Document Types > Document Type Configuration (.dcf) > Specifying the Attribute for Element Directionality
  
Specifying the Attribute for Element Directionality
To define the directionality attribute for a document type, you must specify the attribute in the document type's .dcf file. The directionality attribute is used to determine whether elements are displayed left-to-right (LTR) or right-to-left (RTL) in ArbortextEditor. RTL editing is required for the Arabic and Hebrew locales.
You must also define the directionality attribute in your document type and add it to the block elements where you want to control the direction of editing. The attribute must have the following two allowed values:
ltr — indicates that the element should be displayed left-to-right in the Edit pane.
rtl — indicates that the element should be displayed right-to-left in the Edit pane.
To specify the directionality attribute:
1. Open Arbortext Architect.
2. Choose File > Open.
3. Locate the directory in which the document type is saved, and click Select.
4. Once the document type is loaded, choose Edit > DCF. If the document type has a .dcf file, it displays in the Arbortext ArchitectDCF Editor window. If there is no .dcf file associated with this document type, Arbortext Architect automatically creates one.
5. Locate the Options element in the DCF Editor. If the file doesn't include an Options element, add one.
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Open the Document Type Viewer (Tools > Document Type Viewer) to view the element hierarchy for the .dcf file. This will help you determine the valid location for the Options element.
6. Place your cursor to the right of the Options element, and choose Edit > Modify Attributes or click on the Modify Attributes toolbar button to open the Modify Attributes dialog box.
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You must have the Force Required Attributes EntryEdit preference selected for this dialog box to open automatically.
7. In the directionalityAttribute field, enter the name of the directionality attribute used in your document type.
8. Click OK.
9. Choose File > Save to save the changes you have made to the .dcf file.