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Introduction

Simple mode lets you edit much as you would in a word processor, and hides the fancy punctuation that is visible in Advanced mode. You can switch between edit modes at any time by clicking a link that appears above the toolbar while editing a page:

Note to Macintosh users: Simple mode is not available in the Safari browser.

Toolbar

The toolbar above the editing window features buttons that will apply formatting to selected text or insert new elements.

• The button makes text bold.
• The button italicizes text.
• The button applies strikethrough.

• The buttons make lines into headings of various sizes, H1 being the largest. The button turns headings back into normal text.

• The horizontal rule button inserts a horizontal line in the page below the cursor.

• The list buttons start numbered or bulleted lists, or turn a selection into a list.
• The indentation buttons shift paragraphs or bullets left or right.

• The image button currently does not do anything in Simple mode. In Advanced mode it will let you add an image.
• The table button prompts you for numbers of rows and columns and creates an empty table of the specified size. (Use Advanced Mode to change the number of rows and columns in a table.)
• The link buttons are explained below, under "Linking".

Linking

• To make an internal link (to a page within the same workspace), simply type in the name of the page, highlight it, and press the internal link button.

• To make an external link (to a page outside of the workspace), select the text you would like to turn into a link and press the external link button. You will be prompted to enter the URL you want to link to.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl-B makes text bold.

• Ctrl-I makes text italic.

• Ctrl-D (for "deleted") makes text strikethrough.

• Ctrl-Z is used to undo actions.

• Most of the special punctuation available in Advanced mode (see edit tips) will work.

Copying and Pasting from Web Pages or Microsoft Word

You can copy text from a browser window or from Word and paste it into Simple mode. Most of the formatting will be preserved.

Gray Dashed Boxes and Preview Mode

Some of the elements that may appear in a page are outlined by gray dashed boxes.

These elements cannot be edited in Simple mode. In order to modify the areas inside gray dashed boxes, it is necessary to switch to Advanced mode.

By clicking the Preview link (between Save and Cancel Edit), you can see exactly what the page will look like when you save it. While in Preview mode, click Edit More to return to editing.

Simple Mode: A Work In Progress

Simple mode editing is not intended to be a complete word processor or HTML editor. It supports the same basic formatting as previous versions of Socialtext, with the added benefit of seeing formatting changes as you make them.

Since Simple mode makes common formatting tasks so easy, we are providing it early in its evolution. You may find bugs. Please let us know at support@socialtext.com

Here are some hints and tips for Simple mode users:

• Use the Preview link before saving, and Edit More if you need to. Switch to Advanced mode when Simple mode doesn't do what you need. Click the Edit tips link to get a list of formatting punctuation for Advanced mode.
• Some things your browser will let you do in Simple mode won't "take" when you Save. Examples are interactively resizing a table or an image, deleting an image, or indenting a list. A few other things, such as deleting an entire table, you may not be able to do at all.
• Copy and paste from a web page or a word processor will preserve some, but not all, of the appearance of the page once it is saved in the workspace.
• Avoid frustration: save early; save often. The workspace maintains a complete revision history, so you can always revert to your last good page if needed.

Wikiwyg (Simple Editing) Open Source Project

Simple mode is based on the Wikiwyg control. Wikiwyg is an open source project led by Socialtext.

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