2. Creating an ebook specification

An ebook specification is an XML generally having a ".ebook" file name extension. This file may be created by first selecting File > New and then choosing one of the two ebook specification templates.

The File|New dialog showing Ebook templates

An newly created ebook specification is then rendered as follows:

Newly created ebook specification opened in XXE

Notice that the ebook specification toolbar is divided in two parts.

Ebook toolbar

The first part of the toolbar contains the following buttons:

Insert Book Division Before Insert Book Division Before
Insert a book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc) before selected book division. Displays the "Insert or Edit Book Division" dialog box. Keyboard shortcut: Shift-ENTER.
Insert Book Division Into Insert Book Division Into
Insert a book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc) as the last child of selected book division. Displays the "Insert or Edit Book Division" dialog box. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl-ENTER.
Insert Book Division After Insert Book Division After
Insert a book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc) after selected book division. Displays the "Insert or Edit Book Division" dialog box. Keyboard shortcut: ENTER.
Edit Book Division Edit Book Division
Displays the "Insert or Edit Book Division" dialog box in order to modify selected book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc). Keyboard shortcut: ESC e.
Move Up Move Up
Move selected element up, that is, swap it with its preceding sibling node. Requires the element to be explicitly selected. Keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift-UP.
Move Down Move Down
Move selected element down, that is, swap it with its following sibling node. Requires the element to be explicitly selected. Keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift-DOWN.
Promote Promote
Decrease the nesting level of selected book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc). For example, convert a section to a chapter. Keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift-LEFT.
Demote Demote
Increase the nesting level of selected book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc). For example, convert a chapter to a section. Keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift-RIGHT.
Show Level Show Level
Displays a menu containing "Show Level 1", "Show Level 2", ..., "Show Level 9" items. "Show Level N" means: expand all the collapsible elements of the ebook specification up to nesting level N and recursively collapse all the collapsible elements having a nesting level greater than N.
Open All Pages R/O Open All Pages R/O
Opens in read-only mode all the HTML source pages referenced in the selected elements and their descendants.
Open All Pages Open All Pages
Opens in normal read-write mode all the HTML source pages referenced in the selected elements and their descendants.

Right-clicking (Ctrl-click on the Mac) a book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc) displays a contextual menu containing some of the buttons found the ebook specification toolbar.

The contextual menu

Dropping a file or URL onto a book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc) displays a contextual menu containing some of the buttons found the ebook specification toolbar.

The drop menu

The "Insert or Edit Book Division" dialog box

The 'Insert or Edit Book Division' dialog box

This dialog box displayed by the Insert Book Division Before, Insert Book Division Into, Insert Book Division After and Edit Book Division tool bar buttons let's the user easily add or remove the main attributes of a book division (chapter, section, appendix, etc). Note that the book root element is also considered to be a book division.