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What's Changed in RoustaboutXT 2.0

For those familiar with RoustaboutXT 1.0, we'd just like to point out several things that have changed since the 1.0 release. In addition to a number of entirely new features, the behaviour of some existing features has been altered. In some cases, this was to address problems or limitations of the previous release but a good many of the changes were necessary to adequately accommodate the new import capabilities.

In the list below, we've used emboldening to draw particular attention to those changes whose effects might not be immediately apparent when experimenting with the new RoustaboutXT 2.0 XTensions module.

For more details about any of these, please see the RoustaboutXT 2.0 User Reference ("UserRef.html" in the product package). If you still have questions, by all means email us at info@attd.com (please add 'RoustaboutXT' to the subject line).


1. RoustaboutXT now imports

What else is there to say? Now it's possible!

2. New menu items for import and export

You should now use the new "RoustaboutXT Import..." and "RoustaboutXT Export..." in the File menu, rather than "Get Text..." and "Save Text...". This avoids any conflict with other XML or TEXT XTensions.

3. New "Hitch" trick

Normally, RoustaboutXT 2.0 will eschew altogether the "Get Text/Save Text..." interface, leaving it free for other XTensions. Should you wish to use RoustaboutXT via "Get Text/Save Text...", for applescripting or in combination with automating XTensions perhaps, you can indicate this to RoustaboutXT by placing a fixed-named file, "RoustaboutXTHitch.txt" in the XTensions folder. When QuarkXPress is next restarted and RoustaboutXT sees the file is present, it will "hitch" itself to the "Get Text/Save Text..." interface. Bear in mind, that puts you back where you were with RoustaboutXT 1.0: you've got to make sure RoustaboutXT is the only XML (for Windows) or TEXT (for Macintosh) filter loaded yourself.

4. New 1.0 maps updating

Choosing "RoustaboutXT Update Maps..." from the Utilities menu will bring up a dialog offering the chance to automatically update your RoustaboutXT 1.0 Name and/or Font Encoding mapping files.

5. Some changes to the Font Encoding mapping file:

5.1 FencMap and ReplMap elements

The Font Encoding mapping file has been redesigned to have two mapping stages. One (FencMap) is purely for character-to-position code mapping (what might have been accomplished before with let pass ranges and/or CharMap elements with replType of "CharRef"); the other (ReplMap) is where most of the per-job customization goes (including replTypes of "EntityRef" and so on). This should make it even easier to separate the relatively static mapping information from that which changes job to job. Also, a CharToRepl element has been added to allow a combination of glyph-to-Unicode character mapping and customization of the XML produced.

5.2 New elements for mapping on import

For import, a new CharToGlyph element, enabling control over font changes to handle symbols, ornaments and ligatures, etc. Also, the CodeMap element (in FencMap elements) and GlyphToChar element (in ReplMap elements) are both used for importing as well as exporting; they establish a simple relationship between a position code in a particular font encoding and a Unicode character.

5.3 New default Let-Pass Ranges

By default, RoustaboutXT 2.0 will let pass ALL. To recreate the let-pass behaviour of RoustaboutXT 1.0, use a Font Encoding mapping file including a let-pass ranges specification as follows: 

<RangeMap letpass='True'>
<Range from='x20' to='x7e'/>
</RangeMap>

6. Some changes to the Name mapping file:

6.1 Old and New elements are now Inner and Outer

Since the Name mapping file is used for both export and import now, the elements have been renamed "Inner" (the QuarkXPress-side form of the tag) and "Outer" (the XML-at-large form).

6.2 Content, as well as tags, can be suppressed for Hidden elements

On export, Hidden elements (see below) can be suppressed like any other by not supplying an corresponding Outer element, except that the content of the Hidden element will be suppressed as well, rather than flowed into the surrounding text.

7. New PreviousPage, Page and NextPage elements

Use these new elements instead of Special elements with type values of "PrevPage", "CurrentPage" and "NextPage". RoustaboutXT 2.0 will accept Special elements with those type values only in XML produced by RoustaboutXT 1.0 or XPress XML 1.0.

8. New NewBox and NewColumn elements

Use these new elements instead of Special elements with type values of "NewBox", and "NewColumn". RoustaboutXT 2.0 will accept Special elements with those type values only in XML produced by RoustaboutXT 1.0 or XPress XML 1.0. But Special elements with those type values don't work quite right anyway, so you may not get the results you're expecting in any case.

9. New AnchoredStory and AnchoredImage elements

RoustaboutXT 2.0 will now export and import the contents of anchored text and picture boxes. On import, however, anchored picture boxes are created in a fixed format and size; box styling is not currently supported, so you'll have to do that by hand (or scripting).

10. New Hidden element

Any additional data associated with positions in the text of a QuarkXPress document, if any, will be written out as Hidden elements. These can be read back in if the XTensions module to whom the data belongs is present and you're importing and exporting on the same platform (you can't move from Mac to Win or vice versa).


RoustaboutXT 2.0 is now available for purchase online. A limited version may be downloaded for evaluation.

Updated 01-08-29w. webmaster@attd.com