A novelWriter project requires a dedicated folder for storing its files. See the @@ -42,15 +53,54 @@ further details below.
-Projects are structured into a set of root folders in the left side tree view panel.
-The core novel files go into a root folder of type NOVEL. Other supporting files - go into root folders of types PLOT, CHARACTER, WORLD, - TIMELINE, OBJECT or CUSTOM. These other root folder - types are intended for your notes on the various elements of your story. Using these are of - course entirely optional.
+The core novel files go into a root folder of type Novel. Other supporting files + go into root folders of types Plot, Characters, + Locations, Timeline, Objects or Custom. + These other root folder types are intended for your notes on the various elements of your + story. Using these are of course entirely optional.
+| Novel | +The root folder of all text that goes into the final novel. This class of files have + other rules and features than other files in the project. See the + Novel Structure section for more details. | +
| Plot | +This is the root folder where main plots can be outlined. It is optional, but adding + at least dummy files can be useful in order to generate the timeline view. | +
| Characters | +Character files go in this root folder. These are especially important if one wants + to use the timeline view to see which character appears where and which part of the + story is told from a specific character's point-of-view. | +
| Locations | +Location is for various scene locations that one wants to track in the timeline + view if that applies to the story. | +
| Timeline | +If the story jumps in time within the same plot, this class of files can be used to + track this. | +
| Objects | +Important objects in the story can be tracked here, and connected to the timeline as + well. | +
| Custom | +the custom root folder can be used for tracking anything else not covered by the + above options. | +
Deleted files will be moved into a special TRASH root folder. Currently, these files cannot be permanently deleted from the project.
@@ -68,7 +118,7 @@ ignored. -The project settings can be accessed from the Project > Project Settings menu @@ -91,7 +141,7 @@
Note that status levels currently in use by a file cannot be deleted.
Each file of types PLOT, CHARACTER, WORLD, +
Each file of types PLOT, CHARACTER, WORLD, TIMELINE, OBJECT or CUSTOM can be given an importance level, signified by a coloured icon like for status level. These are also purely there for the user's convenience, and you are not required to use them for any other feature to work. @@ -108,7 +158,7 @@ of the text isn't unintentionally replaced by the content of the list.
-New document files can be created from the Document menu, or by pressing Ctrl+N @@ -119,15 +169,102 @@
The different classes of documents have some restrictions.
-This section concerns files under the Novel type root folder. There are some + restrictions and features that only applies to these type of files.
+ -Subfolders under root folders have no impact on the structure of the novel itself. The + structure is instead dictated by the heading level. Four levels of headings are supported, + signified by the number of hashes preceding the title. See the + Markdown section.
+The header levels are not only important when generating the exported novel file, but is also + used by the indexer and timeline view. Each heading starts a new region where new References + to tags can be set, and will show up as a new row in the timeline view.
+The different header levels are interpreted as specific section types of the novel.
+| # Header1 | +Header level 1 signifies that the text refers to either the novel title or the + name of a top level partition. | +
| ## Header2 | +Header level 2 signifies a chapter level partition. | +
| ### Header3 | +Header level 3 signifies a scene level partition. | +
| #### Header4 | +Header level 4 signifies a sub-scene level partition. | +
Each section started by a heading can contain references to tags set in the supporting files + of the project. See the File Tags section.
+The references are gathered by the indexer and used to generate the timeline view of how the + different parts of the novel are connected.
+References are set as keyword and a list of corresponding tags. The valid keywords are listed + below. The format of such a line is @keyword: value1, [value2] ... [valueN]. + Note that not all keywords allow multiple values.
+| @pov | +The point-of-view character for the current section. The target must be a note tag + in the character root folder. Only one value is accepted. further values are + ignored. | +
| @char | +Other characters in the current section. The target must be a note tag in the + character root folder. Multiple values are allowed. This should not include the + point-of-view character. | +
| @plot | +The plot timelines touched by the current section. The target must be a note tag in + the plot root folder. Multiple values are allowed. | +
| @time | +The timelines touched by the current section. The target must be a note tag in the + timeline root folder. Multiple values are allowed. | +
| @location | +The location the current section takes place in. The target must be a note tag in + the locations root folder. Multiple values are allowed. | +
| @object | +Objects present in the current section. The target must be a note tag in the object + root folder. Multiple values are allowed. | +
| @custom | +Custom references in the current section. The target must be a note tag in the + custom root folder. Multiple values are allowed. | +
the syntax highlighter will alert the user that only the correct keywords are used, and that + the tags referenced exist. If the index of defined tags is out of date, press + F9 to regenerate it, or select Tools > Rebuild Indices from the + menu. In general, the index for a file is regenerated when a file is saved, so this + shouldn't normally be necessary.
+ -Files that exist under the NOVEL type root folder can have a number of layouts @@ -137,8 +274,7 @@
| Title Page | -The title page layout. The title should be formatted as a heading of level 1, that - is one hash: # Book Title | +The title page layout. The title should be formatted as a heading level one. |
| Book | @@ -156,18 +292,213 @@A partition can be used to split a the novel into parts. Use a level one heading for this. | |
| Chapter | +Signifies the start of a new chapter. If the text itself is contained in scene + files, these files should only contain the title and tag references for characters, + plot, etc. The heading for chapters should be level two. | +|
| Un-Numbered | +Same as Chapter, but when exporting the files and automatic chapter numbering is + enabled, this file will not receive a number. | +|
| Scene | +A scene file. This file should have a header of level three. Further sections can + have headers of level four. These will not impact the overall structure, but will + allow for setting new characters and plot references in parts of a scene if such + granularity is needed. | +|
| Note | +A generic file that is ignored when the novel is exported. These layout is allowed + within the Novel root folder, and is the only layout allowed for a file outside the + Novel root folder. | +
Supporting files, or notes, are any files stored in root folders that are not the Novel root + folder. These files are intended for summaries and outlines of the various plot elements, + characters, locations, and so on, of the novel. These are no required, but making at least + minimal files for each such element makes it possible to use the timeline view feature to + see how each element intersects with each section of the novel itself.
+ + +Each note file can have a tag associated with it, The format of a tag is + @tag: tagname, where tagname is a unique identifier. tags can then be + referenced in the novel files and will then show up as dots in the timeline view.
+The syntax highlighter will alert the user that the keyword is correctly used and that the + tag is allowed. Duplicate tags should be detected as long as the index is up to date.
+The tag is the only part of these files that the application used. The rest of the file is + there for the writer to use in whatever way they wish.
+ + +The user interface is kept as simple as possible to avoid distractions. The main window + contains a tree vew pane with the entire structure of the project, and a small details panel + below it to display additional information.
+Editing a document can be done by either double-clicking on it, or hitting the return key + when the item is selected. This will open the source editor which uses a simplified markdown + format described in the section below.
+The document can also be viewed as html with all the comments and commands stripped out. To + view a document, simply press Ctrl+R or select a file and go to Document + > View Document in the menu. The document viewed does not need to be the same + document currently being edited.
+ + +the document editor uses a simplified markdown format. That is, it supports basic formatting + like bold, italics and underline, as well as four levels of headings. The formats are listed + below.
+In addition to these standard markdown features, the editor also allows for comments, that is + text that is ignored by the word counter and not exported or seen in the document viewer. + The editor also has a minimal set of commands used for setting tags and references between + files.
+| # Title | +Heading level one. The space after the # is mandatory. | +
| ## Title | +Heading level two. The space after the # is mandatory. | +
| ### Title | +Heading level three. The space after the # is mandatory. | +
| #### Title | +Heading level four. The space after the # is mandatory. | +
| **text** | +The text is renderred as bold text. | +
| _text_ | +The text is renderred as italics text. | +
| __text__ | +The text is renderred as underlined text. | +
| % text... | +A comment. The text is not exported, seen in viewer, or counted towards word counts. | +
| @command: value | +A command followed by a value, or a comma separated list of values. | +
All features are available as keyboard shortcuts. These are as following:
| Ctrl+Shift+O | +Open a project. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+S | +Save the current project. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+W | +Close the current project. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+, | +Change project settings. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+N | +Create new folder. | +||
| Ctrl+E, F2 | +If in tree view, edit a document or folder settings. | +||
| Ctrl+Del | +If in tree view, move a document to trash, or delete a folder. | +||
| Ctrl+Q | +Exit novelWriter. | +||
| Ctrl+N | +Create new document. | +||
| Ctrl+O | +Open selected document. | +||
| Return | +If in tree view, open a document for editing. | +||
| Ctrl+S | +Save the current document in the editor. | +||
| Ctrl+W | +Close the current document in the editor. | +||
| Ctrl+R | +If in tree view, open a document for viewing. If in editor pane, open current document for viewing. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+R | +Close the document view pane. | +||
| Ctrl+Z | +Undo latest changes. | +||
| Ctrl+Y | +Redo latest undo. | +||
| Ctrl+C | +Copy selected text to clipboard. | +||
| Ctrl+X | +Cut selected text to clipboard. | +||
| Ctrl+V | +Paste text from clipboard to cursor position. | +||
| Ctrl+A | +Select all text in document. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+A | +Select all text in current paragraph. | +||
| Ctrl+1 | Switch focus to tree view pane. | @@ -181,36 +512,8 @@Switch focus to document viewer pane. | |
| Return | -If in tree view, open a document for editing. | -||
| Ctrl+R | -If in tree view, open a document for viewing. If in editor pane, open current document for viewing. | -||
| Ctrl+E | -If in tree view, edit a document or folder settings. | -||
| Ctrl+Del | -If in tree view, move a document to trash, or delete a folder. | -||
| Ctrl+S | -Save the current document in the editor. | -||
| Ctrl+Shift+S | -Save the current project. | -||
| Ctrl+A | -Select all text in document. | -||
| Ctrl+Shift+A | -Select all text in current paragraph. | +Ctrl+T | +Show project timeline. |
| Ctrl+B | @@ -232,6 +535,14 @@Ctrl+Shift+D | Wrap selected text, or word under cursor, in single quotes. | |
| Ctrl+Shift+Up | +Move item one step up in the tree view. | +||
| Ctrl+Shift+Down | +Move item one step down in the tree view. | +||
| Ctrl+F7 | Toggle spell checking. | @@ -244,16 +555,24 @@Ctrl+. | Correct word under cursor. |
| F9 | +Re-build project indices. | +||
| F1 | +Open documentation. | +
This section contains details of how novelWriter stores and handles the project data.
-