Kevin Yank wrote: > I have a killer (I think) enhancement idea for XMLMind XML Editor. > > In an XXE configuration, it would be nice to be able to specify a > ?default attribute? for a given element type. When selecting an element > of that type, the specified ?default attribute? would be loaded into the > Attributes panel?s editor immediately, without having to specifically > select it. > > An example of how this would be useful would be in editing elements such > as link in DITA. 99% of the time, when you want to edit an attribute on > a link element, it?s the href attribute that you want to change. Why not > make it possible to save users the trouble of selecting that attribute > to edit it. > > Editing a link with the keyboard would then be simplified to these steps: > > 1. Select element > 2. Ctrl/Cmd-E > 3. Enter (no typing required to select href attribute!) > 4. type new href value > > Using the Browse button to set a new link target with the mouse would be > greatly simplified as well: > > 1. Select element > 2. Click the Browse button in the Attributes panel > > This would save me and my staff a lot of time in a few common use cases, > and seems to me like it would be pretty easy to implement.
This is a good idea. There is even no need to specify a the ?default attribute? for a given element type in the XXE configuration type as the great majority of elements have a single required attribute. Here's how I rehash your spec: * It only works with Ctrl-E. * It automatically selects the required attribute, when there is a single required attribute and when this required attribute has a "???" dummy value. * It automatically moves the caret to the "Attribute Value" field of the small form above the attribute table. * The above behavior is an option which can be turned off. This gives us: [1] Insert a new element which has a required attribute. [2] Ctrl-E [3] Type the attribute value [4] Press Enter [5] Continue editing your document. > The thought occurs that it might be possible to implement this using > XXE?s Java API as a plug-in. No, I don't think so. (That is, not using the documented API.) The rule of thumb here is simply: if it is not explained in "XMLmind XML Editor - Developer's Guide" -- http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/_distrib/doc/dev/index.html, do not try to do it. > If I get some spare time, I might try to do > it myself.
