IBM DisplayWrite

Template:More citations needed {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | showblankpositional=1 | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox software with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | AsOf | author | background | bodystyle | caption | collapsetext | collapsible | developer | discontinued | engine | engines | genre | included with | language | language count | language footnote | latest preview date | latest preview version | latest release date | latest release version | latest_preview_date | latest_preview_version | latest_release_date | latest_release_version | licence | license | logo | logo alt | logo caption | logo upright | logo size | logo title | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_upright | logo_size | logo_title | middleware | module | name | operating system | operating_system | other_names | platform | programming language | programming_language | released | replaced_by | replaces | repo | screenshot | screenshot alt | screenshot upright | screenshot size | screenshot title | screenshot_alt | screenshot_upright | screenshot_size | screenshot_title | service_name | size | standard | title | ver layout | website | qid }}Template:Main other DisplayWrite (sometimes written as Displaywrite) is a discontinued word processor program that IBM developed and marketed for the IBM PC and PCjr. It was among the company's first internally developed, commercially sold PC software titles.<ref name="dickinsondw19840918">Template:Cite news</ref>

DisplayWrite's feature set was based on the IBM Displaywriter System, a dedicated microcomputer-based word processing machine.<ref name="displaywrite">IBM DisplayWrite</ref> Because the two systems were so similar, an experienced Displaywriter user could start using DisplayWrite immediately.<ref name="dickinson19840918">Template:Cite news</ref>

Versions

DisplayWrite/PC

For the Intel platform there were DisplayWrite versions for PC/MS-DOS and DisplayWrite 5/2 programmed under OS/2.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

DisplayWrite/36

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} DisplayWrite/36 was the word processing component of IBM Office/36, which allowed an office to use the SQL-based database file for labels and form letters.

DisplayWrite/370

DisplayWrite/370, a much more powerful version with full graphics and WYSIWYG support, was supported for IBM zSeries mainframe computers until May 2015.<ref name="displaywrite_support">Software lifecycle DisplayWrite/370 for MVS/CICS 2.2.x</ref> (see IBM Displaywriter System). DW/370 was a host-based word processor.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It was marketed between 1993 and 2015 for MVS/CICS<ref name="displaywrite_support" /> (now z/OS) and VM/CMS.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File format

IBM DisplayWrite's native file format is based on IBM's DCA (Document Content Architecture) RFT (Revisable Form Text) specification, but adds additional structures. Depending on the DisplayWrite version, the document files use .DOC or .TXT file name extension. The DisplayWrite software can export to and import from pure DCA/RFT files (which typically have .DCA or .RFT file name extension). RFT (IBM Revisable Form Text) should not be confused with RTF (Rich Text Format), which is a Microsoft specification.

Reception

A 1990 American Institute of Certified Public Accountants member survey found that 2% of respondents used DisplayWrite as their word processor.<ref name="aicpa1990">Template:Cite report</ref>

Further reading

• Dennis P. Curtin: Displaywrite 4: Procedures Manual, Prentice-Hall 1988, Template:ISBN