XML Editor

The XML Editor is the place where you add and modify content in topics and documents. You can also insert annotations associated with content in the editor. This editor provides access to the underlying XML structure of documents in a comfortable visual authoring environment. Although this editor lets you produce XML files, you do not need to know anything about XML to use it.

When editing content in the XML Editor, there are two modes that you can use—Web Layout mode and Print Layout mode. These are just two different ways to display the content. See Layout Modes.

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Regular Document Files vs. Lingo Translation Files

For MadCap Lingo review package (LIREV) files, the XML Editor works a bit differently than it does for regular document files from products such as Flare or Word. That's because Lingo is a translation tool, so only text segments are important, and in particular, the target language segments. When you open a file from an LIREV package, the editor shows a table containing text segments from that file in the source and target languages. The status of each segment—which indicates how closely the target segment matches a translated segment in translation memory—is also shown.

You can make changes only to the target segment, as well as insert annotations. In addition, you can make certain formatting edits to the target segment (e.g., bold, underline, color), but many other features (e.g., insert image, hyperlink, table) are disabled for Lingo review files.

Collapsing and Expanding Tags

When working in the XML Editor, you can collapse or expand tags (i.e., chunks of content) to make it easier to view and find content in long topics. With this feature, you can expand or collapse virtually any block level content.

How to Collapse and Expand Tags

In the XML Editor, hover to the left of a heading, paragraph, drop-down, snippet, image, table, etc.
Click the angled arrow .

You also have the option of right-clicking the content or structure bar and selecting Collapse, or placing the cursor on the content and pressing ALT+SHIFT+C.

If you collapse a heading (determined by the mc-heading-level property), all the content under it is also collapsed, down to another heading of the same or a higher level.

When a block of content is collapsed, the arrow points to the right and remains whether you hover over it or not. Also, an ellipsis icon displays at the bottom of the related structure bar, as well as under the content.
Click the right arrow to expand the content.

You also have the option of right-clicking the content or structure bar and selecting Expand, or placing the cursor on the content and pressing ALT+SHIFT+C.

Note You can expand or collapse all headings (and the content under them) by clicking or , respectively, in the local toolbar.

If the animation below is cut off, you can see the complete animation by clicking the link under it to open the full topic.

How to Enable or Disable the Expand/Collapse Arrows

Do one of the following:

At the bottom of the XML Editor, click .
On the local toolbar of the XML Editor, click the down arrow of the Show tags button . Then select Expand/Collapse.

What’s Noteworthy?

Note When you collapse any part of the file, a message displays at the top of the editor to let you know this, and to be aware of it as you continue editing the file.

Note The collapsed state does not persist when you switch between the XML Editor and Text Editor, or when you switch between mediums.

Note When you collapse a tag that has nested content, that content will also be collapsed.

Note If you collapse a heading and then delete or move it, all content collapsed under that heading is also deleted or moved.

Note The arrows are tied to the structure bars. If the bars are enabled, the arrows can be enabled. If the bars are disabled, the arrows are disabled.

What You Can Do in This Editor

In addition to typing content, there are dozens of things you can do in the XML Editor, depending on the workflow (Review or Contribution). For the free annotation-only Review workflow you cannot edit content; you can only insert annotations.

Following are some of the primary tasks that you can perform.

Bookmarks (Insert/Edit) Read more… A bookmark is a marker, or flag, that lets you create hyperlinks to specific locations within topics or documents. You can insert a bookmark at a specific location in your topic or document (e.g., at a subheading) and then insert a hyperlink that "connects" to that bookmark. This is a useful feature, for example, if you have a somewhat lengthy topic or document and want the user to be able to locate a specific place in the topic or document quickly. See Inserting Bookmarks.
Characters and Symbols (Insert) Read more… You can insert special characters or symbols into content. This can be done by using the Character dialog, by inserting a quick character that you have specified, by selecting a favorite character, or by selecting a recent character.
Code Snippets (Insert) Read more… You can create and insert code into documentation in dozens of languages. The syntax is automatically highlighted according to the language, similar to text editors such as Sublime Text and Notepad++. In HTML5 output, users can click a Copy button, then paste the code into a third-party editor. See Creating and Inserting Code Snippets.
Condition Tags (Apply) Read more… A condition is a single-sourcing feature that you can apply to files or to different areas of your content, so that some information displays in some outputs but not in others, or it displays only when viewed on a certain device or screen size. You can apply these tags only when an author sends you a contribution template for you to use. See Applying Conditions to Content.
Cross-References (Insert/Edit) Read more… A cross-reference is a dynamic navigation link that lets you connect text from one place in a topic to another place. Cross-references are based on format commands that help you keep the look of links consistent. See Inserting Cross-References.
Equations (Insert/Edit) Read more… From any location in a document you can insert an equation. Although an equation may be composed of many different parts, in the XML Editor it renders as a single block of content. In that way, it behaves much like an image. See Equations.
Formatting—Local (Apply) Read more… When you edit the content of a topic or document, you are working in the XML Editor. Sometimes called “inline formatting,” local formatting is a way to change the look and feel of content directly so that the changes are applied only to that specific content (as opposed to applying the changes via the use of styles). However, using styles is recommended instead of local formatting when possible. See Local Formatting.
Hyperlinks (Insert/Edit) Read more… A text hyperlink is one of the most basic forms of a navigation link. It is simply a hyperlink applied to text. When an end user clicks the hyperlink in the output, the location specified in the hyperlink opens. See Inserting Text Hyperlinks.
Images (Insert/Edit) Read more… You can insert images into documents. Contributor supports the following types of raster and vector image files: BMP, EMF, EPS, EXPS, GIF, HDP, JPG, JPEG, PDF, PNG, PS, SVG, SWF, TIF, TIFF, WDP, WMF, XAML, XPS. See Images.
QR Codes (Insert/Edit) Read more… You can insert a quick response (QR) code into a document or topic using the XML Editor. A QR code is a type of barcode that can be read by devices such as smart phones. The data encoded in the QR code can be text, a website URL, an email address, contact information, or SMS (Short Message Service, which is used for sending text messages). Basically, QR codes are a way to bridge the gap between a static print document and search-friendly, more detailed online information at your fingertips. See QR Codes.
Styles (Apply) Read more… You can change the look of content simply by applying styles to it. If you are creating a new standalone document or a contribution topic, you have access to some basic styles provided by Contributor. If you are working on a topic sent by a Flare author, you have access to any styles provided by the author. See Applying Styles to Content.
Tables (Insert/Edit) Read more… A table in Contributor is much like it is in any word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. It is a group of intersecting columns and rows that you can add to a topic for various purposes, such as comparing different elements. See Inserting Tables.
Variables (Insert) Read more… A variable is a pre-set term or content that you can use over and over. Variables are used for brief, non-formatted pieces of content (such as the name of your company's product or your company's phone number). There are also system variables, such as the date and time. If you are creating a new standalone document or a contribution topic, you have access to some system variables provided by Contributor. If you are working on a topic sent by a Flare author, you have access to system variables, plus any custom variables provided by the author. See Inserting Variables.

Repeat Last Action

When you are working in the XML Editor, you can use the F8 shortcut to repeat your last action. This feature uses the same controller that is used when you create macros in Contributor. Therefore, only actions that are supported by the macro controller are supported for the repeat shortcut. See Keyboard Shortcuts and Macros.

Example You are working on a document in a review package where you need to apply a span style class to several words to change the text to blue. You highlight the first word and apply that style class using the Styles window pane. But instead of following those same steps to format all the other words, you use the repeat shortcut. You highlight the next word that needs to be blue and press F8. The blue span style class is applied to that word. You highlight the next word and press F8 again. Once more, the blue span style class is applied. You continue doing this until all the appropriate words have that style class applied.

Tip If you prefer to use a shortcut other than F8 for this feature, you can open the Options dialog (File > Options), select the Keyboard Shortcuts tab, choose XML Editor in the top field, and assign the Repeat action to a different key. See Changing Hot Keys.

Note Although you can only repeat an action if that action is supported by the macro controller, you do not need to have assigned a macro to your action in order to repeat it. This lets you repeat occasional actions without having to spend time recording a macro.

Buttons and Sections—Top of XML Editor

	Opens the Conditional Text dialog, which lets you associate condition tags with a file while you edit it. See Condition Tags.
	Opens a new email message with the file attached so that you can send it to an author. This button is enabled if you are working in an MCCO file (i.e., a contribution topic designed to be sent to a Flare author). See Sending New Contribution Documents to Authors. Note There is more than one way to transfer files between individuals using Flare and Contributor. For example, you can: (1) use the integrated email feature with Microsoft Outlook, (2) add files to SharePoint or External Resources where others can access them, or (3) save files to your computer (File > Save, then Save As or Save To) and then manually transfer them using some method (e.g., email). If you want to use the integrated email feature, you must have matching versions of Contributor and Outlook. If you are using 64-bit Contributor, you need 64-bit Outlook. Likewise, if you are using 32-bit Contributor, you need 32-bit Outlook.
	Sends an MCCO file to a folder that you select.
	Contributor provides multiple layout modes when working in the XML Editor: Web Layout, Web Layout (Tablet), Web Layout (Mobile), and Print Layout. This lets you see your content in the format that you are most likely concerned about at the moment. See Layout Modes. The default and print mediums are tied to the Web Layout and Print Layout modes, respectively. The tablet and mobile media queries are tied to the Web Layout (Tablet) and Web Layout (Mobile) modes, respectively. Example You are using the Web Layout mode, so the XML Editor displays the styles from the default medium. But if you switch to Print Layout mode, the XML Editor automatically displays the styles from the print medium. And if you choose the Web Layout (mobile) mode, the XML Editor adjusts to show the topic as if it were displayed on a mobile device. The key is to select the layout first. If you select the medium or media query, the layout will not automatically change as well. Clicking this button lets you toggle between layout modes: Web Layout The Web Layout Mode is useful for seeing how the topic will look online, usually on a laptop or a large monitor. Web Layout (Tablet) The Web Layout (Tablet) Mode is useful for seeing how the topic will look on a tablet device. Web Layout (Mobile) The Web Layout (Mobile) Mode is useful for seeing how the topic will look on a mobile device. Print Layout The Print Layout mode lets you see how the pages will look with a page layout applied to it. In other words, it lets you see how the page will look when you generate print-based output. This means that you will be able to view the actual page size and orientation, as well as the margins and any header or footer content. Edit Page Layout Document This opens the page layout associated with the topic so that you can edit it in the Page Layout Editor. Edit Primary Stylesheet This opens the stylesheet associated with the topic so that you can edit it in the Stylesheet Editor.
	Clicking the down arrow on this button lets you select a medium or media query so that you can view the topic with a specific set of styles.
	If you are viewing content using the Print Layout in the XML Editor, you can use another drop-down in the local toolbar to choose a specific page layout. Not only can you select a certain page layout to display a document in the XML Editor, but you can also choose a specific page type within that layout. This can be especially useful when you know for certain that a particular document will display on the first page of a chapter, a left page, a right page, etc. The reason Contributor does not automatically show a document in the appropriate page type is because it won't assign page types to content until you generate the output. However, sometimes you may know in advance which page type will be used, so you can choose any page type contained in the layout to display the document in the XML Editor. See Selecting a Page Layout to View Content in the XML Editor.
	Opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog, which lets you insert a text hyperlink on the selected text in the topic.
	Opens the Insert Cross-Reference dialog, which lets you insert a cross-reference into the topic at the location of the cursor. See Inserting Cross-References.
	Opens a dialog that lets you insert an image at the location of the cursor. Note You can insert and edit images only if you have created a new document, not if you are reviewing a document received from someone else.
	Opens a dialog that you can use to insert a snippet. See Inserting Snippets.
	Opens the Variables dialog, which lets you insert a variable. See Inserting Variables.
	Opens the Character dialog, if you click the face of the button. You can use this dialog to choose a character to insert or perform many other tasks. If you click the down arrow on the button, you can select other options, such as inserting a quick character or choosing one of your favorite or recent characters. See Inserting Characters and Symbols.
	Activates Index Entry Mode. Use this method to accomplish the same thing as the Index window pane method. The difference is that, with this method, you do not need to move your cursor from the topic or snippet to the Index window pane. You simply click at the spot in the text where you want to insert the keyword and start typing. The words you type are added directly into the Index window pane. This is a good method to use if you plan to do a lot of indexing all at once, without performing any other tasks in the topic or snippet.
	Activates Concept Entry Mode. Use this method to accomplish the same thing as the Concept window pane method. The difference is that, with this method, you do not need to move your cursor from the topic to the Concept window pane. You simply click at the spot in the text where you want to insert the keyword and start typing. The words you type are added directly into the Concept window pane. This is a good method to use if you plan to create concepts in a lot of topics all at once, without performing any other tasks in the topic.
	Turns paragraph and space markers on and off. When you turn this feature on, you can see markers that show where paragraphs end and where space exists before and after content.
	If you click the face of this button, all of the content changes, showing the XML tags surrounding the content. If you click the down arrow, you can select the following options. Caret Tag Neighborhood Read more… Turns the caret tag neighborhood feature on and off (it is off by default). Markers Read more… Turns markers on or off in the active topic or other content file. Inline Markers Read more… You can show or hide markers for all inline elements in the active topic or document. Block Structure Bars Read more… Shows or hides the tag block bars. These bars are displayed to the left of the content area. They show the different tags for your chunks of content (i.e., block-level tags), as well as the overall tag structure. Span Structure Bars Read more… Shows or hides the span bars representing inline tags. These bars are displayed at the top of the content. Expand/Collapse Read more… Enables or disables the feature to collapse and expand tags in the XML Editor. Horizontal Ruler Read more… Shows or hides a measurement ruler horizontally at the top of the editor or window pane. If you click the ruler after it is opened, you can select to convert the ruler to pixels, points, centimeters, inches, or ems. Vertical Ruler Read more… Shows or hides a measurement ruler vertically at the left of the editor or window pane. If you click the ruler after it is opened, you can select to convert the ruler to pixels, points, centimeters, inches, or ems. Invisible Tags Read more… Turns invisible tags (e.g., <title>) on or off in the active topic or document. This option is enabled only if you have selected "Show tags." Comments Read more… Turns comment tags on or off in the active topic or document. Comment tags are those that you have added to a topic or document in order include notes behind the scenes (without the comments being seen in the output). Thumbnail Images Read more… Toggles between showing images in the XML Editor as thumbnails or at full size. This is a feature for you as the author, allowing you to scale all images down to 48 pixels high (if the original size is larger than that). This lets you see more content and less of your images as you edit topics. The images are only scaled for your editing purposes; they are not necessarily shown as thumbnails in the output. Tags in Mono-Color Read more… Lets you choose whether to display tags in a color or in black. This option is enabled only if you have selected "Show tags." Tags in Mono-Font Read more… Lets you choose whether to display all tags in the same font or in the font actually applied to each area. This option is enabled only if you have selected "Show tags." Object Positioning Read more… Turns object positioning on and off. Object positioning can be used with text boxes, images, and other objects that you have inserted into topics or documentts. If this option is on, you can easily position the object in different places in the topic or document (e.g., to the right or left of the frame on a page). Orphan/Widow Control Read more… Turns widow and orphan control on or off. If this is turned on, you can see the effects in the Print Layout mode in the XML Editor. Widow control determines the minimum number of lines in a paragraph to be left at the top of a page or column. Orphan control determines the minimum number of lines in a paragraph to be left at the bottom of a page or column. The default number of lines for both is 2, but you can adjust this setting. Hidden Elements Read more… Shows content that has been designated as "hidden." In other words, you can have a style where the "display" property value is set to "none." Normally, content to which this style is applied will not be seen. But you can display that content by selecting this option. Conditions Read more… If you have created and applied condition tags, clicking this button toggles between showing and hiding them. Snippet Conditions Read more… If you have created and applied snippet condition tags, this command enables or disables a marker that overlays snippets that have snippet conditions applied to them. Variable Names Read more… Lets you choose whether to see the names of variables in your markers (if you have inserted variables) in the active topic or document. Variable Highlighting Read more… Lets you choose whether to see a gray background behind variable definitions in a topic or document. Bookmark Names Read more… Lets you choose whether to see the names of bookmarks in your markers (if you have inserted bookmarks) in the active topic or document. Changes Read more… Displays any tracked changes or annotations (notes) that have been attached to any content in the topic or document. Marker Width Read more… Lets you adjust the width of markers in the active topic or document to see more or less of the markers when they are visible.
	Expands all tags in the editor (i.e., blocks of content), so that you can see any content that was previously collapsed.
	Collapses all heading tags in the editor (and the content under them). An ellipsis icon displays under the main heading. As an alternative to collapsing all tags, you can hover to the left of each block of content and click the angled arrow to collapse just that part.

Buttons and Sections—Bottom of XML Editor (Web Layout Mode)

Words	Displays the number of words in the open file. If you highlight words in the file, this area shows you how many words are selected out of the total count. If a file contains snippets, the words from those snippets are not included in this word count, because those are separate files.
	Reduces the scale of the font by 10% each time you click the button.
	Resets the scale of the font to 100%.
	Increases the scale of the font by 10% each time you click the button.
	Lets you select a specific percentage to scale the font.
	Shows or hides the colored shading of content to which condition tags have been applied. Example Your condition tag has blue associated with it and you have applied this tag to a block of content. When you click this button to show the indicator, the block of content becomes shaded with a lighter version of blue. If more than one condition is applied to the block of content, the shading appears in a pattern that shows all of the applied condition colors.
	Shows or hides the tag block bars. These bars are displayed to the left of the content area. They show the different tags for your chunks of content (i.e., block-level tags), as well as the overall tag structure.
	Shows or hides the span bars representing inline tags. These bars are displayed at the top of the content area. Example If you have a block of text that is bold and you click it, you will see a "b" in a bar above.
	Enables or disables the feature to collapse and expand tags in the XML Editor.
	Shows or hides a measurement ruler horizontally at the top of the editor or window pane. If you click the ruler after it is opened, you can select to convert the ruler to pixels, points, centimeters, inches, or ems.
	Shows or hides a measurement ruler vertically at the left of the editor or window pane. If you click the ruler after it is opened, you can select to convert the ruler to pixels, points, centimeters, inches, or ems.

Buttons and Sections—Bottom of XML Editor (Print Layout Mode)

Words	Displays the number of words in the open file. If you highlight words in the file, this area shows you how many words are selected out of the total count. If a file contains snippets, the words from those snippets are not included in this word count, because those are separate files.
	Displays the first page of the topic in Print Layout mode.
	Displays the previous page of the topic in Print Layout mode.
	Displays the next page of the topic in Print Layout mode.
	Displays the last page of the topic in Print Layout mode.
	Displays the current page of the topic, as well as the total number of pages in the topic. You can enter another number in the field or use the arrow buttons to navigate to a different page.
	The Zoom/Scale button (which looks different depending on the current selection) opens a drop-down menu so that you can select from the following options: 100% Displays the page at 100% of its actual size. 100% (2 pages) Shows two pages of a topic at a time, displaying each one at 100%. Fit Width Resizes the page so that it displays in proportion to the width of the window pane. One Page Displays only one page at a time. Two Pages Displays two pages at a time. Four Pages Displays three pages at a time. Eight Pages Displays four pages at a time. Note This option is available only if you are working in Print Layout mode. In this mode, additional pages are automatically created when you add content beyond that which can be held on a single page.
	Reduces the scale of the font by 10% each time you click the button.
	Increases the scale of the font by 10% each time you click the button.
	Lets you select a specific percentage to scale the font.
	Shows or hides the colored shading of content to which condition tags have been applied. Example Your condition tag has blue associated with it and you have applied this tag to a block of content. When you click this button to show the indicator, the block of content becomes shaded with a lighter version of blue. If more than one condition is applied to the block of content, the shading appears in a pattern that shows all of the applied condition colors.
	Shows or hides the tag block bars. These bars are displayed to the left of the content area. They show the different tags for your chunks of content (i.e., block-level tags), as well as the overall tag structure.
	Shows or hides the span bars representing inline tags. These bars are displayed at the top of the content area. Example If you have a block of text that is bold and you click it, you will see a "b" in a bar above.
	Enables or disables the feature to collapse and expand tags in the XML Editor.
	Shows or hides a measurement ruler horizontally at the top of the editor or window pane. If you click the ruler after it is opened, you can select to convert the ruler to pixels, points, centimeters, inches, or ems.
	Shows or hides a measurement ruler vertically at the left of the editor or window pane. If you click the ruler after it is opened, you can select to convert the ruler to pixels, points, centimeters, inches, or ems.

Elements in Editing Area

Structure Bars	These are just what the name implies—bars around the topic content that show the structure. There are two kinds of structure bars—tag and span. Not only do structure bars let you see the tags for content, but you can also perform numerous tasks by using them. Select Options If you right-click on a structure bar, a context menu opens. From the menu, you can select from several options to take action on the content associated with that structure bar. Example If you want to delete an entire numbered list from a topic, you could right-click the ol structure bar to the left of the content and select Delete from the menu. If you have a table with a table stylesheet applied to it, you can right-click on one of the tr structure bars and select Row Style. From the submenu you can then choose a pattern to overwrite the existing look for that row. Select Content If you left-click on a structure bar, the corresponding content is selected in the editor. You can SHIFT-click on structure bars to extend the current selection to that content block. Example You have several paragraphs in a row, and you click halfway into the first paragraph. While holding down the SHIFT key, you click on the paragraph structure bar for the third paragraph. As a result, the content from the point of the cursor to the end of the third paragraph is selected. If you select multiple blocks of content, all of the structure bars involved in that selection are highlighted in blue. If an entire block is included in the selection, the structure bar is shaded in darker blue. If blocks are partially selected, those structure bars are shaded in lighter blue. Move Tag Bars If you left-click on tag bars, you can drag them up or down. If you left-click on table column bars (in the span bar area), you can drag them left or right. In this way, the chunks of topic content can easily be repositioned. In addition, you can click on the borders between column and row bars and drag the mouse to resize individual columns and rows. See Moving Content With Structure Bars, Moving Table Columns and Rows, and Resizing Tables.
Markers	A marker is a highlighted "flag" that shows the insertion of certain features. For example, if you insert a variable, bookmark, or index keyword, a marker indicates where that feature has been inserted. You can adjust marker widths or turn them off or on by using the "Show tags" button in the local toolbar. (Despite the name of this button, it does not display the "true code" in the topic. It shows the high-level tags and the tag markers.)
Cursors	When you edit text, the cursor changes size and shape. Sometimes it contains brackets to the right or left. Sometimes it is larger, and sometimes it is smaller. It might even be horizontal. Each of these appearances serves a different purpose. Tag Start Signifies the start of a tag. Tag Middle Signifies you are within a tag and can edit the contents. Tag End Signifies the end of a tag. Tag Between Signifies you are between tags. Type to enter text into the parent tag. Tag Before - Level 1 Size signifies you are in the first of a series of nested tags. Tag Before - level 2 Size signifies you are in the second of a series of nested tags. Tag Before - Level 3 Size signifies you are in the third of a series of nested tags. Horizontal Cursor Signifies you are between objects, such as proxy bars or images. Press the up and down keys on your keyboard to move the cursor. Press ENTER to create an empty paragraph. Some content Courtesy of TechWriteTips.
Caret Tag Neighborhood	The interface includes a "caret tag neighborhood." If you click on a line that contains inline tags (e.g., bold font, cross-reference), floating tag bars display above it. You can click on a bar to open the context menu and take action on the content. This feature is disabled by default. If you want to turn it on, simply click the down arrow in the editor's Show Tags button and select Show Caret Tag Neighborhood.
Empty Tags	If you are working in a document in the XML Editor and have empty tags at the text level, this will be shown. Example You have a line of text with some bold formatting, like this: If you then decided you did not want that text and pressed your Backspace key three times to get rid of it, you would see this: Although you removed the text, the actual bold tags are still there. In this example, all you need to do is press the Backspace key one more time to remove the bold tags altogether: Note The display of empty tags is simply designed to help you as you edit content. Even if these tags are shown in the XML Editor when you are working, they will not be shown in your output.