File Menu

The File Menu is context sensitive. Available menu items change when a text file is open in the Workspace.  Here is the File Menu when all options are available.  

The File Menu corresponds to some elements in the Main Toolbar.

When there is a corresponding element, the toolbar button is shown in the following table:

Button

Menu Item

Description

New

New

Creates a new file and displays it in the Workspace window.

Open

Open

Opens a file and displays it in the Workspace.

 

Close

Closes currently selected file in the Workspace.

Save

Save

Saves currently selected file in the Workspace.

 

Save As

Saves currently selected file in the Workspace with a new name.

 

New Analyzer

Creates a new analyzer. Only one analyzer can be open at a time in an instance of VisualText™. If an existing analyzer is open, it will be closed and the new one loaded. Two instances of VisualText can be launched however, thereby having two different analyzers running at the same time.

 

Open Analyzer

Launches Open dialog box to navigate to location of .ana file to open the analyzer.

 

Save Analyzer

Saves currently loaded analyzer including the Knowledge Base.

 

Save Analyzer As

Saves currently loaded analyzer with a new name.

 

Close Analyzer

Closes currently loaded analyzer.

Print

Print

Prints currently selected file in the Workspace.

 

Print Preview

Prints preview of currently selected file to the screen.

 

Page / Print Setup

Launches Page Setup dialog box with printing options.

 

Analyzer Archive

Submenu for archiving the analyzer. (See below.)

 

Recent Files

Lists recently opened files in a submenu. Selected file is opened in the Workspace.

 

Recent Analyzers

Submenu for selecting recently opened analyzers. (See below.)

 

Preferences

Launches VisualText Preferences dialog box to set various preferences.  (See below.)

 

Exit

Exits the VisualText program.

Analyzer Archive Submenu

The archive functions allow you to load and store analyzers compactly in zip files either on a local machine or on a server. Archiving is used to create quick backups of your work and to facilitate communication between developers working on the same analyzers. Files are transmitted via FTP. The FTP parameters can be set by selecting the Archiving tab in Preferences. When you archive directly to the server, a file is created on your local disk. Information on uploading to the server is displayed in the Log Window.

Menu Item

Description

Archive Local

Launches an Archive dialog to create a local archive of the analyzer project file in a zip file. By default, the project is archived in the project directory. The name of archive file defaults to the name of the current analyzer, suffixed with the current date and time. User has option to save C files and log files for analyzer session.

Archive Remote

Launches an Archive dialog to create a remote archive of the analyzer project files in a zip file. An archive file is also created locally. Local archive location defaults to the project directory. The name of archive file defaults to the name of the current analyzer, suffixed with the current date and time. User has option to save C files and log files for analyzer session.

View Local

Displays analyzers in the local archive, and presents options to delete, rename, upload (send to server) or load into current analyzer Workspace. Listings in archive can be sorted by clicking on column headers.

View Remote

Displays analyzers in the server archive, and presents options to delete, rename, download (send to local archive) or load into current analyzer Workspace.  Listings in archive can be sorted by clicking on column headers.

Archive Dialog

View Local

 

View Remote

Recent Analyzers Submenu

Selecting Recent Analyzers will bring up the list of recently loaded analyzers. The selected analyzer is opened in the Workspace. Selecting an analyzer closes an already open analyzer. The analyzer listed at the top of the list is the most current.

Preferences

The Preferences menu item launches the VisualText Preferences dialog.  The VisualText Preferences dialog has tabs to set the following preferences:

General Preferences

The General Preferences tab allows you to set initialization, analyzer and application directory information.

 

Dialog Item

Description

Auto Load Last Analyzer

If checked, the last analyzer loaded will be loaded on program launch. The last analyzer loaded is displayed under the check box. If the check box is cleared, no analyzer is loaded on program launch.

Full Screen

If checked, VisualText launches into full screen. If the box is cleared, it launches in reduced screen.

Auto Save KB on Logout

If checked, automatically saves the knowledge base when exiting an analyzer. If not checked, user is prompted to save the knowledge base when exiting.

KB Safe Edit Mode

By default, checked when an analyzer is launched.  Enabling this mode prevents manual editing of the gram and sys hierarchy concepts in the knowledge base, by greying out portions of KB Editor Popup Menu when the gram or sys hierarchy concepts are selected.  Manual editing of the gram and sys hierarchies can easily corrupt the knowledge base.  

Auto Comment Name

Name for current author or developer. Specified name will be added to the header comment section when pass files are generated.

Apps Directory

Path for the default directory for analyzer projects.

Done

Closes the VisualText Preferences dialog.

 

Display Preferences

The Display Preferences tab allows you to set preferences for the VisualText interface.

Dialog Item

Description

Size to Content

If checked, window size for file when opened in the Workspace is determined by the content of the file.

Size Dynamically

If checked, then every window opened in the Workspace grows as the user expands items in that window. (Note: Window grows only to the default size specified in Preferences. Size to Content must also be checked. See Programming Notes and Issues.)

Rule Tab Size

Amount of indenting space in rule files.

Fixed Font Size

Default font size settings.

Width

Default width of files opened in VisualText Workspace.

Height

Default height of files opened in VisualText Workspace.

Done

Closes the VisualText Preferences dialog.

Email Preferences

The Email Preferences tab is where you set email related information.  Before you can use the Email Tool, you must these preferences.

Dialog Item

Description

SMTP Server

SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) address of the server where email is received.

From Email

Email address of author or developer.

Done

Closes the VisualText Preferences dialog.

Archiving Preferences

The Archiving Preferences tab is where you set server and user information.

Dialog Item

Description

Author Name

Name for archive author.

FTP Location

FTP site of archive.  For example, ftp.companyName.com.

Directory Path

Location of archive at FTP site. For example, archiveDirectory/myArchives.

Username

Name used to log into FTP site.

Password

Password used to access FTP site.

Done

Closes the VisualText Preferences dialog.

Dictionary Lookup

The Dictionary Lookup Preferences tab is where you set up preferences for loading online dictionaries.  Dictionaries specified here are used by the Dictionary Lookup Tool.  The URL path for the WordNet dictionary is set by default.  Specified dictionaries are listed in the table once they are added.

Dialog Item

Description

Name

Input panel to specify the name of the online dictionary.

URL

Input panel to specify URL for online dictionary.  For common online sites and more information on specifying URLs, see URLs for Dictionary Lookup.

Add

Adds specified online dictionary and URL to the list of dictionaries.

Update

Saves changes made to an existing dictionary entry.

Moves table selection up one position.

Moves table selection down one position.

Delete

Deletes selected table item.

Done

Closes the VisualText Preferences dialog.

Analyzer Dependent

The Analyzer Dependent Preferences tab is where you set analyzer dependent preferences.  When the Load Compiled KB box is checked, the compiled knowledge base is loaded when the analyzer is launched.  

If the knowledge base has been edited during a session, upon exit the knowledge base will be compiled again.  If Auto Save KB on Logout is not checked, you will be prompted with a confirmation prompt.