XML Configuration Editor Help

The XML Configuration Editor GUI

The purpose of XML Configuration Editor (under development) is to provide an easy, GUI-based program to edit the configuration files needed by many JChem programs. XML Configuration Editor provides two modes of editing - GUI and Text. The appearance and behavior of each mode is described below.

GUI Editing Mode

The GUI editing mode of XML Configuration Editor splits the main window into two parts. On the left is a list of the sections of the configuration file, on the right is a section editing tool. You can display the editor for each section by clicking on the section name in the list.

Text Editing Mode

The Text editing mode of XML Configuration Editor contains a simple text editor. This mode allows you to directly edit the xml file.

Creating a New Config File

To create a new xml configuration file, select New from the File menu or click on the New File icon in the toolbar. A Schema Choice Dialog will appear. You must select an XML Schema file from the list to begin editing.
Choosing one of the options listed in the Schema Choice dialog will start XML Configuration Editor in GUI-based editing mode. A list of properties groups will appear in the left-hand panel. Clicking on a group name will open the GUI editor in the main panel. You can then enter data into these GUI forms to create a configuration file.

Editing Existing Config Files

There are three ways to open an existing schema file:

Specify the filename at the command prompt. Example:
```
$ config mySchemaFile.xml
```
Select Open from the File menu
Click on the Open File icon in the toolbar

Choosing a valid XML configuration file will open that file in GUI-based editing mode. A list of properties groups will appear in the left-hand panel. Clicking on a group name will open a GUI editor in the main panel. The GUI editor will contain all the existing data from the opened file. You can then edit and add to this data.
For a file to be considered valid by XML Configuration Editor, it must be well-formed XML and contain a "schemaLocation" attribute in the root element. Furthernore, the value of this attribute must be equal to one of the files listed in the Schema Choice Dialog. Files created using XML Configuration Editor will automatically contain this attribute.

Editing By Hand

Once you have opened a file, you may switch between GUI and Text editing modes using the Editing Mode buttons on the toolbar. When switching between modes, you will be asked to save your file, if you choose not to, all changes will be lost and the file will revert to the last saved form.

Saving Config Files

When you are satisfied with the changes you have made to the configuration file, you can save it by selecting Save or Save As from the File menu or clicking the Save File icon in the toolbar. By default, changes will be saved to the file that was originally opened.