Possible to create a new toolbar function for wysiwyg editor?

[hstraf]

Hello,

I'm just wondering if it's possible to create a little function that could run when the designer clicks it from the toolbar.

The function would popup a simple window with a few fields, and then create an HTML comment before and after the highlighted/selected text in the editor.

(So the new toolbar function would "wrap" the highlighted HTML content with standard html comment tags, which contain the info specified by the designer in the popup window.)

I hope that makes sense?

Thanks!

[steve.ledger]

There is no function for macros/actions and the like with Web Designer or Xtreme (if I have understood correctly?)

This is the Web Designer / Xtreme forum. Which version of the Xara software are you using or planning to use?


Welcome to the TG Forums

[hstraf]

Hello,

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure which product.... I'm not actually a web designer myself.

I am the author of some software that allows online editing of website content, and some of my customers are users of the xara wysiwyg web design software who have asked for a "button" on the xara software toolbar, to make it easier to use my software.

I hope that makes sense?

Essentially, I created an online wysiwyg editor that can be used to edit specific editable areas of the webpage. The "problem" is that my software uses standard HTML Comments to determine the starting and ending point of the editable region, which is then loaded into my software for editing.

So when the xara web designer is creating their site in xara... they want to be able to select/highlight the desired "editable region", click a button in the toolbar, and then have the needed "html comment tags" added (before and after) the selected html code.

I created something similar for dreamweaver a while ago, and I was hoping to be able to do something with xara, too.. since it appears to be used by a lot of my customers.

Thanks!

[steve.ledger]

they want to be able to select/highlight the desired "editable region", click a button in the toolbar, and then have the needed "html comment tags" added (before and after) the selected html code.

Remember one important fact with Web Designer and Xtreme, which is they are not html editors.
There is no HTML involved at all during the design process, it is generated when you hit the 'export' button.

However, snippets of external code can be added via placeholders.
I invite you to download the trial of Web Designer and spend a few days with it.
It's really quite revolutionary

[hstraf]

Yes, I've already tried the software and I agree it is pretty good.

There is no HTML involved at all during the design process, it is generated when you hit the 'export' button.

That shouldn't matter. Is it possible to have the software create a "tag" or whatever you want to call it (placeholder?) at the specified location, so that when the page is exported.. the html comment is created at that time?

I hope that makes sense?

So.. something like this:

1. Designer fires up the xara software and creates webpage.

2. Designer "selects" or highlights region of the page they want to be editable "online" using my <online editing> software.

3. Designer clicks toolbar icon (or menu option or whatever) to create/edit Snippetmaster "Snippet Tags".

4. Xara pops up a window asking for tag attributes. These are entirely optional, etc... (as per requirements of my software.. very simple if you haven't already taken a look.)

5. Designer finishes, and closes the popup window. Xara "remembers" the selected portion of the page and the desired Snippetmaster snippet tag info.

6. Designer continues to create/edit their webpage.

7. When designer clicks to export the webpage, the html comments (Snippet Tags) are created and added to the portion of page that was selected.

Is something like that doable?

One point worth noting is that I get a *lot* of customers asking if I know of a simple and easy to use editor to create their webpages. (My software just allows them to edit existing pages online.. but not to create new pages offline, etc..) I think our respective software are very complimentary, and in exchange for adding this feature to Xara I would be very happy to promote your software on my website to anyone (mostly small website owners who have no clue how to edit their website) looking for a good solution.

Thanks.

[steve.ledger]

2. Designer "selects" or highlights region of the page they want to be editable "online" using my <online editing> software.

Ignoring the faint aroma of spam for a moment and without knowing an specifics of said third party software, the answer is probably 'no'

3. Designer clicks toolbar icon (or menu option or whatever) to create/edit Snippetmaster "Snippet Tags".

There is no facility to add new menu items or toolbar icons to launch third party software from within Web Designer.

4. Xara pops up a window asking for tag attributes. These are entirely optional, etc... (as per requirements of my software.. very simple if you haven't already taken a look.)

Web Designer has no 'tag' requirements. These are HTML elements. WD is not a HTML editor.

7. When designer clicks to export the webpage, the html comments (Snippet Tags) are created and added to the portion of page that was selected.

Well, clearly... no

Is something like that doable?

Not in the way you have described.

One point worth noting is that I get a *lot* of customers asking if I know of a simple and easy to use editor to create their webpages. (My software just allows them to edit existing pages online.. but not to create new pages offline, etc..) I think our respective software are very complimentary, and in exchange for adding this feature to Xara I would be very happy to promote your software on my website to anyone (mostly small website owners who have no clue how to edit their website) looking for a good solution.

Web Designer and Xara Xtreme uses CSS positioning for all objects including text areas.
While post export editing is possible, it is not recommended because future updating of the website via WD or Xtreme will on export remove all post edits.
Furthermore, due to CSS fixed positioning, a text area cannot grow dynamically and have the other content move to accomodate it after export.
So editing a marked area online would be very limited to the maximum bounding area of the original text only.


This may sound pretty grim, but I have to assure you that Web Designer has very few limits on what is possible at design time. But due to the fixed positioning nature of the HTML output, post editing and online dynamic editing is not really an option that suits it.

That's my take anyway.
Hopefully someone else will provide some balanced comment.

By the way, this forum is maintained by volunteer members, we do not own 'Xara' - we are enthusiastic users

[covoxer]

Is it possible to have the software create a "tag" or whatever you want to call it (placeholder?) at the specified location, so that when the page is exported.. the html comment is created at that time?
...
So.. something like this:

Yes it is possible but not like this.
Instead you create an objects, say rectangle for example, that represents the area of the design you need to be editable or whatever. Then you set this rectangle to be a code placeholder and place any code you wish into it. On export your code will be placed within the correctly positioned div.

[hstraf]

OK, so it's looking like this is not going to be possible...

If the xara designer uses only fixed css width/heights for its content layout, then the big problem is that the person doing the online editing of any "editable region" with my software would certainly run into problems if they add/remove some content that goes over/under the previously fixed size.

I can't see any way around this problem, as there is no way to enforce a fixed height/width in the online wysiwyg editor I am using.

I'll pass on this information to my customers who have been asking about xara integration.

Thanks.

[steve.ledger]

.. problem is that the person doing the online editing of any "editable region" with my software would certainly run into problems if they add/remove some content that goes over/under the previously fixed size.

Precisely.