The answer is: yes and no.
The main goal of syntax highlighting a file is in my opinion to make it easier for the file writer to read
correct written file content. So a *.uew file should be syntax highlighted with a language definition suitable for the syntax of the wordfile and not for syntax of the file for which this wordfile is designed for. For that reason *.uew files are syntax highlighted by default with the language
IDM Wordfiles as defined in
%APPDATA%\IDMComp\UltraEdit\wordfiles\wf.uew. There is no configuration setting to change the syntax highlighting behavior for *.uew files to syntax highlight each *.uew with the language definition as defined in the wordfile itself.
It is possible to delete the wordfile
wf.uew for syntax highlighting *.uew files or remove just
UEW in first line of this wordfile to get no *.uew files highlighted anymore by default by any syntax highlighting language. Then the file extension
UEW could be added
temporarily to the *.uew file currently added like
xmlschema.uew. This would result in highlighting the file
xmlschema.uew itself like the other files syntax highlighted with the language defined in
xmlschema.uew. But I think, this is not really advisable.
The preferred method for creating/editing wordfiles is as follows:
- Open one or even more files to syntax highlight with the syntax highlighting language defined in the wordfile to create/edit.
- On opened file(s) being already syntax highlighted as indicated in status bar, open Advanced - Settings or Configuration - Editor display - Syntax highlighting, click on button Open to open the wordfile containing the syntax highlighting language used to syntax highlight the active file and click on button Cancel to close the configuration dialog window.
Otherwise on opened file not already syntax highlighted, open Advanced - Settings or Configuration - Editor display - Syntax highlighting, select a language which could be best for being used as template for creating a new wordfile for active file, click on button Open to open this wordfile, click on button Cancel to close configuration dialog window and use first Save As opened with key F12 to save this wordfile with a new file name into the configured wordfiles directory. Then change language name and file extensions (or file names) in first line and save the wordfile with Ctrl+S.
- Now with one or more files to syntax highlight and the wordfile which highlights those files being opened in same instance of UltraEdit/UEStudio, it is good practice to arrange the document windows of the files to see at least one syntax highlighted file and the wordfile in main window of UltraEdit/UEStudio above/below or side-by-side each other. I prefer the wordfile being displayed at top and the syntax highlighted file(s) at bottom of document window area. On large screens it could be more useful to have the wordfile displayed left and the syntax highlighted file(s) displayed right.
- UltraEdit and UEstudio update always immediately the display of the syntax highlighted file(s) every time the opened wordfile is saved with Ctrl+S after making modifications. So the effect of (nearly) every modification in wordfile can be immediately seen after saving the modified wordfile. In case of the result is not as expected, Ctrl+Z can be pressed one or more times to undo the latest modification(s) in wordfile and then make other modifications which are applied to syntax highlighted file(s) after next save of wordfile with Ctrl+S.
- Some features defined in wordfile require a complete re-parsing of a syntax highlighted file like the regular expressions in wordfile for function list or the code folding definitions. In this case it is necessary to switch with Ctrl+TAB or Ctrl+F6 to syntax highlighted file and use command Revert to saved in menu/ribbon File to reload the syntax highlighted file which triggers re-parsing of this file for function list and code folding. Pressing the key F8 with syntax highlighted file being active file results also in re-parsing the active file with updated regular expressions in wordfile and getting the items in Function List updated.
So I don't see a good reason for syntax highlighting the currently edited wordfile with the syntax highlighting language defined in this wordfile. Please take into account that strings in wordfile can be very easily copied and pasted also into a syntax highlighted file being displayed above/below/right/left to the wordfile to see how these strings are highlighted with saved wordfile.