10. Inner Commands

Ordinarily, when you click on a node, its content appears in both the Content and Composition Windows. You can add additional behavior to mouse clicks by including template commands when you write your template.

There are two types of template commands, inner and outer. Inner Commands are placed within a node's content, that is, within the square brackets. Outer Commands are placed after the node's content.

A template command is specific term or group of terms and is always enclosed within angle brackets.

Here are commands you can use within a node's content:

< > Empty brackets act as a placeholder or reminder. When you click on a node with this command, the cursor jumps to the Content Window so you can insert text at the command's location. You can include more than one of these placeholders in a node's content. When you press Enter, the cursor jumps to the next command. When done, the focus returns to the template.
< subject > Inserts the subject name as shown in the Subject Box. Use if you are working with a variety of different subjects. You won't have to type the subject name.
< first > Inserts the subject first name.
< last > Inserts the subject last name.
< date > Inserts the current date. If you click the "Restore" button, the date will be updated.
< time > Inserts the current time. If you click the "Restore" button, the time will be updated.
< start_date > Inserts the date that you first selected a new subject. Use to date-stamp a record. If no new subject has been selected, the start date is not updated.
< start_time > Inserts the time that you first selected a new subject. Use to time-stamp a record. If no new subject has been selected, the start time is not updated.
< list = xxx > Lets you select from items in a list. The selected item is included with the surrounding text. Your selection is retained for subsequent use. You don't have to make a selection again until you want a change. Each time you click a node that contains this command, the pre-selected item will be inserted. To create or modify the selection list, click the "Edit" button, then click "Edit Selection List". Remember the name you save the list as and use it in your "list = xxx" command. In other words if you saved your list as "terms", then your command is "list = terms".
< any other text > Any text other than listed above acts as a default. Use it like you use empty brackets. When you click on a node containing text within brackets, the cursor jumps to the Content Window, and the default text is selected so you can change it easily. You can include more than one default in a node's content. When you press Enter, the cursor jumps to the next default. When done, the focus returns to the template.
< xxx/yyy > This is the "slash command". Content depends on which button is selected, Slash First or Slash Last. Use it to choose between pronouns like he or she. For example, a template node might contain "< He/She > needs more of < his/her > own time" along with several other similar sentences. If the Slash First button is selected, each time you select that node, the first term will be selected and the sentence will read "He needs more of his own time". If you click Slash Last, the last term will be used for all subsequent nodes selected.

Here's a template with a few Inner Commands selected:

Here's what a template using some Inner Commands looks like. Each Inner Command is enclosed by angle brackets. In this example, the 57 is a default.

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