Class: Panel

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Provides a top-level window for applications that is independent of all other windows

Hierarchy

cObject
---cUIObject
------DfBaseObject
---------DfBaseWindow
------------DfBaseUIWindow
---------------DfBaseContainer
------------------DfBaseDialog
---------------------DfBasePanel
------------------------BasicPanel
---------------------------AppPanel
------------------------------Panel

Library: Windows Application Class Library

Package: Dfpanel.pkg

Description

The Panel container class provides a top-level window for applications that is independent of all other windows. Essentially, an object based on this class contains your application. It is expected that a Panel object will contain a single cCJCommandBarSystem object and ClientArea. By default, a Panel object has icons for maximize and minimize, a resizable border, system-menu icon, and a caption bar.

Sample

Object oPanel is an Panel
    Set Size to 200 250
    Set Label to "MyTest Panel"
    :
    Object ClientArea is a ClientArea
        : Add MDI view objects
    End_Object
    :
End_Object



Syntax

Object oObjectName is an Panel
    Set Size to Height Width
    Set Label to CaptionText
    :
    : Add cCJCommandBarSystem object
    : Add Client Area object
    :
End_Object



Of Special Notice

Three levels of programming classes are supported: basic (non-MDI, no support for tool bars or status bars), application (App... classes-MDI support, basic tool-bar and status-bar support), and high-level-application.

A proper MDI (Multiple-Document Interface) application consists of an MDI panel object with a menu bar, a tool bar an MDI client-area object and a status bar. The MDI client area contains and supports MDI child dialogs and/or views.

Although complete applications can be written using the App... classes, they are considered to be intermediate-level classes. A higher and more-powerful level of classes exists, and it is expected that most applications will be written using the high-level classes (Panel, cCJCommandBarSystem, ClientArea, View, dbView, ReportView). A normal program is structured as follows:

    Panel
        cCJCommandBarSystem object
        Client Area
            Views (View, dbView, ReportView)



Size and Location

Objects based on this class have the ability to store the object's size, location and view mode in the registry when the program is closed. The next time the application is loaded, these setting are retrieved and used. This information is only saved if the registry key SaveEnvironment is set to YES.

HourGlass Mouse Pointer

A panel contains most of the other objects within an application. Upon object construction, all child objects must be created and initialized. While this occurs, the mouse pointer is changed to an hourglass, giving users a visual sign that the program is starting up.

This class's properties are unchanged from those of its superclass.