DONE: Complex HTML Tag Assembler

[hurricanedavid]

I don't know if this is a "Snack" or if it is too big...

There are many HTML coders who don't use an IDE that writes tags for them.  And even the ones that do write their own tags sometimes don't include the properties you might want. This request is for an app that stays in the system tray and pops up when clicked. 

The user would choose what html tag they want, then be taken to a screen much like the screenshot I've created (and tried to attach) below.  I created this mockup from scratch out of HTML  They would type in or choose the attributes they wanted, then click a button so they could then paste the auto-completed tag into their text-editor.

When this is developed, I hope that the following feature can be added to seriously extend this app's flexibility: That you could add more tag configurations to it.  I can't really think of too many complex HTML tags (i.e. with lots of attributes) at the moment.  But ColdFusion (what I program in) is a tag-based scripting language that has lots of tags that are complex.  If you could add tag configurations, you could also add xml tags, too.

I can think of lots more features to add to this, but I think it may already be too much for a "Snack."

• Typing in the box (or selecting a drop-down option) automatically checks the "include" checkbox.
• When you click "Copy and Close", it writes the tag text to the clipboard and reduces the program to a systray icon.
• (Optional) When you click "Save", it stores this tag into a stack of most recently saved tags.
• (Optional) When you click "Load from Clipboard", it takes the tag you have in your clipboard and loads it into the tool.

[AbteriX]

Nice idea.
But why don't use you an editor how support you ?

Like the great freware editor PSPad

www.PSPad.com

[mouser]

i like this idea a lot.. i'm going to think about it a little
it's a bit like the app on this site called "the form letter machine" but with fields and stuff.

stefan i don't understand what you are showing us.. a way to do this already in pspad?

[AbteriX]

Yes, PSPad has an feature called Clips to insert recur coding snips (or your address or such things)
and Interactive clips to build such windows i show in my last post.

Code

What are Interactive Clips? 
   Clips insert text in to your file. Standard clips insert fixed text defined by the clip content.
 Interactive clips allow you to modify the content of the clip definition before
 it is inserted into your file using clip macros. 
You do this by defining your clip macros to use various Windows controls 
such as text boxes, combo boxes and checkboxes. 

Code

Clip Macro Format: 
 The clip macro format is as follows  
   
 %control%=@x caption,text,default,options,delimiter,dialog_type  
   
 %control% The name used in the clip body.
The name must contain only alphanumeric characters - no spaces or punctuation characters.  
 
 @x    Type of control. One of  
 @-- = Separator  
 @C = Combo box  
 @D = Date dialog  
 @E = Text box  
 @F = Font selection dialog  
 @K = Checkbox  
 @L = Colour picker dialog  
 @O = File Open dialog  
 @P = Picture selection dialog  
 @S = Directory selection dialog  
 @T = Topstyle  
     See below for further details.  
 
 caption 
This text will appear as a label for the control in the dialog.  
 
 text 
Optional fixed text that will be inserted into your file immediately the value you enter in to the control.  
 
 default 
The default value. This value will be used if you don't enter a value of your own in to the control. (optional)  
 
 options 
Depends on the control used, see below (optional).  
 
 delimiter 
These optional Characters will be inserted around value entered into the control (optional). 
   
 dialog_type   
Only used when @x = @O (optional). One of:  
 A = Absolute path and slash type, or  
 R = Relative path and slash type  

The "code" for the interactive IMG dialog box is:

Code

[img | image]
<img %srcp% %alt% %title% %name% %class% %style% %align9%
 %border% %height% %width% %hspace% %vspace% %on% %controls%
 %dynsrc% %ismap% %longdesc% %loop% %loopdelay% %starto% %language%>
|
;

The macro for %srcp% (see code above) is:

Code

%src%=@O object src=,src=,,objekt file  (*.*)|*.*,"

The macro for %alt% is:

Code

%alt%=@E alt=,alt=,,,"

In your document you type img and press an shortcut to get the dialog.
If you ready with the dialog, press ENTER or OK
and PSPad will fill in your document all the code you need:

<img src="c:\Test.jpg" alt="an Test" align="baseline" height="110" width="120">

or if you fill more details in the IMG dialog e.g.

<img src="C:\Test222.gif" alt="this is the ALT TAG" title="here the title"
name="NAME" class="CLASS" align="middle" border="1" height="85" width="250"
hspace="2" vspace="3" onMouseOver="" language="JavaScript">

There are such dialogs for mostly all HTML TAGs.

Or you could create your own dialog boxes
like this HTML META-Tag Generator
http://forum.pspad.com/read.php?f=2&i=2780&t=2780&v=t


One could download PSPad in an CAB archive, unpack and test them
or i put the HTML.def file wich contains the stuff above
and the PSPad help file
for an preview
as attachement on this post. (delete the .txt extension)

[mouser]

what can i say but WOW!

it's a little overwhelming but seems very powerful and nice.

thanks so much for this post stefan, sounds like david is going to be happy (though probably a bit overwhelmed like me)

[AbteriX]

http://rapidshare.de/files/6077663/HTML.DEF.html

http://rapidshare.de/files/6077840/PSPad.chm.html

[Carol Haynes]

Yes, thanks Stefan. PSPad is certainly very nice. It is also worth downloading the TopStyle Lite plugin too. This allows you to edit CSS style sheets from within PSPad from the HTML menu.

I can't see me splashing out for TopStyle Pro (too expensive for me given the little I would use it) but the Lite version is excellent for editing CSS tags and classes.

Note if you are tempted by the Pro version it doesn't integrate with PSPad, only the Lite version. The Pro version does integrate with other tools though (such as FrontPage and DreamWeaver).

[hurricanedavid]

Wow.  That looks like quite a powerful little editor!  I'm downloading it now.

Who knows? Perhaps it can replace the power of my current development editor, Arachnophilia?

[pseudolus]

So, what's with this edtor, PSPad? When I unzip and run it, it is all in Russian, even though the PSPad.ini file says it should be English? Searching the home website, even the forum didn't yield any clues.

[clif_notes]

i like this idea a lot.. i'm going to think about it a little
it's a bit like the app on this site called "the form letter machine" but with fields and stuff.

stefan i don't understand what you are showing us.. a way to do this already in pspad?

Mouser, you are right, your FormLetterMachine could be easily adapted to do this.

[AbteriX]

So, what's with this edtor, PSPad? When I unzip and run it, it is all in Russian, even though the PSPad.ini file says it should be English? Searching the home website, even the forum didn't yield any clues.

That happens more often than one think 
It's not russian but czech.
You must unpack the *.cab file with folders structure.
(you must have an "\Lang" sub folder with the "English.INI" in it,
and all the other folders as well of course.)
IF you not able to do that, download the installer,,,, or ask again.

HTH

--
Edit:
you have found nothing into forum ?
http://forum.pspad.com/read.php?f=2&i=9546&t=9545
http://forum.pspad.com/read.php?f=2&i=6602&t=6563
http://forum.pspad.com/read.php?f=2&i=5445&t=5444
http://forum.pspad.com/read.php?f=2&i=4384&t=4366

[hurricanedavid]

Since posting this question, I have been learning how to program in AutoHotKey.  I have been working on this project. 

It will be able to create tags, but not really edit them via the GUI.  PSPad looked good, but I didn't want to have to learn a new editor.  Plus, with AutoHotKey, I will be able to use this GUI with any text editor, even notepad.

I figured out that I would need two ways to call up the GUI for a particular tag:
1) Typing the whole tag ... e.g. "<img"
        - This method better for shorter tags
2) Typing a hotkey and then selecting a tag by typing the first few letters
        - This method better for longer tags

I'm also coding it to create functions as well as HTML and ColdFusion tags.  I use a ini file to keep the data configuration for the tags, so it will be expandable to add in syntax for any kind of functions or tags.