Copyright: Copyright © 1995-97 Eric G.V. Fookes


Contents

Welcome to this help file for NoteTab!

Choose from the following topics to read more about the program...

Introduction

The NoteTab Family

NoteTab Pro

Super NoteTab

Key Features

How to Uninstall

Frequently Asked Questions

Using the Editor

Updates

Contacting the Author

License (Commercial version)

License (Freeware version)

History of NoteTab

Acknowledgments


Introduction

NoteTab is a top-rated text editor (Super NoteTab is a PC Magazine Shareware Awards finalist 1997) capable of editing any number of documents of virtually any size. It is a user-friendly but powerful and feature-rich program with many innovative tools.

NoteTab has a superb interface with a fully customizable toolbar and a tab bar to easily switch between documents. It includes the original "Editor Clipbook" which lets you easily insert any kind of text in your documents (HTML tags, frequently used text, glossaries, ...). NoteTab is web sensitive so it can open links in your text or view documents in the default browser. Other features include search/replace text in all open documents, text filters (convert between ASCII, UNIX, Mac), strip HTML tags or convert special characters to HTML syntax, sort/join/split/indent lines, change case, Favorites menu, detailed text statistics, automatic scrolling, capture any text sent to the Clipboard, drag-and-drop text and files, shortcut menus, detailed help file, and much more...

BTW, if you really like NoteTab, why not contact the editors of your favorite computer magazine or newspaper, or web sites that review software, and tell them about it! That's a great way to help make this text editor better known.


The NoteTab Family

The NoteTab family of editors is composed of three variants:

1.	NoteTab Pro (Commercial)

•	Works under Windows 95 and Windows NT4, or higher

•	Can edit files up to 16 Mb each

•	Very fast

•	Multi-level undo/redo

•	Supports fixed-pitch OEM fonts

•	Bookmarks

•	URL and HTML tag highlighting

•	Spell checker and thesaurus

•	Full support for NoteTab-Outline documents

•	Search/replace text in files on disk

•	Options for word wrap at column, tab types, etc.

•	Available from:  http://www.ideamarket.com/

•	Cost: only $9.95 USD

2.	Super NoteTab (Commercial)

•	Works under Windows 95 and Windows NT4, or higher

•	Can edit files up to 2 Gb or as large as memory permits

•	Spell checker and thesaurus

•	Full support for NoteTab-Outline documents

•	Search/replace text in files on disk

•	Can search/replace text criteria with multiple lines

•	Can drag-and-drop text

•	Can display variable- and fixed-width fonts

•	Cannot display fonts with OEM character sets (Terminal, MS Line Draw,...)

•	Available from:  http://www.ideamarket.com/

•	Cost: only $5 USD

3.	Super NoteTab Light (Freeware)

•	Same features as Super NoteTab except those listed below:

•	No spell checker or thesaurus

•	Can read NoteTab Outline documents but cannot create them

•	Can search for text in disk files but cannot perform a replace operation


NoteTab Pro

NoteTab Pro is one of the commercial versions of the NoteTab series of editors. NoteTab Pro uses a more sophisticated input control that provides many options to configure its behaviour (wrap to column, scroll past end of line, real/fixed/smart tabs, etc.). Furthermore, it offers multiple-level undo/redo, bookmarks, URL and HTML-tag highlighting, a spell checker and a thesaurus. Note that, unlike Super NoteTab, NoteTab Pro only supports fixed-width font.

NoteTab Pro costs only $9.95 USD!!! The program is available for sale at ideaMarket™ and can be downloaded from their web site at...

http://www.ideamarket.com/

ideaMarket™ has exclusive rights for distribution, so you cannot purchase a registered copy from the author. ideaMarket™ currently accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. Soon you will be able to use several forms of "digital cash".

URL and HTML-tag highlighting

All URLs (links) are highlighted in blue and underlined. You can change the color and turn off undernining in the Options dialog box. HTML tags in web documents with HTML file extensions are automatically highlighted. You can define additional extensions or turn off highlighting in the NoteTab Pro Options dialog box.

See the comparison chart for the differences between NoteTab Pro and Super NoteTab.


Super NoteTab

Super NoteTab is similar to Super NoteTab Light (the Freeware version) but adds a spell checker, thesaurus, full support for NoteTab-Outline documents, and a fully enabled command for search/replace text criteria in disk files.

Super NoteTab costs only $5 USD!!! The program is available for sale at ideaMarket™ and can be downloaded from their web site at...

http://www.ideamarket.com/

ideaMarket™ has exclusive rights for distribution, so you cannot purchase a registered copy from the author. ideaMarket™ currently accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. Soon you will be able to use several forms of "digital cash".

See the comparison chart for the differences between NoteTab Pro and Super NoteTab.


Comparison Chart

NoteTab Pro and Super NoteTab features compared:

	NoteTab Pro	Super NoteTab
Maximum file size	16 Mb	2 Gb
Speed	Very fast	Relatively slow with large files
Multi-level undo/redo	Yes	No
Use OEM fonts	Yes	No
Use variable-width fonts	No	Yes
URL and HTML highlighting	Yes	No
Spell checker	Yes	Not with Freeware version
Thesaurus	Yes	Not with Freeware version
Bookmarks	Yes	No
Text drag-and-drop	No	Yes
Multiple tabulator settings	No	Yes
Can wrap text to column	Yes	No
Cost	$9.95 USD	Free or $5 USD for + version


Key Features

•	Covers all essential features available in Notepad (including LOG).

•	Open and edit many documents at once (only limited by system resources).

•	Use files up to 16 Mb (NoteTab Pro) or 2 Gb (Super NoteTab) in size.

•	NoteTab Pro: multi-level undo/redo.

•	Fully configurable toolbar with flat or standard style buttons (more than 80 commands available).

•	Fully configurable shortcut menu.

•	Web enabled: can open links and HTML documents in browser.

•	Powerful Clipbook tool makes it easy to memorize and insert any kind of text in your document. Includes libraries for HTML tags, acronyms, smilies, etc. Can also be used for "shorthand" glossaries or to launch other applications.

•	Innovative In-Context Clipbook reduces mouse movement and speeds up work.

•	Can calculate (type a mathematical expression and NoteTab will calculate the result).

•	Each document can have different settings such as font, tab widths, word wrap.

•	Supports outline-type documents that help you organize your notes or any kind of information.

•	Supports document templates.

•	Can search/replace text in all open documents or disk files; accepts search tokens.

•	Functions to convert text files to web documents, strip HTML tags, sort lines, change case, process text in blocks, etc.

•	NoteTab Pro: can highlight URLs and HTML tags.

•	NoteTab Pro and Super NoteTab: spell checker and thesaurus (requires the appropriate dictionary files).

•	NoteTab Pro: insert up to 10 bookmarks per document.

•	Automatic scrolling for hands-free reading of documents.

•	Options to set margins, page numbering, headers and footers for printing jobs.

•	Text statistics (counts number of characters, words, and frequency of each word).

•	Drag-and-drop files from File Manager or Explorer.

•	Accepts multiple file names, including wildcards, passed as command-line parameters to the program.

•	Quickly open files or directories from the Favorites list.

•	Can capture text copied to the Clipboard from any application.

•	Can read and write files in DOS ASCII, UNIX, and Mac formats.

•	And lots more...


How to Uninstall

If your copy of the editor came with an installation program (Setup.EXE), you can uninstall it by using the Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs dialog box.

The following information is only relevant to users of the distribution package that did not include an installation program:

If you have associated file extensions, or set the option to use the registry instead of an INI file, or if you have used the command provided to replace MS Notepad, you can easily restore the registry and MS Notepad by executing Super NoteTab with the following command-line parameter (note that Super NoteTab should not be running when you use this command):

NoteTab.exe /UNINSTALL

If you have dedicated a folder for the editor, just delete that folder and all its files (except documents you may have saved there and want to keep!).

Otherwise, just delete the files listed in the accompanying README.TXT, all files with the extensions ".INI", ".FVR", ".OTL", ".TPL", and ".CLB", CLIPHELP.CLH, and FILEPROP.DAT. All these files are located in the same directory as NoteTab.

If you have executed NoteTab from a CD-Rom, you will find the NOTETAB.INI and FILEPROP.DAT files in the Windows directory.


Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get rid of the splash screen?

You can disable the splash screen by unchecking the "Show Splash Screen" option in the Options dialog box.

Can I replace Notepad with this editor?

Yes! If NoteTab is correctly installed, you will find a command called "Replace MS Notepad" under the Help menu. When you choose that command, NoteTab will first rename Notepad by adding the extension ".MS" to the program file. Then, it will copy a special little program called NOTEPAD.EXE to the Windows directory. Whenever this program is executed, it launches NoteTab instead of Notepad. If you want to restore MS Notepad after this operation, just use the command "Restore MS Notepad" which is also available under the Help menu.

When I save a document as FILENAME.EXT, it becomes FILENAME.EXT.TXT

This behaviour is controlled by Window 95 and NT4. If you use an extension that is not listed in the Save As dialog box, the first extension in the currently displayed "Save as type" field is added to the file name. To avoid this, type the name between doube quotes "FILENAME.EXT"

How do I specify a default directory for opening and saving files?

There is an option in the Options dialog box on the Files tab that lets you choose the default open/save directories.

How do I associate specific extensions with this editor?

There is a tool in the Options dialog box on the Associations tab that makes it really easy to associate file extensions or undo associations. Add extensions to the list to create an association or delete an extension to undo the association.

Why can't I start the editor minimized or maximized?

By changing the properties of a program's shortcut, you can instruct it to start minimized or maximized. This will also work with NoteTab. However, if the option "Save Position and Size" is set (see the Options dialog box), the program will ignore the shortcut or icon setting and the window will be restored according to the last saved position and size.

My Word processor file looks funny in NoteTab and some text is lost!

Files produced by word processors are usually not saved as plain text files. They contain all sorts of control codes that only the word processor that created them (or compatible programs) can understand. Word processors use those special control characters to store text formatting information (bold, italic, line spacing, paragraph alignment, etc.).

The NoteTab editor only understands plain text files (that's why it is so fast compared to a word processor) and will display the special control characters as funny symbols or rectangles on the screen. Some of the control characters may be interpreted by NoteTab as signaling the end of a file. This explains why such files are rarely fully loaded in the editor.

Unless you really know what you are doing, you should not edit or save such files with NoteTab. Doing this may render them unreadable to your word processor!

How can I set attributes (bold, underline, ...) for individual text elements?

This is not possible with NoteTab (or any "plain text" editor for that matter). This feature would require storing special control characters in the document. Since NoteTab is a "plain text" editor, it only saves documents as text without any control codes. Therefore all formatting information would be lost when you open the document again. If you want to format individual text elements, you will need a more sophisticated editor like a word processor.

The icon doesn't stay in the system tray when I close the editor!

Some programs keep an icon in the system tray when you close them. When they do this, many of these programs just hide the application window but remain fully loaded in memory - this is very misleading to most users! The NoteTab editor also lets you keep its icon in the system tray, however, instead of "closing" it to the system tray you minimize it by clicking on the Minimize button. This will hide the application window and leave the icon in the system tray for easy access.

Answers to other questions...


Tutorial


Using the Editor

Almost every menu item, button, and input field in the program offers hint information. Whenever you highlight a menu item or place the mouse cursor over a dialog box element, its hint text is displayed in the program's status bar (at the bottom of the main program window).

Topics:

Editor Shortcut Menus

Keyboard Shortcuts

Text Filters

ASCII Documents

Using the Clipbook

In-Context Clipbook

Clipbook Libraries

Clipbook Syntax

Paste-Board Feature

Web Enabled

File List

Favorites Dialog Box

Options Dialog Box

Document Properties

Customizing the Toolbar

Find & Replace Dialog Boxes

Printer Dialog Box

Automatic Scrolling

Text Statistics Dialog Box

Keeping a Log

Date and Time filters

Command-line Parameters

Tips and How to...


Editor Shortcut Menus

Click with the right mouse button on the document and you will have access to a customizable shortcut menu (use the Options dialog box to choose the commands you would like to display).

Use the same mouse button on the tab bar and you will get a choice of commands for managing the open documents.

Most of the editor's other components also have dedicated shortcut menus.

Look at the hint line for more information about a highlighted menu item.


Keyboard Shortcuts

Many of the editor's commands are available through keyboard shortcuts (most shortcuts that are standard to Windows are not listed here - see the Windows help file for those). The shortcut keys and their meaning are detailed below:

Editing Text

Ctrl+Z	Undo changes

Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo (NoteTab Pro)

Ctrl+A	Select all text

Ctrl+X	Cut selection to clipboard

Ctrl+C	Copy selection to clipboard

Ctrl+V	Paste selection from clipboard

Ctrl+Y	Delete current line

Ctrl+K	Invert case of selected text

Ctrl+U	Change selected text to upper case

Ctrl+L	Change selected text to lower case

Shift+K	Capitalize; make a words first character upper case and the rest lower case

Ctrl+J	Append next line to current line, or join selected lines

Ctrl+Shift+J	Split into separate lines

Ctrl+I	Indent current line or all selected lines

Ctrl+Shift+I	Unindent current line or all selected lines

Ctrl+Enter	Inserts a page-break character

F2	Expand text; replaces selection or word preceding the caret with corresponding Clipbook item (the word may be entered partially - the first matching Clipbook item is used)

F5	Insert current date/time

Handling Documents

Ctrl+O	Open a document from disk

Ctrl+N	Create a new document

Ctrl+S	Save changes made to document

Shift+Ctrl+S	Opens the Save As file dialog box

Ctrl+F4	Close the current document

Ctrl+P	Print the current document

Ctrl+Tab	Switch to next document

Ctrl+Shift+Tab	Switch to previous document

Ctrl+G	Shift focus to current document

Ctrl+W	Toggle word wrap

Shift+Ctrl+x	Insert or toggle a bookmark at the caret position within a document (x is a number between 0 and 9)

Ctrl+x	Move the caret to the specified bookmark number (x is a number between 0 and 9)

Finding and Replacing Text

Ctrl+F	Open find dialog box

Ctrl+R	Open Search/Replace dialog box

F3	Search again

Shift+F3	Search again in other direction

Tools

ESC	Show or cancel In-Context Clipbook

Ctrl+double-click	Opens the clicked link in your browser or jumps to hyperlink

Ctrl+Shift+C	Copy selection to Clipbook (must be open!)

Shift+F2	Open "Favorite Files" dialog box

F4	Show or activate the Clipbook window

F6	Show or activate the File List

F7	Open file based on name under the caret

F8	Show current HTML document in web browser

F9	Open Internet link

F10	View text statistics

F11	Spell check (not available in Freeware version)

F12	Thesaurus (not available in Freeware version)

Alt+1 (2,3,...)	displays the first Clipbook library in the combo box list; Alt+2 displays the second, and so on...

Other

Shift+F10	Opens shortcut menu


Text Filters

Several powerful commands are provided to process the text in documents. These are available in the Modify menu:

Document Filters:

ASCII

A document can be opened and saved using the ASCII character set. See the ASCII Documents topic for more details.

UNIX/Mac

When you open a UNIX or Mac file, NoteTab automatically translates line breaks to the Windows format. If you want the original format restored when you save such documents, set the "Save Format" option to Original. You can also choose to have files always saved in the UNIX or Mac format. There is also an Export command under the File menu that lets you save a document or selected text in a different format without changing the active document.

Strip HTML Tags

Use this command to remove all HTML tags from selected text or the whole document. Control and other special characters are converted during this process. This command also attempts to format text in tables by separating each cell with a tab character and by placing each row on a separate line. Use the submenu command "Preserve URLs" if you want to keep links.

Characters to HTML

This command will convert all extended and special characters (e.g. à, é, ©, <, >) it encounters in the selected text (or whole document if no text is selected) to their corresponding HTML syntax.

Line Commands:

Line commands affect entire lines. A word-wrapped line is treated as a single line by these commands.

Sort

This command sorts the selected lines or the entire document in ascending or descending alphanumerical order. Depending on the number of lines to sort and the amount of available RAM, this procedure may take quite long!

Join Lines

This command joins the current line to the next, or all selected lines together into a single line. Tabs and spaces at the beginning or end of such lines are removed.

Split Lines

This command splits a word-wrapped line into individual lines. If word wrap is not enabled, this function will determine the length of each line based on the width of the editor window.

Adjust Line Breaks

Use this command on documents (for example UNIX or Mac files) that do not display lines with standard carriage return + line feed characters.

Compress

Documents received from web browsers often have a blank line between every normal line, producing a double-spacing effect. Use this command to remove this double spacing.

Trim Blanks

This command removes trailing blank and tab characters from the end of the current line or selected lines.

Indent

The indent command adds a specified number of blanks at the beginning of the current line or all selected lines. By default, one blank character is added each time you invoke this command. You can specify a larger number in the Options dialog box.

Unindent

Unindent does the exact opposite of the Indent command.

Case Commands:

Case commands only apply to selected text.

Invert Case

Inverts the case of all the selected characters.

Upper Case

Converts all the selected characters to upper case.

Lower Case

Converts all the selected characters to lower case.

Capitalize

Converts the first character of all selected words to upper case and the rest of the word to lower case.

Spaces Commands:

Spaces commands affect either selected text or the whole document if no text is selected.

Single Space

Use this command to replace groups of multiple blank spaces to single spaces.

Single Tab

Use this command to replace groups of multiple blank spaces to single tabs.


ASCII Documents

ASCII is the character set used under DOS and ANSI is used under Windows. If you don't use extended characters (such as äèüö etc.), there is no difference between the two. However, if you create a document under DOS that uses extended characters and want to display them correctly under Windows, the text must be "translated" from ASCII to ANSI in order to display the accented characters correctly. Also, if you create a Windows text document (ANSI) and want to use it in a DOS application, it must be converted to ASCII if it contains extended characters.

This editor has a built-in filter that makes it easy to edit files of either format. Note, however, that a conversion between the two formats may not always translate all characters correctly. There are mainly two reasons for this: 1) the extended ANSI characters are not necessarily supported by all font types; 2) DOS has many different character sets available which means that extended characters are often quite different from one set to the other. The filter used in this program is based on ASCII 850 Multilingual (Latin I).

By default, the file filter list has an item for opening and saving DOS Ascii files. Since you can change the order of the filters and edit them, the program just checks for the word ASCII (case does not matter) in the selected filter when you use the file dialog box. If it finds the word ASCII, it assumes that you want to open or save a file in the DOS Ascii format. So if you want to change the default file filters but also want to use ASCII documents, remember to put the word ASCII in the description part of at least one of the filter items! You can edit the filters by opening the Options dialog box and selecting the File Filters tab.

If you convert a document from ASCII to ANSI and want it to keep its ANSI format permanently, you will have to open the Document Properties dialog box and uncheck the Dos ASCII option.


Using the Clipbook

You can think of the Clipbook as a visible clipboard with multiple text items that can be pasted in any document. The pasteable text item can be anything from a single character to thousands of lines of text. Each item is identified by a header which is displayed in the Clipbook window. The header can either represent the actual text to be pasted, or a brief description of the text item. A simple Clipbook syntax can be used to produce specialized Clipbook items.Thanks to this syntax, the Clipbook can also be used as a "Launch Pad" to open URLs and execute other programs (with or without the active document). Such items are highlighted in red in the Clipbook list.

To paste a standard Clipbook item, first position the caret in your document, then go to the Clipbook window and double-click (or press Return) on the item header. You can also drag-and-drop items from the Clipbook to your document.

You can copy an item to Window's clipboard by selecting its header and pressing the Ins key or by using the shortcut menu. This feature makes it easy to paste Clipbook items into other programs.

There are several options that let you configure the Clipbook to best suit your needs. For example, you can dock the Clipbook on the left or right side of the document frame. You can also change the font and color used for the Clipbook list box. If the Default Font option is enabled, the list box font will match the font used by the active document. You can access all the Clipbook options by invoking the shortcut menu from the list box or by opening the Clipbook Properties submenu from the Tools menu.

You can resize the Clipbook list horizontally by dragging the splitter bar (between the Clipbook and the document frame).

If you have a long list of Clipbook items or you would like to reduce mouse movement, you can invoke the In-Context Clipbook. This original feature lets you easily pick Clipbook items directly within your document at the caret position.

There are two ways to create libraries and add items to the Clipbook. The easiest way to create a new library is by invoking the shortcut menu of the Clipbook's library combo box; then use the Clipbook Item Editor to create content. Through this menu, you can create a new library, rename the current one, or delete it. The other way, is by creating (Tools | Clipbook | New Library) or opening (Tools | Clipbook |  Open Library) a Clipbook library in the editor. For more information on editing them, see the Clipbook Libraries topic.

If you don't want to edit Clipbook libraries directly, you can add new items by selecting text in your document and then pressing Ctrl+Shift+C (or selecting Add to Clipbook from the editor's shortcut menu) to add it to the current Clipbook library. You will then be prompted to enter a header for the text, after which it is added to the Clipbook. If you type a header name that already exists (case sensitive!), the text of that item is replaced by the new selected text.

You can also add text from other applications by copying it to Windows' clipboard. Open the Clipbook's list box shortcut menu and select Add from Clipboard.

The Clipbook is also great as a "shorthand" glossary. For example, if you add the text "Yours sincerely" in the Clipbook and give it the header "ys" (without the quotes), then next time you type "ys" in a document and hit the F2 function key, "ys" will be replaced by "Yours sincerely". You do not need to type the full Clipbook header; just type enough text to match the item you want to use. For example, if you use the HTML library and type the letter "c" followed by the F2 key, then the "Center" Clipbook item will be pasted in your document. If you frequently use this glossary feature, you may prefer to hide the Clipbook list so it doesn't clutter your desktop. Open the Clipbook shortcut menu and choose Hide Clipbook. Just press F4 if you want to make the Clipbook visible again. If you close the Clipbook instead of hiding it, you will not have access to the feature until you reopen it.

The list-box shortcut menu lets you add or edit items, sort the list, save or undo changes, and modify configuration options. Note that when you close the Clipbook or change library from the combo box, all changes made to the library are automatically saved.

You can toggle between the available Clipbook libraries by pressing the Alt key and a number from 1 to 0 (0 = 10); the number corresponds to the library's position in the Clipbook's combo box.

Useful Mouse and Keyboard Shortcuts

•	Insert copies the selected Clipbook item to Windows' clipboard.

•	Delete deletes the selected Clipbook item.

•	Enter or Double-click launches a command or pastes the item into the document.

•	Ctrl+Space pastes the currently selected Clipbook items.

•	Ctrl+Shift+C adds text selected in the document to the current Clipbook library.

•	Ctrl+Shift+E opens the Clipbook-item editor

•	You can drag-and-drop items to change their order in the list.

•	F4 opens or closes the Clipbook.

•	Ctrl+G shifts the focus from the Clipbook to the editor.

•	Alt+1 displays the first Clipbook library in the combo box list; Alt+2 displays the second, and so on...


In-Context Clipbook

You can invoke the "In-Context Clipbook" by hitting the ESC key while you work in a document. Doing so will display a combo box (filled with the content of the active Clipbook library) at the caret position. Selecting an item from the combo box will then paste the Clipbook text in your document. Typing in the combo box will automatically scroll to the first item matching the characters entered. Press ENTER or double-click to confirm your choice. You can choose a different Clipbook library by invoking the combo box shortcut menu. To cancel the "In-Context Clipbook", just hit the ESC key or click with the mouse in another part of the editor.


Clipbook Libraries

You can easily edit or create your own Clipbook libraries directly in the editor. Choose Open Library from the Tools | Clipbook menu to edit an existing library, or New Library if you want to create a new one.

The library format is very simple and I suggest that you look at some of the samples provided with NoteTab. Basically, there are two possible formats:

The simplest format has one text item per line and the header just duplicates the content. Empty lines are ignored.

The second format can have multi-line text items and each item can be identified by a descriptive header. This format must start with an equal sign (=) on the first line, followed by the text "MultiLine" (without quotes, character case does not matter). Each pasteable text item must be separated by an empty line. If you want to include an empty line in the item, just put a dot (.) at the beginning of the line and nothing else. If you want to specify a header, add "H=" (without the quotes) followed by your header. The header must be directly on the line above the item it describes.

By default, headers are sorted in the Clipbook window. If you don't want the them to be sorted, place the text "NoSorting" (without quotes, character case does not matter) on the first line after the comma (this command applies to both library formats).

When you save a Clipbook library, the Clipbook window is immediately updated. You can create as many libraries as you like; they will all appear in the Clipbook combo box.

I you have created Clipbook libraries that may benefit other users, why not send me a copy! I'll be glad to add them to the Clipbook repository at my web site.

Each library can have up to about 5440 Clipbook items, and you can have up to 5440 libraries.

For details on more advanced features, see the topic on Clipbook Syntax.


Clipbook Syntax

You will find information about the following topics:

•	Wrapping a Clipbook item around selected text

•	Adding prompts in a Clipbook item

•	Using date filters in a Clipbook item

•	Using the Clipbook to launch other programs

•	Inserting comments in a Clipbook item

Wrapping a Clipbook item around selected text

Normally, if you select text in your document and then paste an item from the Clipbook, the document selection is replaced by the Clipbook text. However, if the Clipbook text item includes the two-letter code ^&, the highlighted text in the document is inserted at the code's position and the resulting text is pasted in the document. This feature is particularly useful when producing HTML documents. For example, if you have defined a Clipbook item under the title Italic:

<I>^&</I>

Selecting text in your document (for example NoteTab) and then double-clicking on the Italic item in the Clipbook will surround the text with the italic tags:

<I>fabulous</I>

Adding prompts in a Clipbook item

Sometimes, you may want to complete a Clipbook item just before it is pasted in your document. HTML tags are a good example where this could come in handy. If you use the sample HTML library that comes with this program, you will notice that when you double-click on the Font item, the program will display a dialog box prompting you to enter a value for the font size. You have a choice to type a value or pick it from a combo box.

Adding this type of behaviour to a Clipbook item is very easy. Simply place the two-letter code ^? in your Clipbook item at the position where user input should be inserted. For example, when you double-click on a Clipbook item with the following text:

<FONT SIZE=^?>

a dialog box with a plain input field will prompt you to complete the Clipbook item. The user input replaces the two-letter code, and then the completed tag is copied to the document. If you would like the prompt to be a bit more descriptive, you can specify the text that will be displayed in the dialog box by placing it between square brackets:

<FONT SIZE=^?[Font size]>

You can define a default value that will be displayed to the user. Just add an equal sign after the prompt followed by the default text. The following example will show the value 12 in the input field of the dialog box:

<FONT SIZE=^?[Font size=12]>

You can produce more sophisticated prompts by offering the user a list of choices. When the program detects this type of prompt, it displays a dialog box with a combo box. To specify a list of choices, use an equal sign "=" after the prompt text followed by the values. Use a "|" (Alt+0124) as a separator between the values. For example, the following item will show a combo box labeled "Font size" with the values 8, 10, 12, 14, 18, 24, and 36 in the list:

<FONT SIZE=^?[Font size=8|10|12|14|18|24|36]>

The user can also enter values that are not listed. If, however, the input should be limited to the values available in the list, just double the comma sign as in the following example:

<FONT SIZE=^?[Font size==10|14|18]>

If you would like to select a default value when the dialog box is displayed, just place an underscore character "_" in front of the desired value. In the following example, the value 10 will be used as the default value:

<FONT SIZE=^?[Font size=8|_10|14|18]>

You can display in the combo box list a different text from what you actually want to use. Use the ^= code to separate the text to display (on the left side) from the text to use (on the right side). The example below will show a combo box with three items in the list: Small, Medium, Large. The medium item will be selected as the default value since it starts with an underscore character.

<FONT SIZE=^?[Font size=Small^=6|_Medium^=10|Large^=14]>

A Clipbook item can have as many prompts in it as you like. If you repeat a prompt within the same Clipbook item, the initial answer entered by the user is inserted in its place (the dialog box is not displayed again). In the following example, the user will only be prompted once:

Dear ^?[First Name=Lisa|Bill|Jane|Ted],

How are you ^?[First Name]?

Notice that it is not necessary to duplicate the whole prompt item, but only the prompt header. Suppose the user chose Jane, this is what will be pasted in the document:

Dear Jane,

How are you Jane?

Using date filters in a Clipbook item

If you want to use date/time filters in the Clipbook, use ^[ and ^] to delimit the filter element of the Clipbook text. For example, if you add the following text to the Clipbook:

This message was written ^[dd/mm/yyyy^]

Pasting it in a document will produce the following text (assuming the date is 22 February 1997):

This message was written 22/02/1997

Using the Clipbook to launch other programs

Any Clipbook item that starts with the two-letter code ^!, will be launched when invoked. For example, double-clicking on a Clipbook item with the following text:

^!calc.exe

will execute the calculator provided with Windows. Note that if the application is not in the search path, you will have to add the fully qualified path to the application you want to use.

A Clipbook item can behave a bit like a batch file in that it supports multiple commands - each on a separate line. For example, if you have a Clipbook item with the following instructions:

^!calc.exe

^!write.exe "c:\My Documents\MyFile.Doc"

Executing it will open both the calculator and the word processor. You can control the timing for opening consecutive applications. The instruction ^!WAIT will wait until the previously launched application has closed before executing the next command. You cannot use the editor when it is in Wait mode (the editor's window caption indicates it is waiting for the application to close). The instruction ^!PROMPT will display a dialog box prompting the user to click on the OK button before passing on to the next instruction(s). In the following example, the Write program will only be launched once the Calculator program has been closed:

^!calc.exe

^!WAIT

^!write.exe "c:\My Documents\MyFile.Doc"

Note that the ^!WAIT command may not work with all applications (during testing, it did not work with the MS-Write program).

If you want to open the current document in another application, use the three-letter code ^** to indicate where the document name should be inserted in the command line. For example, if you want to open the current document in MS-Write, you would use the following command:

^!write.exe ^**

To specify a document name without its extension, use the following two-letter code instead: ^*

Documents that have not been saved are stored in a temporary file when this type of command is used. The temporary file is then substituted for the document name. You can also specify additional parameters that your application recognizes. Here is an example that will do a syntax check on a Perl script (assuming it is the current document in the editor):

^!perl -c ^**

If you are editing a document that is associated with another application, you do not need to specify the application name. For example, if you are using an HTML document (with the appropriate extension!), the following command will open the current document in the browser that has been associated with HTML extensions:

^!^**

Note that the ^!WAIT instruction only works with launch commands that include the program name. It will not work with the example above!

You can also open URLs in the associated browser. To do so, the two-letter code ^! must be followed by the following text "URL:" (without the quotes). For example, the following command will open the link to my Homepage:

^!URL:http://www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/geologie/fookes/

You will find more examples in the Clipbook library sample LAUNCH.CLB which is provided with the editor.

Inserting comments in a Clipbook Item

Inserting comments in a Clipbook item is very easy: just place a semicolon (;) at the start of each line containing a comment. If you come across a situation when a line in a Clipbook item should start with a semicolon and it is not a comment, just add an extra semicolon in front of it. Please note that comments are only valid within a Clipbook item!


Paste-Board Feature

Any document in the editor (as long as it is not Read-Only) can be configured to capture text that is cut or copied to the Windows Clipboard. First select the document you want to use as a "paste board", then activate the "Use as Paste Board" option in the Document menu. As long as this option is active, the document will capture and append all text sent to the Clipboard from any Windows application (including the editor itself). The computer speaker will play a sound each time the paste-board document captures some text.

The paste-board feature, for example, makes it easy to create a list of links or important information you copy as you surf the web.

Note that only one document at a time can act as a paste board. When you activate this option on another document, the previous paste-board document stops capturing Clipboard text.


Web Enabled

If your text contains a link, holding the control key down and double-clicking on it with the mouse will open it in your web browser. If this feature does not work, you will have to enter the path and file name of the browser in the Options dialog box (Miscellaneous tab) – if it does work, however, leave this field empty!

If the editor cannot resolve the URL from the text you double-clicked, it will open a dialog box so you can complete the address if necessary.

If you have an HTML file open or are editing a new document, you can view it in your web browser by choosing the View in Browser command (under the Tools menu). When you view a document that has been modified but not saved, the editor will first save a temporary copy which is then loaded in the browser. All temporary files are deleted once you quit the editor.


File List

The File List feature makes it easy to find a specific editor document when a large number of them are open. It displays the document names (path and file name) in alphabetical order. Just click on a document name to make it appear in the editor window.

When selecting a document in the window, the focus does not shift to the editor. To do so, you now must double-click on the document name or press the Enter key.

The File List's shortcut menu lets you close, delete, or shift the focus to the selected document, or close the window.

Useful Mouse and Keyboard Shortcuts

•	Delete closes the selected document.

•	Enter or Double-click shifts the focus to the selected document.

•	Ctrl+G shifts the focus from the File List to the editor.


Favorites Dialog Box

Many Windows users, like myself, have lots of text files stored in many different places on the hard disk. Using the file dialog box to search for them and open them can become a time consuming task. That's why I created the Favorites dialog box.

The Favorites dialog box makes it easy to quickly open any file or a directory (folder) you have added to the list. You can easily add new files and directories to the list using the integrated editor or by clicking on the Add button. The Add button opens the file dialog box from which you can select multiple files. The integrated editor also lets you add file names with wild cards. This is handy if, for example, you want to open all your HTML files in the editor to perform a global search and replace operation:

C:\Web\Homepage\*.html

I recently used this feature to open about 130 HTML files to perform a global search and replace operation. The Favorites dialog box really makes the task easier.

By clicking on the New button, you can enter file names or directories in the input field (below the list box) without using the File dialog box displayed by using the Add button. You can also use that method to specify file names with wild cards.

When you add a directory name to the list, make sure it ends with a backslash "\" (otherwise it will be interpreted as a file name). When you open a directory item, the File Open dialog box is displayed pointing to the selected directory. If several items are selected in the list, directory items are ignored when you choose the Open or Open All button. For example, when opening the following item, the File Open dialog box will pop up and show the content of the Homepage directory:

C:\Web\Homepage

You can create separate lists for all kinds of different tasks. The names of all available lists are displayed in the list name combo box. Favorite Files lists are always stored in the program directory and have the extension FVR. These are text files that can also be edited in the editor like any other file. You should not, however, edit such a file if it is currently open in the Favorites dialog box.

You can also specify other "Favorite Files" list names by clicking on the New button in the dialog box, then typing a colon character (:) followed by the list's name. For example:

:Favorite

Once you have created such an item, double-clicking on it will open all the files in that list.

You can reorder the list using drag-and-drop or sort the list by invoking the shortcut menu. You can select multiple files in the list and open them by clicking on the Open button. If you want to open all the files in the list, just click on the Open All button (in this case, directory items are ignored).

The shortcut menu also lets you undo any changes you have made to the list. Changes are permanently saved when the dialog box is closed or when a new list is selected from the list names combo box. You can create new lists by invoking the combo box shortcut menu. This menu also lets you rename lists or delete them.

The editor can be configured to open all the files from a Favorite Files list whenever you start it. If you want to open files from a different list from the one that was last used, you can specify its name from the command line.

The dialog box size and position can be saved by opening its Control (or System) menu and clicking on Save Window State.


Options Dialog Box

This dialog box lets you configure the main program settings. Use the Options command under the View menu to open this dialog. The settings are automatically saved when you quit the editor and used when you start the program again.

General Tab:

Save Position and Size: when you enable this option, the editor will always restore its previous position and size when you start it.

Reload Open Documents: Use this option if you want the files that were open when you closed the editor to be reopened next time you start the editor. Files that no longer exist are now ignored.

Load Favorites on Startup: Loads the files listed in the Favorite Files list (from current list or an alternative list indicated through the command line) whenever you start the editor.

Directory Tracking: The working directory follows the active document when this option is enabled.

Allow Multiple Instances: Set this option if you want to allow multiple instances of the editor in memory.

Find Text at Caret: If the caret is placed within a word, opening the Find or Replace dialog box will insert it in the Find field. If this option is not enabled, you have to select the word yourself to insert it in the dialog box.

Save Files on Close: if this option is enabled, the editor will no longer prompt you to confirm whether a modified file should be saved before it is closed. Note, however, that the File Save As dialog box is displayed if the file does not have a name or if it is Read Only on the disk.

Make Backups: When this option is enabled, the editor always attempts to make a backup copy of a file before it is overwritten by a new version when you choose the save command.

Backups use .BAK: When this option is enabled, backup files receive the .BAK extension. Otherwise, a tilde '~' is inserted between the dot and the file's extension.

Stay On Top: you can make the program stay on top of others by enabling this option. When you choose this configuration, the Find and Replace dialog boxes cannot be modeless. Also, it is not recommended to maximize the editor when this option is checked. If another program needs to display a message, the editor will usually loose the focus to a window that is masked by itself.

Icon in System Tray: When enabled, the editor's icon is placed in the system tray instead of the task bar.

Show Main Menu: When enabled, the main program menu is displayed.

Show Toolbar: When disabled, the program toolbar is hidden.

Show Ruler: When disabled, the document ruler is hidden.

Show Status Bar: When disabled, the program status bar is hidden.

Show Caret Position: When disabled, the caret-position panel is removed from the status bar. This leaves more space for the hint text.

Show Ext. in Tabs: When disabled, the file name that appears in the document tab is displayed without its extension.

Show Splash Screen: Shows the splash screen when you start the program.

Highlight URLs: When enabled, any document that does not highlight HTML tags will highlight URLs. Turning this option off will increase the speed of screen updating (only noticeable on slower systems).

Highlight HTML Tags: When enabled, any document with an HTML extension (listed in the HTML File Extensions list - see Advanced tab) will highlight HTML tags. Turning this option off will increase the speed of screen updating (only noticeable on slower systems). If the default extension (see File Filters tab) corresponds to an HTML extension, then new documents will also highlight tags.

Documents Tab:

The options you set on this tab define the default document properties that will apply to all newly opened documents and those that have the Default option checked. You can define word wrap, automatic indentation, tabulator width in pixels, font name and size, etc.

File Filters Tab:

This tab provides a little editor that lets you define the file filters that are used in the File dialog boxes. You can edit, delete and add new descriptions and wildcards, reorder them by using the Move Up / Move Down buttons or by drag-and-dropping items in the list. Note that there is a limit to the number of items you can create.

By default, the file filter list has an item for opening and saving DOS Ascii files. The program checks for the word ASCII (case does not matter) in the selected filter when you use the file dialog box. If it finds the word ASCII, it assumes that you want to open or save a file in the DOS Ascii format. So if you want to change the default file filters but also want to use ASCII documents, remember to put the word ASCII in the description part of at least one of the filter items!

The default extension field is also used by the file dialog box.

Colors Tab:

You can set the background color of documents and the color of text by clicking on the Background and Normal Text buttons respectively. To change the color of selected text, use the Highlight Back and Highlight Text buttons. To change the color used to highlight HTML Tags and URLs, click on the HTML Tags and URL Text buttons respectively. Use the Highlight Tags button to change the color of HTML tags and URLs when they are selected.

If you also want URLs underlined, put a check mark in the Underline URLs check box.

To reset all colors back to the Windows standard colors, just click in the Use Default Colors check box.

Toolbar Tab:

See the topic Customizing the Toolbar for an explanation of the options.

Advanced Tab:

Web Browser: This field should only be used if the editor is unable to start it when you choose one of the web enabled functions. When you enter a browser name (path and file name), the editor will execute the browser according to this information. As a result, a new instance of the browser may be loaded each time you choose to display a link or document. When this field is left empty, the editor will try to retrieve information from the Windows registry and communicate with your browser using DDE. If this method is successful, the editor can detect if an instance is already loaded in memory and send the appropriate commands to the browser.

Date Filter: The date filter is used by the Insert Date menu command and the Log feature. If you leave this field blank, the short date format defined in your Windows setup is used. The Date and Time filters topic gives you all the codes you can use to build a filter.

HTML File Extensions: This list is used by NoteTab to identify which documents require HTML tag highlighting when this feature is enabled. If a document has an extension that matches one of the entries, then highlighting is performed. Use the Add button to insert new extensions and the Delete button to remove the selected item.

Show Prompts: When this option is enabled, you will be prompted for confirmation when you choose to reload or delete a document.

Filter Binary Codes: If a file contains special control characters (any character with a decimal value of 0 or 8), these are automatically converted to '·' (Alt+0183). When set, you can see the full content of any type of file. Note that saving this kind of file will not restore the control characters (only do this if you know what you are doing)! This option slows the loading of large files, so don't set it if you use only real text files.

Clear Properties: Use this command to clear all the stored document properties. Next time you open this documents, the default settings defined in the Options dialog box are used. This command has no effect on open documents.

Indent Size: The value is used to indicate the number of blank spaces used to increase or decrease the indent of selected lines (Line Indent /Unindent commands).

Undo Limit: You can configure the size of the undo buffer through this field. The value is in bytes and cannot exceed 65'532 (64 Kb). By setting a smaller value you save system resources. This is only useful if you intend to open a very large number of documents at once. This option will not change the buffer size of documents that are currently open.

Undo after Save: Allows an undo operation after a modified document has been saved.

Text Limit: You can configure the maximum document size the editor open. The value is in bytes and cannot exceed 16'777'216 (16 Mb). Choosing a lower value will save system resources. This option will not change the buffer size of documents that are currently open.

Paragraph Limit: You can configure the maximum paragraph length allowed in documents. When word wrap is turned off, a paragraph represents a single line. The length is measured in characters and cannot exceed 32'767 (32 Kb). Choosing a lower value will save system resources. This option will not change the paragraph size limit of documents that are currently open.


Document Properties

This dialog box lets you set properties for individual documents. You can define word wrap, tab width in pixels, font name and size, and character set for the currently selected document. If the Default option is checked, the settings defined in the Documents tab of the Options dialog box are applied.

Word Wrap: Enables word wrap at window edge or specified width if Wrap to Column is enabled.

Wrap to Column: When you enable this option, word wrap occurs at the specified column position (in field next to check box) instead of the Window margin.

Auto Indent: When enabled, a new paragraph created by pressing <Enter> or <Ctrl+Enter> is given the same indentation level as the last line of the previous paragraph (this is generally useful only when word wrap is off).

Trim White Spaces: When enabled, spaces at the end of a paragraph are removed when it is added to the document.

Scroll Past End of Line: If this option is enabled, the caret can move beyond the end of the current line. If it is disabled, pressing <Right> when the caret is at the end of the line moves the caret to the beginning of the next line. This option is ignored if word wrap is on.

Tab Size: Tab characters in the document are expanded to spaces (visually). The number of spaces used is a function of the contents of the line and the current tab size, which can be changed by setting a new value in this field.

Type of tab: You can change the behavior of the editor by changing this option. If the tab type is set to Real, pressing <Tab> inserts a "real" tab character into the document. If the tab type is set to Fixed, pressing <Tab> inserts enough spaces to move the caret to the next tab stop. (This is called "fixed tabs" because the position of existing text will not change if the tab size is later changed, as it does if real tabs are used.) If the tab type is set to Smart, spaces are also inserted into the document, but the positions of the tab stops are a function of the positions of the words in the previous line.

Dos ASCII: This option is only available in the Document Properties dialog box. Changing this option will affect how the document is saved. If you want to convert the current text between ASCII and ANSI, use the "Convert to Ascii/Ansii Text" command under the Document menu. So, for example, if you convert an ASCII document to ANSI and want it to stay this way, just uncheck the DOS ASCII option; next time you save the file, it will keep its ANSI format.

Automatic: When you set this option, the file format (PC,UNIX,MAC) is automatically detected when a document is opened and restored when it is saved. In other words, if you open a UNIX document, modify it and then save it, the updated file retains its original UNIX format. Note that this option may slow the loading of large files.

UNIX Format: This option tells the editor to save a document in a format that is compatible with the UNIX operating system (all carriage return / line-feed pair are converted to LF).

Font: You can change the document font by clicking on the font button. This will open the standard font dialog with all the fixed-width fonts available on your system.

Document Properties are saved whenever the document or the editor is closed. All settings for up to the 256 most recently opened files are stored in a file called FILEPROP.DAT which is placed in the program directory. You can edit the NOTEPRO.INI file (the editor must not be running!) and set another value for the MaxStoreProperties item under the [Options] section. You can clear all memorized settings by choosing the Clear Properties command on the Advanced tab of the Options dialog.


Customizing the Toolbar

You can configure many aspects of the toolbar. There is a large choice of commands you can display in it and you can reorder any button to suit your way of working. The toolbar properties are available through the Toolbar shortcut menu (right-click with your mouse on the toolbar) or by opening the Options dialog box and selecting the Toolbar tab.

Show in Toolbar: This list shows all the available toolbar buttons. By clicking in the check box in front of each button description, you can make it visible or remove it from the toolbar. Use the Separator items to separate groups related buttons. You can easily reorder buttons and separators by clicking on their caption and dragging them to a new position. Alternatively, you can select a button item and use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change its position.

Note that if you choose to display the Close Document button, the "Quick Close" button normally displayed on the far right side of the toolbar is removed.

Regular Buttons: When checked, the toolbar shows the standard "extruding" buttons. Otherwise, the new flat buttons (Office 97) are displayed.

Show Caption: Use this option to display captions in the buttons. The width of these buttons is automatically determined by the size of the longest caption.

Show Tool Tips: Tool Tips appear when you place the mouse cursor over a toolbar button. You can disable this feature by turning this option off.

Show Separators: If you have set the Regular Buttons option, separators add blank space between the buttons where they are placed. With the flat buttons, separators are displayed as chiseled vertical lines. If you do not want to display separators, just disable this option.

Wrap Buttons: If this option is set and the editor window is too small to display all the buttons, the toolbar will resize itself and wrap the buttons to the next line.

Caption Font: This button opens the Font dialog box and lets you change the default font used for the toolbar button captions.


Find & Replace Dialog Boxes

If the selected text is between 2 and 255 characters long, it is placed in the Find field of the dialog box when it is opened (special characters are automatically replaced by their respective tokens – see below). Otherwise, the last searched item is displayed displayed in the field. The maximum length for a search or replace text is 255 characters. Searching always starts from the caret position!

The Find and Replace dialog boxes accept tokens to represent special characters:

     ^T = Tab ($09)

     ^B = Page break ($12)

The following are not available in NoteTab Pro:

     ^P = Paragraph (carriage-return/line-feed pair)

     ^C = Carriage-return ($0D)

     ^L = Line-feed ($0A)

If you actually need to search characters that correspond to one of the tokens, just precede it with an extra ^ symbol (for example ^^T to search for ^T).

When the editor is configured to "stay-on-top", the Find and Replace dialog boxes are modal. In other words, you cannot return to the editor until you close the dialog box. When the program is not "stay-on-top", they are modeless (you can edit documents while the dialog boxes are open).

You can increase the width of the dialog box if necessary and save the new size by opening its Control (or System) menu and clicking on Save Window State.


Printer Dialog Box

Most settings in the Printer dialog box are saved and restored when you run the program again. However, each time you move to another document, the Title text is replaced by the document's name and Print Word Wrap is checked.

If you choose to print a document to a file, the lines will be wrapped at the same point as if they were printed on paper and page breaks are inserted accordingly. The resulting file has the same name as the document but has the extension PRN; it is created in the same directory as the document.

By default, the document font will be used for printing. You can, however, choose a printer font that is used instead of the document font. This option is available on the Font tab.


Automatic Scrolling

Automatic scrolling allows hands-free reading of any document. You can set the speed in characters per second and the program will scroll through the text one line at a time until it reaches the end. The Auto Scroll command is available in the Tools menu.

The Auto Scroll "command center" dialog has five buttons and an input field that lets you set the scroll speed in characters per second. This dialog is modal, so you cannot return to the editor unless you close it.

For left to right, the buttons are...

•	Play: 	Starts scrolling at the speed defined by the Speed field.

•	Quit:	Stops scrolling and closes the dialog box.

•	Pause:	Stops scrolling

•	Rewind:	Same as Page Up (pressing this button pauses scrolling)

•	Forward:	Same as Page Down (pressing this button pauses scrolling)

You can also use the keyboard to control scrolling...

•	Spacebar:	Toggles between Play and Pause mode.

•	Page Up:	Same as Rewind button.

•	Page Down:	Same as Forward button.

•	Esc:	Stops scrolling and closes the dialog box.

If you edit the scroll speed while the document is scrolling, the pause button will be activated and you will have to press the Play button to continue scrolling at the new speed.


Text Statistics Dialog Box

The Text Statistics dialog box provides information on the number of characters, words, and the number of occurrences of each different word within a text. If you select text, that information will be extracted from that portion of the document. If no text is selected, then the whole document is analyzed.

The first part of the dialog box displays the following fields:

•	Characters	The figure is based on the total number of characters encountered in the text, including spaces and tabs. Each tabs counts as one character only.

•	Words	Only words composed entirely of alphabetic characters are counted here.

•	Others	Any word that is not counted in the previous field is added here. For example numbers or words that are a mix of alphabetic characters and numbers.

To display the frequency of occurrences of individual words, click on the More button. Depending on the size of the text to analyze, this process may take some time to display the result. At the end of the list, you can read the total number of different words encountered in the text. If you want to copy the list to the clipboard, invoke the shortcut menu by right-clicking in the list.


Keeping a Log

You can keep a log by using the same method as Notepad. Just add ".LOG" on the first line (without the quotation marks) and every time you open such a document, the editor will append the current date and time (as specified by your computer's clock).There is an option that lets you configure the format for the date and time text that is pasted with the corresponding command. The Date and Time filters topic gives you all the codes you can use to build a filter.


Date and Time filters

The editor has a command that lets you easily insert the current date and time in your documents. You can do so with the Insert Date command (in the Document menu) or automatically if you are using the log feature. By default, it uses the format specified by the ShortDateFormat defined by Windows. You can, however, customize the date by creating a Date Filter – the field is available in the Options dialog box on the Miscellaneous tab. There is also a similar field in the Print dialog box. Filters can also be used in text that is added to the Clipbook (see topic for more information). The following format specifiers are supported:

Specifier	Displays

c	Displays the date using the format given by the ShortDateFormat global variable, followed by the time using the format given by the LongTimeFormat global variable. The time is not displayed if the fractional part of the DateTime value is zero.

d	Displays the day as a number without a leading zero (1-31).

dd	Displays the day as a number with a leading zero (01-31).

ddd	Displays the day as an abbreviation (Sun-Sat) using the strings given by the ShortDayNames global variable.

dddd	Displays the day as a full name (Sunday-Saturday) using the strings given by the LongDayNames global variable.

ddddd	Displays the date using the format given by the ShortDateFormat global variable.

dddddd	Displays the date using the format given by the LongDateFormat global variable.

m	Displays the month as a number without a leading zero (1-12). If the m specifier immediately follows an h or hh specifier, the minute rather than the month is displayed.

mm	Displays the month as a number with a leading zero (01-12). If the mm specifier immediately follows an h or hh specifier, the minute rather than the month is displayed.

mmm	Displays the month as an abbreviation (Jan-Dec) using the strings given by the ShortMonthNames global variable.

mmmm	Displays the month as a full name (January-December) using the strings given by the LongMonthNames global variable.

yy	Displays the year as a two-digit number (00-99).

yyyy	Displays the year as a four-digit number (0000-9999).

h	Displays the hour without a leading zero (0-23).

hh	Displays the hour with a leading zero (00-23).

n	Displays the minute without a leading zero (0-59).

nn	Displays the minute with a leading zero (00-59).

s	Displays the second without a leading zero (0-59).

ss	Displays the second with a leading zero (00-59).

t	Displays the time using the format given by the ShortTimeFormat global variable.

tt	Displays the time using the format given by the LongTimeFormat global variable.

am/pm	Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays 'am' for any hour before noon, and 'pm' for any hour after noon. The am/pm specifier can use lower, upper, or mixed case, and the result is displayed accordingly.

a/p	Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays 'a' for any hour before noon, and 'p' for any hour after noon. The a/p specifier can use lower, upper, or mixed case, and the result is displayed accordingly.

ampm	Uses the 12-hour clock for the preceding h or hh specifier, and displays the contents of the TimeAMString global variable for any hour before noon, and the contents of the TimePMString global variable for any hour after noon.

/	Displays the date separator character given by the DateSeparator global variable.

:	Displays the time separator character given by the TimeSeparator global variable.

'xx'	Characters enclosed in single quotes are displayed as-is, and do not affect formatting.

Format specifiers may be written in upper case as well as in lower case letters--both produce the same result.


Command-line Parameters

You can specify as many parameters as the command line can take. Each parameter must be separated by a space.

/NS 	Don't show splash screen (must be first parameter). There is also an option in the Options dialog box.

FileName	Opens specified file in the editor.  File name can also include wildcards. If you want to specify several file names, enclose each name between double quotes, eg.
NoteTab.exe "c:\autoexec.bat" "c:\config.sys"

/F=FavoritesFileName	Specify an alternative Favorites list file name (without extension or path). The file name must follow the equal sign. Do not use any spaces before or after the equal. Favorites lists must be in the same folder as the editor. If the file does not exist, it will be created. If you want the files in the list to open automatically on startup, make sure you check the Auto Load Favorites option in the Options dialog box.

/P	 Print the files listed in the command-line parameter.

/R	Open the files following this parameter as Read-Only.

/B	Browse mode: the editor will not allow editing of documents.

/J=xxx	Jumps to specified line number (xxx) when the editor is opened. This argument can be specified after every file name. If J=-1, the caret will be placed at the beginning of the last line.

/INI=FileName	Specify an alternative INI file. If you don't indicate a path, the program's directory is assumed. If you indicate a path name, there should not be any spaces in it (if this is the case, use the short DOS name instead). You do not need to specify an extension (it is always INI).


Tips and How to...

In Super NoteTab, you can drag-and-drop selected text. To move text to another part of your document, first select it, then click on the selection with the left mouse button and drag it to the desired location. If you want to duplicate text rather than move it, follow the same procedure but with the Control key pressed down.

When you have several documents open, you can drag-and-drop page tabs to reorder them any way you like.

If you use the system tray and always want the program available, don't exit the editor but minimize it instead. The program will minimize to the system tray and reappear next time you click on its icon.

The ruler can display measurements in characters (only accurate with fixed-width fonts), inches, and millimeters. Click on the ruler to toggle between the different units. When you place the mouse cursor over the ruler, the measurement at that position is indicated in the hint bar. Note that the ruler measurements do not scroll horizontally with the editor window.

Use the View | Multiple Instances menu command if you want to open multiple copies of the editor in memory.

The Clipbook can be used to launch other programs, open the current document in its associated application, open the current document in specified program, and open URLs. Clipbook items with this capability are highlighted in red and have a little exclamation "!" symbol on their left side.

Open a local file by placing the caret on its name in a document and pressing the F7 key (or through the menu: Tools / Open File at Caret).

The "Go to Line" command is activated when you double-click on the caret-position pane in the status bar.

NoteTab Pro: You can toggle between insert and overwrite mode by double-clicking on the Insert/Overwrite pane in the status bar.

Double-clicking on the hint line in the status bar selects all the text in the current document.

Super NoteTab cannot display fonts with OEM character sets (Terminal, MS Line Draw,...). This limitation is due to the rich edit control provided with Windows.


Updates

You will find information on updates at the following address:

http://www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/geologie/fookes/

And if all goes well, NoteTab will soon have its own Internet domain address at:

http://www.notetab.com/

You can purchase the commercial versions of NoteTab by visiting the ideaMarket web site at the following address...

http://www.ideamarket.com/

NoteTab customers are automatically notified when updates become available.


Contacting the Author

I receive many E-mails from NoteTab users all over the world, and really appreciate the comments and suggestions sent to me. Without them, I would probably have stopped working on the software long ago. Also, much of the feedback I get influences the evolution of NoteTab. However, because of the  volume of messages involved, I am sorry to say that I cannot respond to them all (if I did, I could no longer develop NoteTab). So please forgive me in advance if I don't respond to your inquiry; it does not mean that I have ignored your feedback (I never do).

If you are submitting a bug report, please first check the list of known problems in the last part of the README.TXT file. Also check, if possible, whether the bug has been fixed in the latest update. Remember to indicate which program variant and version number you are using.

I can be reached by E-mail at:

fookes@sc2a.unige.ch

    (or  Eric.Fookes@terre.unige.ch)

or by snail mail at the following address:

Eric G.V. Fookes

Av. Eugène-Pittard 22 Ter

CH - 1206 Geneva

Switzerland


License (Commercial version)

IMPORTANT - THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU (EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL OR AN ENTITY) AND ERIC G.V. FOOKES. BY USING THE NOTETAB SOFTWARE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT IT IS THE FULL AND COMPLETE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US, SUPERSEDING ALL PRIOR WRITTEN OR VERBAL AGREEMENTS OF ANY KIND. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, YOU MUST CEASE USING THIS PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY AND PROMPTLY DESTROY ALL COPIES OF THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION.

The program and related files are proprietary products of Eric G.V. Fookes ("LICENSER"). Super NoteTab and NoteTab Pro, including related files distributed with the package, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the "SOFTWARE".

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. This License Agreement permits you to use one copy of the SOFTWARE on a single computer. The SOFTWARE is in "use" on a computer when it is loaded into temporary memory (i.e. RAM) or installed into permanent memory (e.g. hard disk, CD-ROM, or other storage device) of that computer. However, installation on a network server for the sole purpose of internal distribution shall not constitute "use" for which a separate license is required, provided you have a separate license for each computer to which the SOFTWARE is distributed.

2. COPYRIGHT. The SOFTWARE is owned by the LICENSER or its suppliers and is protected by the copyright laws and treaties. Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE like any other copyrighted material (e.g. a book or musical recording) except that you may either (a) make one copy of the SOFTWARE solely for backup or archival purposes, or (b) transfer the SOFTWARE to a single hard disk provided you keep the original solely for backup or archival purposes.

3. OTHER RESTRICTIONS. Any redistribution, transfer, lending, sharing, or use by parties other than the licensee is a violation of copyright laws. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE.

LIMITED WARRANTY. This program is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the SOFTWARE is wi th you, the licensee. Should the SOFTWARE prove defective, you assume the risk and liability for the entire cost of all necessary repair, service, or correction. Some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty

 gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state/jurisdiction to state/jurisdiction.

The LICENSER does not warranty the functions contained in the SOFTWARE will meet your requirements, or that the operation of the SOFTWARE will be error-free or uninterrupted. Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it . The user must assume the entire risk of using the SOFTWARE. ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall the LICENSER or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this SOFTWARE, even if the LICENSER has been advised of the possibility of such damages or for any claim by any other party. Because some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for cons equential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.

If you are not the registered owner of this SOFTWARE, please visit http://www.ideamarket.com to purchase your own fully-licensed copy.


License (Freeware version)

IMPORTANT - THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU (EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL OR AN ENTITY) AND ERIC G.V. FOOKES. BY USING THE NOTETAB SOFTWARE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT IT IS THE FULL AND COMPLETE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US, SUPERSEDING ALL PRIOR WRITTEN OR VERBAL AGREEMENTS OF ANY KIND. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, YOU MUST CEASE USING THIS PRODUCT IMMEDIATELY AND PROMPTLY DESTROY ALL COPIES OF THE SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION.

The program and related files are proprietary products of Eric G.V. Fookes ("LICENSER"). Super NoteTab, including related files distributed with the package, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the "SOFTWARE".

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. This License Agreement permits you to use the Freeware version of the SOFTWARE on any computer.

2. COPYRIGHT. The SOFTWARE is owned by the LICENSER and is protected by the copyright laws and treaties.

3. DISTRIBUTION. The SOFTWARE package - including all related program and documentation files CANNOT be modified in any way and must be distributed as a complete package. You may charge a distribution fee for the package, but you must not represent in any way that you are selling the software itself.

4. OTHER RESTRICTIONS. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE. Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license.

LIMITED WARRANTY. This program is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the SOFTWARE is wi th you, the licensee. Should the SOFTWARE prove defective, you assume the risk and liability for the entire cost of all necessary repair, service, or correction. Some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from state/jurisdiction to state/jurisdiction.

The LICENSER does not warranty the functions contained in the SOFTWARE will meet your requirements, or that the operation of the SOFTWARE will be error-free or uninterrupted. Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it . The user must assume the entire risk of using the SOFTWARE.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall the LICENSER or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this SOFTWARE, even if the LICENSER has been advised of the possibility of such damages or for any claim by any other party. Because some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for cons equential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.

All rights not expressly granted here are reserved by Eric G.V. Fookes.


History of NoteTab

NoteTab has been a leader in innovations brought to the field of text editors ever since the first version. Many of these original features have now been copied by competing software. Here is a short outline of the most significant features first introduced by NoteTab:

October 1995:

Introduction of the first version of NoteTab (called Mini NoteTab) for Windows 3.x. It was one of the first text editors (perhaps even the first) to use a tabbed layout instead of the cumbersome MDI interface.

December 1996:

Favorites dialog box was introduced. This feature made it very easy to find files and directories no matter where they are located on the hard disk(s).

January 1997:

The powerful and very popular "Editor Clipbook" tool was created and integrated in NoteTab version 2.0. Although this feature is being increasingly copied, the original Clipbook remains the uncontested leader in ease of use, power and flexibility.

Web-enabled features: lets you easily open links in your default browser by clicking on them with the mouse. Added a command to preview HTML documents in web browser.

June 1997:

The convenient In-Context Clipbook was introduced in NoteTab version 3.0.

November 1997:

NoteTab version 4.0 introduces many original features never seen in text editors before. These include:

•	Outline documents with hypertext links

•	Clipbook Wizards

•	Customizable shortcut menu

•	Calculates mathematical expressions

•	Easiest method ever to replace MS Notepad with NoteTab


Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my colleague and friend Christophe Nussbaumer who was one of the first NoteTab users. It is thanks to him and his encouragements that NoteTab became available on the Internet.

Since then, many NoteTab users – unfortunately too many to mention here – have provided helpful feedback and interesting suggestions to improve the software. Thanks to their comments, NoteTab has been enriched with many significant improvements.

Version 4.0 is one of the most significant updates. It has also undergone some of the most intensive beta testing since NoteTab was introduced two years ago. I am therefore much indebted to the following beta testers who have spent much time testing the software and offering valuable suggestions:

Jody Adair

Jose Maria Alin

Mike Arst

Paul Harder

Greg R. Haynes

Judith

Helmut Lange

J. Michael Mollohan

Helmut Reimer

Thanks also to the following people who have provided much feedback on earlier versions of the program:

Mat Davis

Bob Dolan

Dennis Gallagher

Chris Glockler

Tobias Graening

Leonardo Herzenberg

Staffan Höijer

Christoph Juengling

Dr. Jürgen Kehrel

Rob McGee

Mark Paciga

David Pottier

Ken Stuart

Frank Thurber.

The mathematics feature was made possible thanks to the superb freeware parsing function developed by the following people:

Renate Schaaf

Alin Flaider

Stefan Hoffmeister