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2. DITA topic reference

2.1. DITA topic menu

When a DITA topic (of any kind) is opened in XMLmind XML Editor, the XML menu becomes the Topic menu and this menu is populated with items which are specific to DITA topics. This reference contains a description of such menu items.

Table editor

This table editor may be used to edit simpletables as well as CALS tables. Most table editing commands can be repeated by using EditRepeat (Ctrl-A).
Note that using this table editor, or simply saving a topic, or checking a topic for validity, guarantees that the cols attribute of a tgroup is up to date. That is, you may forget about the cols attribute, XMLmind XML Editor will always compute it for you.
Menu Item Description
Column
For a command in this menu to work, click anywhere inside a cell(1).
insertColumnBefore.png Insert Before Insert a column before column containing specified cell.
insertColumnAfter.png Insert After Insert a column after column containing specified cell.
cut.png Cut Cut to the clipboard the column containing specified cell.
copy.png Copy Copy to the clipboard the column containing specified cell.
pasteBefore.png Paste Before Paste copied or cut column before column containing specified cell.
pasteAfter.png Paste After Paste copied or cut column after column containing specified cell.
delete.png Delete Delete the column containing specified cell.
sortRows.png Sort Rows
Sort all the rows of the table according to the string values of the cells of the “selected column”. (The “selected column” is the column containing specified cell.)
A dialog box is displayed allowing to specify the following sort options:
Order
Dictionary is the language-specific alphabetical order. Example: (Charles, best, Albert) is sorted as (Albert, best, Charles).
Numeric. The string value of a cell is expected to start with a number. Example: (+15.0%, 1.50%, -20%) is sorted as (-20%, 1.50%, +15.0%).
Lexicographic is the order of Unicode Opens in new window characters. Example: (Charles, best, Albert) is sorted as (Albert, Charles, best).
Dictionary and Numeric orders will cause this menu item to fail, unless the language of the table can be determined (i.e. lookup for the xml:lang attribute).
Direction
Ascending means: A to Z, low to high. Descending means: Z to A, high to low.
Note that:
  • Header rows (i.e. thead, sthead) are never sorted.
  • The contents of row groups (i.e. tbody) are sorted separately.
Row
For a command in this menu to work, click anywhere inside a cell(1) or explicitly select a row.
insertRowBefore.png Insert Before
Insert a row before row containing specified cell.
Note
Note
Note that row editing commands are enabled, not only by implicitly or explicitly selecting a table cell or any of its descendants, but also by explicitly selecting a table row.
insertRowAfter.png Insert After Insert a row before row containing specified cell.
cut.png Cut Cut to the clipboard the row containing specified cell.
copy.png Copy Copy to the clipboard the row containing specified cell.
pasteBefore.png Paste Before Paste copied or cut row before row containing specified cell.
pasteAfter.png Paste After Paste copied or cut row after row containing specified cell.
delete.png Delete Delete the row containing specified cell.
Cell
For a command in this menu to work, click anywhere inside a cell(1).
incrementColumnSpan.png Increment Column Span Increment the number of columns spanned by specified cell. Not relevant for simpletables.
decrementColumnSpan.png Decrement Column Span Decrement the number of columns spanned by specified cell. Not relevant for simpletables.
incrementRowSpan.png Increment Row Span Increment the number of rows spanned by specified cell. Not relevant for simpletables.
decrementRowSpan.png Decrement Row Span Decrement the number of rows spanned by specified cell. Not relevant for simpletables.

Paste plain text as one or more paragraphs or as a table

Paste As
The entries of this submenu allow to paste the plain text copied to the clipboard, typically using a third-party word processor or spreadsheet, as:
  • one or more paragraphs,
  • OR a pre element,
  • OR one or more list items,
  • OR an itemized list,
  • OR one or more table rows,
  • OR a table.
The last two menu entries assume that each text line specifies a table row and that, within a text line, the contents of the table cells are separated by tab characters.
Tip
Tip
If you need to paste the copied text as an ordered list, first paste this text as an itemized list then convert the pasted list to an ordered list using EditConvert (Ctrl-T).
The above menu entries paste elements after the implicitly or explicitly selected element.
The following entries of this submenu allow to paste the image copied to the clipboard as:
  • image,
  • fig.
Except for menu entry "image" which replaces the selection or pastes an element at caret position (like EditPaste), the other menu entries paste an element after the implicitly or explicitly selected element.

Indexterm editor

Insert or Edit indexterm
If the caret is anywhere inside an indexterm element or if a single element or node is explicitly selected anywhere inside an indexterm element, this menu item displays an indexterm editor dialog box allowing to modify this indexterm element.
Otherwise, this menu item displays an indexterm editor dialog box allowing to create a new indexterm element and then to insert it at caret position.
Tip
Tip
If some text has been selected, field Term of the dialog box is automatically initialized with the text selection. Therefore the simplest way to create an indexterm element is first to select the term in the body of the document, then invoke TopicInsert or Edit indexterm and finally click OK.

Moving elements

up.png Move Up
Move selected element up, that is, swap it with its preceding sibling node. Requires the element to be explicitly selected.
down.png Move Down
Move selected element down, that is, swap it with its following sibling node. Requires the element to be explicitly selected.

Convert Document menu

Attention
Attention
The items of this menu are all disabled if the document being edited needs to be saved to disk.
Convert to XHTML
Convert to XHTML [one page]
Converts the document being edited to multi page or single page XHTML 1.0.
Convert to Web Help
Converts the document being edited to Web Help Opens in new window.
Convert to HTML Help
Converts the document being edited to a .chm file. This command is disabled on platforms other than Windows.
Requires:
  1. Download and install Microsoft®'s HTML Help Workshop.
  2. Declare the HTML Help compiler, hhc.exe, as the helper application associated to files having a "hhp" extension. This can be specified by using the Preferences dialog box, Helper Applications section.
Convert to Java Help
Converts the document being edited to a .jar file for use by the Java™ Help system.
Requires:
  1. Download and install JavaHelp Opens in new window.
  2. Declare the Java™ Help indexer, jhindexer (jhindexer.bat on Windows), as the helper application associated to files having a "application/x-java-help-index" MIME type. This can be specified by using the Preferences dialog box, Helper Applications section.
Convert to Eclipse Help
Converts the document being edited to a directory containing various files for use by the Eclipse Help system.
Convert to EPUB
Converts the document being edited to an .epub file.
Convert to RTF (Word 2000+)
Converts the document being edited to RTF (Rich Text Format) using. The document generated by this command can be edited and printed using Microsoft® Word 2000 and above.
Requires downloading and installing the "XMLmind FO Converter XSL-FO processor plug-in " add-on using OptionsInstall add-ons.
Convert to WordprocessingML (Word 2003+)
Converts the document being edited to WordprocessingML. The document generated by this command can be edited and printed using Microsoft® Word 2003 and above.
Same requirements as Convert to RTF.
Convert to Office Open XML (Word 2007+)
Converts the document being edited to Office Open XML (.docx file) . The document generated by this command can be edited and printed using Microsoft® Word 2007 and above.
Same requirements as Convert to RTF.
Convert to OpenDocument (OpenOffice.org 2+)
Converts the document being edited to OpenDocument (.odt file). The document generated by this command can be edited and printed using OpenOffice.org 2.
Same requirements as Convert to RTF.
Print PostScript
Convert the document being edited to PostScript® and send the generated file to the chosen printer.
Requires downloading and installing any of the following add-ons using OptionsInstall add-ons.
  • Apache FOP 1.x XSL-FO processor plug-in;
  • RenderX XEP XSL-FO processor plug-in(2).
Convert to PDF
Convert the document being edited to PDF.
Same requirements as Print PostScript.

2.2. DITA topic tool bar

When a DITA topic (of any kind) is opened in XMLmind XML Editor, buttons which are specific to this kind of document are automatically added to the tool bar. This reference contains a description of such buttons.

Button Description
italic.png Toggle i
“Toggle” element i. Next to this toggle is found an arrow button displaying a menu containing additional checkboxes for the following elements: term, cite, tm, tm[reg].
Note
Note
The DITA tool bar starts with a number of “text style” toggles. These toggles emulate the behavior of the Bold, Italic, Underline, etc, toggles found in the tool bars of almost all word-processors. More information about text style toggles in "About text style toggles Opens in new window".
Figure 1. Toggles found at the beginning of the DITA tool bar
dita_text_style_toggles.png
In the above screenshot, the caret is inside an i element and the user clicked the arrow button next to a “italic text style” toggle.
bold.png Toggle b
“Toggle” element b. Next to this toggle is found an arrow button displaying a menu containing additional checkboxes for the following elements: keyword, uicontrol, option.
typewriter.png Toggle tt
“Toggle” element tt. Next to this toggle is found an arrow button displaying a menu containing additional checkboxes for the following elements: filepath, varname, cmdname, apiname.
link.png Toggle xref
“Toggle” element xref.
paragraph.png Add p
Add a p after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so.
Note
Note
This command and all the following commands will never add an element inside a p, even it is valid to do so. These commands add elements always after a p. That is, a p element is always considered by these commands as being a plain paragraph and never as being a division.
addListItem.png Add list item
Add a list item of the right type after current list item. For this command to work, suffice to click anywhere inside an sl, ul, ol, dl, choices, substeps, steps, steps-unordered.
itemizedList.png Add ul
Add an ul after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
orderedList.png Add ol
Add an ol after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
definitionList.png Add dl
Add a dl after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
pre_menu.png Add pre
Displays a menu which allows to add a pre, lines, screen, codeblock or a msgblock after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
table_menu.png Add table
Displays a menu which allows to add a simpletable or a table after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
figure_menu.png Add image
Displays a menu which allows to
  • insert an image at caret position;
  • OR add a fig (containing an image) after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
media_menu.png Insert media object
Displays a menu which allows to insert a “media object” at caret position.
object(audiovideo)
An object element allowing to add audio or video to your topic.
object(flash)
An object element allowing to add an Adobe® Flash® animation to your topic.
xref(play)
An xref element containing <?onclick play()?>.
Last menu item allows to insert an <?onclick?> processing-instruction at caret position or, if an <?onclick?> processing-instruction is selected, to edit it.
More information about the above “media objects” in Section 6.
section.png Add section Add a section after node selection or after caret at a location where it is valid to do so and where it makes sense to do so (see note).
onlineHelp.png Browse the DITA reference manual found on the OASIS Web site
Use the Web browser to display the documentation of the element explicitly or implicitly selected. (Contributed by Mark Fletcher.)
Requires to be connected to the Internet because the reference manual of DITA elements Opens in new window is found on the OASIS Web site.

2.3. DITA topic bindings

When a DITA topic (of any kind) is opened in XMLmind XML Editor, additional keyboard shortcuts and additional drag and drop facilities which are specific to this kind of document are automatically made available to the user. This reference contains a description of such user input/command bindings.

Keyboard shortcut Description
Enter
Insert a newline character if possible. Otherwise, if caret is at the beginning of a paragraph, list item or a few other kinds of block, insert same block before. Otherwise, if caret is at the end of a block, insert same block after. Otherwise, split block.
Del
Delete selection if any. Otherwise, if caret is at the end of a paragraph, list item or a few other kinds of block, join with following block. Otherwise, delete character following caret.
BackSpace
Delete selection if any. Otherwise, if caret is at the beginning of a paragraph, list item or a few other kinds of block, join with preceding block. Otherwise, delete character preceding caret.
Ctrl-Enter
Add same block after the paragraph, list item or a few other kinds of block which is the ancestor of selected node.
Ctrl+Shift-Enter
Add same block before the paragraph, list item or a few other kinds of block which is the ancestor of selected node.
Ctrl-F1 Browse the DITA reference manual found on the OASIS Web site
Drop an object.
If the drop occurs above an element having an href attribute other than an image (e.g. an xref), the dropped string is considered to be an URL and is used to change the value of the href attribute.
Note that this kind of drop attempts to relativize the dropped URL against the location of the drop site. For example, if you drop "file://home/john/doc/topic1.dita" onto an xref contained in file "file://home/john/doc/ref/reference2.dita", its href is set to "../topic1.dita".
Elsewhere, normal behaviour which is:
Drop onto an image element
Considers the dropped string to be the URL or the filename of a graphics file. Displays a dialog box allowing to copy or reference this graphics file for use by the image element.
Drop elsewhere
If the object being dropped is an URL or an absolute filename, open the corresponding document. Otherwise, paste the dropped text or XML at or after the drop location.
Drag one of the “handles” displayed around an image. (The “handles” are displayed after clicking on the image.)
Resize the image, but always preserve its aspect ratio.
Pressing Ctrl (Cmd on the Mac) while dragging the handle allows to distort the image.
Drag a separator found between two table columns.
Resize the table column. More precisely this gives an appropriate proportional width (e.g. <colspec colwidth="3*">) to all table columns.

 (1) or explicitly select a cell or an element having a cell ancestor
 (2) Unlike all the other add-ons, the RenderX XEP XSL-FO processor plug-in is not self-contained. You'll need to download, install and activate RenderX XEP Opens in new window (for example, free Personal Edition Opens in new window) prior to using the RenderX XEP XSL-FO processor plug-in.