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Microsoft Script Editor

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Apr 13, 2001
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Hope this doesn't fall into the category of "old news" for this forum...

Microsoft Script Editor (MSE)

This is a brief description and advocacy of MSE as your first, second, or third HTML/ASP editor.

Where do I get it?

MSE is part of Office 2000. It was intended to be used much like the Visual Basic Editor in Office. MSE for adding script to Office documents, and VBE for writing heavy macro code...

But I find that it is actually much more!

Go ahead and drill down in "Program Files" to mse.exe (look in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\IDE\IDE98 for MSE.EXE). Then right-click and "send to desktop as shortcut" or whatever.

Now you have a convenient way to fire up MSE as a standalone tool.

Why would I use MSE?

Let's say you're at somebody's machine that has Office 2000, but they don't have FrontPage, InterDev, or your favorite HTML editor. And for some reason you need to edit some HTML but you're tired of plinking away in NotePad ;-)

Let's say you have FrontPage but, darn it! You just need more of the funtionality of InterDev.

What does MSE do that NotePad doesn't?

* It has that tabbed editing window like InterDev, FrontPage, etc. with Design, Source, and Quick View tabs.

* Multiple document interface - you can edit back and forth between your HTML or ASP pages and your .CSS style sheet(s).

* You get InterDev-like Properties and Project Explorer windows. An HTML toolbox.

* You get a Script Outline window like in InterDev.

* You get colorized HTML and script keywords.

* You get script IntelliSense (autocompletion goodies).

* You get GREAT online Help!!!

-- HTML tag reference.

-- VBScript & JScript tutorials and references.

-- Scripting runtime reference.

-- FileSystemObject tutorial.

-- Font embedding, positioning, data binding, filters and transitioning, dynamic styles references.

-- Active Server Pages reference material (built-in ASP objects reference, @ directives reference, etc.).

-- CSS attribute and DOM references.

Whew! What doesn't it do?

Well, it won't connect using server extensions, it doesn't FTP files either.

It also doesn't seem to be able to be associated with file extensions as an editor. You have to open MSE and then within it open your files rather than being able to right-click and select "Edit with MSE" or something. If you get this to work, please post the details!

It doesn't open "projects" as in InterDev - it treats everything (literally) just like InterDev "Miscellenous Files"

Last words?

Yeah.

I think it is just peachy for working on personal web sites, the kind you have stored on your local machine in a folder for uploading to BowserGusher or NeoVillage or another personal site hosting outfit.

If you have Office 2000 installed (even O2K w/o FrontPage) it'll cost you nothing to give it a try.
 
On NT 4, it is very easy to add items to your send to list.

In the windows directory is a Profiles directory. This contains a directory for all users who have used that particular box. Chose yourself (or "all users), find the Send To directory, and copy a shortcut to MSE or a copy of MSE itself, into the Send to directory. Effective immediately, you will now be able to send files directly to MSE.

I can't remember offhand if there is something similar in Windows 9x or 2000
 
Apologies this does not work for MSE as I have just tried it.

grovel grovel
 
At least you tried. Thanks. That's the biggest shortcoming I've found using MSE as a backup HTML editor when I don't have InterDev handy: not being able to fire it up by something like right-click, Edit w/MSE on an HTML file.

If only it handled .CSS files as something other than plain text files (more like InterDev)! Still it is nice that it can open your .CSS and let you edit it while working on your web pages.
 
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