Syntax Highlighting and Code Coloring

Syntax highlighting and code coloring enhances the readability of code, and the EditControl fully supports this functionality. The EditControl supports highlighting of embedded scripts as well as plain text. XML-based configuration files are used for syntax highlighting, and the EditControl offers out-of-the-box support for highlighting the syntax of some commonly used languages. The configuration files are extensible and can be configured to highlight any desired language.

Configuration_Editor	Pre built_Configuration
Syntax_Highlighting	XML_based_Configuration_Files

Intelli-sense Functions

The intelli-sense support in the EditControl consists principally of the Context Choice, the Context Prompt, and the Context Tooltip features. These features are analogous to the List Members, Parameter Info, and Quick Info intellisense features in Visual Studio.NET, respectively.

Code_Snippets	Context_Choice
Context_Choice_from_xml	Context_Prompt
Context_Prompt_from_xml	Context_Tooltip

Advanced Editor Functions

The EditControl can be used as a stand-alone text editing control capable of performing advanced functions like find-replace, line numbers, font customization, clipboard operations, text highlighting, and user margin operations. It also supports a highly customizable, built-in context menu. All of these features make Essential Edit an extremely useful control - even if syntax highlighting is not required in the application.

Action_Grouping	AutoText_Formatting
Auto_Replace_Triggers	Clipboard_Operations
Column_Guides	Context_Menu
Custom_Cursors	Find_and_Replace
Find_And_Replace_History	Font_Customization
Line_and_Selection_Background	Line_Numbers
Line_Numbers_and_Current_Line _Highlighting	Selection_Margin
Serialization	Status_Bar
Text_Highlighting	Text_Range_Customization
Text_Selection	Undo_and_Redo
User_Margin	White_Space_Indicators

Text Formatting

The EditControl has text formatting support to layout its contents. Common text formatting techniques like WordWrap, Indentation-Outdentation, Outlining, Content Dividers, and so on are available in Essential Edit.

Auto_Indentation	Auto_Outlining
Block_Indent_and_Outdent	Content_Dividers
Formatting_Keywords	Spaces_and_Tabs
Unicode_Support	Word wrap
WordWrap

Files and Streams

The EditControl offers complete support for all standard file and stream handling operations. The syntax highlighting also automatically reconfigures itself based on the extension of the file that was loaded. For example, when a SQL file is loaded into Essential Edit, automatically, SQL configuration settings will be used to highlight the contents of the file.

Files_and_Streams_Handling

Advanced Keyboard Interaction

The EditControl supports extensive interaction with the keyboard, through the use of shortcuts keys, to perform certain pre-defined or custom bound actions. The insert state of the EditControl, can also be toggled using the Insert key.

Action KeyStroke_Binding

Insert_Mode

Localization and Globalization

In the age of globalization the markets for all goods become more and more internationalized enforcing the need to provide information in a variety of languages. EditControl supports complete localization of all the dialogs and strings associated with it to any desired language.

Localization

Text Navigation

The EditControl has extensive support for navigation through its contents. Apart from standard navigation techniques using the keyboard, it also supports bookmarks navigation, bracket highlighting, indentation guidelines, and text drag drop.

Bookmarks_and_Custom_Indicators	Bracket_Highlighting_and_Indentation_Guidelines
BreakPoints_In_EditControl	Drag_and_Drop
Navigation	Positions_and_Offsets
Scrollbar_Events

Text Export

The EditControl supports exporting its contents into commonly accepted universal formats like HTML, XML, and RTF. The exported files can then be opened in standard editors, like Visual Studio or Microsoft Word, and edited as required.

XML HTML and RTF Export

Printing Support

The EditControl provides complete support for printing its contents. There are options to print the entire document, just the current page, specific pages, or just certain selected text. The printing implementation is very similar to the ones available in standard applications such as MS Office or Visual Studio.NET.

Headers_and_Footers	Print_Dialog
Print_Preview

Appearance

The EditControl provides support for customizing its appearance through the use of gradient background, wordwrap and user margins, and Windows XP-themed look and feel. It also supports multiple views of the same file through the use of vertical and horizontal splitters.

Gradient_Background	Single_Line_Mode
View_Splitting	Windows_XP_Themes

Graphics Support

The EditControl has the ability to generate a bitmap image of itself. The bitmap image looks exactly like an actual snapshot of a live instance of EditControl.

Bitmap_Generation

Advanced Mouse Interaction

The EditControl fully supports mouse interaction. It supports intelli-mouse functionality in addition to the standard mouse operations like mouse click, up/down, enter/leave, move/hover, text drag-drop, and scrolling.

Intelli mouse_Support

Visual Studio Designer Support

Visual Studio fully supports Essential Edit as a developer component. It can be hosted in the toolbox, dragged-dropped onto the form / user control, and customized at design-time in the Visual Studio designer.

Designer_Support