gnotepad+ User's Manual

3. Configuration

Configuring gnotepad can be done entirely through the Preferences Dialog.  There should never be any reason to edit any configuration files by hand, except in the most extreme circumstances.

3.1 Preferences Dialog

The Preferences Dialog is accessed through the Options Menu, or the Prefrences button on the main toolbar.  The Preferences Dialog uses a notebook format, where each page of the notebook represents configurable options related to a certain aspect settings of gnotepad.

3.1.1 Appearance Settings

Appearance Settings affect mostly appearance related options, and not functionality.

Note that the current settings will always be the one that is selected by default on any page of the Preferences Dialog.

3.1.1.1 Toolbar Settings

The "Raised Buttons" option is only available if you are using GNOME, or if you are using GTK+ versions 1.1 and up.

3.1.1.2 Document Tabs

The Document Tabs can be positioned differently: Top, Bottom, Left, or Right.  There is no difference in usage in any of the positions; this is purely an aesthetic setting.

3.1.1.3 Message/Status Bar

One can elect to show or hide the message bar.  However, it is not recommended since the message bar is used to show information status messages to you while gnotepad is running.

3.1.2 Document Settings

Document Settings represent options which directly affect documents opened in gnotepad.

3.1.2.1 Autosave

If autosave is enabled, gnotepad will automatically and periodically save any opened files that have been modified.  The interval of time is specified in the "Autosave Minutes" entry.  A value of zero disables this option.

3.1.2.2 Recent Document List

gnotepad maintains a list of most recently opened documents and can be accessed through the File Menu.  The maximum number of documents in this list can be specified here.  A value of zero disables this option.

3.1.2.3 Wordwrap

When a line of text exceeds the width of the gnotepad window, gnotepad can visually wrap lines on a word boundary so that words will not appear to be truncated, and then continued on the next line.  Note that gnotepad does not insert a line break.

3.1.2.4 File Backup

When saving a file, gnotepad can make a backup of the file before actually saving it.  The backup file's location can be specifed in the "Backup directory" entry.  If this is empty, the backup will be kept in the same directory as the original file.  The "Backup file suffix" specifies what to append to the backup file's name.  For example, if the original file was called "my_file.txt", the backup file will be called "my_file.txt~"

3.1.3 Window Settings

Window Settings represent options which directly affect a gnotepad window.

3.1.3.1 Saving Window Geometry

The window's size and positioning can be saved when gnotepad exits.  Typically, the default settings should suffice for most people.

3.1.3.2 Random Tips

Random Tips are messages printed in the message bar at set intervals.  The messages themselves are usually some sort of helpful tip on how to better use gnotepad, or some sort of informational message, such as the gnotepad homepage.  A value of zero disables this feature.

3.1.4 Fonts/Colors

The font and colors in the gnotepad text area can be configured here.  Note that on the right of the page, there is a sample box which uses the font and colors you have tentatively selected, so you can see what the text might look like before accepting and saving the changes.

3.1.4.1 Font Selection

This brings up the standard GTK font selection dialog, which allows you to select what font to use when displaying your text.

3.1.4.2 Text Colors

This brings up the standard GTK color selection dialog, which allows you to select what colors to use.

3.1.5 Toolbar Buttons

3.1.5.1 Main Toolbar

Buttons on the Main Toolbar can be individually selected or omitted.  Simply click on the check button corresponding to the toolbar button you wish to have available on the Main Toolbar.

3.1.5.2 HTML Toolbar

The HTML Toolbar comes in two flavors: normal and advanced.  The normal HTML toolbar represents all the most commonly used tags that an HTML writer typically wants to use.  Hence, there are check buttons representing each button that can be placed on the normal HTML toolbar.  By default (and partially due to screen width limitations), not all the buttons available are placed on the normal HTML toolbar.  If you elect to do this, be sure to have a very wide screen.

The Advanced HTML toolbar includes the Normal HTML Toolbar, plus it adds a few others and puts them together into a notebook.  The additional HTML toolbars provided by the Advanced option may include options that are not available on the Normal HTML Toolbar.

3.1.6 Source Control

Since gnotepad is a text editor, gnotepad provides easy access to a number of popular source control programs (also called "Revision Control" as well as "Source Code Control", even though text does not always mean source code).

3.1.6.1 Source Control Program

Select the source control program that you wish to use.  It is assumed that it is properly installed on your system.

3.1.6.2 Source Control Commands

Here, you may customize the actual commands to use when performing typical source control actions.  Note the use of the special substitution variables.  Substitution variables are text strings which get replaced by the actual contents when the command is executed.  For example, "$F" represents the full pathname to the current file.  Currently, these are the substitution variables which are available:

• $F    Full pathname to the current file, including its extension.  e.g., /home/docs/foo.txt
• $s    A comment string, used when a file is checked in.

More variables may be added in the future as the need arises.

3.1.7 Misc

The Misc page represents all other settings which do not fall under a bigger category.

3.1.7.1 Print Command

Printing a file in gnotepad is currently very simplistic: the user must specify what command to use, and how to use it (including what options to use).  Note the '%s' string in the entry up above.  This will be replaced with the filename to be printed.

3.1.7.2 Temporary Directory

This specifies the temporary directory for gnotepad to use when creating temporary files.  Be sure that there is ample disk space free in this directory, in case temporary files become large.

3.1.7.3 Shell

For some actions, gnotepad will start a new shell to execute a command.  This entry specifies which shell gnotepad will try to start.

3.1.7.4 Background Execution

Selecting this option will cause gnotepad to automatically run itself in the background.  Normally, gnotepad will run itself in the foreground, unless told otherwise (e.g., "gnp &" will execute gnotepad in the background).

3.1.7.5 Startup Splash Screen

On startup, if one or more files are being opened, gnotepad will create a small, startup splash screen.

This splash screen shows how many files are left to be opened, and which file is currently being opened.

3.1.7.6 Message Box

This option indicates whether or not to use the message box.

3.2 Reverting to Default Settings

One can revert back to default settings in two ways:

• Reset all options back to the default values.  To do this, simply remove the .gnp subdirectory (and all its contents).  This subdirectory is in your home directory.  e.g., rm -rf ~/.gnp
• Reset specific options.  To do this, you need to edit the file ~/.gnp/apprc and delete the offending line.  Because of circular reasoning, you cannot edit this file using gnotepad and expect the values to have reverted to their defaults the next time gnotepad is run.  You will need to edit the file using another text editor.  If you have no choice and must edit that file using gnotepad, do the following: make a copy of that file, edit the copy, quit gnotepad, and then move the copy over the actual file.