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14. RAD Components

CodeWarrior's rapid application development (RAD) tools use components to build an application's user interface. These components address specific elements of the interface, such as buttons, scroll bars, and checkboxes. This chapter describes the components supplied with the CodeWarrior RAD tools.

This chapter discusses the following:

• Java AWT Components
• Java Swing Components
• Component Editors

Table 14.1 describes the components that belong to the Java AWT Components catalog. The icons shown in the following table are displayed in the Component Palette and Component Catalog window.

Icon	Description
	Button-represents a button in the user interface that you click to yield a result
	Canvas-represents a container for other user interface elements
	Checkbox-represents a checkbox option that you enable or disable
	Choice-represents a pop-up menu that you use to select an option from a list of possible options
	Label-represents an area of text that identifies or describes other user interface elements
	List-represents a scrollable list from which you choose one or more options
	MenuBar-displays an icon in the layout window, but not in the actual application. Double-click the icon to open the Menu Editor.
	Panel-represents a means by which to organize various arrangements of user interface elements
	PopupMenu-displays an icon in the layout window, but not in the actual application. Double-click the icon to open the Pop-up Menu Editor.
	Scrollbar-represents a scrollbar in the user interface that is used to adjust various options
	ScrollPane-represents a pane that can create scrollbars along its edges when entered text exceeds the pane's boundaries
	TextArea-represents an area in the user interface that lets you enter multiple lines of text
	TextField-represents an area in the user interface that lets you enter a single line of text

Table 14.2 describes the components that belong to the Java Swing Components catalog. Many of these components are similar to those in the AWT Components catalog, but are more extensively configurable. The icons shown in the following table are displayed in the Component Palette and Component Catalog window.

Icon	Description
	JButton-represents a button in the user interface that you click to yield a result
	JCheckBox-represents a checkbox option that you enable or disable
	JComboBox-represents a combination box that lets you select options either by typing the option's name or by choosing the option from a pop-up list
	JEditorPane-represents an editing pane that adapts its characteristics to the required editing task
	JLabel-represents an area of text that identifies or describes other user interface elements
	JList-represents a scrollable list from which you choose one or more options
	JMenuBar-displays an icon in the layout window, but not in the actual application. Double-click the icon to open the Menu Editor.
	JOptionPane-displays a dialog box that alerts the user, asks for additional input, or provides information
	JPanel-represents a means by which to organize various arrangements of user interface elements
	JPasswordField-represents a single line of text that lets you enter passwords without displaying onscreen the actual characters you type
	JPopupMenu-displays an icon in the layout window, but not in the actual application. Double-click the icon to open the Pop-up Menu Editor.
	JProgressBar-represents the visual display of a bar whose size grows in proportion to the percentage of a task being completed
	JRadioButton-represents a radio button that you enable or disable, one at a time
	JScrollBar-represents a scrollbar in the user interface that is used to adjust various options
	JScrollPane-represents a pane that can create scrollbars along its edges when entered text exceeds the pane's boundaries
	JSlider-represents an onscreen mechanism, in the form of a slider control, for choosing various options
	JSplitPane-represents a means by which to control the size and display of two user interface elements
	JTabbedPane-represents a pane divided into several parts, with each part accessible through a tab control
	JTable-represents a table of rows and columns
	JTextArea-represents an area in the user interface that lets you enter multiple lines of text
	JTextField-represents an area in the user interface that lets you enter a single line of text
	JTextPane-represents an area of text with graphical attributes
	JToggleButton-represents a button that has two possible states
	JToolBar-represents a toolbar in the layout window
	JTree-represents a hierarchical control in the user interface

Certain components display representative icons of the user interface, rather than the actual interface. These representative icons appear in the layout window only, and are not displayed in the application. Such components require separate editors to modify the way they are displayed in the application.

For example, the Java AWT MenuBar component produces a square icon in the layout window. This icon does not show the menu bar as it would appear in the application. Instead, you double-click the icon to open the Menu editor. The editor shows the true form of the menu bar.

This section describes the various component editors in the catalogs supplied with the CodeWarrior IDE. These editors include:

• Menu Editor
• Pop-up Menu Editor

The Menu editor lets you create and modify an application's menu bar and its associated hierarchy of menu commands. This editor displays the menu bar onscreen so that you can see the menus as they appear in the application.

Double-click the representative icon in the layout window to display the Menu editor. Initially, the display is blank, as shown in Figure 14.1. As you build the menu hierarchy, the Menu editor updates the display to reflect your changes.

This section discusses the following topics:

• Creating menu items
• Modifying menu items
• Removing menu items

To create a menu item in the application's menu bar, double-click the rectangular outline shown in the Menu editor. A dialog box displays to help you customize a new menu item. The contents of the dialog box depend on the catalog that contains the component. For example, when you use the Menu editor to customize a Java Swing menu bar, the dialog box has the items shown in Figure 14.2.

After you enter some information in the dialog box and click OK, the Menu editor updates the menu-bar display. For example, if you enter File in the Text field of the dialog box and click OK, the Menu editor display shows the new File menu item in the menu bar. The rectangular outline moves to the right of the File menu item.

You can continue modifying your application's menu bar by double-clicking existing menu items or by clicking rectangular outlines. For example, if you click the File menu item shown in Figure 14.3, the Menu editor displays a rectangular outline beneath the File menu. This way, you modify the commands that are displayed for each menu item in the menu bar.

When you finish modifying the menu bar, close the Menu editor window. Although the original representative icon appears in the layout window, your changes to the menu bar remain in place. To immediately save changes to the menu bar, choose Save from the File menu after closing the Menu editor window.

To remove a particular menu item, click its name in the Menu editor window and press Delete. The Menu Editor removes the menu item and updates the display. Removing a menu item from the menu bar also removes that menu item's associated commands.

The Pop-up Menu editor is very similar to the Menu editor in its behavior. The only difference between the two editors is that the Pop-up menu editor handles one pop-up menu at a time. Figure 14.4 shows the initial display of a Pop-up menu editor.

For more information about creating, modifying, and removing menu items in the Pop-up Menu editor, consult "Menu Editor" on page 553. The same techniques you use in the Menu Editor can be applied to the Pop-up Menu editor.