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31.1. Custom controls

Normally the above specification is used to create a normal button, either directly invoking a command or displaying a menu where each item invokes a different command. However, if the first child element of a button element is a class element, a custom control is created rather than a normal button.

Note that a custom control created this way interprets the attributes (icon, toolTip, etc) and the other child elements of its button parent (command, menu) in a specific way. These specificities must be documented separately for each type of custom control.

class

Must be a class which extends java.awt.Component and which implements the com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.ToolBarTool interface.

property

One or more property elements may be used to parametrize the newly created custom component. See bean properties.

DocBook 4 examples:

<button toolTip="emphasis" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/italic.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle</class>

  <command name="pass" parameter="emphasis[not(@role)]" />
</button>

<button toolTip="link" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/hyperText_menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle</class>
  <property name="toggleShowsActiveTextStyle" type="boolean" value="true" />

  <menu>
    <item label="link" icon="xxe-config:common/icons/hyperText.png"
          command="pass" parameter="link[@linkend]" />
    <item label="ulink" icon="xxe-config:common/icons/link.png"
          command="pass" parameter="ulink[@url]" />
  </menu>
</button>

31.1.1. The TextStyleMenu custom control

This custom control consists in a button which displays a menu containing checkboxes. Each checkbox toggles a different text style. More information about text style toggles in About “text style” toggles in XMLmind XML Editor - Online Help.

Class name: com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleMenu

Table 6.2. TextStyleMenu properties
PropertyTypeDefault valueDescription
customizationIdString-

If set, a Customize item is added at the end of the menu. The Customize item displays a dialog box allowing to quickly customize the entries of the menu. More information in Section 15, “Dialog box allowing to edit “text style” menu items” in XMLmind XML Editor - Online Help.

The value of this property is a string which must be chosen in order to be unique within all the customizationId values of all the toolBar custom controls of all XXE configurations.

This custom control is specified similarly to a normal toolBar button element containing a menu child element (see Section 31, “toolBar”), except that:

  1. The first child of the button element must be a class element containing com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleMenu.

  2. The item/@command attributes are completely ignored. For example, you may specify pass or alert.

  3. The item/@parameter attributes must contain a specification of a text style. DocBook 4 examples: emphasis, link[@linkend], sgmltag[@class="element"]. Text style specification is documented in Section 110, “toggleTextStyle” in XMLmind XML Editor - Commands.

In the following DocBook 5 examples, the caret is found inside an email element. That's why the email checkbox is checked.

Example 6.3. Simplest TextStyleMenu custom control
<button toolTip="Miscellaneous text styles" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/emphasisText_menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleMenu</class>

  <menu>
    <item label="quote" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/quote.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}quote" />
    <item label="email" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/email.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}email" />
  </menu>
</button>
Example 6.4. Customizable TextStyleMenu custom control
<button toolTip="Miscellaneous text styles" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/emphasisText_menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleMenu</class>
  <property name="customizationId" type="String" 
            value="db5.miscTextStyles" />

  <menu>
    <item label="quote" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/quote.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}quote" />
    <item label="email" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/email.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}email" />
  </menu>
</button>

31.1.2. The TextStyleToggle custom control

This custom control is a variant of the TextStyleMenu custom control. This custom control combines a toggle button and a plain button having an arrow icon. The arrow button displays a menu containing checkboxes. Each checkbox toggles a different text style. More information about text style toggles in About “text style” toggles in XMLmind XML Editor - Online Help. By default, the toggle button toggles the first text style of the menu. Therefore, this toggle button may be considered to be a “quick access” to the first entry of the menu. Note that when the menu contains a single entry, the arrow button —which is not useful in this case— is automatically suppressed.

Class name: com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle

Table 6.3. TextStyleToggle properties
PropertyTypeDefault valueDescription
customizationIdString-

If set, an arrow button displaying a menu is always created and a Customize item is added at the end of the menu. The Customize item displays a dialog box allowing to quickly customize the entries of the menu. More information in Section 15, “Dialog box allowing to edit “text style” menu items” in XMLmind XML Editor - Online Help.

The value of this property is a string which must be chosen in order to be unique within all the customizationId values of all the toolBar custom controls of all XXE configurations.

toggleShowsLabelbooleanfalse

If set to true, the toggle button shows a label, possibly in addition to an icon.

toggleShowsActiveTextStylebooleanfalse

By default, the toggle button is simply a “quick access” to the first entry of the menu. When this property is set to true, the toggle button becomes a quick access to the entry of the menu which is checked. If there is no checked checkbox in the menu, then the toggle button is a quick access to the first entry of the menu.

[Important]

Do not set this property to true unless each menu item has a different icon and/or you also set toggleShowsLabel to true.

If you don't follow this recommendation, the user of XXE will probably not understand the behavior of TextStyleToggle.

This custom control is specified similarly to a normal toolBar button element containing a command or a menu child element (see Section 31, “toolBar”), except that:

  1. The first child of the button element must be a class element containing com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle.

  2. The command/@name and item/@command attributes are completely ignored. For example, you may specify pass or alert.

  3. The command/@parameter and item/@parameter attributes must contain a specification of a text style. DocBook 4 examples: emphasis, link[@linkend], sgmltag[@class="element"]. Text style specification is documented in Section 110, “toggleTextStyle” in XMLmind XML Editor - Commands.

In the following DocBook 5 examples, the caret is found inside an email element. That's why the email checkbox is checked and, for some examples, the toggle button is selected and shows an envelope icon.

Example 6.5. Simplest TextStyleToggle custom control
<button toolTip="Miscellaneous text styles" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/emphasisText_menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle</class>

  <menu>
    <item label="quote" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/quote.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}quote" />
    <item label="email" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/email.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}email" />
  </menu>
</button>
Example 6.6. “Active” TextStyleToggle custom control
<button toolTip="Miscellaneous text styles" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/emphasisText_menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle</class>
  <property name="toggleShowsActiveTextStyle" type="boolean" value="true" />

  <menu>
    <item label="quote" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/quote.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}quote" />
    <item label="email" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/email.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}email" />
  </menu>
</button>
Example 6.7. “Active” TextStyleToggle custom control showing a label in addition to an icon
<button toolTip="Miscellaneous text styles" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/emphasisText_menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.TextStyleToggle</class>
  <property name="toggleShowsActiveTextStyle" type="boolean" value="true" />
  <property name="toggleShowsLabel" type="boolean" value="true" />

  <menu>
    <item label="quote" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/quote.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}quote" />
    <item label="email" 
          icon="xxe-config:common/icons/email.png"
          command="pass"
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}email" />
  </menu>
</button>

31.1.3. The ListTypeMenu custom control

This custom control consists in a button which displays a menu containing radiobuttons. If the explicitly or implicitly selected element is found anywhere inside a list, then the corresponding radiobutton is selected. Otherwise, there is no selected radiobutton and all the radiobuttons are disabled (grayed).

Selecting a radiobutton other than the currently selected one allows to change the type of the list. Example: convert an itemized list to an ordered list having its items numbered "a.", "b.", "c.", etc.

Class name: com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.ListTypeMenu

This custom control is specified similarly to a normal toolBar button element containing a menu child element (see Section 31, “toolBar”), except that:

  1. The first child of the button element must be a class element containing com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.ListTypeMenu.

  2. The item/@command attributes are completely ignored. For example, you may specify pass or alert.

  3. The item/@parameter attributes must contain a specification of a list type.

A list type comprises 1 or 5 parts. A part is a string which may be quoted using single or double quotes.

The first part is always the name of the list element. This name must be specified using the Clark's notation in XMLmind XML Editor - Commands. DocBook 4 (no namespace) example: itemizedlist. DocBook 5 example: {http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}itemizedlist.

The element name is optionally followed by the specification of an attribute value. This specification comprises 4 supplemental parts:

  • Part #2 is the name of the attribute which participates in specifying the type of the list. This name must be specified using the Clark's notation in XMLmind XML Editor - Commands.

    If, for a given list type, this attribute may be absent, do not forget to add "?" at the end of the attribute name. DocBook example: “decimal” list type: numeration?.

    If an attribute does not specify the type of the list per se but specifies some of the properties of a given list type, then the attribute name must be prefixed by a "+". DocBook examples: +continuation, +inheritnum. See full example below.

  • Part #3 is a regular expression specifying how to detect the type of the list. The value of the attribute must contain a substring matching this regular expression.

    The empty string is a shorthand for ".*" (matches any substring).

    Note that this regular expression is very often as simple as a string literal. DocBook example: loweralpha.

    In a few cases, you'll have to specify an anti-pattern. In other words, The value of the attribute must not contain a substring matching the specified regular expression. When this is the case, put the regular expression between "!{" and "}". XHTML Strict example: !{list-style-type:\s*(lower-alpha|lower-latin|upper-alpha|upper-latin|lower-roman|upper-roman)}.

  • Changing the value of the attribute in order to change the type of the list is a 2-step operation. First step: remove some substrings from the value of the attribute. Second step: prepend a string literal to the value of the attribute.

    Part #4 is a regular expression specifying which substrings are to be removed from the value of the attribute. XHTML Strict example: list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;?.

    The empty string is a shorthand for "^.*$" (remove all characters).

  • Part #5 is a string literal which is to be prepended to the value of the attribute. XHTML Strict example: list-style-type:lower-alpha;.

    This string literal may be empty, in which case, nothing is prepended to the value of the attribute.

In the following examples, the caret is found inside an ordered list. That's why the ol or orderedlist radiobutton is checked.

Example 6.8. Simplest ListTypeMenu; may be used in the DITA Topic configuration
<button group="listGroup" toolTip="Change list type" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.ListTypeMenu</class>

  <menu>
    <item label="ul" command="pass" parameter="ul" />
    <separator />
    <item label="ol" command="pass" parameter="ol" />
  </menu>
</button>
Example 6.9. DocBook 5 ListTypeMenu
<button group="listGroup" toolTip="Change list type" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.ListTypeMenu</class>

  <menu>
    <item label="itemizedlist" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}itemizedlist1" />
    <separator />
    <item label="orderedlist" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist numeration?2
                 arabic3 ''4 arabic" />
    <item label="orderedlist[loweralpha]" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist numeration
                 loweralpha '' loweralpha" />
    <item label="orderedlist[upperalpha]" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist numeration
                 upperalpha '' upperalpha" />
    <item label="orderedlist[lowerroman]" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist numeration
                 lowerroman '' lowerroman" />
    <item label="orderedlist[upperroman]" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist numeration
                 upperroman '' upperroman" />
    <separator />
    <item label="Continue Numbering" command="pass"5
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist
                     +continuation continues '' continues" />
    <item label="Inherit Numbering" command="pass"6
          parameter="{http://docbook.org/ns/docbook}orderedlist
                     +inheritnum inherit '' inherit" />
  </menu>
</button>

1

Notice how the name of this element is specified using the Clark's notation in XMLmind XML Editor - Commands.

2

This specification reads as follows: the “decimal” orderedlist element has an optional numeration attribute.

3

If it has a numeration attribute, then its value must contain string arabic.

4

In order to change to “decimal” the type of an orderedlist having a numeration attribute, first remove the all characters found in the numeration attribute (remember that '' is a shorthand for regular expression '^.*$'), then prepend string arabic to the value of the numeration attribute.

5

Menu entry "Continue Numbering", which is rendered as a checkbox, sets the continuation attribute of an orderedlist to continues when this attribute is absent and removes this attribute otherwise.

6

Menu entry "Inherit Numbering", which is rendered as a checkbox, sets the inheritnum attribute of an orderedlist to inheritwhen this attribute is absent and removes this attribute otherwise

Example 6.10. XHTML 1.0 Strict ListTypeMenu; most complex specification because the type of the list must be specified using a CSS style
<button group="listGroup" toolTip="Change list type" 
        icon="xxe-config:common/icons/menu.png">
  <class>com.xmlmind.xmleditapp.desktop.toolbar.ListTypeMenu</class>

  <menu>
    <item label="ul" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}ul style? 
                 '' list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;? ''" />
    <separator />
    <item label="ol" command="pass"
      parameter="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}ol style?1
        !{list-style-type:\s*(lower-alpha|lower-latin|upper-alpha|upper-latin|¬
lower-roman|upper-roman)}2
        list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;?3
        ''" />
    <item label="ol[type=a]" command="pass"
          parameter="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}ol style
                     list-style-type:\s*(lower-alpha|lower-latin)
                     list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;?
                     list-style-type:lower-alpha;" />
    <item label="ol[type=A]" command="pass"
          parameter="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}ol style
                     list-style-type:\s*(upper-alpha|upper-latin)
                     list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;?
                     list-style-type:upper-alpha;" />
    <item label="ol[type=i]" command="pass"
          parameter="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}ol style
                     list-style-type:\s*lower-roman
                     list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;?
                     list-style-type:lower-roman;" />
    <item label="ol[type=I]" command="pass"
          parameter="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}ol style
                     list-style-type:\s*upper-roman
                     list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;?
                     list-style-type:upper-roman;" />
  </menu>
</button>

1

This specification reads as follows: the “decimal” ol element has an optional style attribute.

2

If it has a style attribute, then its value must not contain a substring matching regular expression list-style-type:\s*(lower-alpha|lower-latin|upper-alpha|upper-latin|lower-roman|upper-roman).

3

In order to change to “decimal” the type of an ol having a style attribute, remove all the substrings matching regular expression list-style-type:\s*[^;]*;? from the value of the style attribute. After that, there is no special string to be prepended to the value of the style attribute