Arbortext Command Language > Using the Arbortext Command Language > Set Option Scope
  
Set Option Scope
Each set option has a scope which defines how it can affect your Arbortext Editor session. Set options use the following scope definitions:
Session — Almost all set options have a session scope. The session scope encompasses all the views in all the windows of the current Arbortext Editor session. The catalogpath and graphicspath set options are examples of set options that have a session scope, but no local scope; such options are said to be “global” options.
Preference — Not all set options are saved in the preference file. If a set option is a preference, then it is used to create the first edit window when Arbortext Editor is started. Changing the local or session scope of a set option does not change its preference setting. Use the write_preferences function to set preferences.
Local — Some set options have a local scope, meaning that the set option is controllable locally, without changing the session setting. The local scopes are:
Window — If a set option is applicable to all views (split windows) in a Arbortext Editor window, it has a window local scope. The toolbar1 set option is an example of a set option with a local scope of window. Changing the local scope of toolbar1 to off would turn off the edit toolbar for the currently active window, leaving it on in the other open windows. Changing the session scope of toolbar1 to off would turn off the edit toolbar for all currently open windows and any new windows.
Document — If a set option is applicable to all windows/views for a given document, it has a document local scope. The entitylist set option is an example of a set option with a local scope of document. Changing the local scope of entitylist to include the alpha character entity would add the alpha character entity to the pulldown list for all windows that contained the current document, but not affecting the pulldown lists for other open documents or subsequently opened documents. Changing the session scope of entitylist to include the alpha character entity would add the alpha character entity to the pulldown list for all open documents and subsequently opened documents.
View — If a set option is applicable to only the current view in a Arbortext Editor window, it has a view local scope. The tagdisplay set option is an example of a set option with a local scope of view. Changing the local scope of tagdisplay to full would display the full markup tags for the currently active view, no tags visible in the other views (in a split window scenario), and in other windows. Changing the session scope of tagdisplay to full would display full markup tags for all the views in all the currently open windows and any new windows.