.

I have tried to put tables on a few slides. Tables are horrible to work with and the table contents don't print out. If anyone has a solution to this problem, I would be happy to hear it.