.. include:: vars.rst

.. _section-external-xml-files:


External XML Files
==================

The **Files** menu in the toolbar helps you with all 
operations relative to file management in the currently 
open project:

With this menu you can:

- Create a new XML file and add it to the project
- Open an existing XML file and add it to the project
- Import an existing XML file

.. Note::  
   Opening a file means that |SD| will be working (and modifying) that 
   file directly. Importing a file helps you make a copy of that file. 
   The original file will not be modified by |SD|.

Creating a New File
-------------------

To create a new file and add it to the current project, select **New...**
from the Files menu:

.. figure:: static/files_new.png
    :alt: Creating a new file  
    :name: Figure_files_new
    :align: center
    :figwidth: 30%

This will open a file browser to select a name and destination for the
new file:

.. figure:: static/file_browser.png
    :alt: Creating a new file  
    :name: Figure_file_browser
    :align: center
    :figwidth: 90%


Open an Existing File
---------------------

To open an existing file and add it to the current project, select
**Open...** from the File menu:

.. figure:: static/files_open.png
    :alt: Opening a new file  
    :name: Figure_files_open 
    :align: center
    :figwidth: 30%

This will open a simple file browser to search for an XML file to add to
the current project.

Import a File
-------------

To import a file and add it to the current project, select **Import...**
from the Files menu:

.. figure:: static/files_import.png
    :alt: Importing a file  
    :name: Figure_files_import
    :align: center
    :figwidth: 30%

This will open two file browsers. The first one looks for an XML file to
import:

.. figure:: static/file_browser_for_import.png
    :alt: Browsing for a file to import  
    :name: Figure_file_browser_for_import
    :align: center
    :figwidth: 90%

Once a file is selected, a second window lets you copy the content 
of the file into an existing XML file or create a new XML file with it:

.. figure:: static/select_file_to_import.png
    :alt: Selecting a file to import  
    :name: Figure_select_file_to_import
    :align: center
    :figwidth: 60%