By default, Writer's Workbench is installed in "C:\WWB."  It can be installed in virtually any directory, but the pathname must be short (For this reason, WWB is not installed in "C:\Program Files\WWB").  If installed on a network, the path could be X:\WWB, where X: is the mapped drive.

Executable Files:  Some security packages such as CA's eTrust disallow executable files to run unless specifically allowed.  Eleven Writer's Workbench analyses require executable files be run as analyses are being produced.  By default, those executable files are in the wwbbin directory which is located in the installation directory (c:\wwb).  Those analyses which require temporary files (below) must be able to run the executables in wwbbin.  Click here to view the executables in wwbbin.

Temporary Files:  Some of the analyses require temporary files be created as analyses are being compiled.  By default, that folder is the installation directory (C:\WWB).  A folder wwbtmp is created below whatever location is specified in setup.  In any case, the user must have create, write, and delete permissions in the TEMPDIR\wwbtmp directory (C:\WWB\wwbtmp [default] or C:\Windows\temp\wwbtmp or C:\WinNT\temp\wwbtmp).  The following analyses require temporary files -

1.2 Content - Diversity of Content Vocabulary (Focus)
1.3 Content - Vague and Abstract Vocabulary
2.1 Characteristics - Style Statistics
2.2 Characteristics - Style Statistics with Support
5.1 Words - Diction Alerts
5.2 Words - Words to Check
5.3 Words - Negative Words
5.4 Words - Split Infinitives and Article Errors
6.4 Punctuation - Possible Fragments and Long Sentences
6.5 Punctuation - Misplaced Punctuation and Capitalization
Assessment Scores

Note: the wwbtmp folder must not be compressed must have Windows indexing turned on.
Click here to see how to verify correct settings for wwbtmp.

The Writer's Workbench Options Menu

This menu is displayed after the WWB Options Menu icon (below) is single-clicked at the upper right hand corner of the Analysis Programs Menu or the STEPS Menu.  It can also be accessed by typing the keyboard shortcut <Alt><Ctrl><Shift>O (for Options).

  Note: If you have previously set the "Allow future access to this menu" setting to "No," this menu will not appear.  In that case, the only way to modify WWB options is to edit the wwb.ini file in your installation directory (typically C:\WWB) using notepad (see below).

We recommend changing the "EDITENV" to "YES" and saving WWB.INI.  Exit Notepad.  Then, use the Writer's Workbench Options Menu to change settings as needed.

This menu provides a user-friendly mechanism for modifying and verifying Writer's Workbench settings in the wwb.ini file.

On the left side, the Microsoft Word Version, Display Resolution, Writer's Workbench Version, Install Date, and Windows Version are automatically set during installation.

Writer's Workbench automatically sets the sizes of your composition and analysis windows for optimum WWB composition and analysis Windows on installation.  The next two white buttons are handy should you change display resolution on your computer.

"Shared Printer and/or Analysis Logging?" should be set to "Yes" if you plan on printing analyses to a shared printer or if you plan on logging either analysis usage or logging writing mechanics statistics from the Writing Mechanics module.

The "Where did you install (or move)..." setting generally should not be reset unless you moved WWB to another directory or are working on a network.

The "In what folder are your temporary files stored?" for Writer's Workbench can be changed if your security software does not allow temporary files to be created and deleted in the default directory (C:\WWB\WWBTMP).  Note: this folder (by default, C:\WWB) points to the parent directory for WWBTMP.

Timeout for analyses (Seconds): Increase this number if you are using an old computer and / or if your compositions are long.

Generate logfile for analyses?: If you would like to track WWB usage for yourself or for students' usage, select "Yes."

Logfile Path: Where the comma-delimited wwblogfile.txt will be stored (usually on a network drive when used in a writing lab).

Allow future access to this menu?: Set to "No" if used in a writing lab; otherwise select "Yes."

On the right side of the menu:

Enable Writing Assessment Module?: For schools who do not wish to take advantage of this exciting new feature due to training on the new module, select "No."  Otherwise, select "Yes."

Generate logfile for Writing Assessment Module?: If you would like to track your own progress in statistics collected the Writing Assessment Module, select "Yes."  Otherwise, select "No."

Assessment logfile path ...: Directory where Writing Assessment Module statistics are stored in the comma-delimited "WWBAssessmentLogfile.txt" file.

The next four buttons allow you to -

Restore Current WWB Options

View Writer's Workbench Options Help (a .PDF file)

Submit Changes (you will be prompted to Edit Assessment Statistics Settings or not)

Exit Ignoring Changes

WWB.INI:  This file (now located in the WWB installation directory (typically C:\WWB)) defines how Writer's Workbench operates.  The [WWB] section of wwb.ini contains the following adjustable settings.

The [DISPLAY] section of wwb.ini is used to control size and placement of Word's windows while WWB is running.

The [WMG] (Writing Mechanics Grade) section of wwb.ini is used to control size and placement of Word's windows while WWB is running.

Click here for details about the Assessment Scores Module

 Writer's Workbench Log File

Writer's Workbench versions 8.0 and later provide the ability to create log entries to track Writer's Workbench usage.  This feature (transparent to the user!) is useful for verifying that students are in fact using Writer's Workbench to analyze their compositions and to track general Writer's Workbench usage in your writing labs.

By setting the LOGWWB parameter to "YES" (click on Yes in the Generate LOGFILE for analyses? box in the Options Menu) and pointing the LOGPATH (entering a path in LogFile path in the Options Menu) to a legitimate writable folder, a file named wwblogfile.txt will be created and appended to each time a student analyzes his or her composition.  Note: the file must be writable by the I.D. that logs into the workstation.

If the LOGPATH parameter is set to a mapped folder on the network (For example, W:\WWBLOGFILES), then multiple workstations can append to the wwblogfile.txt simultaneously.  Each time a WWB user analyzes a composition, a one-line entry is appended to the end of the wwblogfile.txt file.  Three such entries might look like:

PBithos * Tempest * Content - Diversity of Content Vocabulary * 10/11/2002 10:59:57 AM
PBithos * Tempest * Clarity - This * 10/11/2002 11:04:12 AM
PBithos * Tempest * Content - Organization and Development * 10/11/2002 11:05:13 AM

Here, PBithos is the second line of the student's paper (first initial, last name), and Tempest is the first line of the student's paper.  The next field is the analysis followed by the date and time the analysis was run.

Since wwblogfile.txt is a text file, it can be viewed using notepad, and can easily be imported into a database or spreadsheet.

Since this file will continue to grow each time a composition is analyzed, we recommend that the wwblogfile.txt be renamed periodically, say, once a month or once a week.  For example, if you want to rename it once a month, you might rename the log file "wwblogfile1002.txt" on October 31, 2002 to denote those analyses performed in October, 2002, and "wwblogfile1102" on November 30, 2002 for those in November.  The "live" logfile will always be named "wwblogfile.txt."

If you have any problems or questions with Writer's Workbench setup, either email us at wwbsupport@emo.com or call our toll-free number at 888-EMO-TEAM.

Back to Writer's Workbench Tips Page

Last modified 08/07/08.