Text Formatting Editor (TFE)
(Optional tool, moderate complexity)To use the TFE you must install Sun Microsystem's JVM. If you choose to not install the JVM then you
may create text with either Plain Text or HTML.Recommended for: Brief notes that will take just a few moments to compose. TFE is also useful for formatting lengthy documents pasted from a word processor
that have lost bolding, italics, lists, and the like. Not recommended for: Lengthy documents that take more than a minute or two to compose, unless you frequently remember to use WebTycho's save features to avoid losing work . TFE is not available for the title box.Advantages: WYSIWYG editor. Easy way to achieve HTML-type formatting
including bulleted lists, bold text, italic text, indenting, aligning (left, center and right), colored text, making hypertext links*, International Characters (require the Unicode value),
Math Equation Editor, and built-in
Spell check. TFE is available for all text boxes (except Syllabus) when enabled in Account
Preferences.Disadvantages: Once a note has been created with Text Formatting Editor, if you make subsequent
edits with Plain Text, all formatting will be lost. To enable: Go to
Account Preferences and click enable beside Text Formatting Editor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Notes about the Text Formatting Editor Windows 95 and 98 users must use Netscape 7.0 with this feature. Internet Explorer 5.5
and 6.0 will not work with the TFE on Windows 95/98. Other Windows operating systems (2000, NT, ME, XP) may use either Internet Explorer or Netscape 7.0 with this feature.
What to do if the TFE will not open
If you did not click Grant
the first time you were presented with the security warning certificate then you will be unable to open a text box with the TFE until you clear cache. If you are using Netscape 6.0, to thoroughly clear cache and JAR files you must:
- Make sure that the browser is not open.
- Click on Start button
- Select settings
- Select Control Panel
- Double Click on "Java Plug-in"
- Select the Cache tab
- Click on "Clear JAR Cache
- Click "Reset" button
- Close the Java Plug-in Control Panel window.
This should clear the cache including JAR cache so you will get the
security warning again the next time you wish to use the TFE. When
presented with teh security warning certificate, you much click Grant. How to control text wrapping
Long sentences will automatically wrap words. To specify line breaks you
must use the Return or Enter key manually when you first create the sentence. Subsequent attempts to change line-breaks will not be saved.
What to do if text does not appear
If you are editing a document created with the TFE and the text box remains blank, click on the Revert
button above the text box. This will force load the text. File size limit in TFE text boxes:
Occasionally, when document sizes are very large (~30K-35K or about 30,000 characters of text) text created with the TFE appears to
have been erased after you click on Edit. If this happens, CLICK CANCEL IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT CLICK SUBMIT. IF YOU CLICK SUBMIT,
THE TEXT CANNOT BE RECOVERED. Then contact WebTycho Support at 1-800-807-4862. Anything larger should be attached as a file for submission.
HTML and TFE text boxes are interchangable: You may respond to and edit notes created with HTML and TFE with either type of text box. Formatting will be retained. Links:
The hypertext link is for URLs only. To create a Mail To link or FTP link, simply type "mailto:" or "ftp:" in front of the e-mail address in the URL box.
Unicode Values for use in WebTycho's Text Formatting Editor
While many keyboard characters display uniformly across platforms, others do not and require ascii coding. A list of ascii codes
is available from
http://www.zdnet.com/devhead/resources/href/ascii.html.These characters do not require special coding: ` - = [ ] \ ; * , . / ~ ! @ # $ % ^ ( ) _ + { } | : ? | " ' |
