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Preferences - Appearance Tab

The Preferences dialog allows you to view and set persistent features of the Propeller Tool software. Settings are arranged by category into tabs and group boxes.

The Appearance tab contains settings that affect the appearance of the editor and source code.

Editor

Editor Group in Preferences Appearance Tab

 

The Editor group contains items that affect the display of the edit control, the area where source code is displayed and modified. The Shortcut Keys options for controlling these features are given next to each checkbox.

Show Bookmarks

Shows (checked) or hides (unchecked) bookmarks in the left gutter of edit control. Bookmarks are temporary placeholders that can be easily set and cleared while editing, and quickly navigated to via a Shortcut Key or the Edit Go to bookmark menu item.

Show Line Numbers

Shows (checked) or hides (unchecked) line numbers in the left gutter of edit control. Line Numbers appear and update automatically as the code is edited; they are for visual reference only and do not have any affect on the operation of the source code.

Show Block Group Indicators

Shows (checked) or hides (unchecked) Block-Group Indicators in the source code. Block Group Indicators are small arrows that connect a block structure (repeat loops and decision blocks) to the code it encapsulates (executable code within repeat loop or decision block).

Syntax Highlighting

The Syntax Highlighting group contains items that control how source code is highlighted in a syntax-sensitive way (bolding, coloring, etc.).

Scheme

 

The Scheme field indicates the name of the scheme currently in use. All the items below Scheme reflect the settings of that syntax highlighting scheme. This feature allows a collection of syntax highlighting settings to be saved as one logical group of settings.

Built-In Schemes

There are three built-in schemes to choose from as well as one customizable scheme. The first three schemes are read-only, but may be copied to the Custom scheme to apply slight modifications.

Creating Custom Schemes

Custom schemes are usually a slight modification of an already-existing scheme that a user is accustomed to.

To base a custom scheme on an already-existing scheme:

  1. Start by selecting a scheme in one of the following two ways:
    1. Copy a built-in scheme
      1. Select a built-in scheme (None, Simple, or Spin) from the Scheme field.
      2. Press the Copy...button and confirm to copy that scheme's settings to the Custom scheme (overwriting what is currently in the Custom scheme).
    2. Open an existing custom .scheme file
      1. Press the Load...button to browse or and locate another scheme stored on the hard drive (.scheme files). This scheme will be loaded into the Custom scheme and the "Custom" name will change to that of the loaded scheme.
  2. Modify the Elements and Attributes as desired
  3. <Optional> Press the Save... button to save your custom scheme as a file to the hard drive. Settings will be retained even without saving, but saving the scheme as a file allows you to back it up or share it with others.
Buttons

Elements

The Elements list shows all the aspects of the Propeller Tool syntax highlighting feature. Elements are listed either as individual items, or as groups of items. Groups appear in all uppercase letters (BLOCKS, SPIN, ASSEMBLY, etc.) with a plus or minus sign to their left indicting it's an expandable/collapsible group of elements.

Select an element (not a group) in the Elements list to display its settings in the Attributes area. NOTE: Groups are just collections of elements and have no adjustable attributes; expand a group and select one of its child elements to adjust its attributes.

 

Element Details 

The Element Details box gives a description of the selected element.

Select element (not a group) in the Elements list, then read this description and its examples, if given, to better understand what part of the syntax highlighting this element affects.

 

Attributes

The Attributes area lists applicable settings for the selected element in the Elements list.

Attributes that don't apply to the current element are ghosted and those that do apply are available for adjusting.

 

Style

The Style options indicate the text style of the selected elements

Foreground

The Foreground setting controls the selected element's text color. The setting may display as a Color Preview (solid colored block) or as a Color Number field, depending on state of the Use Relative option.

Background

The Background setting controls the selected element's background color; the color behind the text. The setting displays as a Color Preview (solid colored block) field.

NOTE: For elements categorized within the BLOCKS group, unchecking the Use Default option makes the Alternate Bg field available.

Alternate Bg

The Alternate Bg setting controls the selected element's background color for alternating adjacent blocks of that same element (such as a PUB following another PUB). This setting is only available for BLOCK elements whose Background's Use Regular option is unchecked. The setting may display as a Color Preview (solid colored block) or as a Color Number field, depending on state of the Use Relative option.

Restore Button

A Restore button appears on every preference tab. Pressing the Restore button resets all the settings of that tab to their defaults without affecting those of other tabs.

Accept Button

Pressing the Accept button makes all changes on all preference tabs official and active in the Propeller Tool.

Cancel Button

Pressing the Cancel button returns all changed settings, on all preference tabs, back to their original state; the state they were in when the Preferences dialog was opened.

 

Propeller Help Version 1.1

Copyright © Parallax Inc.

5/13/2009