When the first time creating Textpattern template using template export/import plugins is a quick way to doit, but how about when you want to edit small portion of one of your template form? It’s sounds like importing everything isn’t a smart solution, and also you have to mangle with FTP to upload your templates after testing it in your localhost.
Editing inside unformated text area in any browser is PITA, these are a how to edit any textarea in Safari or Firefox with your favorite editor with Textpattern as case study.
As you may know, in order to edit the template you have to deal with those horrible unformatted template tags. Those age are over, HogBay Software released a nifty little menu bar application called QuickCursor. Every time you are on a text area, just hit the shortcut of your favorite editor, mine is Textmate. And then your Texpattern tags will be transferred to your text editor. When you are done editing, save it, the changes will be applied to the text area in Safari. Then press the save button on Safari, and your new codes will be ready to test or see.
Safari is not everyones favorite, despite all its features. Most of us choose firefox because it’s fat with additional features. One of the additional fat, lets call it addons before someone get angry, has the same function as QuickCursor. The addon name is It’s All Text (IAT).
In order to use your favorite editor, you have to make a Shell Script for IAT to command. Here’s how.
Open up Textmate, insert this code into new document.
#!/bin/sh
# This is an example shell script for It's All Text!
open -a /Applications/TextMate.app "$@"
Save the code as .iat.sh, note the “dot”. I want the files to be hidden, I don’t want my home get messy, and also if it’s not hidden it can be deleted accidentally.
Now open IAT preference in Firefox, input ~/.iat.sh in the Editor form.
That’s it, that’s how to configure Firefox in order to use your favorite editor to edit textarea or write you blog entry using this method, just like I am now.
