Menus

The following menu items are shown in the Designer menu. For a list of keyboard shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts.

File Menu

  • New...: Opens the New (Select a Wizard) dialog that lets you create a template (see Templates) and Print Presets (see Print Presets).

  • Open: Opens a standard File Open dialog. This dialog can be used to open templates (see Templates) and Print Presets (see Print Presets).

  • Open Recent: Lists the most recently opened templates.

  • Close: Closes the currently active template. If the file needs to be saved, the appropriate Save dialog will open.

  • Close All: Closes any template. If any of the files needs to be saved, the Save Resources dialog opens.

  • Close Others: Closes all files except the one that is currently active in the workspace.

  • Save: Saves the current file to its current location on disk. If the file has never been saved, the Save As dialog appears instead.

  • Save All: Saves the open files. If a file has never been saved, the Save As dialog opens for it.

  • Save As...: Saves the current file to a new location on disk.

  • Save a Copy: Save a copy of the current template in the selected Connect version's format. See Saving a copy / down-saving a template.

  • Revert: Reverts all changes to the state in which the file was opened or created.

  • Add Data: Adds data to the open template. See Loading data.

    • From File Data Source...: Opens the dialog to add a new data file. .

    • From Database Data Source...: Opens the Edit Database Configuration dialog.

    • Generate Counters: Opens the Generate Counter Wizard to create a custom counter as a data source.

    • JSON sample data...: Opens the dialog to load JSON sample data in the Data Model pane; see JSON sample data dialog.

  • Package...: Opens the dialog that lets you package files; see Package dialog.

  • Print: Opens the Print options dialog.

  • Proof Print: Opens the Print options dialog as a Proof Print dialog which limits the number of records output. The options themselves are identical to the regular Print Output dialog.

  • Exit: Closes the software. If any of the files needs to be saved, the Save Resources dialog opens.

Edit Menu

  • Undo <action>: Undoes the previous action that was done.

  • Redo <action>: Redoes an action that was previously undone.

  • Cut: Cuts the currently selected text, object or element and puts it on the clipboard.

  • Copy: Copies the currently selected text, object or element to the clipboard.

  • Copy to snippet: Creates a new snippet from the selected text, object or element.

  • Paste: Takes the current clipboard content and pastes it at the pointer location.

  • Paste as Plain Text: Takes the current clipboard content and pastes it at the pointer location without any HTML styles or formatting.

  • Delete Browser Element: Removes the currently selected element in the workspace.

  • Find/Replace: Only active while inside the Workspace. Opens the Find/Replace dialog.

  • Stylesheets...: Open the Style sheets dialog. See Styling and formatting and Styling templates with CSS files.

  • Colors...: Opens the Colors Editor dialog. See Colors.

  • Fonts...: opens the Font Manager. See Fonts.

  • Locale...: Opens the Locale Settings dialog. See Locale.

  • Color Settings...: Opens the Color Settings dialog. See Colors.

Insert Menu

  • Image: Inserts an image using a resource that is local to the template, a resource on disk or a URL. See Images.

  • Text:

    • Wrap in span: Wraps selected text in a <span> element. The ID or class of the span can be used as a selector for scripts and styles.

  • Special Characters: Displays a categorized list of special HTML characters that can be inserted at the current pointer location. When a character is clicked, its HTML Entity is inserted. This includes:

    • Symbols: Use the list to insert a special symbol such as Copyright, Trademark, or Ellipsis.

    • Markers: Use the list to insert pagination markers that are replaced with specific page numbering:

      • Page Number: This marker is replaced by the current page number in the document. Even if the page number is not used on certain pages, those page are still added to the page count.

      • Page Count: This marker is replaced by the total number of pages in the document, including pages with no contents.

      • Content Page Number: This marker is replaced by the current page number (with contents) in the document.

      • Content Page Count: This marker is replaced by the total number of pages that have contents in them, in the document. A page with contents is a page that is part of a section that has variable data on it. A page with a Master Page but no contents (set in the Sheet Configuration tab of the Print section properties) is not included in the Content Page Count.

      • Sheet Number: This marker is replaced by the current sheet number (physical piece of paper with two sides, or pages) in the document. This is equivalent to half the page number, for example if there are 10 pages, there will be 5 sheets.

      • Sheet Count: This marker is replaced by the total number of sheets in the document, whether or not they have contents.

    • Dashes and Spaces: Use the list to insert special dashes, such as an em-dash, and spaces, such as non-breaking spaces or an en-space. (The HTML code inserted for the dash or space is visible on the Source tab of the workspace.)

    • Arrows: Use the list to insert directional arrows (in one of four directions).

    • Geometric Shapes: Use the list to insert a special geometric shape, such as circles, triangles and squares.

  • Date: Opens the Date dialog to add a date to the template based on the current system's date and time.

  • Wrap in box: Puts the element in which the cursor is located in an inline box (a <div>).

  • Table

    • Thead, tbody, tfoot: Insert a header, body or footer (if not already present) in the current table.

    • Standard: Inserts a table with a specific number of columns and rows through the Standard Table Wizard; see Table.

  • Table Elements:

    • Insert Row Above: Inserts a row above the current one. The row configuration, such as merged cells and cell styles, is duplicated, but contents is not.

    • Insert Row Below: Inserts a row below the current one. The row configuration, such as merged cells and cell styles, is duplicated, but contents is not.

    • Insert Column Before: Inserts a column to the left of the current one. The column configuration, such as merged cells and cell styles, is duplicated, but contents is not.

    • Insert Column After: Inserts a column to the right of the current one. The column configuration, such as merged cells and cell styles, is duplicated, but contents is not.

  • Common Elements:

    • Paragraph...: Opens a dialog to add a <p> element; see Text and special characters.

    • H1 through H6...: Opens a dialog to add a <h1> to <h6> element; see Text and special characters.

    • Address...: Opens a dialog to add an <address> element.

    • Preformatted...: Opens a dialog to add a <pre> element.

  • Structural Elements:

    • Div...: Opens a dialog to add a <div> element; see Boxes
    • Span...: Opens a dialog to add a <span> element; see Boxes
    • Article...: Opens a dialog to add an <article> element
    • Section...: Opens a dialog to add a <section> element (the HTML element, not a section in a context).
    • Header...: Opens a dialog to add a <header> element.
    • Footer...: Opens a dialog to add a <footer> element.
    • Nav...: Opens a dialog to add a <nav> element.
    • Aside...: Opens a dialog to add an <aside> element.

      Note: Article, Section, Header, Footer, Nav and Aside are content sectioning elements; see MDN Web Docs - content sectioning elements.

  • Business Graphic: Displays a list of available business graphic object to be inserted:

    • Insert Pie Chart: Opens the Pie Chart script dialog to insert a new Pie Chart.
    • Insert Bar Chart: Opens the Bar Chart script dialog to insert a new Bar Chart.
    • Insert Line Chart: Opens the Line Chart script dialog to insert a new Line Chart.

  • Barcode: Displays a list of available barcodes. Click on one to insert it in the page. See Barcode.

Format Menu

  • Size: When text is selected, choose a predefined or custom font size in this submenu to change the size of the selected text.
    • Other...: Opens the Text Formatting dialog for advanced style selection; see Styling text and paragraphs.
    • 7pt - 72pt: Sets the size of the selected text to the chosen font size.
  • Style: When text is selected, sets the text style by applying or removing the following attributes: Plain, Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Subscript, Superscript, Capitalize, Uppercase, Lowercase, Small-caps. This is the same as opening the Text Formatting dialog (Format > Text) and checking the appropriate style. See Styling text and paragraphs.
  • Color: When text is selected, sets the text color by applying the color attribute to the text. The color submenu lists all the colors in the Colors Editor.
  • Text...: Opens the Text Formatting dialog to modify the current text selection. See Styling text and paragraphs.
  • Align: When an element is selected, determines how its contents is aligned inside the element. Options are Align Left, Align Right, Align Center and Justify.
  • Paragraph...: Opens the Paragraph Formatting dialog to modify the paragraph where the cursor is located. See Styling text and paragraphs.
  • Paragraph Format: Displays a list of generic element types that can be used for a text element. Selecting one of them converts the element where the cursor is located into the appropriate element (for example <p> for Paragraph, <h3> for Heading 3, etc).
  • Float
    • Left: Floats the current element to the left. This is equivalent to setting the CSS float property to left.
    • Right: Floats the current element to the right. This is equivalent to setting the CSS float property to right.
    • None: Removes any float style applied to the currently selected element.
  • Align Objects:
    • Top: Aligns the top side of the selected objects with the top edge of the last selected object.
    • Middle: Aligns the middle of the selected objects with the middle of the last selected object. Objects may move up or down.
    • Bottom: Aligns the bottom side of the selected objects with the bottom edge of the last selected object.
    • Left: Aligns the left side of the selected objects with the left edge of the last selected object.
    • Center: Aligns the center of the selected objects with the vertical center of the last selected object. Objects may move to the left or to the right.
    • Right: Aligns the right side of the selected objects with the right edge of the last selected object.
  • Box...: Opens the Box Formatting dialog to modify the box where the cursor is located.
  • Image...: Opens the Image Formatting dialog to modify the image that is currently selected.
  • Table...: Opens the Table Formatting dialog to modify the table in which the cursor is located. If the cursor is within a table embedded within another, the innermost table's formatting is the one modified.
  • Table Cell...: Opens Table Cell Formatting dialog to modify the cell where the cursor is located.
  • Hyperlink
    • Insert...: Creates a hyperlink on the currently selected text or element and opens its properties; see Hyperlink and mailto link.
    • Edit...: Opens the properties for the currently selected hyperlink; see Hyperlink and mailto link.
    • Remove: Removes the currently selected hyperlink. The text or element that was the hyperlink is not removed.

Context Menu

  • Color Output: Opens the Color Output options dialog (see Overprint and black overprint). This option is only available when editing a Print section in the Workspace.
  • Finishing: Opens the Print context's Finishing options dialog (see Setting the binding style for the Print context). This option is only available when editing a Print section in the Workspace.
  • Preview HTML: Opens the currently selected section in the default system browser to preview it.
  • Profile Scripts: Opens the Profile Scripts dialog to test script performance (see Testing scripts).
  • Preflight: Opens the Preflight dialog. Preflight checks the template for common errors (see Testing scripts).

Section Menu

View Menu

  • 50/75/100/150/200%: Zooms the Workspace at the selected level.
  • Source View: Shows the HTML source for the template, including CSS and HTML code.
  • Design View: Shows the template including all styles, text and images as well as the placeholders used for variable data.
  • Preview View: Shows the template as it will output with the current record, with the personalized content (see Personalizing content).
  • Refresh: Reloads the view, including static external images and remote stylesheets, and re-runs the scripts (the latter in Preview Mode only).
  • Show Edges: Shows or hides a colored border around elements on the page.
  • Rulers: Shows or hides the rulers in the Workspace. Rulers only appear for Print contexts.
  • Guides:
    • Show Guides: Shows or hides the margin lines and guides in a Print section (see Print, Page settings: size, margins and bleed and Guides). The colors of margin lines and guides are adjustable; see Editing preferences.
    • Lock Guides: Locks the guides, so that they cannot accidentally be moved while working on the Print context.
    • Snap to Guides: Enables or disables snapping to guides and to margins when moving objects.
  • Virtual Stationery: Enables or disables the visibility of the PDF Background image set in the Media.
  • Highlight Master Page Items: Enables or disables a yellow border around Master Page items in a section.
  • Object Resizing: Enables or disables the ability to resize <div> elements on the page. See Editing preferences for more fine-tuned control.
  • Shared Content Editing: Enables or disables the ability to edit shared content in locations where it is used. See Snippets.

Window Menu

  • Show View>: Use the options in this menu to show or hide different panes of the UI.
  • Reset Perspective: Resets all toolbars and panes to the initial configuration of the module.
  • Clear Recent Files Lists: Clears the lists of the most recently opened templates and data mapping configurations under File > Open Recent and in the Welcome screen.
  • Preferences: Click to open the Preferences dialog.

Help Menu

  • Software Activation: Displays the Software Activation dialog. See Activating a License.
  • Online Help: Opens the Online Help in the default web browser.
  • Release Notes: Opens the Release Notes of the installed version in the Online Help.
  • Contact Support: Opens the Objectif Lune contact page in the default system web browser.
  • About OL Connect Designer: Displays the software's About dialog. this allows you to copy the product name and version number.
  • Welcome Screen: Re-opens the Welcome Screen.