User Tools page (Preferences dialog box)
In this page, you can configure user tools. User tool is user-defined application or Help file that EditPlus will launch and optionally capture the output.
Groups and tool items
Select user tool group in the combo box. There are 10 user tool groups and you can add up to 20 user tools in each group. The list box displays the menu text of user tools in current group, which will be shown on Tools menu. You can also add user tool to the Auto Run Tool Groups which runs automatically when documents are open or saved. Auto run tool groups are not accessible from the menu.
Auto run tool group
Group Name
Press this button to change the name of current group.
Add
Press this button to add a new program, help file (*.hlp), HTML help file (*.chm) or keystroke recording file. You can add up to 20 tools in each group.
Remove
Press this button to remove current tool.
Up
Moves up the selected tool.
Down
Moves down the selected tool.
Icon
Sets a custom toolbar icon.
Menu text
Enter the text of the tool which will be displayed on the menu item.
Command
Enter the full name of an executable file, a help file or a keystroke recording file.
Argument
Enter the argument that you want to pass to the tool. This option is not available when current tool is a help file or a keystroke recording file. You can also insert
Argument Macros in this field.
Initial directory
Enter the initial directory where the tool should be executed. This command is not available when current tool is a help file or a keystroke recording file.
Action: Capture output
Capture the output of the tool. This option is only applicable to console application. If you check this option, the output of the tool will be captured in the output window. This feature is useful when you want to capture error messages of a compiler. See
Output Window for details.
NOTE: Output Window does not allow keyboard input. If the tool accepts keyboard input, you must turn off this option.
Action: Run as text filter
If this option is turned on, selected text or entire document will be passed to the tool through 'Standard Input' and will receive the output passed from the tool through 'Standard Output'. You can select the way how to use the output from the text filter. 'Replace' replaces the selected text or the entire document with the output. 'Insert' inserts the output into current cursor position of the document. 'Output Window' displays the output to the Output Window. 'Copy Result' copies the output to the Clipboard. Text filter must be a console application which reads text from 'Standard Input' and writes the output text to 'Standard Output'.
Action: Run Hidden
When this option is checked, the tool runs silently and does not display the application window.
Action: Close window when exit
When this option is checked, the tool will be closed after it finished its operation. This option is only applicable to console applications. This option is not available if you checked Capture Output option.
Output Pattern
Save
You can use this option to save all open files or just currently file before running the user tool.