Copyright: © 1996-97 InstallShield Software Corp.                  Help version 129


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InstallShield's Integrated Development Environment (IDE) includes the InstallShield Script Editor, a full-fledged text editor that supports bookmarks, line markers, syntax coloring, and all the editing commands common to Windows-based text editors.

Syntax coloring

In the Script Editor, keywords, predefined constants, InstallShield function names, and other InstallScript identifiers are color-coded to assist you in identifying InstallScript language elements and to improve readability.

Script editing commands

The Script Editor uses a powerful array of standard text editor navigation and editing commands. The Script Editor supports find, search and replace, columnar text selection, line markers , and bookmarks , just to name a few.

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Open and save a file

Once listed in the Source Files pane, files are available for editing. Double-click on a filename to open the file.

When you click a filename, that file will open in a new window on the right, displaying your text with functions, predefined constants, quoted text, and other parts of the script each uniquely colored. Lines have been counted, and any bookmarks remaining from a previous session are available. (The bookmarks are not visible.)

You may open several files for editing at once. Each opens in its own window. To arrange windows or cycle among open windows, see the Windows menu.

You can close an individual file by closing its window. When you click the Close button, you will see a dialog box asking if you want to save the changes.

Click Yes to save, No to discard changes. To continue editing the file, simply open it again. There is no other way to save an individual file, and no other way to discard changes.

To save the entire project, choose File, then choose Save. When you exit InstallShield politely, it will save all changes made in the current session.

Whether you save files individually, or with the project, Line Markers entered in this editing session will not be saved. Bookmarks will be saved.

See also

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Check the cursor position

When a script editing window is open, the exact position of your cursor is displayed as Line and Col number coordinates in the Status bar. If the status bar is not open, open the View menu and click Status bar so that it is checked.

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Print a file

After selecting its window, there are three alternative ways you can print a file:

•	At the File menu, choose Print

•	Use the Ctrl+P shortcut keystroke

•	Click the printer button on the Toolbar

Any of the above actions will bring up a standard Windows print dialog box, where you can set options as appropriate and confirm the action.

InstallShield uses the following settings when printing scripts:

•	Left margin: 5/8” inch; top margin: 5/8”; bottom margin 1”; right margin: 3/4”

•	Header contains the full path and filename of the file, bolded

•	Footer contains the page number

•	Font is Courier

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Use the Function Wizard

The Function Wizard automates the process of adding function calls to your scripts. Instead of looking up a function in the online help, deciphering parameter descriptions, and copying, pasting, and editing the function call, you just step through two brief wizard panels and then watch as your function call is inserted into your script at the cursor!

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Change Script Editor options

The Tools menu contains an Options command, which leads to a tabbed dialog containing settings for how the screen and editorial functions work.

These settings control how the editing process works and displays.

The tabs under Options provide a way to change:

•	settings for Edit operations, including whether you want horizontal or vertical scroll bars enable, drag-and-drop enabled, and selection margin to be enabled;

•	settings for Tab stops, including the number of characters that the Tab key should indent, and whether you want to save tabs (ASCII 09) or spaces,

•	settings that affect screen Format, such as display font and syntax colors

•	settings that affect command keystrokes (that is, changing the keystrokes to ones you prefer).

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 Commands

The following editing shortcut commands follow the conventions seen in most Windows text editors. You can change the shortcut commands if you wish. Select Options from the Tools menu and click the Keys tab. You will be able to view, remove, and reassign shortcut commands.

Insert rows
Insert a line after the current line	Alt+Shift+N
Insert a line before the current line	Ctrl+Shift+N
Cut/delete text
Cut the selection to the Clipboard	Ctrl + X, Shift+Del
Delete the selection or, if there is no selection, the character to the left of the cursor	Backspace
Cut the selected lines to the Clipboard	Ctrl+L
Delete the current line	Alt+Del
Delete the word to the right of the cursor	Ctrl+Del
Delete the word to the left of the cursor	Ctrl+Backspace
Clear the current selection	Ctrl+Shift+Del
Copy text
Copy the selection to the Clipboard	Ctrl + C, Ctrl+Insert
Paste text
Insert the Clipboard contents at the insertion point	Ctrl + V, Shift+Insert
Move the cursor
Move the cursor one character to the left	Left Arrow
Move the cursor one character to the right	Right Arrow
Move to the beginning of the file	Ctrl+Home
Move to the end of the file	Ctrl+End
Move to the start of the current line	Home
Move the cursor down one line	Down Arrow
Move the cursor up one line	Up Arrow
Move to the right end of the current line	End
Move the cursor down one screenful	Page Down
Move the cursor up one screenful	Page Up
Move the cursor back one word	Ctrl+Left Arrow
Move the cursor forward one word	Ctrl+Right Arrow
Open Go To Line number dialog box	Ctrl+G
Move to the line containing the next Line Marker.	F2
Move to the line containing the previous Line Marker.	Shift+F2
Move cursor to left left one tab stop	Shift+Tab
Select text
Extend the selection one character to the left	Shift+Left Arrow
Extend the selection one character to the right	Shift+Right Arrow
Extend the selection to the end of the file	Ctrl+Shift+End
Extend the selection to the beginning of the file	Ctrl+Shift+Home
Extend the selection to the start of the current line	Shift+Home
Extend the selection to the end of the current line	Shift+End
Extend the selection down one line	Shift+Down Arrow
Extend the selection up one line	Shift+Up Arrow
Extend the selection down one screenful	Shift+PageDown
Extend the selection up one screenful	Shift+Page Up
Select the entire document	Ctrl+A
Select a line of text	Ctrl+F8
Extend the selection back one word	Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow
Extend the selection forward one word	Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow
Find text
Launch Find dialog	Alt+E, F
Launch Find dialog	Ctrl+F
Replace text
Launch Find/Replace dialog	Alt+E, E
Open the Replace dialog	Ctrl+H
Indent
Indent the selected text left one tab stop	Tab
Change case
Make the selection all lowercase	Ctrl+U
Convert the selections to all UPPERCASE	Ctrl+Shift+U
Mark text
Start character selection mode	F8
Select a columnar block of text	Ctrl+Shift+F8
Toggle a Line Marker on and off at the current line	Ctrl+F2
Clear all line markers	Ctrl+Shift+F2
Open the Bookmark dialog	Alt+F2
Undo actions
Undo the last action	Ctrl+Z, or select Undo from the Edit menu
See also

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Syntax coloring

When displaying a .rul or a .h file in the editing window, InstallShield color-keys items which it recognizes as having special meaning in the script language. This syntax coloring brings out the meaning of your text at a glance, and helps you locate such things as misspelled function names, missing quotes, even grouping and sequence irregularities.

Here are the default colors for the various InstallShield identifiers:

	• You can change which colors are used for which kinds of terms by selecting Tools from the menu, then Options, then clicking the Format tab. • Spelling errors in keywords will result in the terms not being recognized, therefore not colored correctly. • Quoted text is colored from the first quote mark to the second quote mark or to the end of the line, if the trailing quote is missing. Any following text that should have been outside the quotation is included in the colored section. • All text from the first occurrence of two slashes (//) to the end of the line is recognized as a comment .

When the edited file does not have.rul or .h filename extension (for example, log or report files) syntax coloring is turned off.

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Line markers

Line markers are navigational tools to help you find lines quickly. Line markers appear as colored square buttons in the left margin. You can insert and remove line markers individually, and you can insert line markers while using the Find dialog.

To enter line markers, do one of the following:

•	In the Find dialog box, click the Mark All button. A line marker will be placed on each line in which the specified text is found.

•	Press Ctrl+F2 in the line to be marked. Ctrl+F2 toggles a line marker on and off.

To go to the next line marker, press F2. To go to the previous line marker, press Shift+F2. To clear all line markers, press Ctrl+Shift+F2.

Line markers are deleted when a file is saved.

See also

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Find dialog box


Bookmarks

Bookmarks are invisible named placeholders that help you navigate through your file by marking specific locations. Bookmarks are located in exact character and column positions.

To create a Bookmark, Alt+F2. You will see the Bookmark dialog box.

The Bookmark dialog box shows all bookmarks for the current file. You can add bookmarks, delete bookmarks, and go to a selected bookmark.

Bookmarks are saved when a file is saved, but they are not part of the file itself.

See also

Feedback


Format tab Options dialog


File menu


Function Wizard


Edit tab (Options dialog)


Keys tab (Options dialog)


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