EscapeE 'eE' iconEscapeE Professional editions only

The code which builds an IDF document can be edited in EscapeE's text editor. Existing IDF documents can be used like templates and re-purposed, without changing the original documents. An area defined as a field may be treated as a clip region and copied to an IDF document.

Click to expand/collapse hidden textTo edit an IDF document
1.Open the IDF file to display the document in the EscapeE window (see Viewing an IDF document).
2.Select Edit control file from the 'Edit' menu.
The IDF code for the document is displayed in the text editor window.
3.Edit the code in the text editor.
Programmers: see About IDF syntax.
Non-programmers: see IDF editing tips.
4.You may add more clips using the Copy as IDF/UberEd feature and field clips using Copy clip to control file.
5.Click Save from the text editor's 'File' menu.
6.To open another EscapeE and see the newly-edited document, select Show in new EscapeE from the View menu.
7.To close the text editor, click the Exit (x) button button on the its title bar. The IDF document remains open in the EscapeE window.
Click to expand/collapse hidden textMaking a template document
1.Open the document and text editor, as described in the steps above.
2.Click Save as... from the text editor's 'File' menu.
3.Enter a new name for the file and click Save.
4.You now have a copy of the original IDF document's code open in the text editor. Just sweep-out the old text and type in the new.
There are hints to help novice Users get started in IDF editing tips; dip into the IDF when you need to add a new feature (see Elements and Attributes, Notes and Samples).
Click to expand/collapse hidden textUsing fields as clip regions
1.Open the IDF file and select Edit control file as above.
2.Open the component file then display the definition of the field for copying in the Field dialog.
3.Click Copy clip to control file button then OK to close the Field dialog.
The field's area is added as a clip to the IDF document (the component file is unaffected).

Blue diamond bullet Tip: To open a file specified in the code shown in the text editor, just double-click on its text string (any options found in an associated INI file are applied). If the file is on display already, the appropriate clip-region (found in associated EE file) is shown outlined in red.

Links

IDF editor options

Creating an IDF document

Creating a data control file