ROUGOL's June meeting sees the long overdue return of Stewart Brookes.

There will be something of a PDF theme to the first half of the evening. The presentation will begin with a demonstration of the ease with which it is now possible to export PDF files direct from EasiWriter and ArtWorks 2.

In addition to being simple to use, direct export of PDF allows for the creation of richer PDF documents than has hitherto been possible under RISC OS. For example, with EasiWriter's "Save as PDF" option, users can generate PDF files which include functioning internal and external links and offer a Document Outline (tree overview) of the document's structure. But perhaps you're not sure why PDF export is so important? Or want to know more about GhostScript? Confused about which RISC OS PDF viewer can do what? !PDF, RiScript, or GView? All this and more will be explained.

In the past twelve months, EasiWriter has benefited from a number of key developments, transforming its already powerful functionality. The presentation will continue with an overview of the newer features, including abbreviation expand, powerful sorting facilities, enhancements to Word compatibility, and the introduction of structure bars (which provide an easy way to see the structure of an EasiWriter document).

In addition, there will be a chance to see the latest facilities in ArtWorks 2, which include instant-effect graduated fills and internal arrowheads (arrowheads that end where the lines end, as requested by ROUGOL members). A further exciting development has been the new version of AWRender, which finally allows ArtWorks documents to appear in their full glory in compatible applications, including Ovation Pro, DataPower and, you guessed it, EasiWriter!

The second half of the evening will attempt to remove some of the mystique surrounding structures and styles in EasiWriter. The idea will be to start with the most frequent pitfalls and then move toward unlocking the most powerful aspects of the software. Oh, and just in case that wasn't enough, expect cameo appearances from David Llewellyn-Jones's wonderful ButtonBar application and the 'no-desktop-should-be-without-it' MoreDesk (7th Software).

Finally, there will be a chance to ask some questions about EasiWriter and ArtWorks. Answers are not guaranteed, but it should prove lively nonetheless! Stewart is the most knowledgeable beta-tester we have ever met.

MoreDesk will hopefully be demonstrated in greater detail at ROUGOL's September meeting