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window_properties.htm
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This dialog lets you specify the appearance and functionality of your window.

See Also:

How to Customize Your Window

Color

Enter a valid color equate in the TextColor, Background, SelBackground, or SelForeground fields, or press the ellipsis (…) button to select a color from the Color dialog. The Window Designer adds the COLOR attribute to your window 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.

Custom Color dialog

For each property that requires a color attribute, there is a drop list that displays a variety of default colors to select from. However, if you need to choose a custom color, select the Custom tab, and RIGHT-CLICK on any color element in the bottom two rows of this dialog.

Design

Design options control the cosmetic settings in the Designer.

DrawGrid Set to True to display the design grid, or set to False to turn it off.
GridSize Grid values are specified in dialog units, a unit of measure based on the current system font. Enter the horizontal and vertical grid size, separated by commas. Width is the horizontal distance between the grid dots (x axis). This is the minimum horizontal distance you can move a control when grid snap is on. Height is the vertical distance between the grid dots (y axis). This is the minimum vertical distance you can move a control when grid snap is on.
Locked “Freezes” all the controls on the window 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.
SnapToGrid Set to True to turn grid snap on; set to False to turn it off. Grid snap displays a dot grid of valid positioning coordinates and forces the upper left corner of new controls to align with the dot grid. The end user does not see the grid at run time; it is a design tool only.

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 attribute to the control, which indicates the control is a valid target for the drag and drop operations identified by the signatures.
Icon To associate an icon with the window, allowing it to be minimized, specify an icon in this field. You may type in a file name or an EQUATE. You may also press the ellipsis button (…), then select an icon file name using the standard Open File dialog. The file name or equate you specify becomes the parameter for the ICON attribute.You should always specify an icon for an application window, and for an MDI child window. Specifying an icon name automatically places a minimize button on the caption bar of your application or MDI child window.
Palette Use the PALETTE attribute to specify maximum color depth. The PALETTE attribute specifies how many colors you want this window to use when it is the foreground window. For example, 24-bit color would be 16777215. The number you specify becomes the parameter for the PALETTE attribute. Leave this field blank to specify the default for the end user's system.
Statusbar-Status To provide a message bar at the bottom of your window, set the Status property to True. This adds the STATUS attribute to the window.NoteBox.jpgA status bar in an application window is an excellent way to increase user feedback in your application. Clarion makes it simple to post messages on the status bar advising the user of what your application is doing as it does it. Increasing user feedback makes the user feel more in control. This allows the user to feel more confident and be more efficient when using your application.
Widths To set the width of the status bar zone(s), type a value or list of values in the Status Widths field. You must also check the Status Bar box in the top part of the dialog to display a status bar.The values you enter in this field fill the STATUS attribute parameters. For example, To create a two part status bar with a width of 100 in the right status section and default width in the left section enter the values '-1,100'The zones are the areas within the status bar marked off by the 3D shaded boxes. The first zone on the left, by default, displays MSG attribute text. This is useful for specifying short help instructions or other information to the user. If your application has only one zone for the status bar, you may omit this field. For more than one zone, enter a series of comma separated values. The default measurement unit is dialog units.You may set a minimum value for a zone width by typing a negative number. This creates a zone with a minimum width, but is expandable by resizing the window. Use the runtime property assignment syntax to place text in any zone. To place a string constant in the second zone, for example:{PROP:StatusText,2} = 'Record will be Added'TipBox.jpgA multi-zone status bar can give your application a professional look. You may display help text in zone one, and when editing a record, the current record number in zone two, for example.
Timer To have the window receive Timer Event messages from Windows, fill in the Timer field. Specify the timer interval in hundredths of seconds. The value you specify becomes the parameter for the TIMER attribute.For example, if you specify 100 in the field, the window will automatically receive an EVENT:Timer once every second (100/100's seconds). This might be appropriate for adding a clock to a status bar.

General

Frame Type To choose the frame for your window, pick a selection from the Frame Type drop-down list. The frame defines the borders of the window. Choose from:
Single - a single pixel frame which the user cannot resize. Most suitable for dialog boxes.
Double - a thick frame, which the user cannot resize. Use this type frame for a system modal window with no caption bar, or for a modal dialog box with a caption bar. This adds the DOUBLE attribute to the window.
Resizeable - a thick frame, which the user can resize. Choose this for application and MDI child windows. This adds the RESIZE attribute to the window.
Initial Size Sets the initial state of your window. Choose from:
Normal:- displays the window at the default size which either you specifically set, or Windows sets if you don't.
Maximized: - the window fills the desktop, if an application window, or the window frame, if an MDI child window. This adds the MAXIMIZE attribute to the window.
Iconized: - the window appears in iconized state–as a 32 by 32 pixel window at the bottom of the desktop, for an application window, or at the inside bottom of the application frame, for an MDI child window. This adds the ICONIZE attribute to the window.
Label This names the specific WINDOW in the source code. The label may contain upper or lower case letters, numerals, the underscore character or a colon. Space characters are forbidden. The first character must be a letter or the underscore character. Clarion reserved words may not serve as labels.
Layout Indicates the orientation of window controls and field sequence.Left to Right maintains the original layout specified in the Window Designer.Default field navigation moves from left to right.Right to Left essentially “flips” the window 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 window that have the Default setting active.
TextFont Calls the Select 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.
Title To specify caption bar text, type a string constant in the Title field. The caption bar holds the name of the window.
TipBox.jpgYou may dynamically alter the caption bar text at run-time. See PROP:Text in the Language Reference.
Wallpaper-BackgroundImage To provide a background image for the window's client area, specify an image filename. Type the filename or press the ellipsis button (…) to select a file. See WALLPAPER in the Language Reference.
Mode Specify how the window displays the background image. Choose from:
Stretched The image expands to fill the entire client area.
Centered The image displays at its default size and is centered in the window's client area.
Tiled The image displays at its default size and is repeated so it fills the entire client area.

Help

Alert Press the ellipsis to open a dialog that lets you add the ALRT attribute to a window or control. When the attribute is set, the window generates an EVENT:AlertKey if the user presses the key(s) you specify in this dialog, while the window has the focus.
Cursor The Cursor field (the 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.
Help ID The Help ID field (the HLP attribute) takes a string constant specifying the key for accessing a specific topic in the Help document. This may be either a Help keyword or a context string.A Help keyword is a word or phrase indexed so that the user may search for it in the Help Search dialog. When you fill in the HLP attribute for a button, if the entry box has focus, when the user presses F1, the help file opens to the referenced topic. If more than one topic matches a keyword, the search dialog appears.When referencing a context string in the Help ID field, you must identify it with a leading tilde (~).
Message The Message field (the MSG attribute) lets you specify text to display in the first zone of the status bar when the control has focus.

Misc

IsSuppress TransparencySTBut.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.

Options:

AutoDisplay To add the AUTO attribute to your window, set the AutoDisplay property to True. This automatically updates the contents of all controls on screen through each pass of the ACCEPT loop.
Docking The options in the Dock property group are enabled only if you have set the Toolbox property to True. Click on a location to specify the area that the window is allowed to be docked to within the application frame.The InitialState property drop list is used to specify where you would like the window to first appear.
EntryPattern To enable support for an entry mask for controls in the window, set EntryPattern to True. This lets you specify key-in entry patterns for the fields you choose, and adds the MASK attribute to the window.
Gray To provide the gray window background, chiseled control look for your application, set the Gray property to True. This is clearly a style consideration, but will go a long way in giving your application a professional look. This adds the GRAY attribute to the window.The gray background is not visible when you design your window with the Window Designer. It is, however, visible in test mode, and when your application runs.
Immediate To generate a message event each time the end user moves or resizes the window, set the Immediate property to True. This adds the IMM attribute to the window. You are responsible for the code that executes upon notification of the event.
MaximizeBox To place a maximize button in your window, set the MaximizeBox property to True. In general, you should place a maximize button only on application windows and MDI child document windows. This adds the MAX attribute to the window.
MDIChild To add the MDI attribute to your window, set the MDIChild property to True. An MDI child window cannot move outside the main application window. A typical use of an MDI window might be to present a different arrangement of the data in your application's database.
ModalWindow To specify a system modal window, set the ModalWindow property to True. A system modal window prevents all other tasks–even in applications other than your own–from executing until the window is closed. This adds the MODAL attribute to the window.
SystemMenu To place a system menu in your window, set the SystemMenu property to True. Most windows should have a system menu. For users on a system without a mouse, the system menu provides the only means of minimizing, maximizing or re-sizing the window. This adds the SYSTEM attribute to the window.

TipBox.jpg

Even if you plan that the window should NOT have a system menu when the application is complete, it's good practice to place a system menu on your application while it's under development. By DOUBLE-CLICKING the system menu, or choosing Close, you can close your application should your normal exit procedure fail.

Toolbox To add the TOOLBOX attribute to your window, set the Toolbox property to True. This makes your window always stay on top. See Also: DOCK

Position

Lets you set the location and size of a window.

The Position tab lets you specify the AT attribute. Filling in the attribute manually is optional–you may set the size visually by dragging with the mouse in the Window Designer.

To set the location of the window's Top Left Corner, choose from the following options for the X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) coordinates.

Center Centers an APPLICATION window on the screen. Centers child windows on their respective parents.
Default The Windows operating system determines the initial position of the window. By default, Windows position windows in a cascading sequence from top-left to bottom-right.
Value Lets you set a precise coordinate in Dialog units. Generally, the coordinate is relative to the top left corner of the screen for APPLICATION (first or main) windows and relative to the top left corner of the APPLICATION window for all subsequent (child) windows.

TipBox.jpg

To give your application the “standard” look of other Windows applications, where possible specify the Default setting for any windows with resizable frames.

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

Default The Windows operating system determines the initial size of the window.
Value Lets you set a precise width or height in Dialog units. Dialog units provide a relative screen measure based on the system font character size.

TipBox.jpg

Sizing all windows and controls in dialog units lets you design a screen at one resolution, and expect it to look similar at another–in theory. In practice, there can be differences, especially when you display bitmaps in Image controls. Therefore, test your applications in the popular Windows resolutions. The most popular are 640 x 480, 800 x 600, and 1024 x 768 pixels.

Scrollbars

These options add the HSCROLL, VSCROLL, and HVSCROLL attributes to the window.

Horizontal To add a horizontal scroll bar to your window, set the Horizontal property to True. Scroll bars only appear when something inside the window–a control–is bigger than the window.
Vertical To add a vertical scroll bar to your window, set the Vertical property to True.

Quick Links

Actions Accesses the Actions dialog for this procedure.
Embeds Accesses the Embedded Source dialog for points surrounding the event handling for this procedure.
window_properties.htm.txt · Last modified: 2021/04/15 15:57 by 127.0.0.1