States define different instances of your application. A BrowserBob application can change the whole user interface including functionality on the fly. Using States, multiple applications can be created in a single one. Additionally you can define a special state for Popup windows.

Adding new states:
Add a new state to your application, by opening View->States and clicking the '+' button on the States window (View->States).

Switching between States:
You may switch between States by clicking on the name of the state in the Project explorer or on the States window. There you can see in which State you are actually working.

Tip: do not confuse different States during your design. Initially, a new State looks like the original one, it's like a copy of the Main State at first sight.

By default a new application has at least a single state, the Main State, which plays a special role. You can add as many states for your application as you like. Each state can have a different design and different functionality.

In the properties of Main Dialog under States, you can specify which State is the Default State of your application. The application will launch in that state and open new windows in that state if the setting for new windows is set to Allow.

Objects in different States:

A State is a special aggregation of the objects used in your project. All objects will be available in each State, but can be hidden state by state. You can decide on each object if it is used in a special state or not, by setting its "Visible" property in that State.

Objects have global properties, which are valid for all states and local properties, which can be changed state by state. Most of the object properties are local ones, so they can be different in each state.

Working in States

In order to define the interface of a different state, change object appearance and properties, you need to work in that specific state. After adding a state and clicking on the new one (e.g. State1), your workspace shows State1. It looks like the Main State at first sight, as a new state will be a copy of the Main State, with all objects until you change something. Now you can start to change the design and functionality of your objects (local properties).

Important note: the object name is always a global identifier, if you change it in one State, it will be changed in all others.

The reference of any object property will show you if it is a local or global property.

Objects overview

Related topics:
States window

States - "multiple app's in one" - realtime exchange of user interface and functions

Global and local object properties