Menu Controls The following section is a simple description of each of the menu items provided by XTension. File Menu New Unit -- command-N This selection will bring up the Edit Unit dialog from which you may create a new database item. If you have any unit selected in any view/list, and you hold down the Option key while selecting this menu item, then XTension assumes that you want to 'clone' the selected unit! New Group -- command-G After prompting you for a new group name, XTension will bring up the Edit Group dialog where you may select database items to be included in the new group. New Event -- command-E Normally you would use the Scheduled Events window to create a new event, but this menu item and command key provide alternate ways of getting there. New List -- command-L This selection will ask you for a name and then give you the Edit List dialog where you can select which database items you want in the new list. New View -- command-I To create a new graphic View, you will be given a file selection dialog where you select the PICT file that you want to import. Close -- command-W This will simply close any window which is 'front'. Note that this does not permanently remove the window, as it may be brought back at any time via the Windows menu. Page Setup Brings up standard printer setup dialog in preparation for printing the Log Window. Print Log -- command-P This will print the current Log Window to the chosen printer. Cut Log File This choice gives you manual control of when the XTension log file is archived. This will cause the XTension log file to be written to a folder called 'Logs'. It will be given a name which corresponds to the earliest time stamp recorded in that log. All log files can be read by any text editor. Note that you may choose preferences which control how often XTension will automatically perform this task. Monitor Only -- command-M This choice gives you manual control of the Monitor Mode, as described in the Multiple Macs Chapter. This mode is very important, and the current state of it is always displayed at the top of the Log Window. Edit Menu Cut Copy Paste These choices are standard Macintosh, and as you would expect, they are sometimes 'grayed-out' when they don't make sense. Preferences -- Command - ; Here is where you may tailor the way that XTension behaves in general. See the chapters on Prefs. Database Menu Save : This selection allows you at any time to demand that the database file be saved to disk. This file is normally maintained by XTension according to the period that you select in the Preferences. Archive Database This allows you to save a copy of your database as an archive. Usually you will use this to save your database after you have created new units or scripts and you have tested them. This file can be copied and renamed at any time to become your active XTension database. Import Database You can import a 'package' or 'plug-in' system which has been created and exported by someone else. (see chapter on 'Plug-ins') Export Database Likewise, you can create and export these 'plug-ins' for others. ( see chapter on 'Plug-ins') Export Database as Text This feature provides a way of creating a Tab-delimited text file which can be imported into any spreadsheet or text editor. There you can sort it as you wish and use it perhaps as a hard copy map of your devices. Save/Load Snapshot From the File menu or from a script, you can cause XTension to save the current state of all database units. This file can be Loaded on demand or by script. It is used to synchronize two copies of the database or to review the conditions present at some 'interesting' time. ( see chapter on 'Snapshots' ) Scripts Menu New Global Script Edit Global Script Delete Global Script Rename Script Edit Attachments These items and their obvious function allow you to create and maintain scripts which are not specifically assigned to the on or off script of a database unit. See the section on scripts later. (List of Global Script names) This is a selection list of all of the global scripts that you have created. Simply by selecting one you cause XTension to execute it. Selecting it with the Option key down will bring up the Script Editor with that script. ( See the chapter on Special Scripts for information on using AppleScript "Attachments" . ) Windows Menu This menu provides a way of bringing any of the XTension windows to the front. The window may be currently 'sent away', or may be just hidden behind another window. Control Panel Master List Log Window Scheduled Events Command Line X-10 Controls ( Popup of Lists ) ( Popup of Views ) Note that since you may have a variable number of Lists and Views, XTension provides a popup selection for both. List Menu This menu only appears when the front window is one of the Lists that you have created. Here you can create new lists, maintain others, and sort the items in any list by address or by name. Edit Units ... This choice will pop up a dialog where you can choose which items that you want in a List. You can add new ones or remove others. Note that you can also add or remove items in Lists by 'drag-and-drop' Rename List Delete List These two provide the only way to change the name of or permanently remove a List that you have created. You cannot permanently remove the Master List. New View from List This is an alternate way of creating a new graphic View. This method asks you to select a PICT file, and then automatically adds all of the units in the List to the new View. You will then have to move them around to suit yourself. Sort List by... This is a handy way of changing your view of items in a List. You canchoose to sort by the given database name of the items, or by their hardware address. View Menu This menu only appears when one of your graphic View windows is 'front'. Here you can create new Views and maintain others, and choose the size of icons in the View. You can also control whether you wish to see the names of the icons. Edit Units ... This choice gives you a selection dialog much like that for Lists. This may be useful at some times, however, you may also 'drag-and-drop' items from Lists to Views, Views to Views, and Lists to Lists. Rename View Delete View Note that this is the only way to change the name of or permanently delete any View you have created. Choose PICT Here you may choose to import a new PICT to replace the one currently in the 'front'. New List from View This provides a method of collecting all of the units you have placed in a View, and creating a named List which includes those items. Icons... Here is where you choose between the three sizes of Icon display in the 'front' View window. This choice becomes a preference for that window. See more in the chapter on Views and Icons. Show Names -- command-H With this menu item you can toggle icon names on or off. It is here to help you remember that the same thing can be done with the 'command-H'. Note that you can temporarily change that state by using the 'Control' key.