Writer's Café Downloads

Download Writer's Café

Writer's Café Downloads | Other Downloads
What's new in Writer's Café | What's new in StoryLines

Why not give the demo a whirl for free - then register if you like it. When you register (for roughly the cost of a good night out!) you get these benefits:

You can create more than 20 scraps in the Scrapbook;
In StoryLines, you can create more than 30 cards and 5 storylines;
no more nag screens;
you can use the Mail Wizard to quickly mail projects and exported reports to others;
you can access the e-book on writing, "Fiction: The Facts", by Harriet Smart (now available in German);
you can listen to the full song, "Untie My Tongue", by Jay Goldmark.

Customers who buy now are entitled to a free upgrade to the forthcoming Writer's Café 2, due in August. Check out the beta version and let us know what you think. Please note that once projects have been opened in Writer's Café 2 and saved, they cannot be opened in Writer's Café 1. Other than that, the two versions can be installed on the same machine.

Writer's Café Downloads

Windows | Mac | Linux | FreeBSD | Pocket PC 2003

Download Writer's Café here. Existing StoryLines and Writer's Café users are entitled to free upgrades to Writer's Café for that major version (for example, 1.x). Please uninstall your existing version of StoryLines or Writer's Café before installing a new version (your registration details will be preserved). Before you do this, please read the notes on uninstalling to reduce the likelihood of losing data. Writer's Café includes Writer's Café Desk, StoryLines, and a variety of other tools.

StoryLines and the Fiction: The Facts e-book are available in a German translation (built in to all distributions). Other tools are in English only at present, but spell-checking is available in several languages including German.

Writer's Café 1.30 for Windows 98/ME/NT/W2K/XP/Vista

Writer's Café for Windows is about 17 MB in size. You need about 30 MB of disk space.

The Unicode version is recommended for writing in non-Western European languages.

Writer's Café 1.30 for Mac OS X - FREE

Writer's Café for Mac OS X is about 29 MB in size. It requires OS X 10.3.9 (Panther) or later. (If you have an earlier version of Panther you can upgrade to 10.3.9 for free if you have a broadband connection.) Note that this disk image contains universal binaries and will run on both PowerPC and Intel Macs at full speed.

The archive is a disk image; downloading will automatically mount it, and you can then drag the Writer's Café 1.xx folder to an appropriate place, such as the Applications folder. You need about 55 MB of disk space.

Writer's Café 1.30 for Mac OS X

This is a Unicode version, recommended for writing in non-Western European languages. There is also an ANSI version.

Why is the Mac version free?

Writer's Café 1.30 for i386 Linux

Writer's Café for Linux is about 20 MB in size. You need around 30 MB of disk space.

The 32-bit binary is compiled on Debian Etch (4.0), and works on a variety of distributions including Red Hat Fedora Core, SuSE Linux, Ubuntu, and Debian. The 64-bit binary is compiled on OpenSuSE 10.3 and is known to run on 64-bit Debian Etch (4.0).

See the FAQ for how to install Writer's Café on Linux.

Writer's Café 1.30 for FreeBSD 6

Writer's Café for FreeBSD 6 is about 19 MB in size.

Writer's Café 1.30 for FreeBSD 6

Pocket StoryLines 1.43 Beta 2, for Pocket PC 2003

Pocket StoryLines is about 1.8 MB in size. This is a free beta, with reduced functionality to simplify operation on a small device. Do let us know what you think of it.

Pocket StoryLines for PPC 2003

To install, unarchive the zip file to a directory on your desktop PC, for example c:\temp\storylines. Then, with ActiveSync running and your device connected, execute the setup.exe file to install StoryLines onto your device. Then run StoryLines and open a sample file (in the Documents\StoryLines directory) or create a new project in the usual way.

There is currently no online help for this version so please use your desktop StoryLines help. The main change to the interface is the selection of card data, report window and project information all from the same drop-down list. Report style editing is currently not supported; this can be done on a desktop computer. Context menus are shown by holding the stylus down for a moment.

Beta 2 adds report export, and Windows Mobile 5.0 compatibility.

Beta 3 adds report style editing and a full-screen editing mode.

Other Downloads

Here's some other software you may be interested in downloading:

OpenOffice.org: OpenOffice.org is a fantastic, free office suite that you can use alongside StoryLines.
Anthemion HelpView: Anthemion HelpView is an application for displaying pages of help in a conveniently packaged form. It looks similar to Microsoft HTML Help, but is available on multiple platforms, not just Windows. StoryLines can generate HelpView files, which you can then distribute to your friends and colleagues - create your own e-book in seconds.
Microsoft HTML Help Workshop: StoryLines can generate Windows HTML Help files, if you download and install Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop.

What's new in Writer's Café

Version 1.30, May 6th 2008

Added recognition for the Writer's Café 2 key.
Fixed a problem with collage text formatting.

Version 1.29, March 12th 2008

Improved detection of external applications (for example, PDF viewer) on Windows.

Version 1.28, December 7th 2007

Now checks for existing "My Documents" directory on Linux as well as Windows.
Added installation script for adding items to Eee PC start menu on Linux.

Version 1.27, December 3rd 2007

Added Full Screen display mode.
Improved border styles on Windows.
Added RPM and Debian packages for Linux.

Version 1.26, October 19th 2007

Added crash reporting facility under Windows.
Fixed problems running on more recent versions of Linux and GTK+2.

Version 1.25, July 30th 2007

Fixed a problem causing scraps to be marked as changed when they're not. This may have contributed to a rare empty text scrap condition.
Made text scrap reading more robust to cope with the case of a non-UTF-8 encoding being used to save the note. Also added more error messages in case of scrap save failure.
Fixed a sizing bug in the collage shape property dialog.

Version 1.24, June 5th 2007

Fixed printing bug for accented or non-European characters.
Fixed crash in Writer's Cafe desk in web scraps when external browser is selected.
Fixed a crash when trying to paste after the root of the scrapbook project.
Improved toolbar appearance in Windows Vista.

Version 1.23, March 29th 2006

Web address scrap now launches URL correctly in Mac Unicode version.
Fixed some bugs with shortcut keys on Mac.
Provided a better font selector on Mac.

Version 1.22, January 14th 2006

Added the ability to add custom books to the Bookshelf, using the Books panel in the settings dialog.
Added contents viewer for Notebook and Journal, showing a clickable list of pages and a few lines from each page's content.
Added ability to set the default document folder.
Fixed an error on MacOS due to repeated creation of a Documents folder that is an alias.
Text scraps are now encoded in UTF-8 which fixes a bug when entering non-Western European characters.

Version 1.21, December 23rd 2005

Added File Management dialog, allowing backup and restoration of project files, plus editing of configurations to associate a scrapbook, notebook and journal.
Added spelling checking for journal and notebook.
Fixed a problem with auto-paste affecting Mozilla browsers.
Prepared for Unicode releases by adding forward-compatibility with files written by the Unicode version.
Added German translation of "Fiction: The Facts", called "Einfach Schreiben!"

Version 1.20, November 2nd 2005

Now sets the keyboard focus when manipulating objects on a collage scrap, so that deleting objects is possible using the Delete key.
Auto-paste on Windows now only happens if the copy interval is more than 100 milliseconds, to avoid auto-paste occurring erroneously when an application pastes several formats to the clipboard simultaneously.
Improved scrap cleaning behaviour.
Moved scrap settings from General page to Scrapbook page, and added separate checkbox for Use Auto-Paste.
Added option Group auto-pasted scraps by date.
Select All menu command now enabled in scrap.
When importing images, a corrupt image no longer causes infinite error messages.
Can now force moving dragging a scrap into a folder by holding down Shift (Ctrl vetoes).
On Linux and Mac, now uses home directory for storing tools list.
Book and MP3 files are now unscrambled even if running in a read-only directory.
Search now applies to the current Journal and Notebook.

Version 1.19, June 21st 2005

Fixed problem with copying a hierarchy of scraps.
Fixed some refresh problems on Windows.

Version 1.18, May 2nd 2005

Fixed font selection for text in collage shapes.
On Linux and Mac, the default folder for Journals and Notebooks is now Documents and not the home directory top-level.
Now copies the default scrapbook (Scraps) to your document folder, to reduce the risk of overwriting by uninstallation or upgrading in the future.
Rebuilt using wxWidgets 2.6.0 on all platforms, giving minor improvements in look and feel.

Version 1.17, October 1st 2004

Under Windows, pressing the tab key no longer leaves the browser window.
Now ensured that a log message won't get hidden under the splash screen causing a lockup.
Fixed paragraph breaks on Mac.
Added View multiple scrapbooks option to allow more than one scrapbook to be loaded at a time.
Added Go To Date... and Go To Page... menu items to the journal and notebook tool menus respectively.
Added Rename... menu item to scrapbook context menu.
Added Prompt for scrap titles option to general settings.

Version 1.16, August 11th 2004

Further Mac adaptations.
Replaced root scrapbook icon.
Fixed a bug switching between journals from the drop-down journal menu.
Fixed document/application launching when there are spaces in the filename.
Tools are regenerated if the application location is moved, to restore broken links.

Version 1.15, August 6th 2004

Toolbars now looks better on Windows XP with the Classic style.
Added search engine field to browser settings.
Journal and notebook print and preview now format paragraphs and line breaks correctly.
Added menu commands for Show Notebook in Browser, Show Journal in Browser, and Show Scraps in Browser.

Version 1.14, July 28th 2004

Added keyboard shortcuts for scrap creation.
Fixed a bug dragging documents within the scrapbook outline.

Version 1.13, July 20th 2004

Fixed a save bug in the Journal.
Improved search for OpenOffice Writer on Linux.

Version 1.12, July 14th 2004

Added WordTiles tool.
Changed some graphics.
Fixed a problem showing the Settings dialog on Windows 98/Windows ME.
Added ability to switch splash screen off.
Improved performance when switching back to the main window.

Version 1.11, July 5th 2004

Fixed executable launch in Café Menu.
Enabled context-sensitive help for tabs.
Improved collage saving.
Large collage images copied from the clipboard or opened are now scaled.
The delete key can be used to delete collage images.
Collage image browser dialog now remembers the last image folder.

Version 1.10, June 30th, 2004

First public release.

What's new in StoryLines

Version 1.50, May 6th, 2008

Fixed another bug related to creating a project from a template.
Fixed problem with project notes being disabled when opening a second file.

Version 1.49, March 12th, 2008

Fixed a bug related to creating a project from a template.

Version 1.48, December 7th, 2007

Further dialog adaptations for small screens.
Fixed a sizing bug in the Floating Card Editor.

Version 1.47, December 3rd, 2007

Added Full Screen mode.
Fixed a bug adding icons to cards caused by faulty compiler optimization.
StoryLines now removes auto-completion characters pasted from other applications, that can cause problems for printing and OpenOffice output.
Fixed a bug importing text into Project Notes.
Improved border styles on Windows.

Version 1.46, October 19th, 2007

Fixed a problem with the Mail Project command.
Fixed a bug using a template to create a project.
Added crash reporting facility.

Version 1.45, July 30th, 2007

Fixed a problem whereby Floating Content Editor would not reappear due to saving settings when minimized.
Fixed a sizing problem in the Card Properties dialog.

Version 1.44, June 5th, 2007

Fixed the size of the encodings dialog.
Fixed tab handling problems on Mac (double tab insertion and spurious window navigation).
Fixed problem where on Mac, the Floating Card Editor would be closed when switching to the main document window.
Find and Replace is now available from the Floating Card Editor.
Fixed drawing of custom column labels when scrolling.
Fixed a bug with colouring the outline when moving or creating a card.
Improved toolbar appearance in Windows Vista.

Version 1.43, March 29th, 2006

Fixed a problem navigating between cards in the Floating Card Editor.
Added Players tab to editor, for entering the names of characters that take part in a scene.
Added new report elements: Show Players, Show Locations, Show Players Table, Show Locations Table. The tables allow export to applications such as Excel when generating a text report, as they are output in tab-delimited format.
Fixed some bugs with shortcut keys on Mac.
Fixed a problem on Mac whereby context menu commands were sometimes being duplicated.
Provided a better font selector on Mac.
Pasting text on Mac now registers as text input (was sometimes ignored previously).

Version 1.42, January 14th, 2006

Added ability to mark a paragraph style as Asian, for correct export to OpenOffice.org.
Added Report Encodings dialog, to specify encodings for various output formats, and improved report export in non-Western European languages.
Fixed crash bug when right-clicking below the last storyline and selected New Card.
Improved appearance of card editor tabs.

Version 1.41, December 23rd, 2005

Fixed bug in card statistics (incorrect column and storyline counts).
Fixed tab traversal on the Basics page of the Project Information dialog. Fields now scroll into view when tabbing into them.
Fixed problem with Enter key in Floating Card Window fields on Mac.
No longer regenerates report during a drag operation (fixes jerky drag operations).
German translation of StoryLines now available on Linux and Mac.

Version 1.40, November 2nd, 2005

Fixed error message when pasting cards from clipboard or pockets when the original storyline has been deleted.
Added Floating Card Editor, available from the View menu or via F8.
Added command to show or hide storyline window.
Added card icons, available from the Card Properties dialog and Edit menu.
Added Card Statistics page to the Card Properties dialog.
Added spelling checker, available from the Edit menu or via F12.
Added word count to the Project Summary dialog.
Added ability to add italics, bold and underline to content, using HTML markup. This interim solution will be replaced by WYSIWYG functionality in 2006.
Fixed duplicate "More Help" button in Quick Tour and tips.
Fixed a hang when adding more than 64 storylines.
Content highlighting now available on Linux.
On Mac, moved Templates and ReportStyles directory above StoryLines application folder.
Content highlighting now available on Linux.

Version 1.39, June 21st, 2005

Fixed crash on some platforms when deleting a column containing cards on a hidden storyline.
Fixed crash on renaming pocket.
Added option to "Show card content" report element, to allow showing the content in a separate column.
Fixed a crash on Mac when choosing a background bitmap.

Version 1.38, May 2nd, 2005

Fixed a bug whereby the wrong cards could be deleted in a pocket.
Ctrl-right-click no longer causes a crash if you have no storylines.
Shift-click, control-click or command-click (Mac) can be used to select a card, without needing to click on the card's selection bar.
Cutting a card from the context menu now also copies it to the clipboard.
Fixed bug on Mac whereby the current font setting was lost when switching between cards.
Can now import from XML template as well as STK.
In Content text, no longer interprets text following a colon as a name even if followed by * or >.
Fixed a bug when inserting a card into a project where some storylines have been hidden (added the card on the wrong storyline).

Version 1.37, October 1st, 2004

Copying cards now copies the card text to the system clipboard as well as StoryLines' internal clipboard.

Version 1.36, August 11th, 2004

Further corrections for Mac.
On Mac, can hold down shift key to select multiple cards.
Fixed disappearing project notes bug.

Version 1.35, August 6th, 2004

Fixed a problem showing the colour dialog on Mac.
Dialogs all now use the standard text size on Mac.
The description, content, annotaton and notes windows can now take more than 32Kb on Windows.

Version 1.34, July 28th, 2004

Dragging cards now has a tolerance so positioning doesn't have to be so precise.
Clicking on a storyline sets the current storyline selection in the toolbar.
Fixed a bug inserting a column in front of the first column.
The storyline indicator in the card editor now updates when the card is moved to a different storyline.
Content highlighting is now off by default.
Added a short story sample file, 'Lena'.

Version 1.33, July 14th, 2004

Refresh problem under Windows fixed.

Version 1.32, July 5th, 2004

Fixed bug when deleting a storyline containing a card with the current focus.
Fixed image export bug.
Reimplemented content and image toolbars on Mac.
Fixed text selection bug on Mac, when a card is focussed.
Fixed master storyline refresh bug when creating or cutting cards.
Added "Card order policy" to Aesthetics dialog to allow StoryLines to choose the subcolumn ordering based on storylines order.
Under Windows, short-form filenames sent to StoryLines when invoking from Windows Explorer are now converted to long form.

Version 1.31, June 29th, 2004

No longer closes the first frame (and StoryLines) if it doesn't succeed in opening the last file.
Fixed bug whereby labels could be out of sync when creating new cards.
Optimized refresh when creating or deleting cards.

Version 1.30, June 22nd, 2004

Updated some graphics in manual and Quick Tour.

Version 1.29, June 22nd, 2004

XML export now writes card contents as both plain text and structured data. If plain text is not available on import, it is recreated from the structured data.
Reworked most of the icons.
Fixed some ordering inconsistencies between outline and master track.
Fixed a problem loading card background images.
Moved Find and Replace to Edit menu.
First German version.

Version 1.28, June 4th, 2004

Initialises a default pocket after importing from a template.
Now sets the card focus when right-clicking.
Added XML import/export; you can use the File Open and Save dialogs to choose your preferred format.
Added option to Paragraph Style Editor Dialog to apply all paragraph style changes to the other styles in the report.
Added further How To topics and a Troubleshooting section to the manual.
Now stores project and card background images in the project file to eliminate the problem of missing backgrounds.

Version 1.27, May 19th, 2004

Fixed a bug with commands being directed to wrong window.
Fixed custom font bug in card editor.

Version 1.26, May 17th, 2004

Added an Image tab to the card editor, allowing one image per card.
Added Show Card Image to report styles. Images can be shown in HTML and OpenOffice.org Writer reports.
Added Preferred Image Format and Card Display Policy preferences to the Settings dialog.
Removed the Project Settings dialog, and added Apply settings to option to allow application of aesthetic settings either to the current project, or to new projects.
Scrollbars are adjusted appropriately now when card size changes.
The label window now scrolls properly when the storyline window is auto-scrolling.
Control-right-clicking no longer inserts a spurious column.
Time and location fields can now take arbitrary text.
The outline view now scrolls to the appropriate place when a card is focussed.

Version 1.25, April 18th, 2004

Bitmap background enabled on Mac.
OpenOffice and HTB export enabled on Mac.
Various cosmetic Mac improvements.
Fixed bug whereby changing the author in the new project wizard could unregister StoryLines.
Implemented copy, cut and paste of cards.
Implemented pockets (holding areas for cards).
Del key now deletes selected cards if the storylines window is focussed.
Undo and Redo menus and accelerators work again in text controls.
Added report selector and settings button on the report window.
Reports will be refreshed if the report has just been edited.
Added 'tabular' report attribute and new Tabular report style. This shows cards in columns, one column per storyline.

Version 1.24, March 11th, 2004

Fixed a bug in edit-in-place that caused StoryLines to crash under Windows 98 SE and Windows ME when the card text control focus was lost.
No longer overwrites read-only files.
Fixed bug in inheriting card size and bitmap properties from global settings.
Uses internal viewer if HelpView isn't found when exporting a .htb report.

Version 1.23, February 13th, 2004

Fixed a bug that caused StoryLines to hang on typing a transition with no following newline.
Fixed a bug in moving sections when inserting new columns as the result of dragging cards to the start of the project.
A Courier font is now used for reports on Linux as well as Windows.
Having Numlock on no longer accidentally simulates holding down the Alt key on Linux.
Forty Thieves file permissions on Linux now corrected.
Now includes storylines.xpm file in Linux distribution.

Version 1.22, January 26th, 2004

Changed web site name to www.writerscafe.co.uk.

Version 1.21, January 12th, 2004

Fixed problem under Windows where only one page would be printed if you chose to print all pages.
Fixed bug when creating a new card with the toolbar hidden.
Outline labels are now chopped off after the first newline.
Added Project Settings... item to the storyline window context menu.

Version 1.20, January 7th, 2004

Fixed vertical scrolling bug.
Further work on special characters for OpenOffice headers and footers.

Version 1.19, January 7th 2004

StoryLines now limits itself to one running instance. You can still have multiple windows.
Fixed apparent non-appearance in the outline window of the first card in a new project.
Truncated some tooltips that were being chopped off under Windows.
Special characters such as registered and copyright symbols now exported correctly to OpenOffice.org.

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