Daxe configuration files : Page for printing

To provide a user interface for a given XML language, Daxe needs the language definition (given with an XML schema) and a configuration file describing the user interface for the language. It works in the same way as Jaxe, but the config files use a different language. An XSLT stylesheet is available in the config directory to transform a Jaxe configuration file into a Daxe one.

Specifically, configuration files contain basic information about the XML language (a link to the schema and a list of root elements), saving options, menus (especially to insert the elements), display types for the elements, and all the strings used in the interface, depending on the user language.

They are located in Daxe's config directory, and their names end with "_config.xml".

Element definition

XML schema file
When creating a new config file, the first thing to do is to define the corresponding XML language. This is usually done by specifying an existing XML schema. Schemas must use the W3C syntax (WXS), or the Relax NG one (in XML).
Root
After defining the XML language, it is necessary to give Jaxe one or several possible root elements to use for new documents. The name of the element is specified for each possible root element.

Element tree

Element tree under Language :

Language (XML schema file, Root+)
- XML schema file @name
- Root @element

Element definition

Doctype
Document type definition, if a DTD must be specified in the document headers.
SchemaLocation

To save the location of the XML schema in XML documents.
Namespace prefix
Prefix to use for a given namespace. It is possible to specify several namespace prefixes.

Element tree

Element tree under Saving :

Saving (Doctype?, Namespace prefix*)
- Doctype @publicid @systemid
- SchemaLocation @schemaLocation @noNamespaceSchemaLocation
- Namespace prefix @uri @prefix

Menus defined in config files are displayed above Daxe's text area, after the file and edit menus.

Element definition

Menu
A main menu, possibly containing sub-menus.
Insertion menu
A menu to insert an XML node at the cursor position. The node name and the node type (element by default) must be specified. It is also possible to specify a keyboard shortcut, with the corresponding key.
Function menu
Menu to execute a function with its name. The only predefined function in Jaxe is jaxe.FonctionNormal, which is used to remove all the styles in a text area. Other functions can be added by extending Daxe.
Separator
Menu separator.

Element tree

Element tree under Menus :

Menus (Menu+)
- Menu @nom (Menu | Insertion menu | Function menu | Separator)+
  - Insertion menu @name @node type (element|instruction|comment) @shortcut
  - Function menu @name @class @shortcut
    - Parameter @name @value
  - Separator
  - Menu

An essential feature in Daxe is the possibility to display and edit XML element in different ways, whatever their types in the XML schema. For instance, a table element can be displayed as a table, and an element linking to an image can be displayed as an image. The objective is to ease document editing, without losing of sight their semantics : elements will not be displayed as they will be seen in web pages or PDF documents, but simply with a user interface making edition easier and highlighting the meaning of the elements.

Element definition

Element display
Specifies how an element will be displayed in Jaxe
Parameter
A display parameter, depending on the display type (see below for a list).
Suggested value
Value suggested to the user when the schema does not limit authorized values.
Attribute display
Can be used to suggest attribute values.

Element tree

Element tree under Display :

Display (Element display)+
- Element display @element @type (Parameter | Suggested value | Attribute display)*
  - Parameter @name @value
  - Suggested value
  - Attribute display @attribute (Suggested value+)
    - Suggested value

Type	Description	Display
division	Two bars extending to the window's right side, clearly separating large areas in the document.
area	Two tags and carriage returns, to separate areas smaller than with division.
block	A block hiding the start and end tags, as an alternative to division and area. Attributes are displayed on top, in a short or editable view, and the block can be collapsed with a button.
string	Two tags to identify a small string, without any carriage return.
empty	A single tag, typically for an empty element.
table	Table display allowing the use of XML elements inside the cells. Also handles the rowspan and colspan attributes to gather cells vertically and horizontally.
tr	Table row.
td	Table cell.
style	For use in the case (very rare if the XML language encodes the meaning as opposed to the presentation) where an XML element only conveys a style information. Displays the characters in the chosen style (bold, italic, ...), without any tag. An alternative is to use the string type, which can also use a style, but displays the tags.
file	Displays an image based on its path on the disk coming from an attribute of the XML element (to be defined). It is possible to copy/paste images and Daxe will automatically create the XML element and save the image file whenever possible, using the first element of type file.
symbol	Special character stored as a UNICODE character within the element tags. If no element has this type, users will still be able to insert UNICODE characters from a table.	⇔
list	For an element representing a bulleted or ordered list. The sub-element must use the item type. The tags are displayed as for area, with a '+' button to create new items.
item	List item in a list displayed with the list type. Displayed with bullets or numbers, depending on the list type.
wlist	Displays a list with the default browser display for the HTML ul element. This provides a more WYSIWYG interface than list, because the list tags are hidden (which might also make it harder to edit the XML precisely). The witem type must be used for items.
witem	Must be used for items in a list using the wlist type.
simpletype	Displays an element having a simple value, in a small panel. Usable only for the elements with a simple type in the XML schema. The precise display (text field, menu or checkbox) and the validation are done based on the XML schema constraints.
equationmem	Displays the image of an equation. The equation can be edited by a simple click on the image, with a dialog showing at the same time the text of the equation (using a very simple syntax specific to Jaxe/Daxe) and the corresponding image. The text of the equation is store as an attribute, and the image is encoded in base64 and added as text inside the element.
equatexmem	This works in the same way as the previous type, but using a TeX syntax.
form	Displays an element and all its sub-elements as a form. Beware not to use this type with elements that could have an infinitely deep subtree ! Sub-elements can be displayed as fields with the field type, or with other types (using other types within a form is only possible with Daxe, not Jaxe).
field	Form field	see above
anchor	This is used to display WYSIWYG links with the HTML a element.
hiddenp	Provides a WYSIWYG interface to paragraph elements. Tags are not displayed, and entering a newline where the paragraph element is allowed automatically triggers the insertion of a new paragraph.
hiddendiv	Hides elements such as the HTML div to provide a more WYSIWYG interface. A new menu appears in the contextual menu to remove a parent div.
stylespan	Normally used on an HTML span element, this makes Daxe use the element with this type to add style to text. Note that it is better to provide semantic elements rather than style ones like span.
hr	Displayed as a horizontal line, as for the HTML hr element.
br	Displayed as a line break, as the HTML br element. This display type might not play well with hiddenp, and should be avoided in general.

Parameters can be specified for some display types, with the Parameter element under Element display.

Display types division and area can have a parameter specifying the name of the attribute to use as a title for the element display.

Display types file and symbol must have a parameter specifying the attribute with the file name.

Display types table must have parameters specifying the elements for the rows and the cells.

Display types style must have a parameter specifying the style.

Display types area and string can have a parameter specifying the style, a parameter with the font family, and a parameter with the font size.

Display types equationmem and equatexmem must have a parameter specifying the attribute to use for the equation text.

Here is a list of all the parameters:

type	parameter name	description
division and area	titleAtt	attribute for the title
division, area, string and empty	visibleAttributes	displays all the attributes on the start tag (true\|false)
table	colspanAttr	attribute to merge columns
table	rowspanAttr	attribute to merge rows
table	alignAttr	attribute to align text
wlist	type	type of list (ul\|ol) (unordered/ordered)
style, area and string	style	BOLD \| ITALIC \| SUPERSCRIPT \| SUBSCRIPT \| UNDERLINE \| STRIKETHROUGH \| FOREGROUND[###,###,###] \| BACKGROUND[###,###,###]
area and string	font	font family
area and string	size	font size
file	srcAtt	attribute with the file name
file	chooser	when set to "true", the file chooser is used to select a file, from the XML file directory
file	widthAtt	the name of the attribute with the width (in pixels)
file	heightAtt	the name of the attribute with the width (in pixels)
item	image1	first bullet image
item	image2	second bullet image
equationmem and equatexmem	textAtt	attribute with the equation text
anchor	nameAtt	the name of the name attribute
anchor	hrefAtt	the name of the href attribute
hiddenp, hiddendiv and stylespan	styleAtt	the name of the CSS style attribute

All the texts (also called strings) may have to be changed in the interface created with the configuration. Either to improve readability without having to change the schema, or to provide an interface in another natural language for the same schema. Texts may also have to be provided for a set of languages, so that users can edit the same documents, with the same Daxe configuration, but with an interface entirely in their native language.

For these reasons, the Strings element represents a set of strings for a given language and country, and it is possible to specify several in the same config file. On can use for instance language="pt" country="BR" for Brazilian Portuguese, or just language="en" so specify English without any precision about the country.

You may have noticed that the real config file XML elements have French names, even though you see them in English in Daxe and in this documentation. This is because the config file for config files is using these Strings elements to define titles to use for elements when the user's system language is English.

Element definition

Configuration description
Short line to describe the configuration, displayed in the dialog to create new documents with Jaxe.
Menu strings
Strings associated to a menu, identified with its name
Title
A title
Documentation
A documentation
Element strings
Strings associated to an XML element. Used to display the element, but also for this element's insertion menu if no string was defined for the menu.
Title for value
A title to use for an element or attribute value
Attribute strings
Strings associated to an attributes

Element tree

Element tree under Strings :

Strings @language @country (Configuration description | Menu strings | Element strings)+
- Configuration description
- Menu strings @menu (Title?, Documentation?, Menu strings*)
  - Title
  - Documentation
  - Menu strings @menu
- Element strings @element (Title?, Documentation?, Title for value*, Attribute strings*)
  - Title
  - Documentation
  - Title for value @valeur
  - Attribute strings @attribut (Title?, Documentation?, Title for value*)
    - Title
    - Documentation
    - Title for value @valeur

Daxe configuration files

Introduction

Definition of the XML language

Element definition

Element tree

File saving options

Element definition

Element tree

Menus

Element definition

Element tree

Node display

Element definition

Element tree

Display types

Strings

Element definition

Element tree