2. DITA topic reference Previous topic Parent topic Child topic Next topic

2.1. DITA topic menu Previous topic Parent topic Child topic Next topic

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. 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.
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 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 After 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.

Indexterm editor

Insert or Edit indexterm
If the caret is anywhere inside an indexterm element, this menu item displays an indexterm editor dialog box allowing to modify this indexterm element.
If the caret is not inside an indexterm element, this menu item displays an indexterm editor dialog box allowing to create a new indexterm element and then to insert it at caret position.

Cross-reference tools

Go to Opposite Link End
An element having an id attribute or an xref or link element having an href attribute must be implicitly or explicitly selected. Scrolls to and selects the opposite link end (if found).
Go to Next Link
An xref or link element having an href attribute must be implicitly or explicitly selected. Scrolls to and selects following link (if found).
Go to Previous Link
An xref of link element having an href attribute must be implicitly or explicitly selected. Scrolls to and selects preceding link (if found).

Convert Document menu

Note
  • proedition.gif This menu is absent in XMLmind XML Editor Personal Edition.
  • 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 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 a .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 Previous topic Parent topic Child topic Next topic

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
italicText.png Convert to i
Convert selected text or implicitly or explicitly selected element to an i element.
boldText.png Convert to b
Convert selected text or implicitly or explicitly selected element to an b element.
typewriterText.png Convert to tt
Convert selected text or implicitly or explicitly selected element to an tt element.
hyperText.png Convert to xref
Convert selected text or implicitly or explicitly selected element to an xref element.
normalText.png Convert to plain text
Convert selected text or implicitly or explicitly selected element to plain text.
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 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).
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).
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).
editDocument.png Edit referenced topic
Open in XMLmind XML Editor the topic referenced in the conref or href attribute of selected element.
If this document is already opened in XMLmind XML Editor, this command brings its view to front and makes it the active one.
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 Previous topic Parent topic Child topic Next topic

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
Inside a p, splits the p in two parts. Elsewhere, normal behaviour.
Del
At the end of a p, if there is no node or text selection, joins this p with following sibling p if any. Otherwise, normal behaviour.
BackSpace
At the beginning of a p, if there is no node or text selection, joins this p with preceding sibling p if any. Otherwise, normal behaviour.
Ctrl-Enter
Inside a p or inside any list item, inserts same element after this one.
Ctrl+Shit-Enter
Inside a p or inside any list item, inserts same element before this one.
F2 e
Ctrl-F1 Browse the DITA reference manual found on the OASIS Web site
Alt-Drag
Alt-Drag only works for elements having an id attribute.
  • If an element having an id attribute is explicitly selected and if the mouse is dragged anywhere over this element, the URL of this element, including a fragment containing the fully qualified ID of the element, is made available for a drop.
  • If the mouse is dragged outside the node selection if any and if it is dragged over an element having an id attribute, he URL of this element, including a fragment containing the fully qualified ID of the element, is made available for a drop.
This kind of drag is mainly useful to build a DITA map by dropping topicrefs. See Creating a DITA map using drag and drop.
Drop
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
Considers the dropped string to be the URL or the filename of an XML document. Opens this document in XXE.

 (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.