ObjectBox

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Definition:

Allows you to make two kinds of interface items, a toolbar or toolbox, depending on the current LayoutStyle property setting.

Icon: images/Phx00234.gif

Specialized Features:

The following tables list and describe the properties, methods, and events that are added by ObjectBox:

Properties Use to...

AutoEnabler Control the process by which Gadgets can Enable and Disable.

LayoutStyle Determine the type of ObjectBox to use: a toolbox or toolbar.

MarginBottom Define the bottom margin that appears around the inside of the ObjectBox. The margin offsets where the gadgets appear.

MarginLeft Define the left margin that appears around the inside of the ObjectBox. The margin offsets where the gadgets appear.

MarginRight Define the right margin that appears around the inside of the ObjectBox. The margin offsets where the gadgets appear.

MarginTop Define the top margin that appears around the inside of the ObjectBox. The margin offsets where the gadgets appear.

NumColumns Define the width of the ObjectBox in gadgets.

NumItems Reflect how many gadgets are in the box.

NumRows Define the height of the ObjectBox in gadgets.

TileDirection Determine how the gadgets are placed into the box, either left to right, top to bottom (for horizontal), or top to bottom, left to right (for vertical).

Methods Use to...

At Return the gadget that is at a particular position in the box.

AtPoint Find the gadget in an ObjectBox that occupies a certain area.

BringToTop Bring the ObjectBox to the top of the order.

Find Locate the position of a particular gadget in the ObjectBox. If the gadget is not in the box, 0 is returned.

ForceLayout Make the ObjectBox re-create the layout of the gadgets in the box.

Hide Remove the ObjectBox from the screen.

ScreenLayoutRestore Detects if an ObjectBox will be off the screen when positioned. If it is off the screen, it also fixes it by increasing the number of columns or rows.

Show Display the ObjectBox on the screen.

TextUnload Write a text representation of a window.

Events Use to...

Activate Perform an action when an ObjectBox becomes active.

GotFocus Define what occurs when an object is given the focus.

KeyDown Define what occurs when the user presses a key while an object has the focus.

KeyPress Define what occurs when the user presses and releases an ANSI key.

KeyUp Define what occurs when the user releases a key while an object has the focus.

LostFocus Define what occurs when an object loses the focus.

Load Perform an action when an ObjectBox is loaded

Resize Perform an action when the size of the ObjectBox changes.

Copied Features:

images/Phx00235.gif Properties images/Phx00236.gif Methods images/Phx00237.gif Events

Details:

If the LayoutStyle is set to "0 - ToolBox," the ObjectBox will appear as a floating palette of icons. The ToolBox will have a tiny caption specified by the Caption property, and the box will be just big enough to accommodate all the gadgets. Each gadget will appear in a cell that is the same size, the size being determined by the largest gadget's bitmap.

If the LayoutStyle is set to "1 - ToolBar," the ObjectBox will not shrink to fit the gadgets contained within. The ToolBar can also accommodate bitmaps of different sizes; the cell size is not determined by the largest bitmap. This style is most often used when embedding an ObjectBox inside a Form to make a ToolBar.

The TileDirection property is used in conjunction with the NumColumns and NumRows properties to control the shape of the ObjectBox and the configuration of the gadgets within. The NumColumns and NumRows properties define the width and height (respectively) of the ObjectBox (in gadgets).

A value of '-1' for one of these properties means that it is the unconstrained direction, that is, there can be as many of these rows or columns as necessary to accommodate all the gadgets. For example, if NumColumns is set to 2 and NumRows is set to -1 (at least one of the dimensions should be -1), then the ObjectBox will have two columns and as many rows as necessary. This would make a vertical ToolBox.

separators, use the "Separator" property on ButtonGadget. This property defines how much space should appear after the gadget. To make a Placing separators between groups of gadgets helps to fine tune the appearance of your ObjectBox. To place separator before the first gadget, use the MarginLeft property on the ObjectBox. The Separator property is only used when the LayoutStyle is set to ToolBar.