Chapter 2. Writing macro-commands

Table of Contents

1. How commands are executed
2. A sequence of commands
3. Alternative commands
4. Testing if a command can be executed
5. The "%_" variable
6. Macro-variables
7. Simple use of named variables
8. General use of get
9. Variables mapped to the selection in XXE
10. Contextual commands

The macro-command examples you'll find in this tutorial can be tested by creating a file called customize.xxe in XXE_user_preferences_dir/addon/ (XXE_user_preferences_dir is $HOME/.xxe/ on Unix and %APPDATA%\XMLmind\XMLeditor\ on Windows) and binding the command to be tested to a keystroke.

Example: this customize.xxe file binds a macro-command named convertToBold to keystroke F2.

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ISO-8859-1'?>
<configuration
  xmlns="http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/schema/configuration"
  xmlns:cfg="http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/schema/configuration">

  <binding>
    <keyPressed code="F2" />
    <command name="convertToBold" />
  </binding>

  <command name="convertToBold">
    <macro>
      <sequence>
        <command name="convert" 
                 parameter="[implicitElement] emphasis" />
        <command name="putAttribute" parameter="role bold" />
      </sequence>
    </macro>
  </command>

</configuration>

More information about customizing XMLmind XML Editor in XMLmind XML Editor - Configuration and Deployment.

The examples used in this tutorial are found in XXE_install_dir/doc/commands/tutorial/customize.xxe.