e-Book Tools - a Word add-in

[elibrarian]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I knew there was a reason I didn't use hotkeys before in the spelling form... This is an unfortunate side effect. I will see if I can work around it.

Hotkeys are very much allright (spares the stiff old mousefinger), but they have to be the good old ALT + hotkey variant I guess, to separate them from ordinary input.

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I betcha it's the XML file I created (myMarkRules). There's no apparent way to create a new Mark Rules list, and I couldn't find a sample - so I conjured up this as a starting point, it appears to work except for saving the list sorted

There is an example in the documentation of course. I put it there the moment the procedure went live.
It wasn't the list you have. Sorting of a datatable (which is used internally) is not really supported. It is deemed unnecessary and sorting should be done in the views instead. However, sorting of the view does not reflect the original datatable. So, I created an alternative method. I checked it with different lists and it does get sorted now.

Originally Posted by elibrarian

Hotkeys are very much allright (spares the stiff old mousefinger), but they have to be the good old ALT + hotkey variant I guess, to separate them from ordinary input.

Nope! I solved it differently. If the text box for the manual input has focus, the hotkeys will not work. The same applies to the filter box. I also fixed the list of words. If that had focus and you pressed one of the hotkeys, it would also go to the words that had that letter as first letter. That is disabled now.

The fixes are in version 1.20.3 that is available as of now.

[elibrarian]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Nope! I solved it differently. If the text box for the manual input has focus, the hotkeys will not work. The same applies to the filter box. I also fixed the list of words. If that had focus and you pressed one of the hotkeys, it would also go to the words that had that letter as first letter. That is disabled now.

The fixes are in version 1.20.3 that is available as of now.

I hate to complain, but that renders the hotkeys unusable, since the only way to get the focus from the boxes again and use a hotkey seems to be by TABbing out. (Clicking somewhere else in the dialog seems to have no effect (except when clicking on one of the buttons … but then again where is the idea of hotkeys -)

ALT + key works in almost every other program, we are used to them, and much as I admire people trying to go new paths, I don't see the necessity to do so here.

[Toxaris]

I don't agree. The hotkeys work fine, except in the filterbox and the replacebox. As soon as you for example select a different word, they work fine again.

I personally don't like the ALT+key combination, as this can interact with already present hotkeys. The manner of hotkeys will not change, sorry.

[elibrarian]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I don't agree. The hotkeys work fine, except in the filterbox and the replacebox. As soon as you for example select a different word, they work fine again.

Then how do I use the (R)eplace hotkey, when I have edited the suggestion in the manual box?

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I personally don't like the ALT+key combination, as this can interact with already present hotkeys. The manner of hotkeys will not change, sorry.

They shouldn't, as long as the focus is on the dialogue, should they? (Which brings up another problem, I've encountered: If I click outside the spellchecker dialog, so it goes in the background, I can't get it back in front again without closing Word and begin all over again. This problem seems to be Word 2013-specific, I have no diffifulty getting the dialogue back in front in Word 2010.)

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by elibrarian

Then how do I use the (R)eplace hotkey, when I have edited the suggestion in the manual box?

Use tab first?

Originally Posted by elibrarian

T
They shouldn't, as long as the focus is on the dialogue, should they? (Which brings up another problem, I've encountered: If I click outside the spellchecker dialog, so it goes in the background, I can't get it back in front again without closing Word and begin all over again. This problem seems to be Word 2013-specific, I have no diffifulty getting the dialogue back in front in Word 2010.)

I do see the same behavior in Word 2013 and not in Word 2007/2010. However, with Alt+Tab I get the dialog again. I can see if I can force it, but there are limited possibilities for that.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

There is an example in the documentation of course. I put it there the moment the procedure went live.
It wasn't the list you have. Sorting of a datatable (which is used internally) is not really supported. It is deemed unnecessary and sorting should be done in the views instead. However, sorting of the view does not reflect the original datatable. So, I created an alternative method. I checked it with different lists and it does get sorted now.

- sorted list save working fine now

After some careful link spotting and clicking, I found the required XML format in the Appendices - remarkably similar to the one I conjured up out of thin air :lol:

Given the user doesn't have to edit the XML file directly, but that they do have to create one to get started, I suggest something similar to the Replace rules download link you have here ==>> ePUB Tools – Word add-in. Or just a link to the relevant Appendix. Also needs some embedded comments as to what to do with it.

Now this is sorted, I want to try having multiple Mark Text lists. I know there's no Table feature like S&R, but I'm happy to switch files as and when needed, my lists are for the most part subject specific...

BTW there's no tooltip for the Mark tool in the main ribbon, if you add one then perhaps it could include the name of the Mark Text XML file as currently set

My objection to online doco is that there's never an index nor even a decent Find. Most PDF viewers do have a reasonable Find feature and most desktop search engines index PDF's Then there's good ol' CHM's Ψ²

Pssst, my F1 key is in a drawer, its too close to F2 which I use a lot - I did that when F1 linking to web pages became de rigueur

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by elibrarian

ALT + key works in almost every other program, we are used to them, and much as I admire people trying to go new paths, I don't see the necessity to do so here.

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I personally don't like the ALT+key combination, as this can interact with already present hotkeys. The manner of hotkeys will not change, sorry.

Strictly speaking : Alt+key sequences are not Hotkeys, they are Accelerator keys. Their scope should be limited to accessing the visible controls in the current window. Hotkeys, (keyboard combinations that invoke external processes) should never be Alt+key combinations

If the add-in has access to the full suite of Fluent UI features, perhaps it can leverage what MS and others Fluent programs do - when Alt alone is pressed, display the available 'accelerator key' options as little buttons - here's a couple of examples:



So, to address Toxaris's objection re interaction with external (IMO wrongful) Alt+key HotKeys, the addin would ignore the Alt+R combination, but it would respond to Alt then R by 'clicking' Replace.

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I want to try having multiple Mark Text lists. I know there's no Table feature like S&R, but I'm happy to switch files as and when needed, my lists are for the most part subject specific...

FYI - this worked fine - using different highlight colours for different lists may have its uses.

BR

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If the add-in has access to the full suite of Fluent UI features, perhaps it can leverage what MS and others Fluent programs do - when Alt alone is pressed, display the available 'accelerator key' options as little buttons - here's a couple of examples:

Attachment 147225 Attachment 147226

I do not have access to those features. Officially hotkeys/accelerator keys are not possible. I manage to capture the key input in some windows and work with that. That also makes it more difficult to use combination keys like Alt+R. Basically those are more than one keypress and I am doubting if that can be captured.

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

After some careful link spotting and clicking, I found the required XML format in the Appendices - remarkably similar to the one I conjured up out of thin air :lol:

Given the user doesn't have to edit the XML file directly, but that they do have to create one to get started, I suggest something similar to the Replace rules download link you have here ==>> ePUB Tools – Word add-in. Or just a link to the relevant Appendix. Also needs some embedded comments as to what to do with it.

Now this is sorted, I want to try having multiple Mark Text lists. I know there's no Table feature like S&R, but I'm happy to switch files as and when needed, my lists are for the most part subject specific...

BTW there's no tooltip for the Mark tool in the main ribbon, if you add one then perhaps it could include the name of the Mark Text XML file as currently set

[SIZE="1"]My objection to online doco is that there's never an index nor even a decent Find. Most PDF viewers do have a reasonable Find feature and most desktop search engines index PDF's Then there's good ol' CHM's Ψ²

I will add a tooltip to the tool. It probably slipped my mind.

The online documentation features a find that works fine. If I search for 'mark', I get the links for the settings but also the Mark XML file. However, I will add a link on the page to the specific appendix part.

[BetterRed]

Believe it or not - the search box is out of eye-shot with my 'standard' browser window size, and on my 2bit phone its too many wipes away

If the Sphinx/Alabaster combo permits, put it near the top where everyone will see it!! As you say its very effective - once you've found it.

Yeah tool tips are easily overlooked - to be honest I never realised you had them, it was only when I was thinking about where to show the name of the current Mark List that I hovered the rodent over the icons

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

I do not have access to those features. Officially hotkeys/accelerator keys are not possible. I manage to capture the key input in some windows and work with that. That also makes it more difficult to use combination keys like Alt+R. Basically those are more than one keypress and I am doubting if that can be captured.

Understood - wasn't sure how much control you had in an add-in - 'twas just a thought.

Office Tabs doesn't have any accelerators keys in its dialogue boxes - but they're set and forgot style settings dialogues - so who cares. But it uses modifier sequences for its tab navigation - Ctrl+Tab to cycle through tabs, Alt+1 for first tab, Alt+2 for second etc, wonder how they managed that. Wish it did side-by-side like NP++.

BR

[Toxaris]

Important update!!! I just released a fix (1.20.4) that I advise to install a soon as possible. In an earlier release a bug was introduced that under certain circumstances could cause mangling of text, especially italic or bold. Fortunately it was only under very rare circumstances, but still...

[Leonatus]

I'm on Windows 10, 32 bit. Your tool is the version 1.20.4 (the ultimate). I try to convert a book that I worked out on Word 2013. It's a german book, however the translation of a french one.
When I start the conversion by hitting the "preparation" button, the prodedure hangs at step 2/15: set language. I tried various version of the file that I saved at multiple places - always the same. It just happens nothing else. Can you help me, please?