Pressing the right mouse button in the Windows Designer will invoke its context menu. Depending on which object and how many objects are selected the following options will appear. In general, there are two types of context menus: one for single selected objects and one for multiple selected objects.
This causes the designer to switch to the Code Editor. The source code will display the object currently selected in the designer. This can also be accomplished by pressing the F7 key or by double clicking on the object.
This causes the Code Editor to position itself at the source code representing the selected object but it does not give the editor the focus. This option is useful if you are viewing the editor view and the designer view side-by-side. If not already open, this opens a separate editor view rather than switching from the visual designer to the editor view in the current window, as F7 does.
This option is only available when a single object is selected.
This opens if the Object Properties panel, if it is not already open and gives it the focus. The properties for the currently selected object will be shown.
This option is only available when a single object is selected.
This toggles the Drag Lock feature for the entire file.
This cuts all selected objects and moves them to the clipboard. This can also be accomplished by pressing the Ctrl-X key
This copies all selected objects to the clipboard. This can also be accomplished by pressing the Ctrl-C key
This pastes the contents of the clipboard into the Designer View. This can also be accomplished by pressing the Ctrl-V key
The paste will only occur of the pasted contents are properly formatted (i.e., they are objects). The objects will be pasted inside of the currently selected object.
This option is only available when a single object is selected.
This deletes all selected objects. This can also be accomplished by pressing the Del key
This centers the selected object within its container. You will be prompted to center the object horizontally or vertically.
This option is only available when a single object is selected.
Sets the peAnchors property of the selected object(s). The object(s) current peAnchor setting is shown as the "checked" item in the list of anchor settings.
Sets the Size & Location properties of the selected object so that it occupies all available space within its container object. If the object is not currently "anchored" to its container, then the peAnchors property is also set to anAll. This means that if the container is resized then the object continues to occupy all available space.
This option loads the Arrange Objects panel which can be used to size and locate groups of objects.
This loads class reference help for the currently selected class (or if multiple objects are selected, the first selected object). This can also be accomplished by pressing the F1 key.
This loads the Studio Help for the Windows Designer. This can also be accomplished by pressing the Ctrl+F1 key.
This option will attempt to add the current file to the current project. If the file/component is already part of this project, this option is disabled.
This option may not succeed. The Studio may determine that the component cannot be added to the project. If so an error will be displayed, explaining the problem.
If the current file is a view or report view component then this option will perform the following:
Load the special test project (you must have created or assigned a special test project first).
Remove any view or reports from this test project.
Add the current view (or report view) to the test project
Compile the test project.
Run the test project.
See Also: Select Test View Project, Enhanced Component Testing.
This invokes an ActiveX control’s property panel. This is different than Object Properties Panel and is unique for each ActiveX control.
This option is only available when an ActiveX object is selected.
This adds a new tab page to the selected tab dialog. The new page is added as the last tab page.
This option is only available when a single tab dialog object is selected.
This inserts a new tab page into the selected tab dialog. The page is inserted before the current tab page.
This option is only available when a single tab dialog object is selected.
This deletes the current tab page from the selected tab dialog.
This option is only available when a single tab dialog object is selected.
This allows you to show or not show the Background Resolution Grid.
This option is only available if you invoke the context menu from the designer view’s “client area” – the white outer area of the designer view.
This option allows you to preview how the view you are designing would look if your application was run using DataFlex's legacy font setting.
This is only a preview and does not actually change the way that your application would look when it is compiled and run.
To permanently set your application's legacy font setting, set the pbUseWindowsFont property of the cApplication object, to False.
For more information, see Understanding Fonts in DataFlex.
This closes the designer view.
This option is only available if you invoke the context menu from the designer view’s “client area” – the white outer area of the designer view.
This option allows you to align multiple selected objects. You will be presented with a sub-menu option allowing you to align all objects to the left, top, right, bottom, top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
Objects are all aligned relative to the first object selected.
This option is only available if you have multiple selected objects.
This option allows you to align multiple relative to their container. You will be presented with a sub-menu option of two options:
top-to-bottom – objects are located top to bottom, equally spaced within the container.
left-to-right – objects are located left to right, equally spaced within the container.
The objects are arranged in the order that they are selected.
This option is only available if you have multiple selected objects.
This option allows you to make multiple selected objects the same height, width of size (both size and width).
Objects are sized based on the size of the first object selected.
This option is only available if you have multiple selected objects.
If you are editing a main project.src file that does not contain a commandbar system object then this option can be used to add a 'standard' set of commandbar objects including File, View, Report menus etc, Find, Edit toolbars and a status bar.
The command bar system object that is created is based on the cCJCommandBarSystem class by default. This can be configured for the current workspace in the Configure Workspaces - Class Preferences dialog.
This is a fast and convenient way to add a new commandbar system to an existing project.
Dragging, Dropping and Resizing Objects
The Background Resolution Grid