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The [[string  declare a string control .htm|String]] control lets you place a string constant in a window or report. It optionally lets you substitute a variable.

{{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**

| **Angle** | Specify the angle of the text. An angle other than zero requires a TrueType font. Adds the [[angle  set control display or print angle .htm|ANGLE]] attribute to the STRING. With this, you can rotate the text from its normal horizontal position through a full 360 degrees.{{tipbox.jpg|TipBox.jpg}}Make the control taller than usual to accommodate the slant of the text. |
| **DropID** | 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. |
| **Extend** | **Valid in REPORT only. **Enter a valid string of attributes that are assigned to a designated REPORT control for a given document type. For more information, see [[comment set document formatting .htm|EXTEND]]. |
| **Tallies** | **Valid in REPORT only. **The total is calculated each time a highlighted structure in the **Tallies** list prints. This list is available only from the **Report Designer** and only when the** Variable String** box is checked. Use the **Tallies** list in conjunction with the **Total Type** and **Reset On** lists on the General tab to generate a custom total field. The **Report Designer** adds the [[tally  set total calculation times .htm|TALLY]] attribute to the string. |

**General**

| **Justification** | Specify [[left  right  center  decimal  set justification .htm|left, center, right, decimal,]] or default justification. Default justification matches that specified in the data dictionary, if applicable. If you use decimal justification, you set the Offset to allow display of digits to the right of the decimal point. |
| **Offset** | Specify an indentation value for the text, in dialog units for a window, or the default measurement unit for a report. This provides the //indent// parameter for the [[left  right  center  decimal  set justification .htm|left, center, right, or decimal,]] justification attribute. |
| **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. |
| **IsPicture** | (**Variable String)** Optionally set this property to True to specify that you want to display the contents of a variable in the string control. This opens the **Select Field** dialog where you can select or define the variable. Place a picture token in the **Picture** box, such as @s24, and name the variable in the **Use **field. |
| **Picture** | For Variable Strings (see **IsPicture**), specify the [[picture tokens.htm|picture token]] for the control. Press the ellipsis button to select the picture token from the **[[edit picture string dialog.htm|Edit Picture String]]** Dialog . |
| **Text** | For Constant Strings (**IsPicture**=**False**), specify the constant by typing it in the **Text **box. |
| **TextFont** | Calls the **[[select font dialog.htm|Select Font]]** dialog which lets you change 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. Press the ellipsis button to select or define a variable. |

**REPORT only properties:**

| **Reset On** | This drop down list is available only from the **Report Designer**, and only when the** Variable String** box is checked. To create page totals or group totals, use the **Reset On** drop down list in conjunction with your **Total Type** selection. Reset your totals at the beginning of each **Page**, or at the beginning of any BREAK group within the report. |
| **Total Type** | This drop down list is available only from the **Report Designer**, and only when the** Variable String** box is checked. Choose from this drop down list to implement one of Clarion's built in report totaling functions. Choose from **//Sum, Average, Maximum, Minimum, Count, //**and**// Page No//**.To create page totals or group totals, use the **Reset On** drop down list and the **Tallies** list on the Extra tab in conjunction with your **Total Type** selection. Totals are calculated or tallied each time a structure in the **Tallies** list prints. Totals are reset each time the **Reset On** structure prints. |
| **Using** | The label of a numeric variable to receive the intermediate values calculated for the SUM, AVE, MAX,MIN, CNT, or PAGENO. This allows you to create totals on other totals. The value in the variable is internally updated by the print engine, so it is only useful for use within the REPORT structure. This is only available when a **Total Type** is specified. |

**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 cursor over the control. 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**

| **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. |
| **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. |
| **Scroll** | Valid only on a WINDOW. 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. |
| **Skip** | Valid only in a REPORT. Check this box to specify not to print the control if the content is blank, and to move all following controls in the band upward to "fill in" the blank (PROP:SKIP). |
| **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**

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