Setting Options

Configuration

Users can use the Configuration dialog box to define most of the settings of Sothink HTML Editor. The dialog box contains several tabs including General, Edit, Design, Color and File Associations. Click each of the tab titles for further information on its content.

General Tab

• The General Tab offers some general options about Sothink HTML Editor.
• Show splash windows at startup: if this option is checked, the Sothink HTML Editor splash window will be displayed at startup. Otherwise Sothink HTML Editor will be started without the splash window.
• Reload open files at startup: check this option to reopen all the files that are kept opened the last time Sothink HTML Editor is closed.
• Create blank document at startup: check this option to create a new document when Sothink HTML Editor is started and when no other document is loaded
• Use Internet Explorer Rebar (Need to restart): check this option to create an IE style rebar. If this option is left unchecked, the toolbar will be dockable like the style in Microsoft Office. You should restart Sothink HTML Editor for the new setting to take effect
• Auto products checking at startup: when you start Sothink HTML Editor , it will automatically connect to SourceTec's web site and check products available to be integrated with Sothink HTML Editor and other upgrade versions.
• Launch the program at Windows startup: check this box to launch Sothink HTML Editor whenever Windows is started.
• Create backup file: check this option to let Sothink HTML Editor automatically create backup files for the files saved in Sothink HTML Editor
• Recent file list: the first option defines the number of *.html or *.htm files to be remembered and displayed in the Recent Files (*.htm, *.html) list. The second option controls the number of other types of files to be remembered and displayed in the Recent Files (*.*) list. The maximum number for each list is 15.

Edit Tab

This tab controls the appearance of the HTML editing window. The options are as follows:

• Show selection margin: check this option to show selection margin in HTML editing window. The selection margin will be used to show file line numbers, bookmarks, etc. If you choose to show file lines and bookmarks in the HTML window, this option must be checked.
• Show line number: check this option to show file lines in the HTML editing window. It enhances a better code management.
• Show inactive selection: check this option to show the selection when the HTML editing window is inactive
• Auto Indent: When the first code link has indent, this feature will align the fowllowing code line with the first line.
• Auto match quotation mark and bracket: In HTML editing, when you type a quotation mark or a bracket, this smart function will add the other quotation mark or bracket automatically.
• Enable pop-up HTML Attribute completion list box: When you press a space key after a HTML tag or the equal mark "=" , there will be a box to show an attribute list of this tag. You can choose an attribute you want from the list instead of typing.
• Enable HTML Tag hint: When you move to a tag, you will see a yellow box popping out. It will tell you the main usage of this tag. So if you are not familiar with HTML code or forget this tag sometimes, Sothink HTML Editor's "tag hint" will help you to get it back.
• Tab size: enter an integer to define the number of space characters the cursor jumps over to the next tab stop when the Tab key is pressed. The integer should be between 1 and 64.
• Edit font: choose a font style from the drop-down list. The font style applies to all the text in the HTML editing mode.
• Size: choose a preferred font size in the drop-down list or input a font size in the field. The text will be shown in the selected size when the setting is applied.

Design Tab

This tab contains options that apply to the visual editing mode. They are as follows:

• Disable the design window: checking this option, users would not edit the page in Desing Window. When you swith to design window, an alter message box will pop up.
• Warn when switching to design view: check this option to show the warning box when you toggle from either the code mode or preview mode to the visual mode. You can also click the "Don't show this dialog again" checkbox at the bottom of the dialog to disable it.
• Show details: show hidden tags, anchors, and other elements as glyphs in the visual editing mode. A glyph is a small graphical character that marks the location of an element that has no visible component. It helps to prevent users from inadvertently deleting elements that they don't know are will not be shown in the browse mode. You can also use the icon on the toolbar to enable or disable this function.
• Show borders around elements: display a 1-pixel border around <DIV> elements and tables.
• Activate Java applet: check this option to enable UI activation of Java applet or leave the checkbox blank to disable it. UI activation is an editing mode in which the textual content of an element (such as a button caption) can be edited directly, rather than by using other indirect means.
• Activate ActiveX: enable or disable UI activation of ActiveX controls.
  

Color Tab

The Color Tab includes options to define colors of normal text, HTML keywords, widget code, etc. in HTML editing mode.

Enable syntax coloring: when this box is checked, the color settings below the checkbox will take effect. If not checked, all the content in HTML window including keywords, comments, widgets, etc. will be shown in black. But you can still specify the color of the selection margin.

Colors:

• Normal: color of normal text
• Keyword: color of HTML keywords
• String: color of HTML strings
• Comment: color of HTML comments
• Widget: color of widget code
• Selection margin: color of the selection margin on the left side of the editing window (if you have defined it to be visible)
• Reset All: press this button to renew the default settings for syntax coloring.
  

File Associations Tab

This tab contains options that allow you to set Sothink HTML Editor as an optional editor to open files of all types whenever you right click a file name in Windows Explorer.

Add a File Type

• Click the "File Associations" tab in the Configuration dialog
• Click in the Files field, input a file extension in the field or select one in the drop-down list
• Enter a description for the file type in the Description field (the description is used in the "Sothink HTML Editor Association" list as an explanation for the file type)
• Press Add button to add the file type to the association files list
• For example: "*.htm'' has been added to the Sothink HTML Editor Associations list. Whenever a file with the extension of ".htm" is right clicked in Explorer, the context menu contains Sothink HTML Editor . Select "Edit with Sothink HTML Editor " and the file will be opened in Sothink HTML Editor .

Delete a File Type

• Select the file type in the "Sothink HTML Editor Associations" field
• Press Delete button
• Add to Edit Button in IE

Press this button to add Sothink HTML Editor to the Edit button list in IE. If you browse a file in IE and want to open it in Sothink HTML Editor , click the down arrow beside the Edit button on the tool bar and select Sothink HTML Editor from the editors list.