Inspector Window?

[Psymon]

I honestly don't get what that weirdly-complex "Inspector Window" (which sits at the bottom of the Preview Window) is all for -- there's a ton of stuff in there, and I haven't got a clue what it's used for. I read up about it in the Sigil user manual, but that isn't really of much help.

Is it more for the software developers (of Sigil) to use or something? I've certainly never found anything in there that I've ever needed for creating my ebooks -- but that's mainly because I have no idea what any of all that gobbledygook means in there.

Am I missing anything that could actually be helpful?

[DiapDealer]

Some people seem to make use of it. I don't for the most part. Once in a while, I use it to track down the convoluted, inherited css being applied to a particular element, when stylng something is proving troublesome. Other than that, I typically have the Inspector Window hidden from view.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by Psymon

Am I missing anything that could actually be helpful?

You could theoretically use the console to run JavaScript commands. For a proof-of-concept example, see this post.

[Psymon]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

You could theoretically use the console to run JavaScript commands.

I don't know javascript (other than some very, very basic stuff -- at least, I used to years ago, when I was doing web design more, but I haven't done that in ages now and off the top of my head I'm not sure I remember even that basic stuff!).

I guess I'll just keep it out of view -- I've managed just fine without it all this time, and can't really think of anything that I might go in there for (from what I know).

Thanks for the replies on this, even still, guys!

[JustinThought]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

//snip!//
Other than that, I typically have the Inspector Window hidden from view.

So then I just gotta ask you, how did you accomplish that? I don't find it as an option in the "View" menu or anywhere else.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JustinThought

So then I just gotta ask you, how did you accomplish that? I don't find it as an option in the "View" menu or anywhere else.

Grab the border between it and the preview with your mouse and shrink it gone. Don't overthink it. It's not a Sigil setting, it's feature inherent to the widget itself.

[JustinThought]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Grab the border between it and the preview with your mouse and shrink it gone. Don't overthink it. It's not a Sigil setting, it's feature inherent to the widget itself.

Did you hear that sound? That was the sound of my palm striking my forehead at high velocity. Thanks!

[DiapDealer]

You're quite welcome.

[Psymon]

Originally Posted by JustinThought

Did you hear that sound? That was the sound of my palm striking my forehead at high velocity. Thanks!

Ha ha ha -- don't feel bad, Justin! Your conundrum was actually half the reason I posted my initial question here. It was the fact that you can't actually "close" that window -- you can only "hide" it -- that left me thinking that surely this must be important, whatever all that weird, mysterious stuff is in that window, if there's a reason you can't actually get rid of it completely. It's like an annoying girlfriend that you just can't get rid of -- the best you can do is put her in the closet.

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Grab the border between it and the preview with your mouse and shrink it gone.

"Gone" is the word.

I noticed my Inspector Window was "gone" entirely and after clicking all over, fruitlessly searching menus and manuals finally found this thread. So I started pulling on borders and the Inspector extruded from the bottom.

There was no sign at all that there is anything there.

I suggest that either it leaves some hint of its existence rather than just disappearing, and/or have it on the "View" menu, and/or have it pop up when you select text and "Inspect" it.

I use it occasionally when trying to work out how a bunch of "clever" and/or scrambled CSS is producing a useful, or awful, effect that I either want to copy or remove.

[JSWolf]

Inspector Window is a good friend of Inspector Gadget.

[DiapDealer]

Doo, doo doo doo doo (Inspector Window).

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

I use it occasionally when trying to work out how a bunch of "clever" and/or scrambled CSS is producing a useful, or awful, effect that I either want to copy or remove.

I do the same, but with the calibre editors Live CSS panel - the Inspector panel is daunting for those too old to have been born in the fires of the HTML crucible.

Aside - for most things I like to have alternative tools (e.g. 5 browsers, 4 text editors, 2 WPs, 3 SSs, etc), but sigil and the calibre are an exception, my ideal would be that they'd functionally one and the same, but I appreciate why that won't happen - but dreams are what fuels the imagination.