Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Post by **honyk** » Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:43 pm

Dear All,

in my custom plugin action, I am trying to set several attributes, but all of them are sorted alphabetically in the result XML code. Is there any way to keep the insertion order?
For example, if my 'ulink' element has 'url' attribute and additional 'type' attribute is added, it is placed before the 'url', not after it.

I am adding attributes using this command:

Code: Select all

 authorAccess.getDocumentController().setAttribute("type", new AttrValue("variable"), uLinkNode);

Thanks, Jan

Post by **Radu** » Tue Oct 11, 2022 3:11 pm

Hi Jan,

The attributes order is not relevant for the semantic meaning of the XML document.
From what I think the Author mode should kind of preserve by default the order in which the attributes were added.
Is it possible that in the Preferences->"Editor / Format / XML" page you have checked the "Sort attributes" checkbox?

Regards,
Radu

Post by **honyk** » Tue Oct 11, 2022 4:34 pm

That 'Sort attributes' option is disabled. I agree the order is just a cosmetic issue. My action is a kind of shortcut to common manual action. Such side-effect breaks the consistency

Post by **Radu** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:56 am

Hi,

So I made this operation to experiment a bit:

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  public void doOperation(AuthorAccess authorAccess, ArgumentsMap args)
      throws AuthorOperationException {
    try {
      AuthorElement elem = (AuthorElement) authorAccess.getDocumentController().getNodeAtOffset(authorAccess.getEditorAccess().getCaretOffset());
      authorAccess.getDocumentController().setAttribute("zz", new AttrValue("val1"), elem);
      authorAccess.getDocumentController().setAttribute("yy", new AttrValue("val2"), elem);
      authorAccess.getDocumentController().setAttribute("aa", new AttrValue("val3"), elem);
    } catch (BadLocationException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
  }

I invoked it on an element in the Author mode and the XML in the Text editing mode looks like this:

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<body zz="val1" yy="val2" aa="val3"/>

So the order in which you add the attributes is obeyed at serialization.

Regards,
Radu

Post by **honyk** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:02 am

You are correct! During my experiments, I haven't switched to Text mode and now I can see it is correct there all the time.
I've finally found a dedicated option for this behavior: Preferences...|Editor|Edit Modes|Author: Sort attributes alphabetically for "Full Tags with Attributes" which is my default mode. When unchecked, I have the correct order also in Author mode.

Thanks a lot!

Post by **Radu** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:21 am

Hi Jan,
Thanks for posting the solution, I somehow forgot about this extra setting.
Regards,
Radu

Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Re: Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Re: Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Re: Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Re: Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order

Re: Custom plugin: adding attributes in the specified order