Forms

Help, Hint, format mask, properties

Introduction

To manipulate an object, you use Property Palette. As you can see from now on, you can do much without property palette. A Property Palette contains object properties. The contents of the Property Palette are referred to as the �Property sheet� for the object. You use the Property Palette to modify object properties. To open the Property Palette of an object, go to the object and right click on the mouse button then select Property Palette. The Property Palette provides complete control over your objects. It contains the property list of an object. Remember that the properties of an object can be changed to control the behavior of the object. The Item properties such as Tooltip, Hint, and Display Hint automatically, will be used to provide item-level assistance for the client and can be changed only from property palette. A text item appearance can be modified by manipulating properties such as Justification, or Format Mask properties. For controlling the data within a text item or display item, you can use properties such as Calculation Mode, and Lowest and Highest value.

Hands-on

During your prototyping iterations, the user thought it would be useful to have a Help option on the Form. A Help function will enable them to view descriptions of Form items as they move from item to item, and see helpful hints for each item.
They also want to have multi-lines on their �comments� item with word wrap; and apply their display format mask requirements.
See Figure 4.

Your tasks are:
1- Build Help functionality on the data entry Form at the items' level. The Figure 4 is an example of tool tip for the �CUSTID� item.
2- Provide �Display Format Mask� for all currency and date items based on your client�s layout requirements and content. For example, date should be keyed in the format MM-DD-YY, or currency amounts displayed with the dollar '$' sign, with format mask $99,999.99.
3- Provide a multi-lines �comments� box for comments and make sure the text is word wrapped.
4- Run and test all user functional requirements.

In this Hands-ON, you will learn how to use: Help, Hint, Format mask of properties, tab canvas, �object navigator,� �Data Blocks,� �Layout Editor,� �Property Palette,� �Run Form,� and �Execute Query.�

 

Figure 4

Open a Module
In the �Object Navigator� window, highlight Forms. Go to the Main menu and choose �File,� select �Open� to open an existing form (customer_orders). In the �Open� window, open the �customer_orders� form from the folder.

Save a module
Click on the �customer_orders� form. The color changes to blue. Then Change the name and save the Form name as version 02 (customer_orders_v02). This way the original form is untouched.

Layout Editor
Go to the Main menu and choose the "Tools" option and select "Layout Editor." Adjust the window if needed.

Open a property palette
In the �Layout Editor� window, right click on the "CUSTID.� A drop down window will be opened. Click on the �Property Palette� option to open its property palette window.

Create a Tooltip
In its Property Palette window, go to the �Tool tip� item and type "Enter customer ID."

In the Customer data block in the �Object Navigator� window, click on the �Name� item.
Notice that the Property Palette will change from the �CUSTID� property palette to the �name� property palette.
In the property palette window, set "Display Hint automatically" to "yes"; then type the hint (Enter your customer name) on the "Hint" Box. Press the entry key and then close the window.

You can do the same process for each item in the canvas.
Resizing an object
In the Layout Editor window, select the �Comments� item. Notice that the �Comments� item will get 8 handlers. By dragging the handler, the item can be resized. Resize the �Comments� item so that we can enter multiple lines of comments in it.
Right click on it and open its "property palette." Set the "multi-line" item to "Yes." Then close the window.

Change an item format mask
Go to the "Orders" tab. Right click on the �Orderdate� item to open its property and change its "format mask" to MM-DD-YY. Press the enter key to apply all the changes then close the window.

Do the same for the "shipdate" item; and press the enter key and close the window.

Right click on the "total" item and open its property palette. Change its format mask to $99,999.00. Change �justification� to right. Then close the window.

Go to the "items" tab. Right click on the "itemtot" item and open its property palette. Change its "justification" and "format mask" properties to $99,999.00

Do the same for the "actualprice" item with �Format mask� value $999.00.

Repeat the same for the quantity item ("Qty"), but don't change it's format mask.

Before to run the application, click on the �-� sign next to the �Data Block� item to collapse all objects.

Run the Form runtime
Click on the "Run� icon, to compile and run the application. If there are any errors in the compilation, you will get them this time.

Execute Query
Click on the 'Execute Query' icon and navigate through the application and test the modification changes.

Notice! On the �Orders� tab page, the format mask of �Orderdate,� �Shipdate,� and �Total items� were changed.

On the �Items� tap page, the format mask of �Actualprice,� �qty,� and �itemtot� were changed. Try to navigate to see the changes.

Notice! The quantity item (�qty�) doesn't have comma.
Close the �Runtime Forms� window.
Open the �Qty� item property and change it's format mask to 99,999. Close the property window and run it again.

Click �Execute Query� and navigate through its records.

Test Tooltip display

Go to the customer tab and test the help function. Check the tooltip messages and help hint messages.
On the comments box, write multi-lines comments to test the modification and then save the changes.
Navigate through the records and see the changes.

Save a module
Exit and save the Form.


Questions:
Q: Describe a property palette for an object in the Form Module.
Q: What does a property palette provide for you to modify an object?
Q: How do you manipulate an object in the Form Builder tool?
Q: During your prototyping iterations, the user thought it would be useful to have a Help option on the Form. A Help function will enable them to view descriptions of Form items as they move from item to item, and see helpful hints for each item. They also want to have multi-lines on their �comments� item with word wrap; and apply their display format mask requirements.
Your tasks are:
1- Build Help functionality on the data entry Form at the items' level. The Figure 4 is an example of tool tip for the �CUSTID� item.
2- Provide �Display Format Mask� for all currency and date items based on your client�s layout requirements and content. For example, date should be keyed in the format MM-DD-YY, or currency amounts displayed with the dollar '$' sign, with format mask $99,999.99.
3- Provide a multi-lines �comments� box for comments and make sure the text is word wrapped.
4- Run and test all user functional requirements.
Q: How can you create a help for an item in the From Module?
Q: How can you create a hint for an item in the Form Module?
Q: What are the differences between a help object and hint object?
Q: How can you change a format mask of an item in the Form Module?
Q: How can you execute a query?