The second part of the workshop will cover some other features of the Letter construction kit.

• First choose "File", "New" to delete the existing letter.
• Answer the question for saving yor work first with "No".

Filling a variable using "Show suggestions"

• Activate the "Search" tab and there the "Begins with" option.
• Type
  
  We require
  
  as search term.
• Then insert the search result "We require <<n>> <<Variable>>." into the letter by double-clicking it.

• Click the variable "n" in the letter view and type
  
  1,000
  
  Then click "OK".
• Click "Variable" in the letter and type
  
  cookies
  
  into the upper text box.
• Click "Show suggestions". Different translations for "cookies" will be displayed. These have been taken from the lookup dictionary (English->German Translator dictionary).

• Select "Kekse" using the mouse.

• Click "OK".
• Look at the German letter by clicking the "German" tab.

As you can see, the number 1.000 is displayed in the German format (dot instead of comma as decimal separator). In addition, the selected translation "Kekse" has been inserted into the text.

• Note:
  
  
• The "Show suggestions" function will not only work for single words but also for entire sentences. The translation program will then be activated in the background.
• The displayed suggestion can be edited according to your wishes. You may as well directly type the German equivalent without displaying a suggestion first.
• Instead of selecting "Kekse" using the mouse, it is also possible to delete the remaining translations. If nothing is selected, the program would use the first displayed translation.

"Dictionary" tab

• Activate the "Dictionary" tab in the lower area of the Construction kit. You will see the active lookup dictionary. Type
  
  order
  
  into the "Search" text box. The dictionary will be opened at the matching position directly after typing a character. The translations for "Order" will be displayed on the right.

• Select the first translation "Bestellung" by clicking it with the mouse. Then click (Copy) in the toolbar.
• Click the variable "Kekse" in the letter. Select the contents of the lower text box and click (Paste). The previously copied translation will be inserted.

As you saw, it is possible to copy translations from the dictionary and use it for filling out variables.

As you additionally saw, it does not matter in which language (German or English) you are currently displaying the letter to fill variables. All changes (moving sentences, deleting sentences, etc.) are as well independent from the language in which the letter is displayed.

Instead of using the icons for Copy and Paste you may also use the keyboard commands Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.

Divergent lookup dictionary

• Open the "Options" menu and select the "Lookup dictionary..." command.
• Select the dictionary "Neue Rechtschreibung.wt8".

• Click "OK".
• The "Dictionary" tab will quote the name of the active dictionary in brackets. Click the "Dictionary" tab and search for
  
  daß

The translation "dass" is the new spelling according to the reformed German spelling.

You may use any Translator dictionary for looking up words, e.g. even Italian->German. The active lookup dictionary will be used if you want to display suggestions for a word.

• Now press F6 on your keyboard (this is the keyboard shortcut for the "Lookup dictionary...") command.
• Select "engldeut.wt8" again and click "OK".

Free input

The free input allows you to insert sentences into the letter which do not exist in the sentence library. You may enter the translation on your own or let the translation program generate a translation. You should keep in mind that an automatic translation might not always be correct.

• Click the "Free input" tab.
• Type
  
  Thank you for your assistance.
  
  into the upper text box and click "Translate".

• The translation suggestion "Vielen Dank für Ihre Unterstützung." will be inserted into the lower text box.

• Click "Insert" and select "Into the letter".

The sentence will be added to the letter at the cursor position.

Save letter as sample letter

It is possible to save finished letters in the category structure. We want to do this with our "letter" now.

• Click the "Sample letters" tab in the left area. Click "Private letters".

• Then select "Edit", "Save as sample letter".
• You will now be prompted for a description. Type e.g.:
  
  1000 cookies
  Thanking for assistance

You can start a new line by pressing the Enter key on your keyboard.

• Then click "OK".

The lower area will display the typed description text on the "Contents" tab.

If you want to see the contents of the letter, click the "Preview" tab.

• Now choose "File", "New". Answer the question with "No".
• When starting a new letter, the opened category will be closed automatically. Thus, open the category "Private letters" again.
• Double-click the description text "1000 cookies - Thanking for assistance". The saved sample letter will be inserted into the letter.

You might as well insert a sample letter in the midst of an existing letter. The insertion will always take place at the cursor position.

Editing sample letters

• Now click behind the end of the letter (after the last sentence).
• Then activate the "Sentences" tab in the left area.
• Click the "Search" tab and search for sentences beginning with
  
  Yours f

• Insert the first search result "Yours faithfully" into the letter.
• Activate the "Sample letters" tab again. Click the description of our recently saved sample letter (single mouse click; no double-click).
• Select "Edit", "Save as sample letter".

• You will be prompted if you want to replace the selected sample letter. Answer with "Yes".
• The input window for the description appears again. The old description has already been inserted as a suggestion. Click "OK".
• Now look at the changed letter on the "Preview" tab: The subsequently added sentence "Yours faithfully" has been saved as well.

Hint:
If you want to edit the description of a sample letter only, click the respective sample letter on the "Contents" tab using the right mouse button and choose "Rename" from the appearing popup menu.

Keyboard usage / Hotkeys

The Letter construction kit can mostyle be operated using the keyboard. The following key combinations (hotkeys) can be used to access frequently used functions quickly:

Export, Print

The Construction kit does not only assist you when creating letters. It will also assist you at the further usage of the letter. After finishing your letter, the "File", "Export" command offers the following possibilities:

The difference between Text and Rich Text is that the Rich Text format will keep the font face and size. A text file will only store the plain text without any formats.

You may also print the letter directly out of the Construction kit. Choose "File", "Print" in this case.

Note:
The letter will always be exported, printed or copied in the language in which it is currently displayed on screen!

The third workshop will show you how to customize the Construction kit according to your wished and how to save your own sentences. To third workshop

To workshop overview