Integration

Where Ace attaches, how it coexists with RTEs, MIME types, and Tab snippets.

Plugin Ace listens to manager events: element forms, files, resource, resource overview cache tab, RTE registration, and TV input list.

Where the editor runs

Context	Event / field	Default mime
Snippet	OnSnipFormPrerender → modx-snippet-snippet	PHP
Plugin	OnPluginFormPrerender	PHP
Template	OnTempFormPrerender	ace.html_elements_mime or auto
Chunk	OnChunkFormPrerender	HTML/Fenom/Twig; static: by file extension
File	OnFileCreateFormPrerender / OnFileEditFormPrerender	by extension
Resource (content)	OnDocFormPrerender → #ta	content type / html mime
Resource overview → cache	OnManagerPageBeforeRender → modx-rdata-buffer	html mime
TV	input type Ace	from TV properties

If which_element_editor ≠ Ace, the plugin does not initialize the editor on element forms (aside from registering the RTE name).

Resources and RTE

Rules (1.9.10+):

1. use_editor and which_editor respect the resource context.
2. With use_editor = Yes and richtext (or Static/SymLink/WebLink/XMLRPC), Ace does not touch #ta.
3. With use_editor = Yes and which_editor ≠ Ace, Ace does not replace #ta on non-richtext resources: a plain textarea remains (Ace used to take over the field).

Typical setups:

Setup	Settings
Code in resources via Ace	use_editor = No or which_editor = Ace
TinyMCE for articles, textarea for “code” pages	use_editor = Yes, which_editor = TinyMCE (or other RTE), richtext only where needed
Ace as the only content editor	which_editor = Ace, use_editor = Yes

Mime and MODX / Fenom highlighting

MODX tag highlighting is enabled only for HTML-like mimes:

• text/html
• text/x-smarty (Fenom / Smarty)
• text/x-twig

For CSS/SCSS/LESS/static chunks with a .css extension, MODX mixed mode is off: // and /* */ comments highlight as CSS.

Auto ace.html_elements_mime when empty:

Condition	Mime
twiggy_class present	text/x-twig
pdotools_fenom_parser on	text/x-smarty
Otherwise	text/html

Set ace.html_elements_mime = text/x-smarty explicitly if Fenom in chunks is always required.

Tab snippets

ace.snippets format (Ace snippets):

snippet getr
    [[!getResources? &parents=`${1}` &limit=`${2:10}` &tpl=`${3}`]]

Ace definitions need a real Tab after the snippet name (Alt+09 in the setting), not spaces. The indent above is spaces for markdown only. Expand in the editor: name + Tab.

Default set (when ace.snippets is empty on install/upgrade): getr, getResources, pdoResources, pdoMenu, chunk, snippet, tv, formit, and more. Reference file: assets/components/ace/snippets/modx.default.snippets.

Add your own abbreviations in the system setting; do not edit the assets file (package upgrades may overwrite it).

Completions

Ctrl+Space (or Cmd+Space): snippets, properties, resource fields, PHP functions, etc. via completions/* processors.

Ace TV type

1. Create a TV → input type Ace
2. Set mime/mode in TV properties if needed
3. Assign the TV to a resource template

Drafts

With ace.draft_restore = Yes, field text is written to localStorage. After an accidental reload Ace offers restore or discard. Drafts clear after a successful form save / MODx.onSaveEditor. TTL: 7 days.

Related

• System settings
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Troubleshooting