
The File Menu
Applet source files (or works in progress) are loaded
from the File Menu, tailored to suit in the editor, then
saved to disk for future retrieval or saved as an applet for
insertion into a web document.
New opens the basic template for
applet design. In normal use, the template would be modified
to suit by the editor and exported as an applet for insertion
into a web document.
Open... presents an Open File
dialog box used to load applet source files that have been
modified and saved under a new name. Together, the Open,
Save, and Save As options allow the user to work piecemeal
over multiple edit sessions.
Close removes the current
workspace file from the editor, prompting the user to save
any changes that were made. If multiple
files are being edited, another automatically fills the editor
workspace. The fill order mirrors the file's position in the
Window Menu queue.
Save writes the applet-to-be
from the editor workspace to a file (".xml" extension) so that it may be
retrieved exactly as it is currently configured. Use this
option whenever you expect to make further changes in a
future session.
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Save As... writes the working
applet source to a location and file name (".xml" extension) that you
specify.
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Export As Web Page Creates
a new stand-alone web page with the working
source file embedded as a true Java applet, with all the
scripting tags needed to render the applet as configured in
the editor. The page can be viewed within a browser as is,
or the necessary script can be copied to another page using
the familiar copy and paste operations. In this way, multiple
applets can be placed on the same web page amid text and other
graphics to compose an entire document tailored to individual needs.
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Export As WebStart Application Creates
a full-featured application from the working source file that can be launched
from the local file system. The application looks for the associated
source file in the QMTools Editor's default directory.
Save All executes the
Save operation for all applet source files loaded
into the editor.
Close All executes the
Close operation for all applet source files loaded
into the editor.
- Exit closes the current edit session. The
user is given the option to save any unfinished work before
the session is terminated, as well as any changes to the
editor configuration.
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The View Menu: ShortCut & Information Bars
The View Menu manages the Applet Editor's
shortcut toolbar and information bar.
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The Shortcut Toolbar has command buttons for
the most commonly used tasks performed in the Applet
Editor. A preceding checkmark on the View Menu (the
default) means the toolbar is visible; clicking the entry
hides | restores the toolbar. The shortcut bar can be
'torn off' and conveniently placed anywhere in the editor
workspace.
Toolbar shortcuts are provided for each of the operations
listed on the File Menu. In addition, two other toolbar buttons
facilitate implementation of QM-specific features:
- ψ(..) Defines a new 1d-stationary wave
for use in the applet, and writes the appropriate entries onto
the Math Palette. To complete the definition, a valid
potential energy function and mass value must be supplied (unless some
function that takes these quantities as arguments is already in use).
- g(..) Defines a new radial wave
for use in the applet, and writes the appropriate entries onto
the Math Palette. To complete the definition, a valid
potential energy function and mass value must be supplied (unless some
function that takes these quantities as arguments is already in use).
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The Information Bar displays status
information to the user. A preceding checkmark on the View
Menu (the default) means the bar is visible; clicking the
entry hides | restores the bar. This element extends
along the bottom of the editor, and is identified by the leading
symbol
.
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The Tools Menu
The Tools Menu provides access to
several unrelated operations for managing applet source files,
including those created with previous versions of the editor.
- Match applet sizes forces all generated
applets to have the same width and height, thus guaranteeing
a uniform appearance when more than one applet occupies the
same web page. Click the menu entry to enable this feature.
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Process legacy files...
converts selected legacy (v2.0) applet source files to a format
(v3.0) that is readable by the current incarnation of the editor.
The new files have the same
names as the old, an ".xml" extension, and are written to a
new folder named "xml_v3.0" that is created in the same
directory as the source folder. This operation can be applied to
multiple files in the same folder (hold down the ctrl key
while selecting files).
File conversion is not fully backwards compatible, with the
consequence that some converted applets will not load in the editor.
In such cases, an error report is written to the log file found in the
".qmtools" [hidden] folder of the user's home directory,
and an alert is posted in the editor information bar.
Oftentimes the failure to load can be traced to more than 10 Math entries,
in which case the 'fix' is simple – in the source file, use any text
editor to rename all Math 'keys' after "Math9" sequentially, as "Math10",
"Math11", etc. (the order is unimportant), then try re-loading the applet.
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Extract source files... extracts
QMTools applet source files (".xml") from the selected web
page(s). The files are named for the page from which they
were extracted. If the web page contains multiple QMTools
applets, the files are named sequentially as "abc.xml",
"abc2.xml",... The applet source files are placed in a new
folder named "htm2xml" located in the same directory as the
original web page.
 This operation can be applied to multiple web pages
in the same folder by holding down the ctrl key
while selecting files. The operation also applies to web
pages containing legacy (v2.0) QMTools applets, which are
automatically up-converted to a format (v3.0) compatible
with the current editor.
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The Window Menu
The Window Menu lists all applet source files
opened in the Applet Editor.
- The full pathname of the current or working file is flagged on the menu
by a leading checkmark; selecting any other list entry makes the new selection
current in the editor workspace.
- Next applet replaces the current applet
source file in the editor workspace with the next one in
the queue. This operation has no effect if only one file is loaded into
the editor.
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The Help Menu
The Help Menu provides assistance with all
features of the Applet Editor.
Help Topics points the user's
browser to the online help available for the Applet Editor (these pages).
The site opens in a separate window, which can remain open for
the duration of the edit session or closed at any time.
Note that help for applets that are embedded in a web page is not
available from within the applet; rather, it is the web page
itself that should contain any information important for
applet usage.
- About QMTools... provides version number and
links to the URL where other information about the QMTools
project, including the latest updates, can be found.
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