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DLGDSN.DOC
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January 3, 1993
Dialog Design
A Dialogbox Design Program for Turbo Vision
Version 2.2
(C) Copyright 1990-3 by L. David Baldwin.
All Rights Reserved.
Further copyright information given below.
OVERVIEW
Dialog Design takes some of the pain out of designing dialog boxes for
Borland's Turbo Vision package. With Dialog Design, dialog controls can be
easily added, edited, rearranged, and the dialogbox itself sized, moved,
etc. Once the design is satisfactory, Dialog Design can produce source
code to be included in your program or a resource file for use by your
program.
REQUIREMENTS
Borland's Turbo Pascal(R) version 6.0
Some familiarity with the Turbo Vision package
A mouse is desirable
DESIGNING A DIALOG BOX
Dialog Design has three modes of operation:
Design Mode
Dialog Design begins in design mode and this is the mode that you use for
all layout work and editing. In design mode, the dialogbox doesn't look
or act quite like it will in the final design. Here's some of the
differences:
A 'canvas' background is used to better delineate the actual space
occupied by the controls.
Controls are colored red when selected.
Multiple controls may be selected.
All controls may be selected even those not normally selectable.
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Try Mode
Try mode is entered using the F9 key. In try mode, the dialogbox behaves
as it's supposed to. You can check the Tab order, make temporary
entries, and push buttons to actually check how things will work. Exit
try mode with the escape key or click on the close box.
Ordering Mode
Ordering mode allows you to change the Tab order of your dialogbox. The
method for doing this is discussed further below. The F8 key toggles you
into and out of ordering mode.
While there is no fixed way to design a dialogbox, here's one suggested
sequence:
1.In design mode, work with the dialogbox large enough so that you won't be
crowded.
2.From the Add menu, select a control to add. This will bring up a dialog
where you can enter the necessary information. Use the online help (F1
key) if you have a question as to what goes in a particular field. When
the OK button is pushed, the control will appear in the lower right
corner of the design box. The control is then positioned by dragging it
with the mouse, or by using the arrow keys (Shift+arrow moves a little
faster). Work in the upper left corner of the box.
3.Continue adding controls as desired. At any time, controls can be
repositioned or sized with the mouse (further details below). If
something other than position or size needs changing, select the control
and from the Edit menu choose Edit Selected (or use F7). This will bring
up its dialogbox for changes.
4.When all the controls have been added and positioned, size the box to fit
and move it to the desired location on the desktop. Be sure and add a
title (Edit Dialog from the Edit menu).
5.Enter Try Mode with the F9 key and test the dialogbox. Be sure to check
how the controls sequence using the Tab key. Exit Try mode with Esc or
click on the close box.
6.If the Tab sequence needs changing, use F8 to enter ordering mode. With
the mouse, click on each control to establish the desired order. Exit
back to design mode with F8.
Changing the sequence without a mouse is a little more complicated. Use
the Tab key to select (highlight) the next control to be sequenced. Then
press the Enter key to enter the selected control into the sequence.
After all controls have been entered, exit back to design mode with F8.
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Some controls (such as Static Text, and Labels) don't enter into the
tab sequence of a dialogbox. You can order these if it's convenient, but
the order won't effect the final results.
Be sure to recheck the tab order in Try mode.
7.This is a good time to save your work. Choose Save or Save As from the
File menu to create or update a .DLG file. Any file with the same name
will be renamed with a .BKP extension.
8.You can preview the source code to be generated by choosing Write Source
to Screen from the Operations menu. The code will appear in a viewer
window.
9.To create source code for your dialogbox, choose Write Source to File
from the Operations menu and choose a filename (.SRC is the default
extension). The source code produced will consist of a dialogbox
definition function and a data record with fields matching those required
by the dialogbox's SetData and GetData methods.
The .SRC file generated may be inserted directly into TESTCASE.PAS (at
the line of asterisks) to provide a program to test the dialogbox.
10.To generate a resource file or add the new dialogbox to an existing
resource or EXE file, choose Write Resource from the Operation menu.
Both a filename and a resource ID name will be requested. If the file
already exists, it will be renamed with a .BKP extension. If the
existing file is a resource or EXE file, it will be copied, and the new
resource added to the copy. Any existing resource with the same ID will
be deleted. Note that the resource ID name is case sensitive.
SELECTING, CLICKING, DRAGGING, SIZING, ETC.
To select a control, click and release on it with the left button or use
the Tab key.
To select multiple controls, select the first, then hold down the shift key
while clicking on the others. Note that, in this mode, clicking toggles
selection on and off so it's possible to deselect as well as select.
To select all controls, use the F4 key.
To move controls, select the controls to be moved, then click on any one of
them and, without releasing the button, drag the group to the desired
position. The group may also be moved using the arrow keys.
To resize a control first select it then click and drag on its lower right
corner. Note that some controls only size in one dimension and all have a
minimum size.
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To edit a control, double click it with the left button or click on it with
the right button. Or select it with the Tab key and press F7. Either way
brings up the control's Add/Edit dialog.
SOME DETAILS
Options Button
Most of the Add/Edit dialogs have an Options button. This button brings up
another dialog which will let you change the default ofXXXX and evXXXX flag
and mask bits. In most cases, you'll want to stick with defaults but some
bits do have interesting uses. In particular, the ofFramed bit can be used
for framing controls. Also, with a little effort, you can frame groups of
controls or divide the dialog into panes. The context sensitive help (F1)
for the options dialog has some hints on this.
Help Context
Many of the Add/Edit dialogboxes also have fields labeled Help Context and
Value. By default, these contain hcNoContext and 0. Dialog Design uses
the help context ID when generating source code and the value when
producing a resource.
For small projects, it may be convenient just to enter this information by
hand. However, if you're using Borland's demo help compiler, TVHC, Dialog
Design can work with the help definition file it produces. To do this,
choose Load Help ctx file from the Options menu and supply the filename of
the help definition file. Then clicking on the '*' box next to the help
context field (or typing '*' in the field) will bring up a pick list of the
definitions from which to choose.
Command Line
The initial dialog file (default extension .DLG) to be edited may be
specified on the command line, as:
DLGDSN MyDlg
COPYRIGHT
Documentation and Program (C) Copyright 1990-3 by L. David Baldwin.
All Rights Reserved.
Dialog Design may be copied and distributed freely by individuals to
friends and acquaintances providing that no fee is charged and it is not
part of a package for which a charge is made.
Please report any problems, suggestions, etc. Contact me by Compuserve
(the best way) or at one of the addresses below.
4
Dave Baldwin
CompuServe ID #76327,53.
22 Fox Den Rd.,
Hollis, NH 03049 (Approx May 15 to Oct 15)
(603) 465-7857
144 13th St. East,
Tierra Verde, FL 33715 (Approx Oct 15 to May 15)
(813) 867-3030
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