Using the RTF editor

Use the rich text format (RTF) editor to format the text in fields. It provides commonly used functions, such as formatting text, creating tables, inserting links, and creating and linking bookmarks. The RTF editor reduces the efforts of formatting the text by providing a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) interface. You can use the RTF editor in fields that have the RTF icon next to them.

For information on RTF editors for Progressive Web Applications (PWA), see Adding-rich-text-fields-in-Progressive-Web-Applications.

Features of the RTF editor

The RTF editor has the following features:

Supports all use cases for rich-text fields in BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management applications.
- When the article content uses standard HTML markup, the RTF editor renders the article without any loss of formatting.
- Helps you edit the existing articles.
Supports rich-text field editing capabilities.
Maintains formatting when you copy content from Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, or HTML and paste it into an RTF-enabled field.

Functions available in the RTF editor

Function	Action	Type of editor
	Set paragraph formatting style such as headings and address.	Pop-up editor
	Select the font type and point size from the list.	Inline editor and Pop-up editor
	Select the text color and text background from the list.	Inline editor and Pop-up editor
	Make the selected text bold, italicized, underlined, or strikethrough.	Inline editor and Pop-up editor
	Make the selected text subscript or superscript, and clears formatting.	Pop-up editor
	Find and replaces text.	Pop-up editor
	Change the indentation of the text.	Pop-up editor
	Set the paragraph so that it aligns evenly on the left, center, or right; or justifies the text.	Pop-up editor
	Create an ordered or unordered list.	Pop-up editor
	Insert a link to any URL, to a bookmark, or to an email. Click the unlink icon to remove a link. For more information, see Adding and removing links.	Pop-up editor
	Create a bookmark in a document that is referred through a URL. For more information, see To create a bookmark.	Pop-up editor
	Insert an image into the RTF field. For more information, see Adding an image.	Pop-up editor
	Insert a table into the RTF field. For more information, see Adding a table.	Inline editor and Pop-up editor
	Add an expandable section to provide additional information.	Pop-up editor
	Add special formatting features, such as a horizontal rule, smiley, and special characters.	Pop-up editor
	Remove the last 30 changes made in the RTF editor or reverse the undo action.	Pop-up editor

Adding and removing links

You can perform the following actions by using the Link icon:

Goal	Action	Screenshot
Link to a web page	Click the link icon . In the Link dialog box, from the Link Type list, select URL. In the URL field, type the URL of the web page. Click OK.
Link to a Bookmark	Click the link icon . In the Link dialog box, from the Link Type list, select Link to bookmark in text. From the By Bookmark Name list, select the existing bookmark name. Click OK.
Link to an Email message	Click the link icon . In the Link dialog box, from the Link Type list, select E-mail. Enter details in the E-mail Address, Message Subject, and Message Body fields. Click OK.
Remove links	Select the link that you want to remove. Click the Unlink icon .

To create a bookmark

Select the text in the pop-up editor for which you want to create a bookmark.
Click Bookmark .
In the Bookmark Properties dialog box, enter a name for the bookmark.
Click OK.

The following screenshot illustrates the bookmarked text displayed in blue color with a blue dashed border.

To edit the bookmark name or remove the bookmark, right-click and select the appropriate option.

To add an image to a character field

Click the Image icon .

Specify the URL to access the image.
You can also define alternative text for the image.

(Optional) Set the options for height, width, border, Hspace, Vspace, and alignment.
Click OK .

You can preview the image in the Preview pane before adding it to the field.

Adding a table

Use Table to insert a table in an RTF field or to modify the properties of a selected table. You can use the Table Properties dialog box to design a table with advanced options.

table properties tab.PNG

In the RTF editor, right-click the table to perform the following operations:

Paste contents in the table.
Insert cells, rows, and columns (before or after).
Merge cells (right or down).
Split cells (horizontal and vertical).
Set the cells properties.
Set the table properties.
Delete cells, rows, and columns.
Edit and remove divisions.
Delete the table.

Shortcut keys in the RTF editor

Use the shortcut keys to navigate and execute operations quickly and easily. The following tables list the shortcut keys available in the RTF editor:

General RTF shortcut keys

Shortcut key	Description
Esc	Closes an RTF dialog box, drop-down list, or context menu. Equivalent to the Cancel button in a dialog box.
ENTER	Selects an RTF function from the toolbar, drop-down list, or context menu. Equivalent to the OK button in a dialog box.
SHIFT+F10, Menu Application	Opens the element's context menu.
HOME	Moves the cursor to the beginning of the line.
CTRL+HOME	Moves the cursor to the beginning of the document.
END	Moves the cursor to the end of the line.
CTRL+END	Moves the cursor to the end of the document.
PgDn	Scrolls down the document.
PgUp	Scrolls up the document.
CTRL+Z	Performs an undo operation.
CTRL+Y or SHIFT+CTRL+Z	Performs a redo operation.
CTRL+X or SHIFT+DEL	Cuts a text fragment.
CTRL+C	Copies a text fragment.
CTRL+V or SHIFT+INSERT	Pastes a text fragment from the clipboard.

RTF shortcut keys for writing

Shortcut Key	Description
ENTER (RETURN)	Ends a paragraph and starts a new one.
SHIFT+ENTER	Adds a line break.
SHIFT+CTRL+3	Adds a new paragraph before complex elements, such as an image, table, or <div> element.
SHIFT+CTRL+4	Adds a new paragraph before complex elements, such as an image, table, or <div> element.
BACKSPACE or DEL	Deletes a character.
CTRL+BACKSPACE or CTRL+DEL	Deletes a word.

RTF shortcut keys for text selection and styling

Shortcut key	Description
CTRL+A	Selects all document content.
SHIFT+ARROW	Selects a text fragment by letters.
CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW	Selects a text fragment by words.
SHIFT+HOME	Selects a text fragment from the cursor to the beginning of the line.
SHIFT+END	Selects a text fragment from the cursor to the end of the line.
CTRL+SHIFT+HOME	Selects a text fragment from the cursor to the beginning of the document.
CTRL+SHIFT+END	Selects a text fragment from the cursor to the end of the document.
SHIFT+PgDn	Selects a text fragment starting from the cursor and going down.
SHIFT+PgUp	Selects a text fragment starting from the cursor and going up.
CTRL+B	Applies bold formatting to a text fragment.
CTRL+I	Applies italics formatting to a text fragment.
CTRL+U	Applies underline formatting to a text fragment.

RTF shortcut keys for copy formatting

Shortcut key	Description
CTRL+SHIFT+C	Copies the inline formatting from a text fragment and enables the sticky mode.
CTRL+SHIFT+V	Applies the previously copied inline formatting to a text fragment.
ESC	Disables the sticky mode.
CTRL + Right click	Enables the spell check option in the browser.

RTF shortcut keys for Rich text

Shortcut key	Description
CTRL+L	Opens the Link dialog box.
TAB	Indents a list.
SHIFT+TAB	Outdents a list.

RTF shortcut keys for keyboard support

Shortcut key	Description
ALT+F10	Opens the editor toolbar. Use the TAB and SHIFT+TAB to move between toolbar groups. Use ARROW keys to move between the buttons within a toolbar group.

Troubleshooting

In some cases, the resize handle arrow on the bottom of the RTF editor dialog box disappears. Solution: Close and re-open the RTF editor. The resize handle appears.