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How to Use Programmer's Editors With ZPL
- By Neil Barrett
- Published 1 August 2007
- ZPL
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The Syntax File
The key to any such editor is the Syntax file. This is essentially a text file that groups commands together by category, and then assigns a colour to each category.
In ConTEXT the syntax file is referred to as the highlighter file, and is a .chl file (ConTEXT HighLighter). Other packages will generally have different names for this file, e.g. EditPlus (not free, but low cost and very good), uses a .stx file. But no matter the file extension, the operation of each is broadly similar. Syntax files for both these editors can be downloaded from the links at the end of the last page of this article.
In most editors you can also change the colour scheme. ConTEXT supports this easily from Options… Environment Options:
This picture shows that the group “Keywords 1”, which contains the numeric functions, is coloured blue. You can also change this in the ZPL.chl file itself, which in turn can be opened from within any text editor!
In ConTEXT, the highlighter file also dictates what the file is saved as, so your macro will automatically be saved as filename.zpl
The ZPL.chl file used here is included at the end of this article, as is the link to the ConTEXT website. If you choose to use ConTEXT, then be sure to put the ZPL.chl file in the highlighters folder.
In ConTEXT the syntax file is referred to as the highlighter file, and is a .chl file (ConTEXT HighLighter). Other packages will generally have different names for this file, e.g. EditPlus (not free, but low cost and very good), uses a .stx file. But no matter the file extension, the operation of each is broadly similar. Syntax files for both these editors can be downloaded from the links at the end of the last page of this article.
In most editors you can also change the colour scheme. ConTEXT supports this easily from Options… Environment Options:
This picture shows that the group “Keywords 1”, which contains the numeric functions, is coloured blue. You can also change this in the ZPL.chl file itself, which in turn can be opened from within any text editor!
In ConTEXT, the highlighter file also dictates what the file is saved as, so your macro will automatically be saved as filename.zpl
The ZPL.chl file used here is included at the end of this article, as is the link to the ConTEXT website. If you choose to use ConTEXT, then be sure to put the ZPL.chl file in the highlighters folder.