Form editor

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The form editor contains commands for defining the content of forms. Most of these are contained in the toolbar that allows you to add various types of visual objects and decide their layout and properties.

Video course: Forms with panels in master detail
Video course: Panel concept

Label: sets the style for the fields selected as labels.

Hyperlink: sets the style for the fields selected as hyperlinks.

Button: sets the style for the fields selected as buttons.

Image: adds a background image to the fields selected.

Add label: click in the panel to add a label.

Add hyperlink: click in the panel to add a hyperlink, and then use the Add procedure command in the context menu to create the procedure that will be launched when the user clicks on the field.

Add button: click in the panel to add a button, and then use the Add procedure command in the context menu to create the procedure that will be launched when the user clicks on the button.

Add image: click in the panel to add a field that contains an image.

Visual styles: Applies a visual style to the fields selected, or choose New visual style to add a new visual style based on the settings of the field selected.

Add frame below: Adds a new frame to the form below the one currently selected. To add frames with the mouse, hold down the Shift key and draw the separating lines you want from one side of the frame to the other.

Add frame on the right: Adds a new frame to the form to the right of the one currently selected. To add frames with the mouse, hold down the Shift key and draw the separating lines you want from one side of the frame to the other.

Empty frame: empties the selected frame. The visual object contained in it will not be destroyed; it is simply disconnected from the form and can be pasted in other frames in the form.

Show/Hide caption: Shows or hides the caption bar for the visual object selected or the form. Clicking the arrow opens a popup menu so you can add buttons to the toolbar for the form or the visual objects it contains.

Visual objects menu: after creating an empty frame, click this button to open the menu and insert a new visual object in the form. It can also be helpful to enclose the object selected inside a tabbed view, or to add an object inside a static panel field.

Panel fields menu: contains the commands for adding fields to the panel and for changing the properties of those selected.

Layout menu: contains the commands for changing the layout of the panel or the fields selected.

Background color: sets the background color of the panel fields selected.

Text color: sets the text color of the panel fields selected.

Font formatting: sets the field as bold, italic, underlined, or strikethrough.

Mask: sets the editing mask for the fields selected.

Alignment: sets the alignment of the fields selected.

Repeated image: the image will be repeated horizontally and vertically across the full extension of the field.

Centered image: the image will be centered in the middle of the field.

Adapted image: the dimensions of the image will be changed so that it can be contained inside the field.

Show/Hide caption: Shows or hides the caption bar for the visual object selected or the form.

Add button to form caption: asks for the name and image of a new button that will be added to the form's caption bar. The icon should not contain the background, since this is handled in the graphic theme of the application itself.

Add button to frame caption: asks for the name and image of a new button that will be added to the caption bar of the selected frame. The icon should not contain the background, since this is handled in the graphic theme of the application itself.

Add panel: adds a new panel to the selected frame, tabbed view, or static field.

Add tabbed view: adds a new tabbed view to the selected frame or static field.

Add book: adds a new book to the selected frame, tabbed view, or static field.

Add tree: adds a new tree to the selected frame, tabbed view, or static field.

Add graph: adds a new graph to the selected frame, tabbed view, or static field.

Add button bar: adds a new button bar to the selected frame or static field.

Paste visual object: pastes the visual object indicated into the selected frame or static field.

String field: adds a new character field to the panel, showing it in an edit box, or sets the visual style of the fields selected. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Numeric field: adds a new numeric field to the panel, showing it in an edit box. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Date field: adds a new date field to the panel, showing it in an edit box with calendar. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Combo box field: adds a new combo box field to the panel, and allows you to enter the list of possible values, or sets the visual style of the selected fields. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Check box field: adds a new check box field to the panel, or sets the visual style of the selected fields. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Radio button field: adds a new radio button field to the panel, and allows you to enter the list of possible values, or sets the visual style of the selected fields. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Password field: adds a new password field to the panel, showing it in an edit box, or sets the visual style of the fields selected. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

File field: adds a new upload file field to the panel. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column.

HTML editor field: adds a new character field to the panel, showing it in an HTML-editor type box, or sets the visual style of the fields selected. If the panel is based on a database table or one in memory, you can also add the corresponding field to it, or create just a calculated column. If the panel is based on a document, then a public property can be added to the document, or even a field to the table the document is derived from.

Hide fields: hides the selected fields from the current panel layout (list or detail). The fields are not deleted, and may remain visible in the other layout.

Delete field: deletes the selected fields from the panel.

Also show in detail: also shows the fields selected in the detail layout.

Also show in list: also shows the fields selected in the list layout.

Hide header: hides the field header in the current panel layout.

Show header: shows the field header in the current panel layout.

Header on top: puts the field header above instead of to the left.

Header on the left: puts the field header to the left of the value.

Add lookup field: adds a lookup field for the field selected, if possible.

Panel edit mode: in this mode, the form editor makes it possible to change the dimensions, positions, and properties of the panel fields.

Change resizing: in this mode the form editor lets you display and change the resizing properties of the fields, panels, and form.

Change tab order: in this mode the form editor lets you display and change the tab order of the panel fields.

Align left: aligns all the selected fields to the left side of the one from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Align top: aligns all the selected fields to the upper side of the one from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Align right: aligns all the selected fields to the right side of the one from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Align bottom: aligns all the selected fields to the lower side of the one from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Same width: sets the width of all fields to the same as that of the field from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Same height: sets the height of all fields to the same as that of the field from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Same header: sets the header size of all fields to the same as that of the field from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Arrange vertically: arranges the selected fields vertically, beginning with the one from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Arrange horizontally: arranges the selected fields horizontally, beginning with the one from which the menu or context menu was opened.

Group fields: creates a group containing the fields selected.

Add page: moves the fields selected to a new page of fields. Therefore, the panel becomes a paginated panel.

Show in all pages: shows the fields selected in all pages of the paginated panel.

Move to page (name): moves the fields selected to the page indicated.

First tab order: puts the field selected at the beginning of the tab order in its group.

Fix tab order: automatically corrects the tab order, preventing the cursor from jumping from one field to the next in a disorderly way.

Simple tab order: selects the simple mode for handling the tab order. In this mode, both the list and detail layouts have the same order, following the sequence of the fields in the object tree.

Advanced tab order: selects the advanced mode for handling the tab order. In this mode the list and detail layouts have different tab orders; you have to use the form editor to change them.

No horizontal resizing: the fields selected will not be moved if the form changes width.

Move horizontally: the fields selected will be moved right or left if the form changes width.

Fit horizontally: the fields selected will be widened or narrowed if the form changes width.

No vertical resizing: the fields selected will not be moved if the form changes height.

Move vertically: the fields selected will be moved up or down if the form changes height.

Fit vertically: the fields selected will be raised or lowered if the form changes height.

Fix resizing: corrects the resizing parameters of the fields to prevent clashes.

Bold: the value of the fields selected will be shown in bold.

Italic: the value of the fields selected will be shown in italics.

Underlined: the value of the fields selected will be underlined. Incompatible with strikethrough.

Strikethrough: the value of the fields selected will be shown in strikethrough. Incompatible with underlined.

Default: the formatting and editing mask depends on the visual style applied to the field.

Uppercase: the value of the field will be shown in uppercase.

Lowercase: the value of the field will be shown in lowercase.

Show HTML tags: the value of the field will be shown as HTML code. Valid only if the field is read only.

Currency: mask appropriate for entering a monetary value. Allows entry of numbers with the thousands separator and two decimal places.

Integer: allows for entry of an integer.

Date: allows for entry of a date in the dd/mm/yyyy format. To change the default format, use the compiling parameters wizard from the application's context menu.

Time: allows for entry of a time in the default format (hh:nn). To change the default format, use the compiling parameters wizard from the application's context menu.

Date/time: allows for entry of a date and time in the default format (dd/mm/yyyy hh:nn). To change the default format, use the compiling parameters wizard from the application's context menu.

Custom: allows you to define a custom mask. The mask can be entered in different ways, depending on whether the field is always read only or if it can also be editable. Read the sections that follow for more information.

Editable fields

Numeric type fields: you can use the 0 token to indicate a digit that is always present, and the # token to indicate an optional digit. The dot token represents the decimal separator and the comma the thousands separator. At runtime the real separators used depend on the language and the settings of the application. If the field is longer than the mask, the first character in the mask will be extended. If the field is shorter than the mask, it will be truncated starting from the right. Examples:
#0: integer field with at least one digit.
#,###,###,##0.00: currency field with two decimals places always displayed.

Alphanumeric type fields: the recognized tokens are: a for lower case letters, A for upper case letters, # for digits, and & for a digit or upper case letter. Other characters can be added, and they will be interpreted as fixed signs. However, if the mask is set to >, the entire field will be converted to uppercase. If set to <, the entire field will be lowercase. If set to =, HTML coding will not actually be performed, and it will be possible to view formatted html text.
Examples:
A&: code that begins with an uppercase letter and can contain letters or numbers.
AAA-AAA-##A##-A###A: a code with letters and numbers.

Date type fields: the following tokens are recognized: d for the day, m for the month, y for the year, h for the hour, n for the minutes, and s for the seconds. It's not currently possible to use dates with a two-digit year; they must always use four.
Examples:
mm-dd-yyyy: date in American format.
mm-dd-yyyy hh:nn: date and time in American format.

Non editable fields
In this case, you can use all of the tokens described above, and in addition you can also use the tokens recognized by the Java and .NET environment conversion functions. In particular:

Numeric type fields: in Java they are formatted using the DecimalFormat class, and in .NET using Decimal.ToString.
Date type fields: in Java they are formatted using the SimpleDateFormat class, and in .NET using Decimal.ToString. To standardize the two environments, substitutions are made in the string sent as the mask: the token m is replaced with M, the token h with H, and the token n with m. In addition, in Java the token dddd is replaced with EEEE and the token ddd with EEE.