Toolbar configuration language

Overview, toolbar configuration language

The MathFlow Editor has a configurable toolbar. A toolbar configuration is described by a toolbar definition string stored in a toolbar configuration file (with a name of your choosing), which you reference from the MathFlow Editor's Manage Custom Toolbar dialog. If you'd like to refer to a complete example, you can download the full standard toolbar that ships with MathFlow here. This toolbar has expanded palettes for minor modifications.

If you create a custom toolbar, use the examples and procedures shown in this section. Save the toolbar as an XML file, making note of its location so you can properly reference it in the Manage Custom Palettes Toolbar (or Manage Custom Tabbed Toolbar) dialog:

manage custom palettes toolbar dialog

The toolbar definition string lists what templates, symbols and pull-down palettes should appear on the toolbar, and in what order and sizes. Definitions are written in the MathFlow toolbar definition language, a simple XML vocabulary described on the next page.

A toolbar consists of five kinds of things. First, the toolbar can contain template insertion buttons. These buttons cause an editing template to be inserted at the current cursor location when the button is clicked.

adding a template to a custom palettes toolbar

The toolbar also usually contains some symbol insertion buttons. These buttons can be used to insert any MathML character MathFlow recognizes, including letters and numbers, and symbol characters.

adding symbols to a custom toolbar

A third category of predefined buttons is the toolbox icons category, which includes cut, copy, paste, and magnify for common editing functions. This category is seldom used, since the Mini Toolbar contains these icons.

adding buttons for cut, copy, paste, etc.

The fourth type of toolbar object is the pull-down palette that groups together other symbols and templates. Palettes can be nested within palettes, and palettes, individual symbols and templates can be mixed together on the main toolbar.

adding a complete palette to a custom toolbar

To help visually group together related items on the toolbar, you can insert vertical dividers.

adding separators for readability

The discussion above related to the Palettes Toolbar. A final category of toolbar items relates to a second custom toolbar available — the Tabbed Toolbar.

manage custom tabbed toolbar

The order of the tabs is determined by the order of the tab elements in the toolbar configuration file. The names of the tabs are specified in a name attribute to the tab element.

custom tabbed toolbar

We've placed detailed information about MathFlow's toolbar configuration language on a separate page. Please see that page for details about

  • Language constructs
  • Palettes and templates
  • Advanced toolbar configuration
  • An extended example