Starword is a powerful ROM-based word processor from Slogger. To use it, you'll either need Slogger's Rombox or some other expansion which enables ROMs to be plugged in.

Its 16K of software has been designed specifically for the Electron - it is not an adapted BBC ROM.

On power up or after CTRL-BREAK you're straight into Starword in 80 column mode. It's basically the same format as Acornsoft's View.

I found it a little hard to get started at first but after a while things began to get easier.

It's probably the fact that I use View so much and have got used to using that rather than there being any question of Starword being difficult to use.

There are two modes, command and edit. In the first you can enter commands such as LOAD, SAVE and so on. Text is entered in edit mode.

Text in the default 80 column mode is rather hard to see as I don't have a monitor and resolution is not too good on my colour TV. However, this is simply solved - 40 column mode is accessed by typing in 40 while in command mode.

This appears at first to be a normal run-of-the-mill word processor, but Starword has up its sleeve some rather unusual tricks.

For instance, it has the ability to personalise a standard letter to all those names entered into a mailing list file, each letter then being headed and printed for each name in the file.

It works well with all sizes of documents and enables short documents to be merged in the form of a long report or letter.

Conversely, when dealing with extra large documents Starword can split the text into several small chunks. The PRINT command can be followed by a list of filenames which enables the files to be printed as one document.

Disc users have an even greater advantage, as they can process the document continuously. You select this with the Edit command, specifying an input and output file.

The first batch of text can be read in and edited. Typing MORE saves the current text and reads the next chunk into memory, and so on.

Starword comes with a very comprehensive instruction manual. It is good, but it takes a lot of reading. I found it difficult to remember all the commands at first, so keep the manual to hand.

The first section of the manual is for anyone completely new to the world of computers and word processors, which to me is a good attribute.

You can miss out the first couple of sections if you're conversant with ROMs and computers and move on to the excellent tutorial.

This takes you on a guided tour of the commands, control keys and functions, vital in making best use of Starword.

Because it's so close to the cursor keys, BREAK has been protected. When pressed you are asked if you want to restore the old text.

ESCAPE toggles between command and edit mode. In command mode there are around 26 commands, plus access to the Operating System and other ROMs through star commands.

NEW clears all text, as does LOAD, whereas SAVE saves the text. It can also be SPOOLed or PRINTed. The colour of the text is easily selected with COLOUR.

Tabs can be set and the left and right margins defined. There are global and selective search and replace functions.

In edit mode word wrap is automatic and text can be entered in insert or overwrite mode with justification and formatting off or on.

A ruler shows the width of the text currently being edited, which can be up to 132 characters wide.

The screen display is a window on the text and can be scrolled up, down, left or right. The cursor can be moved a character, word, line or screen at a time.

At the bottom of the screen there is a text window where all messages are displayed.

At the top is the cursor column number, ruler and status such as format details.

Headers and footers can be defined, plus their margins from the page top or bottom and text. It even allows two sided documents, such as the pages in a book, to be written.

When this function is enabled, the headers and footers are swapped from left to right and space is left for the binding at the correct side of the page.

Blocks can be defined which can then be moved, deleted, copied, saved, loaded, formatted and so on. Cut and paste is quite easy.

The function keys have been defined to enable the more commonly used commands to be called without too many keystrokes. These may be programmed with your own definitions.

Starword allows the style of text to be altered by inserting printer control codes into the text.

The default printer driver is for Epson compatible printers. Other drivers are available and can be created with Slogger's Printer Driver Generator ROM, designed specifically for Starword.

Multiple copies of the document can be printed, and you can specify the page to start at and the page to end. One document can be printed while another is currently in memory.

I think this is an excellent word processor for the home business or semi-professional user. It is a very powerful tool providing nearly all the features of larger professional word processors.

I would dearly have loved to have this one available earlier on in the Electron's career - this sort of quality software has been too long a time in appearing for the Electron.

I will definitely be using Slogger's Starword in the future. For a start, I'll use it in my capacity as secretary of a local club to produce letters to all the members which previously took a long time. I'm busy making a mailing file up now.

At long last the software/hardware makers are waking up to the potential use of the Electron as a serious computer. This can only benefit both themselves and the user.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and powerful word processor then this one from Slogger must be given very serious consideration. It is certainly the most powerful one currently available for the Electron.

David Richards