Form the main menu, select "Configuration / Editor". This will open a new browser window (or new browser tab - dependent on browser settings).

The reason for opening a new browser window / tab is, that this makes it easier to test the effect of changes to form templates made in the editor - select the original window for testing, and the editor is kept open in the new window.

The main editor window displays 2 frames.

• Left frame displays 4 folders with contents:

  • Forms (from the configuration's folder)

    • Contains form templates, optionally arranged in subfolders.

  • Structure:

    • Will typically contain only one file: Structure.xml - aka. the structure file.

    • It is possible to work with multiple structure files. However - only one of these files are used to update the Data Dictionary. So multiple structure files might only be used, if you want to test different structure files - each referring to the same form templates. When the configuration is finished, you will have to settel on one of these files

  • FormTemplates:

    • (not used)

  • CommonIncludes:

    • (not used)

  By right-clicking the relevant folder / file, the configurator may create new sub-folders, create new files, copy/paste files, and delete existing files.

  Clicking a file in the left pane opens a "floating" sub-window displaying the curernt file.

• Right pane:

  • This is an empty "work area".

In order to edit any file in the editor, it must be checked out first. The check out / check in mechanism prevents multiple configurators from editing a given file simultaneously.

Note

If the file icon has a small, yellow padlock, it is an indication, that the file has the "read only" attribute set. The TOPICA editor cannot check out or edit files, that have the "read only" attribute set. Often the "read only" flag is a symptom, that the file is checked in to some source code control system. In this case, make sure the file is checked out from the source code control system (and refresh the main editor window), BEFORE attempting to check out the file in TOPICA. So there are 2 different check out / check in systems to consider in this case!

Once the file is writeable (not "read only"), it may be checked out by right-clicking the file and selecting "Check out" - or the file may be opened by clicking, and then checked out using the "File / Check out" menu command in the new sub-window. Either way, the file icon changes to a red backgound, signalling that it is checked out.

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