--- title: "What Is CAT Software? A Guide for New Court Reporters" description: "What CAT software does: how steno strokes become text, what your dictionary does, which programs reporters use, and what to look for in 2026." url: "https://depostack.com/blog/what-is-cat-software/" published: "2026-05-19" updated: "2026-10-11" author: "Andrew Mayes" topic: "CAT software" --- # What Is CAT Software? A Guide for New Court Reporters What CAT software does: how steno strokes become text, what your dictionary does, which programs reporters use, and what to look for in 2026. Published May 19, 2026 · Updated October 11, 2026 · By Andrew Mayes · Topic: CAT software Canonical URL: https://depostack.com/blog/what-is-cat-software/ ## Key takeaways - CAT software translates steno strokes through a reporter-maintained dictionary. - Realtime and post-editing share a foundation but place different demands on the workflow. - Evaluate stability, dictionary tools, exports, support, learning curve, and total cost together. - Test the exact version with your writer, formats, collaborators, and delivery requirements. If you're starting court reporting school, you will hear "CAT software" constantly, usually right next to the price tag, which can be a shock. Here is what it is, what it does, and how to think about it before you spend real money. ## CAT, defined **CAT** stands for **computer-aided transcription**[1] (also written computer-assisted).[2] It is the software that turns the shorthand you write on a steno machine into readable English on screen, in real time, and gives you the tools to edit, format, and deliver a finished transcript that you certify. Put simply: the steno machine captures the strokes; the CAT software translates and manages everything after. ## How steno becomes English When you press keys on a steno writer, you are not typing letters. You are writing **phonetic strokes**, whole syllables or words at once.[2] The CAT software matches each stroke or combination of strokes against your **dictionary**, a personal database that maps steno outlines to the words, phrases, and punctuation you expect.[2] > **Figure.** Steno to English: phonetic strokes matched against your own dictionary; what it cannot translate shows as an untranslate to clean up. Drawing: Steno strokes on a strip, matched through an open personal dictionary, become lines of English text, with one untranslated stroke boxed for cleanup. Two reporters can write the same word with different outlines, and both can be right because the dictionary is personal.[2] That is why your dictionary is one of the most valuable things you maintain as a reporter, and why it grows for your entire career. ## Realtime vs. post-editing CAT software supports two overlapping workflows: - **Realtime:** text appears as you write and may be streamed to attorneys or CART consumers. This demands a clean dictionary and reliable connection. - **Post-editing or scoping:** after the job, you or a scopist clean up untranslates, fix conflicts, format, and proofread before certifying. The two overlap: a reporter can write with realtime translation on the job, then edit to final afterward. > **Figure.** Two workflows from the same writing: realtime text streamed as you write, and post-editing or scoping that ends with the transcript you certify. Drawing: One CAT laptop feeding a realtime viewer, and the same job edited as a marked-up draft, then finished as a transcript with the reporter’s signature and seal. ## What to look for in CAT software (2026) As you evaluate new or established options, weigh: - **Realtime quality and stability.** Crashes mid-deposition are unacceptable. Reliability beats feature count. - **Dictionary tools.** Fast conflict resolution and brief-building can save editing time. - **Exports and compatibility.** Verify ASCII, e-transcript, PDF, dictionary interchange, and every client-required deliverable with your own files. - **Learning curve and support.** How quickly can you be productive, and who helps when you are stuck? - **Total cost.** Include the license, support, updates, add-ons, hardware, training, and migration time. ## The established desktop landscape Current professional options include [Eclipse from Advantage Software](https://www.eclipsecat.com/Eclipse) and [Case CATalyst from Stenograph](https://www.stenograph.com/catalyst-pro-39441).[3] They are established, Windows-centered tools with different writer integrations, editing conventions, collaboration features, support models, and costs. Stenograph's [April 2026 CATalyst requirements](https://solutioncenter.stenograph.com/catalyst/systemrequirements) specify Windows 11,[4] while Advantage recommends Windows 10 Professional or above for Eclipse.[5] For dated prices, interchange notes, and support terms for both, see [Eclipse vs. Case CATalyst in 2026](https://depostack.com/blog/eclipse-vs-case-catalyst/). The practical choice is not a broad modern-versus-legacy label. Test the specific product version with your writer, dictionary, transcript formats, collaborators, and delivery requirements before moving production work. Other Windows CAT programs exist, including [digitalCAT from Stenovations](https://www.stenovations.com/digitalcat/),[6] which offers a [student edition](https://www.stenovations.com/digitalcat/student/) at $25 for 90 days with copy-and-paste limits and watermarks, and does not run on macOS or Chromebooks.[7] Voice writers have different input needs, so confirm that any product you evaluate supports your reporting method before you buy. ## Official sources Reviewed October 11, 2026. 1. [Eighteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Administrative Order 26-04](https://flcourts18.org/document/26-04/) (flcourts18.org; January 8, 2026; uses the term computer-aided transcription) 2. [U.S. Patent 8,126,699, Process for translating machine shorthand into text](https://patents.google.com/patent/US8126699B2/en) (patents.google.com; defines a CAT program as searching a steno-to-text dictionary the reporter maintains) 3. [Stenograph Case CATalyst Pro](https://www.stenograph.com/catalyst-pro-39441) (stenograph.com) 4. [Stenograph CATalyst system requirements](https://solutioncenter.stenograph.com/catalyst/systemrequirements) (solutioncenter.stenograph.com; updated April 15, 2026) 5. [Advantage Software Eclipse](https://www.eclipsecat.com/Eclipse) (eclipsecat.com) 6. [Stenovations digitalCAT](https://www.stenovations.com/digitalcat/) (stenovations.com) 7. [digitalCAT student edition](https://www.stenovations.com/digitalcat/student/) (stenovations.com; $25 for 90 days) ## Related Field Notes - [Eclipse vs. Case CATalyst: Price, Platform, and Fit in 2026](https://depostack.com/blog/eclipse-vs-case-catalyst/) - [Switching CAT Software: A Reporter's Migration Checklist](https://depostack.com/blog/switching-cat-software/) - [Realtime Court Reporting: Equipment, Setup & Getting Started in 2026](https://depostack.com/blog/realtime-court-reporting/)