Chapter 7: continued

Script Menu

When a script-editing window is the frontmost window in Frontier, a menu labeled Script appears to the left of the Window menu. The Script menu is shown in Figure 7-32.

Figure 7-32. Script Menu

Toggle Comment, or Command-backslash, converts a line in a scripting window from a comment to an executable line of UserTalk code and vice versa. A comment is indicated by « while an executable line of code is marked with an outline item marker. Any heading(s) nested under a line that you convert to a comment are also converted to comments by this menu option. Similarly, toggling a comment with sub-headings back to an executable line of code converts its sub-headings to executable lines as well. The exception to this rule is that a sub-heading you explicitly enter as a comment will never be toggled to an executable line of code by the toggling of a higher-level heading. You'll have to convert such lines individually between comments and executable lines if the need arises.

Toggle Breakpoint, or Command-K, sets and removes breakpoints from UserTalk scripts. A breakpoint is indicated by a hand character (see Figure 7-33). When UserTalk encounters a breakpoint, it pauses execution. The use of breakpoints as a debugging tool is discussed in Chapter 3.

Figure 7-33. Breakpoint Character

Full Expand, Full Collapse, Toggle Expand, and Collapse to Parent all have the same effect when applied to scripts as they do when applied to an outline. The same is true for Make First and Make Last. Delete All Subs, Promote, and Demote behave identically to their Outline menu counterparts as well.

The next two items -- Bundle-ize and De-Bundle -- relate to the ability to group lines in your UserTalk scripts. The first item creates a heading with the keyword Bundle and demotes all of the headings beneath it so that they become a single group of lines that you can then collapse. The second item is meant to be used when you are positioned on a line with the word Bundle as its first entry or on any line contained in a bundle. It undoes the effects of a Bundle-ize option.

Insert Timestamp is a way for you to keep track of versions of your UserTalk scripts. It inserts a comment line immediately following the currently selected line. This comment displays the date, time and user's initials (see Figure 7-34). If you want to timestamp outlines or word processing documents, just copy this menu item into the appropriate menu (or into a static menu).

Figure 7-34. Sample Timestamp

Menubar Menu

Whenever a menubar object's editing window is frontmost, Frontier displays a menu labeled Menubar to the left of the Window menu. The commands are similar to those in the Script and Outline menus.

Table Menu

Whenever a table object's editing window is frontmost, Frontier displays a menu labeled Table to the left of the Window menu. The Table menu is shown in Figure 7-35.

Figure 7-35. Table Menu

As with the other special Frontier menus, the first option displays a word processing text object that explains the menu and its use.

The next eight menu items each allow you to create a new entry in the current table. They all work fundamentally the same: they ask you for the name of the new object, then they add it to the table. The first set of objects are edited in their own window. Scalars (simple data types) can be edited right in the table.

Scalars are:

• Boolean
• Character
• Number
• Float
• Date
• Direction
• String

Special types of data are:

• String4
• Fixed
• Point
• Rect
• Pattern
• Color
• File Spec
• Alias
• Address
• Binary

The special types of data are also scalars. They have been separated since they are used much less frequently than the prior group.

WP Menu

When a word processing text object's editing window is frontmost in Frontier, a menu labeled WP appears to the left of the Window menu.

WP
   Uppercase
   Lowercase
   Wrap
   Wrap & Indent
   Fix Hard Returns
   -
   Ruler On/Off
   -
   Margins Fit Window

The first 5 commands work on the selected text. Uppercase & Lowercase are self-explanatory. Wrap, Wrap & Indent and Fix Hard Returns are primarily used to exchange text with e-mail systems or others that have or require "hard" carriage returns on every line (instead of letting the text editor do the wrapping).

Ruler On/Off, or Command-R, toggles the ruler in the word processing text window on and off.

Margins Fit Window, or Command-K, increase or decrease the margins of the entire document to match the size of the window (up to the maximum margin).