Batch Wizard Tips ( Pro, Home)

Using the Batch Wizard (Tools > Batch Wizard or press F2), you can create a list of targets (files, URLs, and folders) and then validate or use a tool on every document in the target list. This is an easy way to validate or process multiple files.

You can also specify a single URL target in the Batch Wizard, then set the target's properties to follow links. In this way, the Batch Wizard can spider an entire website (or part of it) with a single URL.

The Batch Wizard is also great to use when creating dynamic documents such as ASP and PHP pages. You can add URLs to the Batch Wizard's target list and validate the document that comes back from the server after it has been processed. This method allows you to test the HTML output of your scripts and programs.

Drag and Drop Window Tips

A way of processing multiple targets without the Batch Wizard is to use the Drag and Drop Window (which is represented as a floating icon). If you want to validate all the HTML documents in a folder and its subfolders, then you can use the search feature in Windows File Explorer to search for all the HTML documents in a folder and its subfolders (i.e. search for "*.html"). Remember that you can sort by file type (in details view) to consecutively list all your HTML documents. You can then select the entire list of found files and drop them onto the Drag and Drop Window to validate them, use a tool on them, or do both at the same time.

NOTE: Because this is a legacy feature, the Drag and Drop menu is hidden by default. To show this menu on the main menu, enable it using the View > Menus > Drag and Drop menu option.

When validating many documents this way, you can leave *.val files only for the documents that contain errors or warnings. For example, if you have a document named "C:\html\page1.html" and this document contains errors or warnings, then HTML Validator will create a file called "C:\html\page1.html.val" that contains the actual error and/or warning messages. If "C:\html\page1.html" does not contain any errors or warnings, then "C:\html\page1.html.val" will not exist.

Doing the above is one simple way to validate a site with many documents. You can drag and drop all the site's documents onto HTML Validator's Drag and Drop Window and then scan the folder for the val files. To do this:

•Go to Options > Validator Engine Options and the Validator Engine > Classic page.

•Uncheck 'Always open viewer after check'.

•Check all these options: 'Don't use output file; use .val files', 'Never open viewer with .val files' (unless you want to), and 'If no errors/warnings, then don't view'.

•Press the OK button.

•Make sure that the Drag and Drop Window is visible by making sure that Drag and Drop > View Drag and Drop Window Icon is checked.

You can then drag and drop the files that you want to check onto the Drag and Drop Window and val files should be created for documents that you drag and drop and that contain any errors or warnings. You can use File Explorer (previously known as Windows Explorer) to drag the files from (or almost anything else that you can drag files from).

Tip: When using the Drag and Drop Window, you can double-click it to revalidate the last document validated.

Other Tips

•BOOKMARKS - When editing large documents, try using bookmarks. You'll quickly find them very convenient and useful. Simply press Shift+Ctrl+# to set a bookmark and Ctrl+# to go back to the bookmark. # is a number from 0 to 9. View the bookmark gutter to see where the bookmarks are set. This is a great time saver.

•KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS - Visit Keyboard Shortcuts for more time-saving keyboard shortcuts.

•RELOADING - You can easily "reload" documents that are opened from the web by choosing Reload from the editor context menu, choosing File > Reload, or using the shortcut Shift+Ctrl+R.

•INTEGRATED WEB BROWSER - Make use of the integrated web browser to browse the web while displaying the HTML source (from the live DOM) and validating it. This feature is great for checking the HTML output of dynamic web pages such as ASP and PHP pages.

•DO YOU USE CHROME? - Visit Validating a Live DOM with Chrome to learn how to use CSS HTML Validator and Chrome to get and validate the HTML source from a live DOM by simply copying the HTML source to the clipboard.