The text created with LT Editor is only part of the web page. LT Development Tool takes this text and wraps it with two HTML files: template1.html and template2.html, creating a complete web page.
Three more files are linked to the page.
♦interact.js is a JavaScript file, which makes the page interactive.
♦media.js is also a JavaSctipt file, which defines the type of media player and makes it interactive.
♦viewpage.css defines a view of the page and plays an important role in the page's interactivity.
The "Reference to scripts" statement by default is inserted by LT Development Tool and this statement always refers to the set of these three files. However, an advanced developer or web programmer can disable the "reference to scripts" statement by setting "Template mode" in the project configuration dialog box. In this case the developer is responsible for inserting all or only part of the references either into the template portion or into the body portion of the page.
4.2. Project Configuration
Each topic has it's own copy of the configuration file "config.prj". This file keeps paths to templates, scripts, and css files as well as information about language, mode and editor's style. To create a working environment, the tool copies interact.js, media.js and viewpage.css files into the LangTeach folder, the root folder. Template1.html and Template2.html are copied into the LangTeach\Templates folder. All graphic and media files which belong to template1 or template2 are copied into the LangTeach\Templates\Files folder.
The developer can modify or change the working environment at any time by calling "Project Configuration" dialog box. Any of the files can be customized, modified, completely redeveloped or substituted, giving unlimited flexibility in development.
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4.3. Project Attributes
Attributes are part of any project. They are saved in the same config.prj file and apply at load time.
Kernel / Template mode
To work properly, the final HTML page must have reference to the "interact.js", "media.js" and "viewpage.css" files. By default ( Kernel Mode ) these references are inserted by LT Development Tool into the page automatically, but if for any reason you want to handle these files manually, you can set Template mode and include the references (or part of them, say if you don't need media) manually either into template1.html file or into the text, which is created with LT Editor.
Text / HTML mode
Important: Always set HTML mode when you import a Microsoft FrontPage file.
Text mode: LT editor automatically converts regular "Space" and "Enter" signs into corresponding HTML statements.
HTML mode: LT editor ignores "Space" and "Enter" signs. To implement "space" or "enter" the user must insert the corresponding HTML statements.
To enter "HTML space" press "Ctrl + Space".
To enter "HTML enter" press "Ctrl + Enter".
Text: Skip First Enter
To improve readability of the text in the LT Editor, check the option "ON". It instructs LT Development Tool to ignore the first (or single) "Enter" command and allows the user to separate HTML tags from text, making the editor's page clearer and more understandable. For example, if you press enter only once, there is no change in the browser, though "enter" is visible in the Editor. Pressing "Enter" 3 times creates 2 line spaces in the browser, etc.
Code Page
While you are developing a topic, you are working with the Unicode character set. When creating the Web version of your topic, select a language to convert the Unicode format into the ANSI format. Most languages that make use of the Latin alphabet are divided into a few groups (also known as Code Pages) named Latin_1, Latin_2, Latin_5.
Select English code page if you are not using any foreign languages.
Select Latin_1 code page for most Western European languages.
Select Latin_2 for most Central European languages.
Select Cyrillic for Russian.
This setting is saved between sessions and does not need to be reset. In fact, if you work with only one foreign language, you can set it once and you will never have to change it.
How to set the attributes for the current project
To set the attributes for the current project, make the desired changes in the configuration box and click the "Activate" button.
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4.4. Customizing Current Configuration
1. Open Config. Project dialog box.
2. Click on the buttons and find the file which you want to apply to your current topic.
3. Set topic's attributes
4. Click on "Activate" button.
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4.5. Modifying files
Open Config Project dialog box.
Click on the "question mark" sign, drag it and drop it on the file you want to edit. By default the file will be opened in Wordpad editor. (How to substitute Wordpad with your favorite editor is explained below ). Finally, close the dialog box.
Edit and save the file.
Open Config Project Dialog box again and click on "Activate" button.
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4.6. Templates development technique ( Important ! )
1. template1.html and template2.html can be saved eather in Unicode or plain text format.
2. If your templates include any graphics, media or other external files, create a folder with the name "Files" and copy all of the external files into the folder. The folder must be placed under the same directory as templates. For example:
3. Inside your template1.html and template2.html files make all "src" references to "Templates\Files" folder. For example: <img src = _Templates\Files\mypicture.jpg ... />
4. media.js, interact.js, viewpage.css must be saved in plain text format. Don't use LT Editor, Word, Works or other complex text editors to modify them. Use WordPad, Notepad or special HTML editors.
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4.7. Inline Script development technique
(no restrictions for ver. 1.0.4 and above)
It's also possible to insert script directly into the text of the page. If you insert script into the page the following restriction must be adhered to:
• If editor style is Text:
If "Skip First Enter" attribute isn't checked don't press ENTER button inside script text ( within <script> ... </script> tags ).
If "Skip First Enter" attribute is checked don't press ENTER button 2 or more consecutive times inside the script text ( within <script> ... </script> tags ).
• If editor style is HTML, there are no restrictions.
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4.8. Creating a project folder
Templates, scripts and style sheet files are shared resources. Other your projects also use them. So if you make any change in the files to customize your current project, all other projects will be affected. To avoid it you can create separate project folder. Tool copies all related files into the folder and refer your current project to the folder. After that you can modify any project-related file and these changes will affect only the current project and all future projects, which will be refered to the project folder.
Technologies The text created with LT Editor is only part of the web page. LT Development Tool takes this text and wraps it with two HTML files: template1.html and template2.html, creating a complete web page.
