The RegexMagic Assistant displays helpful hints as well as error messages while you work with RegexMagic. Press Alt+1 on the keyboard to make the Assistant visible. Or, right-click on the caption or tab of any panel in RegexMagic, and click on View, Assistant. To hide the assistant, click the X button on its caption. In the default layout, the assistant is permanently visible along the right hand edge of RegexMagic’s window.
When you use the mouse, the assistant will explain the purpose of the menu item, button or other control that you point at with the mouse. When you use the Tab key on the keyboard to move the keyboard focus between different controls, the assistant describes the control that just received keyboard focus. If you move the mouse pointer over the assistant, the assistant will also explain the control that has keyboard focus, whether you pressed Tab or clicked on it.
Some of the assistant’s hints mention other items that have an effect on or are affected by the control the assistant is describing. These will be underlined in blue, like hyperlinks on a web site. If you click on such a link, the assistant will move keyboard focus to the item the link mentions. Since you can only click on a link when moving the mouse pointer over the assistant, you will only be able click on a link when the assistant is describing the control that has keyboard focus. After you click, the assistant will automatically describe the newly activated control.
Most applications display error messages on top of the application, blocking your view of the application and whatever the error may be complaining about. Clicking OK brings the application back to life again, but then you have to remember what the problem was before you can fix it.
RegexMagic uses a different approach. When there is a problem, RegexMagic will use the Assistant panel to deliver the message. If you closed the assistant, it will automatically pop up in the place it was last visible.
You can recognize error messages by their bold red headings. Hints have black headings. The assistant will continue to show the error message until you resolve the problem, or dismiss the error by clicking the Dismiss link below the error message. Meanwhile, the assistant will not display hints or descriptions. If the assistant was invisible before the error occurred, dismissing an error automatically hides the assistant. Otherwise, the assistant resumes showing hints.
Error messages disappear automatically when you fix the problem. E.g. if clicking the Generate button triggers an error, the error message will automatically disappear if you fix the problem and click the Generate button again. You don’t need to dismiss errors, unless you want to see the hints again before trying again.