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criterion:editing

Text Editing and Formatting

Text Formatting and the Format Menu

The Format Menu provides essential tools to apply typographic styles to text in the Main Text area. This formatting is reflected in the editor view, print preview, printed output, and PDF exports.

Applying Formatting

Command Shortcut Description Exported Output
Bold Ctrl/⌘+B Applies bold style ✅ Yes
Italic Ctrl/⌘+I Applies italic style ✅ Yes
Underline Ctrl/⌘+U Underlines selected text ✅ Yes

To apply formatting:

1. Select the desired text in the main body
2. Use one of: Format > [Style], keyboard shortcut, or toolbar button

To remove formatting: Reselect the text and reapply the same formatting command (toggle behavior)

Note: Multiple styles can be combined (e.g., bold + italic). Formatting applies only to the Main Text, not apparatus notes or metadata.

Advanced Text Formatting: Lists and Layout

Creating and Managing Lists

Users can apply several types of lists to document text

Note Important: Bulleted and numbered lists cannot be applied inside document notes.

Numbered Lists:

  • Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, …)
  • Roman numerals (I, II, III, … or i, ii, iii, …)
  • Alphabetical sequences (A, B, C, … or a, b, c, …)

Bulleted Lists:

  • Standard bullet (•), Hollow bullet (◦), Solid square (▪)
  • Styles cycle automatically with each level of indentation

How to apply a list:

1. Select text or place cursor where list should begin
2. Use the List button in toolbar or Format > List
3. Choose desired list type from dropdown

Automatic Behavior

  • Pressing Enter creates a new list item with auto-incremented numbering
  • Pressing Tab increases indentation and creates a nested sub-list
  • Multiple levels of nesting are supported

Modifying or Removing Lists

  • Convert list types via Format > List menu
  • Remove list formatting by clicking the active list button again or pressing Shift+Tab

Resume or Continue Numbering

For numbered and alphabetical lists, you can:

  • Resume Numbering: Start a new list from the last number/letter used previously
  • Continue Previous Numbering: Automatically continue numbering after intervening content


Indentation Control

Use indentation to create hierarchy in lists or structure plain paragraphs:

Action Toolbar Menu Shortcut (Win/Linux) Shortcut (macOS)
Increase Indent Button Format > Text > Increase Indent Level Ctrl+_ ⌘+_
Decrease Indent Button Format > Text > Decrease Indent Level Ctrl+- ⌘+-
Note Important: Indentation affects only the text portion of a paragraph or list item—the list marker (number, letter, or bullet) remains aligned with the list's base level.

Text Alignment

Each paragraph or list item can be aligned independently:

  • Left (default), Center, Right, Justified

To change alignment:

1. Select text or place cursor in the line
2. Use alignment buttons in toolbar or Format > Text menu


Managing Unprintable Characters

Unprintable (or “non-printing”) characters are formatting symbols used to structure your text:

Character Symbol Description
Space · (middle dot) Marks each space between words
Tab → (right arrow) Shows tab indentation
Paragraph Break ¶ (pilcrow) Indicates end of paragraph and Enter key press

How to show/hide unprintable characters:

  • Keyboard: Press F7
  • Menu: Format > Font > Nonprinting Characters
  • Toolbar: Click the ¶ icon
Note Important: When enabled, unprintable characters appear inline with subtle light gray styling that doesn't interfere with readability.

Copy, Cut, and Paste Operations

Operation Description
Cut Removes selected text and places it in clipboard
Copy Copies selected text and formatting to clipboard
Copy Style Copies only the text style (not content)
Paste Inserts copied/cut content at cursor position
Paste Style Applies previously copied style to selected text
Paste Without Formatting Pastes text content using destination formatting

Keyboard Shortcuts:

Operation Windows/Linux macOS
Cut Ctrl+X ⌘X
Copy Ctrl+C ⌘C
Paste Ctrl+V ⌘V
Copy Style Ctrl+Alt+C ⌥⌘C
Paste Style Ctrl+Alt+V ⌥⌘V
Paste Without Formatting Ctrl+⇧+V ⇧⌘V
Bookmarks and Comments: Copy does not transfer associated objects (bookmarks, comments, links). Cut+Paste retains or reassigns them appropriately.

Undo and Redo Operations

What Can You Undo/Redo:

Standard Editing Actions:

  • Typing, deleting, or editing text
  • Applying formatting (bold, italic, underline, font size, color, alignment)
  • Cutting or pasting content

Custom Workflow Actions:

  • Adding, editing, or removing comments and annotations
  • Managing bookmarks for quick navigation
  • Inserting or editing bibliographic references
  • Working with footnotes, marginal notes, and apparatus entries

How to Use:

  • Toolbar: Click ↶ Undo or ↷ Redo icon
  • Menu: Edit > Undo or Edit > Redo
  • Keyboard: Ctrl+Z (undo), Ctrl+⇧+Z (redo) / ⌘Z, ⇧⌘Z

Warning: Apparatus Entries Limitation: Apparatus entries can only be created from the main text. Once deleted, they cannot be restored via Undo because the system cannot determine which text they should link to.
criterion/editing.txt · Last modified: by fincons