Last updated: April, 2018.
QMTools Help:  Editor Menus

divider
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.
  •  Save As... writes the working applet source to a location and file name (".xml" extension) that you specify.
  •  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.
  •  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.

Back to Top

divider
The View Menu:  ShortCut & Information Bars

The View Menu manages the Applet Editor's shortcut toolbar and information bar.

  • 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:

    1. 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).
    2. 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).
  • 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 .

Back to Top

divider
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.
  •  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.

  •  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.

Back to Top

divider
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.

Back to Top

divider
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.

Back to Top