Configuring Filters and Macros

Overview

You can use filters and macros to make text changes at run time. You can turn these changes on or off, or to change the settings that control how they work.

This article provides the procedure for configuring filters and macros.

Information

Filters and macros have different roles. Here is how they work in general:

• A filter operates on all of the text in the content. So a filter is a good way to perform tasks, such as changing every link URL or looking for particular text throughout a piece of content.
• A macro is designed to operate on a particular part of the content, such as a particular section of text. For example, a macro formats a link to a blog post with the CSS style reference needed to display the blog icon.

You can configure filters and macros for the entire community and override the settings for specific spaces.

The Filters and Macros page lists the filters and macros installed for the selected space. By default, each space inherits the set of filters and macros from the global configuration defined in the root space.

However, the list is not shown for sub-spaces until you choose to copy filters to the sub-space. When you click the Copy Global Filters button on the Filters and Macros page for a subspace, the application copies the global list and configuration to the page. If you want to edit the list for a sub-space, you need to click the button first.

Pre-processing Filters

Pre-processing filters are the very first filters to operate on your content. They are performed on the initial version of the content before all other macros and filters have done their work to generate content. For example, the HTML filter should be executed before any other macros or filters; otherwise, it would strip out the HTML content that the other macros and filters introduce.

By default, there are no editable pre-processing filters.

Macros

A macro operates on, or adds, a specific part of the content. For example, a macro could format a link or embed a window to display video.

In the list, you can see all of the macros installed on the system. Many of these, including macros whose functionality is tightly integrated into the content editor toolbar, cannot be disabled. Those you can disable or delete are generally macros installed as separate components, such as in plugins.

Filters

Filters — you can think of them as mid-processing filters — operate on the text after macros have been executed, but before post-processing filters have done their work. By default, the application doesn't include any editable filters.

Post-processing Filters

Post-processing filters provide a final sweep of content before other people see it. This is where you catch whatever is in the text, including whatever might have been added by other filters or macros.

One of the most important filters you can enable is the Profanity Filter. Another useful filter is the Emoticon Filter.

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