Panels
The AEM Guides Web Editor is divided into multiple sections including a main toolbar, a secondary toolbar, a left panel, a content editing area, and a right panel.
Resize the left panel
Persistent panels such as the left panel are adjustable in size.
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Position the cursor on the panel border.
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When the double-headed arrow appears, click and drag inward or outward as required.
Expand or collapse the left panel sidebar
The expanded view displays the names and the icons which appear as Tool Tips in the collapsed view.
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Click the Sidebar icon to expand the panel.
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Click the Sidebar icon again to collapse the panel.
Create a Favorites Collection
On the left panel, Favorites allows you to create a list of specific documents and add to it over time. You can create and manage a broad collection of Favorites.
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Select Favorites on the left panel.
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Click the Plus icon.
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In the New Collection dialog, enter a Title and a Description.
Note that selecting Public means other users can see this Favorite.
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Click Create.
You have now created a Favorites Collection.
Add a file to a Favorites Collection from the Repository
After creating a Collection, you can begin adding Favorites to it.
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Select Repository View on the left panel.
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Click the Ellipsis located next to a topic to access contextual options.
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Select Add to > Favorites.
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In the Add to Favorites dialog, choose New Collection or Existing Collection.
Here, we will choose to add to an Existing Collection.
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If required, select a collection from the dropdown.
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Click Add.
The topic is added to the Favorites Collection you chose. You can view it in the Favorites menu.
Add a file to a Favorites Collection from the Editor
Another way to add a topic to your Favorites is from an open topic in the Editor.
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Navigate to the Repository View.
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Double-click a topic to open it.
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Right-click on the file’s Title tab in the Editor to access contextual options.
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Choose Add to > Favorites.
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In the Add to Favorites dialog, choose New Collection or Existing Collection.
Here, we will choose to add to a New Collection.
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In the New Collection dialog, enter a Title and a Description.
Note that selecting Public means other users can see this Favorite.
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Click Create.
The new favorite has been created and grouped. You can view it in the Favorites menu.
View and manage your Favorites
It is easy to view which topics you have already added to your Favorites Collections.
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Select Favorites on the left panel.
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Under Favorites, click the Arrow icon next to a collection to view its contents.
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Click the Ellipsis next to a topic to bring up contextual options, including the option to delete it from the Favorites list.
Filter a search in Repository View
The enhanced filter in the Repository allows you to search for text with a wide variety of restrictions.
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Navigate to Repository View.
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Click the Filter Search icon.
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Type text in the selected path or choose a new path if required.
The list of files updates as you type text into the filter.
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Click the Arrow icon next to a search category to narrow the search further if required.
Searches can be narrowed to DITA Topics or DITA Maps. You can search non-DITA image files, multimedia, or other documents within the selected path. You can even restrict the search to DITA Elements or filter by file checkout.
Explore the Map View
Several useful features are available in the Map View, including the ability to checkout and lock files, preview the map file, open the Map Dashboard, and view the map in the Assets UI.
Refer to the lesson titled Maps and Bookmaps in this course for more information on the Map View and its functionality.
Explore the Outline View
The Outline View provides a hierarchical view of the current document in the Outline. You can expand the Outline View to show multiple elements as well as any assigned IDs.
Refer to the lesson titled Outline View in this course for more information on the Outline View and its functionality.
Work with Reusable Contents
The core DITA feature is the ability to reuse content, from small phrases to entire topics or maps. The Editor provides a drag-and-drop interface for content reuse.
Refer to the lesson titled Content Reuse in this course for more
information on reusable content and how to manage it effectively.
Work with Glossaries
Using the Glossary makes it easier to consistently phrase information and provide better clarity to the reader. The Editor provides a drag-and-drop interface for inserting glossary terms into a topic.
Refer to the lesson titled Glossary in this course for more information on configuring and using glossaries.
Work with Conditions
In DITA, conditions are often driven through use of attributes such as Product, Platform, and Audience, which can each have specific values assigned to them. Conditions are managed through Folder Profiles.
Refer to the lesson titled Conditions in this course for more information on configuring and using conditional attributes.
Create a Snippet
Snippets are small content fragments that can be reused as a starting point for content or structure. Using Snippets reduces the amount of time required to create content and improves the structural quality and consistency of the materials.
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Open a topic in the Editor.
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Select an element within the topic.
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Click the secondary mouse button within the element.
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In the resulting menu, choose Create Snippet.
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In the New Snippet dialog, add a Title and a Description.
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Edit the Snippet as required.
Note that a contextual check will visually notify you if you introduce an error into the content.
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Click Create.
The Snippet is added to the list of available Snippets. It is ready to be dragged and dropped into a valid location in the topic.
Work with Templates
Using the Templates panel, administrators can easily create and manage templates for authors to use. By default, templates are categorized as Map and Topic-type.
Refer to the lessons titled Folder Profiles and Simple Content Creation Workflows in this course for more information on configuring and applying templates.
Search files with Find and Replace
There are two Find and Replace options available in the Editor. The first allows Find and Replace functions within a specific open topic, much like a traditional word processor. The second is a Find and Replace panel that searches text in multiple files in the Repository.
Refer to the lesson titled Spell Check and Find and Replace in this course for more information on the Find and Replace feature.
Update Content Properties
Content Properties on the right panel includes specific information about the currently selected element, for example the Attribute ID and Value.
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Open a topic in XML Editor.
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Select an element.
Content Properties displays the element’s current Type and Attributes.
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Type a new Value for the element.
Content Properties dynamically updates as you make changes to elements.
Add a topic to a map using File Properties
File Properties shows additional information about the entire open topic. Some of this information is controlled by Topic Properties. Modifications to other material, such as the Document State, may depend on permissions.
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Open a topic in the Editor.
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Click the File Properties icon on the right panel.
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Set the Document State to Edit. Note that the References list is currently blank.
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Close the topic.
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Select Repository View on the left panel.
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Open a map.
The view changes to Map View.
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Click the Edit icon.
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Once the map is open for editing, switch back to Repository View.
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Drag and drop the topic you are working with into the map.
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Click the Save icon on the top toolbar.
The topic is added to the map. Now when you open the topic and check the File Properties, you can see the References are updated to reflect that the topic is used in the specified map.
Create a Review Task
The right panel contains a shortcut to kick off a review workflow.
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Click the Review icon on the right panel.
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Click Create Review.
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In the Create Review Task dialog, populate the fields as required.
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Click Next.
The Review Task is created.
Track Changes
The ability to track changes give you a great deal of control over what changes are retained in one version of a topic to the next. You can use the right panel to manage tracked changes.
Refer to the lesson titled Track Changes in this course for more information on change tracking functionality.