| **Navigation:**  Window and Report Control Properties >====== Prompt Control Properties ====== | [[progress control properties.htm|{{btn_prev_n.gif|Previous page}}]][[coming future.htm|{{btn_home_n.gif|Return to chapter overview}}]][[radio button control properties.htm|{{btn_next_n.gif|Next page}}]] |
|  ||

The [[prompt  declare a prompt control .htm|Prompt]] control lets you place a specialized string object on screen which automatically provides an accelerator or mnemonic access key to the next active control following the prompt.

{{notebox.jpg|NoteBox.jpg}}

The Property View presents you with two ways to viewing a control's properties.

At the top of the Property View, press the categorized button {{categorized.jpg|categorized.jpg}} to view a control's properties by category (the deafult).

Or press the alphabetical button {{alphabetical.jpg|alphabetical.jpg}} to view a control's properties in alphabetical order.

This help documents displays the properties in the categorical view.

**Color**

Enter a valid color equate in the **TextColor** or **BackGround** fields, or press the ellipsis (...) button to select a color from the **Color** dialog. The **Window Designer** adds the [[color  set color .htm|COLOR]] attribute to your control declaration.

See ..\LIBSRC\EQUATES.CLW for a list of valid color equates. See //Windows Design Issues// in the //User's Guide// for a discussion on using color to enhance your application.

**Design**

| **Locked** | "Freezes" the control so that subsequent data dictionary changes are not applied. You can override the #Freeze attribute for all controls or for individual controls. See **[[application options dialog.htm|Application Options]]**. |
| **Suppress Transparency**{{stbut.jpg|STBut.jpg}} | Allows the proper display of special static parent controls when populated "on top of" multiple tab controls. This property is set to TRUE by default, and ensures a proper display regardless of Visual Styles used. No effect on runtime window. |
| **Tab Index** | Determines the index in the TAB order that this control will follow. The first tab in the order is index zero (0).To change the **TabIndex** property //immediately// while in the Designer, use the **Show tab order** interface (i.e. on the right-click menu).If you set the **TabIndex** property using the property page, the z-order is not updated until you save and exit the Window Designer. |

**Extra**

| **Drop ID** | To specify the type of Drag operations this control will accept, type up to 16 //signatures//, separated by commas. The **Window Designer** adds the **[[dropid  set drag and drop target signatures .htm|DROPID]]** attribute to the control, which indicates the control is a valid target for the drag and drop operations identified by the signatures. |

**General**

| **Justification** | Specify left, center, right, or default justification. Default justification matches that specified in the data dictionary, if applicable. |
| **Layout** | Indicates the orientation of the control. **Left to Right** maintains the original layout specified in the Window Designer. **Right to Left** essentially "flips" the controls' display as a mirror image of the layout specified in the Window Designer. Default field navigation moves from right to left. The setting in the Application Frame will cascade its setting to all child windows and controls that have the **default** setting active. |
| **Text** | Specify a string constant by typing it in the **Text **box. If the control is to display a variable, type a [[picture tokens.htm|picture token]] in this box. |
| **TextFont** | Calls the [[select font dialog.htm|Font]] dialog which lets you select the font (typeface), size, style (such as bold or italic), color, and font effects (underline and strikeout) for the selected control or window. As you choose options, the dialog box displays a sample of the selected font. |
| **Use** | This defines the [[use  set field equate label or control update variable .htm|USE]] attribute for the control. Type a field equate label to reference the control in executable code, or the name of a variable |

**Help**

| **Cursor** | The //Cursor// field (the [[cursor  set mouse cursor type .htm|CURSOR]] attribute) lets you specify an alternate shape for the cursor when the user passes the mouse over the PROMPT. The drop-down list provides standard cursor choices such as I-Beam and Crosshair. To select an external cursor file (whose extension must be .CUR), choose **Select File **from the drop-down list, then pick the file using the standard file dialog. |

**Mode**

| **Disable** | Disables or 'grays-out' the control when your program initially displays it. The **Window Designer** places the [[disable  set control dimmed at open .htm|DISABLE]] attribute on the control. Use the [[enable  re activate dimmed control .htm|ENABLE]] statement to allow the user access to the control. |
| **Hide** | Makes the control invisible at the time Windows would initially display it. Windows actually creates the control--it just doesn't display it on screen. The **Window Designer** places the [[hide  set control hidden .htm|HIDE]] attribute on the control. Use the [[unhide  show hidden control .htm|UNHIDE]] statement to display the control. |
| **Scroll** | Specifies whether the control should move with the window when the user scrolls the window. By default (False) the control does not move with the window. Set the **Scroll **property to False to create a control that stays fixed when the user scrolls the window. The **Window Designer** places the [[scroll  set scrolling control .htm|SCROLL]] attribute on the control when checked. |
| **Transparent** | Specify whether you wish the control background to be **Transparent**. This instructs Windows to suppress the rectangular region around the text--the background. Normally, Windows will paint this the same uniform color as the window below the control. This adds the [[trn  set transparent control .htm|TRN]] attribute. |

**Position**

Lets you set the location and size of the control.

The **Position **tab lets you specify the [[at  set position and size .htm|AT]] attribute. Filling in the attribute manually is optional--you may set the position and size visually by dragging with the mouse in the **Window Designer**.

To set the location of the control's** Top Left Corner**, set an **X** (horizontal) and **Y** (vertical) coordinate in [[what is a dialog unit.htm|Dialog units]]. The coordinate is relative to the top left corner of the structure containing it, that is, the window or the report band.

To set the control's size, choose from the following options for **Width** and **Height**.

| **Default** | The Clarion runtime library determines the size of the control based on the applicable font and picture token. |
| **Full** | The control is the full height or width of the window or report. |
| **Value** | Lets you set a precise width or height in [[what is a dialog unit.htm|Dialog units]] on a window, or in thousandths of inch, points, or millimeters on a report. |

**Quick Links**

|  |  |
| **Embeds** | Accesses the **[[gen72.htm|Embedded Source]]** dialog for points surrounding the event handling for this control only. |