1. MENUS and TOOL BAR

This chapter discusses the XML Pro Pull-down Menus and the Tool Bar. XML Menus provide menu access to all file, editing, and document commands available with XML Pro. Commands listed in these menus can also be activated by using the Alt key in conjunction with an alphabetical key.

Figure 1-1 Menu Bar

First select the Alt key combination to display the menu, and then use the appropriate Alt key combination to access the commands on that menu. Each command is shown with the corresponding keystroke command in brackets. For example, pressing Alt and the F key displays the File menu.

NOTE: Some Alt sequences may be duplicated, so be sure to first select the correct menu.

1.1 File Menu (Alt + F) New (Alt + N): Creates a new XML document. Before it is created, you must specify the name for the file with a .XML extension. Open (Alt + O): Launches the File Open dialog box, letting you open an existing XML file for editing. Save (Alt + S): Saves the currently open file with the name displayed in the window's title Bar.

Save As (Alt + A): Lets you re-name the currently open file, and/or save the file to another location.

Print (Alt +P): Opens the Print File dialog box, letting you change the printer settings for the document (if needed), and then prints the current document to your attached printer.

Close (Alt + C): Closes the currently open document. If the document has been edited, but not saved, you will be prompted on screen to save the document before closing it.

Exit (Alt + X): Closes XML Pro. If you have an unsaved, open document, you will be prompted on screen to save it before exiting XML Pro.

1.2 Edit Menu (Alt + E) Cut (Ctrl + X): Removes selected text from the current editing window. Cut text is copied to the clipboard, so that it can be pasted into the document at another location.

Copy (Ctrl + C): Copies the selected text into the clipboard, so that it can be pasted into the document at another location.

Paste (Ctrl + P): Inserts the clipboard contents (from previous cut or copy operations) into the document at the current cursor location.

Find (Alt + F): Opens the Find dialog, letting you search the currently open document for instances of a particular word or phrase.

1.3 Tools Menu (Alt + T) Element Wizard (Alt + E): Launches the XML Pro Element Wizard, which is used to create, remove, and manage element types in the currently open document. Attribute Wizard (Alt + A): Launches the XML Pro Attribute Wizard, which lets you create, remove, and manage attribute types for elements in the currently open document.

Move Element Up (Alt + U): Moves a selected item one line up in the document structure.

Move Element Down (Alt + D): Moves a selected item one line down in the document structure.

Delete Element (Alt + l): Removes the selected item from the document structure, however element types are not removed entirely, and instead are placed in the clipboard temporarily.

Validate (Alt + V): Validates the currently open document's content against a Document Type Definition (DTD), if one has been specified. A DTD is a document in the same directory as the current XML file you are working on that has guidelines for what will be in the file you are working on. If one has not been selected for the document, validation will not be available.

Associate DTD (Alt + A): Launches the Associate DTD dialog, which lets you assign a DTD to the currently open document, or to remove a DTD association from the currently open document.

View XML (Alt + w): Displays on screen the XML Code that is generated in the document file, so you can look at the exact text that will be written to the file for the currently open document.

1.4 Options Menu (Alt + O) View PCDATA Text in Tree (Alt + P): Toggles between Icon View and Full Text View for document tree PCDATA. View Attributes in Tree (Alt + A): Lets you view element attributes in the document tree next to the appropriate element, as well as in the Attribute Window for editing.

Show Element Palette (Alt + E): Displays the Element Palette

Show Entity Palette (Alt + n): Displays the Entity Palette.

Available Elements Constrained by DTD (Alt + C): Restricts adding elements on the currently open document to only those valid as children of the selected element, according to the document's assigned DTD. This is only active when a DTD association has been made and can help prevent you from accidentally creating an invalid document when working with a DTD.

1.5 Help Menu (Alt + H) XML Pro Help (Alt + X): Launches the online help documentation in your associated web browser.

About (Alt + A): Opens the XML Pro about dialog box.


[Top of Page][back to TOC]

1.6 Pop-up Menu This displays when you click on the right mouse button. It only displays when a document file is open. The pop-up menu contains the following options listed below:

1.7. Tool Bar

Figure 1-2. Tool Bar

Tool Bar icons displayed from left to right are:

• New - Opens a new file
• Open - Opens an existing file
• Save - Saves a file
• Print - Prints a file
• Cut - Deletes selected text
• Copy - Copies selected text
• Paste - Inserts selected text
• Element Wizard - Displays the Element Wizard
• Attribute Wizard - Displays the Attribute Wizard
• Move Up - Moves selected item up one line
• Move Down - Moves selected item down one line
• Validate - Validates the currently open document's content against a DTD.