Editing Files with the DCS Editor

Starting with Document Conversion Service 3.0.017, a DCS Editor is included to allow for easy editing of both DCS configuration files and Watch Folder configuration files, as well as conversion profiles.

The editor offers colored syntax highlighting, error checking for syntax errors when files are loaded or saved, and basic validation when editing the configuration files or conversion profiles.

The start menu shortcuts for editing the DCS and Watch Folder configuration files, and conversion files now use this tool instead of Notepad.

Opening Files

The editor is tailored for interacting with the DCS configuration file, the Watch Folder configuration file and the conversion profiles. The Open button presents a flyout on the left allowing you to choose editing one of these files. Clicking on the left arrow icon or away from the flyout will dismiss it.

Files are validated for syntax errors upon opening and any errors are displays as shown in Validating the Files below.

Find and Replace

One of the most common editing tasks is to enable or disable individual document converters in the DCS configuration file, based on the file types you need to convert. The editor includes a Find and Replace Tool that allows for searching throughout the files. Selecting a section of text before opening the find and replace window will fill in the search text with the selected text on the Find tab.

The Replace tab allows you to do a global find and replace of all occurrences of the string in the document.

Validating the Files

The editor can validate the file for syntax errors as well as checking that the configuration files and conversion profiles contain their required respective sections. The color syntax highlighting also provides visual cues if the file syntax is incorrect.

You can validate a file at any time using the Validate button. Files are also validated upon opening and saving.

 

If an error is encountered, the error information is shown in an error flyout at the bottom of the screen, and if possible, the file is scrolled to the line number that contains the error. The error flyout can be dismissed by clicking above it, or on the down arrow icon on the left side of the flyout.

You can display the error message again by clicking on the warning symbol in the lower left corner.

If the file contains valid syntax, the following success flyout is displayed and automatically dismissed.

Saving the Files

When saving, the files are also validated for syntax and correct sections. When the file is correct, it is saved and the following saved flyout message is displayed and automatically dismissed.

 

When the file is incorrect a warning message is displayed. Selecting No will return to the editor with the error message displayed in the error flyout at the bottom of the editor allowing you to fix the error.

Configuration files and conversion profiles with syntax errors will cause DCS, Watch Folder and the conversion utilities to not work correctly.