Main Help → Using the GEDitCOM Editor → Saving and Testing

Saving and Testing Browser Styles and Extensions

You save all your recent edits by using the "File→Save" or "File→Save As..." menu commands. You can save a browser style to any location, but GEDItCOM II will look for browser styles in the application support section of the root Library folder and in the user's Library folder. Most commonly, therefore, you should save browser styles in the ~/Library/Application Support/GEDitCOM II/System/Formats/ folder, in the ~/Library/Application Support/GEDitCOM II/Formats/ folder, or any subfolder in thoe folders.

You can save an extension to any location, but GEDItCOM II will look for extensions in the application support section of the root Library folder and in the user's Library folder. Most commonly, therefore, you should save browser styles in the ~/Library/Application Support/GEDitCOM II/System/Scripts/ folder, in the ~/Library/Application Support/GEDitCOM II/Scripts/ folder, or any subfolder in those folders

An alternate way to save browser styles and extensions in the propeer folder is to:

  1. Save to any convenient location (e.g. your Desktop)
  2. Run GEDitCOM II and chose the "Install Extensions..." menu command. Most likely, you will want to install it in the user domain.
  3. Close the browser style or extension in GEDitCOM Editor.
  4. Finally, select the installed browser style or extension in GEDitCOM II while holding down the option key and the newly-installed version with open in GEDitCOM Editor.

The above process will result in a version of the browser style or extension installed in GEDitCOM II and that installed copy can now open for editing in GEDitCOM Editor. One installed, you can now delete the copy you saved in step #1 above, because it is no longer needed. This process only needs to be done once when creating a browser style or extension. Thereafter, use step #4 whenever you want to edit it.

Note that the above options apply to using GEDitCOM Editor with GEDitCOM II. Click here to see revised work flow for saving and testing browser styles and extensions.

Developing Browser Styles

When developing browser styles, the typical process is to edit them, save them, load them into GEDitCOM II, and test them. This process is automated as follows:

  1. Start GEDitCOM II, open a file, and open one or more records
  2. Use GEDitCOM Editor to modify the templates, scripts and properties.
  3. Whenever you want to test your changes choose the "File→Save and Run" menu command (keyboard short cut is ⌘-R). This command will save all changes to the current browser style, and then tell GEDitCOM II to open the changed browser style. Note that "File→Save and Run" only works when using GEDitCOM II. Click here to see revised work flow for testing browser styles in GEDitCOM.

For a browser style, GEDitCOM II will reload any open windows using that browser style and thus you will immediately see the effects of your changes. If a programming error occurs, you will get a dialog box explaining the error. You can close the window or click a button to open the template that caused the error in the GEDitCOM Editor. If the error was in a subroutine, the template that called the subroutine will open.

Developing Extensions

When developing extensions, the typical process is to edit them, save them, and then run them into GEDitCOM II for testing. This process is automated as follows:

  1. Start GEDitCOM II, open the extension for editing by selecting it from the "Extensions" menu while holding down the option key. It will open in GEDitCOM Editor.
  2. Use GEDitCOM Editor to modify scripts or other properties or use Apple's ScriptEditor to edit AppleScripts.
  3. Whenever you want to test and extenion, chose the "File→Save and Run" menu command (keyboard short cut is ⌘-R). This command will save all changes to the current extension, and then tell GEDitCOM II run it. Note that "File→Save and Run" only works when using GEDitCOM II. Click here to see revised work flow for testing extensions in GEDitCOM.