Does PageEdit allow you to open to cursor?

[ElMiko]

I do 99% of my formatting in the html code view, but for a specific operation (namely creating line-breaks for verse) I have historically used the BookView/WYSIWYG functionality.

Having finally taken the plunge after about ten years and upgrading to the latest version of Sigil from 0.7.2, I'm trying to figure out how best to adapt my existing workflow with the least amount of pain. In that spirit I've installed the PageEdit program/plugin, and have run into the first obstacle in my learning curve.

Specifically, when I get to text in Sigil that requires my switching to PageEdit, opening the plugin leads to my losing my place in the project, as it opens the file at the beginning rather than where the cursor was when I hit F2. I've combed through the preferences, but I'm not seeing anything in either program that addresses this issue? Am I looking in the wrong place, or is this a problem without a solution?

[Turtle91]

Sorry this isn’t a direct answer to your question, but maybe it’ll fix the problem altogether. Since you mentioned you edit the html 99% of the time, and only used book view to insert spaces in your verse, I figured this might be an easier solution.

There was a new function/feature added to Sigil a while back called CLIPS. It allows you to create a button/link/clip that will insert whatever text/code you’d like at your cursor position. This makes those simple, repetitive, edits much faster.

I’m not sure what exact code you use for your verse, but here is an example:

<div class="verse">
  <p>Roses are red</p>
  <p>Violets are blue</p>
  <p>I need to put a line break in here.—How about you?</p>
</div>

Simply put the cursor where you want to insert the code/text and click the clip.

If your clip is defined as "</p>\n\n<p class="space">" you will end up with this:

<div class="verse">
  <p>Roses are red</p>
  <p>Violets are blue</p>
  <p>I need to put a line break in here.</p>

  <p class="space">How about you?</p>
</div>

You can create and save as many different clips as you want and access/use them in different ways. You can have a dedicated pane, or you can have your favorites (up to 40 of them IIRC) in a toolbar.

Cheers!

[KevinH]

To answer your question, PageEdit will open the file you are on but not try to match the cursor position from Preview just like any other external editor would.

You should be able to use the pulldown to quickly navigate through many different files. Think more like OpenWith.

Perhaps doing your stanza line break fixes once in PageEdit on a file by file basis instead of flicking back and forth to Sigil might prove more efficient. PageEdit was designed for proof reading and minor edits of a nearly finished epub.

[ElMiko]

Thanks, KevinH (for both responses).

I think I can still make this work by tweaking the order of operations a tiny bit. Muscle memory is a pitiless mistress, though.

For the record, I do generally use a clip for inserting line breaks ("</p> <p class="calibre1"> in prose. In the case of verse, however, it's a little more finicky.

Take:

<p><i>Roses are red Violets are purple I can't rhyme anything with purple This poem stinks</i><p>

Inserting the above clips (yours OR mine) would break the html because it doesn't account for the <i> tags. So that would require a separate clip that incorporate italics. But it would also need to incorporate a clip that changes the class to my desired format ("hindent"), which means either making two more clips beyond the standard one (one for plain "hindent" breaks and one for italicized "hindent" breaks) or a second operation (first break the lines with a standard <i/p> break, then go back and replace the classes). All of this is a horrifying multi-key-stroke ordeal, whereas "PageEdit/BookView" is: change the main class to "hindent", and then "Enter" three times.

Like, I said, though, I think there's a small tweak to the workflow that can get around it. It's mostly a failure on my part to think creatively, seeing as it's a process that's so deeply ingrained at this point. Basically, I think I just have to remember to copy a string of the target text from Code View before hitting F2 so that I can paste it into the search bar in PageEdit.

[Turtle91]

Sounds good!

I personally don’t use the italics tag <i> on each line… I define the class for the overall <div> in the css. That way I can keep the visual presentation (italics) in the CSS and select only specific phrases with an emphasis <em>. The clips don’t break anything that way.

div.verse p  {font-style:italic}
div.verse em {font-style:normal; color:purple}


<div class="verse">
  <p>Roses are red Violets are <em>purple</em></p>
  <p>I can't rhyme anything with <em>purple</em></p>
  
  <p class="space">This poem stinks so bad -<p>
  <p>It makes my tummy <em>burble</em></p>
</div>

[ElMiko]

@Turtle91 - Slight derail of my own thread, but what is the keyboard name for applying <em> or <strong> tags? I've been trying to improve the accessibility of my books, but I don't know how to remap "Ctrl+I" to the right function because I don't know what it's called in the keyboard shortcut menu. There's an option for "Add Semantics to selected file(s)", but that seems too broad... i mean, is it <em> or <strong> or neither?

I'll consider the <div> route for italics on blocks of text. I actually have this in my default css, I just haven't used it in a decade. Again, I'm sure the next few weeks are going to be a process of re-evaluating my workflow as I get up to speed on the new toy...

[Turtle91]

This was also discussed in a few previous threads - and usually devolves into arguments about which to use i/em b/strong. There is not a specific button for em/strong like there is with i/b — BUT — you can make a …. Wait for it … CLIP!!

Then you can set those in your clips toolbar. This is what I use:

Name Clip
EM "<em>\1</em>"
Strong "<strong>\1</strong>"

Just highlight the phrase and click the clip and it will surround the highlight with the tag.

[ElMiko]

Of course.

Brain fart.

---

With respect to how Page Edit opens, is there a way to define its height and width (and, ideally, screen location)? Or will it always reset to 1000x479 px, centered on the screen?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by ElMiko

With respect to how Page Edit opens, is there a way to define its height and width (and, ideally, screen location)? Or will it always reset to 1000x479 px, centered on the screen?

It should remember it's position and size. Just remember that if you have multiple instances open, it's the last window's size and position that will be saved after closing. Just like Sigil.

If it doesn't, there could be some corruption of the geometry data in Pagedit's INI file.

EDIT: of course now that you mention it. It's not remembering its geometry on my Windows laptop either.

[ElMiko]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

It should remember it's position and size. Just remember that if you have multiple instances open, it's the last window's size and position that will be saved after closing. Just like Sigil.

If it doesn't, there could be some corruption of the geometry data in Pagedit's INI file.

Yeah, it appears there is a problem because I've tried restarting sigil and restarting PageEdit (as a standalone), and the window size always reverts to 1000x479.

Is this something I can fix? Do I need to reinstall PageEdit, or is this something embedded in the latest version?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by ElMiko

Is this something I can fix? Do I need to reinstall PageEdit, or is this something embedded in the latest version?

I don't think you can do anything.

I've deleted all geometry entries, and finally deleted PageEdit's INI file entirely and it made no difference. It opens centered, the same size. Tried with both File->Quit and the big red X. No difference. This here smells like a bug. We'll have to track it down. Thanks for the tip.

[DiapDealer]

It appears to be writing the geometry on closing, but not reading it when opening.

[DiapDealer]

Or vice-versa *shrug*

I'll have to wait until I can do some debugging on my main development machine.

[ElMiko]

Thanks @DiapDealer.

More than anything, it's a relief to know I wasn't going crazy. To get one question out there that isn't pure noob user error is a weight off my shoulders!

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Or vice-versa *shrug*

I'll have to wait until I can do some debugging on my main development machine.

Checked PageEdit and in MainWindow SaveSettings() it improperly uses m_LastWindowSize as what to save when that is no longer being updated. We should instead use a call to saveGeometry().

I will make that change and push that fix tonight.

Update: Pushed a fix to PageEdit master. Rebuilt and tested it and it now remembers its size and location. This fix will appear in the next release of PageEdit