NOMADS Enhancements Presented by: Yvonne Sampson

NOMADS Enhancements Presented by:Yvonne

Sampson

Presentation Overview

• Menu Colours• Numeric Check Boxes

• Multiple Character Translation Values for Drop Boxes, Grids and List Boxes

• COM Control Enhancements • Embedded Panels• Alternate Screen Layouts• New Folder Design Interface• Auto Detection of Folder Contents • Tabless Folders• New Folder Object

Menu Colours

• Colour support added to menu bars and popup menus

• Can apply to two areas giving a two-tone appearance• Left edge – bitmap portion of the menu• Individual menu entries – text background

• Special Colour Options• Menu Default• System Default

• New IDE for Menu Definition

Menu ColoursSpecial Colour Options

• Menu Default• Colour setting for the entire menu• Can be applied to individual menu

entries

• System Default• Uses Windows system colours• Can be applied to entire menu and

individual menu entries

Menu ColoursNew Interface for Menu Definition

• Folder control displays menu item, group and link information

• Attributes tab contains bitmap and text background colour

Menu ColoursDefining Default Menu Colours

• Turn on the Text Background/Left Edge check box in the main panel of the menu definition

Menu ColoursDefining Default Menu Colours

• Press the colour palette button

Menu ColoursDefining Individual Menu Item

Colours

• Sample panel for menu item File/Save

Menu ColoursSetting Colours at Application Level

• Special NOMADS global variables• %NOMAD_MENU_LEFTEDGE_CLR$ - Left edge

colour• %NOMAD_MENU_TEXTBACKGROUND_CLR$ - Text

background colour

• Colour settings in the menu definition will override the global settings

• Control name directly affects the variable

• No need to load string with check box value

• New attribute called Numeric added to check box definition

• Default setting is off

Numeric Check Boxes

• Supported Controls• Drop Boxes, Grids • List Boxes - Standard, Formatted, List Views

(report and list format)

• Variable Drop Boxes/List Boxes not supported

• New Translation Length Properties• Represents length of each of the items in the

translation table• Setting it to zero indicates that the translation

table contains a delimited string with the last character of the string being the delimiter character

• Grids - ‘CellTblWidth• Drop Boxes/List Boxes - ‘TblWidth

Multiple Character Translation Values

• No changes to Grid Definition• ‘CellTbl$ and ‘CellTblWidth added to the

Property drop box in the Presets panel

• New interface for Translation Definition • List Boxes and Drop Boxes Only


Defining Translation Values for Drop Boxes/List Boxes

• New multi line field Table Length Value added to the Values panel of the drop box/list box definition in the designer and the Data Class Maintenance Utility• Default value is 1• Positive values only• Format mask is ###0

• Translation values can be Fixed or an Expression• Fixed values

• Loaded in grid control (replaces List Box)

• Expression• Use a delimiter between each value• Last character represents the delimiter• Table Length Value is automatically set to zero• For example, the variable Values$ contains “V1/V2/V3/”


Defining Translation Values for Drop Boxes/List Boxes

• Use the up/down arrow buttons to re-order the translation values

• New variables for translate length• OBJ_TBL_LEN – Screen library• CLS_TBL_LEN – Data Class file (Providex.dcl)


• New Interface for COM definition• Parent and sub-objects loaded into a tree view

control• Properties/Methods/Events are grouped on one

tab for easy access

• More detailed description of property typeProperty Types:• Num|Str, Num, Str, pNum|Str, pStr, pNum, Meth,

Obj, pObj, pArray, Array. Where p indicates a ProvideX property or object.

COM Control Enhancements

• Drill down on sub-objects using tree view control• Properties/Methods/Events are automatically

loaded for the selected object

• Resizable Panel• Setup simple methods at design time

• For example, opening a Word document:Word_Ocx’Documents’Open(“c:\tmp\ocx.doc”)



Handling more Complex Methods

• Use an OOP object to intercept parameters passed by the COM control

• Assign the OOP object in Post-Create Logic

• Enter the Program/Entry point that will be performed, called or executed after the COM control is created


• Panels containing common controls that are used on various other panels throughout an application

• Create one panel with common controlsFor example:• Common format for first, prior, next and last push

buttons

• Multiple panels can be embedded• Panel can contain all available control types• Save valuable development time

Embedded Panels

Note: The header definition in the embedded panel is not carried forward.

Note: The header definition in the embedded panel is not carried forward.

Assigning Embedded Panels

• Activate the Embedded Panel option using one of the following choices• Select the menu item called Embed Panel in the

Controls menu group • Select the radio button with the text [Embed

Panel] in the Controls window • Popup menu item (right click in blank area of

panel)

• Define an area for the Inherited controls • Select a panel from the Embed Panel window

Embedded Panels

Assigning Embedded Panels

• Frame containing name of selected panel will be drawn• Warning message displayed if controls will not

fit in the designated region

• Frame indicates where the controls will be drawn at runtime

Embedded Panels

What happens at runtime?

• *winproc will draw the controls on the current active panel

• No warning message will be displayed if the panel does not exist

• Controls that have duplicate names will not be drawn• A warning message will display the

duplicate control name then retrieve the next control for that panel - this is only displayed once

Embedded Panels

• Users can switch from one panel layout to another at runtimeFor Example:• Given a line order entry panel containing dual

grid entry, a user may want to view the grids vertically or horizontally. To setup this scenario:• Create two panels (one for the wide view and one

for the narrow view)• Use a button control to toggle between the views

• Alternate screen can be a free standing panel or a sub-panel within a folder control

• Same controls/attributes/logic must exist on the alternate panel• Only difference is the control size and placement

Alternate Screen Layouts

Using Alternate Screen Layouts

• New NOMADS variables • Alternate_Panel$• Alternate_Panel_Type$

• Defaults to the parent - set to “F” if panel exists in a folder

• Alternate Panel must exist in same library• Folder region too small on parent panel

• Create 2 alternate panels (parent and sub-panel)• Example

Alternate_Panel$=”Mainw;Folderw”Alternate_Panel_Type$=”MF”

Where“M“ refers to the parent panel“F” identifies the sub-panel

Alternate Screen Layouts

• Tab information stored in a separate sub-panel called Tabs

• Grid control used to display Tab information

• Resizable definition screen

• Information relating to the entire folder control is now contained in the Display tab

New Folder Design Interface

• Use the Insert button to insert a blank row in the grid • Defaults are set for the title format, fill pattern

and fill colour1

• Multiple tab definitions can be removed by highlighting one or more rows in the grid and pressing the Delete button

• Use the up/down arrow buttons to change the order of the tabs



• Set up specific tabs to be suppressed at runtime if the panel doesn’t exist or a security check fails

• One folder definition can be used for multiple users• Customizable folders

• Tabs will only be included if sub-panel exists in the installed library

• If one tab exists then a tabless folder is drawn

• Security levels checked at runtime• Setting up auto detection of folder

contents

Auto Detection of Folder Contents

Set Up

• Turn on the Suppress If Not Found check box in the tab definition grid

• In the Display panel of the folder definition select the frame style that will outline the folder region• Frame style can be a fixed value or an expression• Available styles: None, 3d frame (default),

recessed frame, or raised frame


Note: The frame style is only used if (at runtime) only one sub-panels exists.

Note: The frame style is only used if (at runtime) only one sub-panels exists.

Set Up

• If using an expression to set frame style• Format values include

0 = None (no frame required)2 = 3d frame3 = Recessed frame4 = Raised frame

• For example, setting %FrameType$="3" results in a recessed frame being drawn around the folder region


• Folders with no visible tabs • Similar to a wizard-style approach• Frame surrounds folder region• Application uses browse buttons

(next/prior) to display the tabs • Use NOMADS variable Next_Folder; e.g.,

Next_Folder=Fldr.panelname.ctl

• Panel Resizing/Persistence are supported

Tabless Folders

Defining Tabless Folders

• Set Tabless Folder check box in the Tab panel of the folder definition• Can also be set in the Display panel

• Assign sub-panels• Press the arrow button in the Name column

to retrieve a list of available panels for the current library

Tabless Folders

Tabless Folders Defining Tabless Folders

• In the Display panel of the folder definition select the frame style that will outline the folder region• Frame style can be a fixed value or an

expression• Available styles: None, 3d frame (default),

recessed frame, or raised frame

Tabless Folders What happens at runtime?

• Security levels checked per user• Security levels assigned in panel header

definition• Sub-panel included if user has full access

• Sub-panel activated using Next_Folder • Default is the first sub-panel assigned in the

folder definition

• Used to draw and manage folders

• More flexible• Developers can customize the folder look

and feel for their application

• Change Folder and Tab information at runtime

• Many properties and methods

• Panel Resizing/Persistence supported

• Many _F_ *winproc tables are now obsolete• Object identifier will be stored in a table• A unique object identifier for each concurrent

window

New Folder Object

• Consists of two objects• Folder Object

• Defines general information for the entire folder• Tab Object

• Defines each tab• One tab object for each tab

• Instantiated by *winproc • Object identifier for the folder is stored in the

variable Fldr• Object identifier for the current tab is

Fldr’CurrentTab

New Folder Object

• Folder and tab information can be modified at runtime

• Methods currently available:• Redraw( )• AddTab(Text$, PanelName$, Suppress,

FillClr1$, FillClr2$, FillPattern)• DropTab(Idx)• GotoTab(Idx)

New Folder Object

Using Properties/Methods

Redraw( ) Method• Change Folder and Tab information at runtime• Sample code to change folder font and

current tab information:

Fldr'CurrentTab'SetText("New Tab Text") Fldr'CurrentTab'SetFillPattern(3)

Fldr'CurrentTab'SetTabColour("Light Magenta")

Fldr’CurrentTab'SetAltColour("Light Green")

Fldr’SetFont("Comic Sans MS,1,&C")

Fldr’Redraw()

New Folder Object


AddTab( ) Method• Add a tab at runtime• Tab is added to the end of the tab list• Invokes Redraw( ) method

AddTab(Text$,PanelName$,Suppress,FillClr1$,FillClr2$,FillPattern)Where

• Text$ - tab title (fixed value or an expression preceded by an equal sign “=“)

• PanelName$ - name of the sub-panel• Suppress – 0 or 1 (optional)• FillClr1$ - First fill colour (optional)• FillClr2$ - Second fill colour (optional)• FillPattern – A value between 1 and 7 (optional)

New Folder Object


AddTab( ) Method

Examples:Fldr’AddTab(”NewTab”,”Newpnl”,0,”rgb:255 174 174”,”Light Cyan”,2)

Fldr’AddTab(”Another Tab”,”AnotherPnl”)

New Folder Object


DropTab( ) Method• Drop a tab at runtime• Remaining tabs are re-sequenced• Invokes the Redraw( ) method

DropTab(idx) • idx contains the sequential number of the tab

New Folder Object


GotoTab( ) Method• Activate a specific tab• Works same as setting NEXT_FOLDER

GotoTab(idx) • idx contains the sequential number of the tab

New Folder Object

Using the Object outside NOMADS

• Set NOMADS property to zero • Will only draw folder control

• Application will be responsible for handling the folder events

New Folder Object

Using the Object outside NOMADS

Sample CodePRINT 'DIALOGUE'(10,5,80,35,"Draw Folder Object",'B?'),'SR','CS',

LET Fldr=New("*obj/folder")

LET Fldr'Nomads=0

Fldr'SetColours("RGB:215 0 230;Light yellow") ! Tab colours (text and background)

Fldr'SetTabAlignment("T") ! top, bottom, left, right (T,B,L,R)

Fldr'SetFont("Verdana,1,&CS") ! S - fill text background (not whole region) with chosen colour

Fldr'SetLine(5);Fldr'SetColumn(4);Fldr'SetColumns(60);Fldr'SetLines(18)

Fldr'SetFillColours1("Light yellow/Light Green/")

Fldr'SetFillColours2("2,Light red/2,RGB:255 128 0/")

LET T$="Panel1=Tab 1"+$01$+""+$00$+"Panel2=Tab 2"+$01$+""+$00$

Fldr'SetTabInfo(T$)

Fldr'SetOrigTabCount(2)

Fldr'SetOrigTabWidth(15)

Fldr'draw()

OBTAIN (0,SIZ=1)'ME',*,'MN',; IF CTL<>4 THEN GOTO *SAME

Drop Object Fldr

End

New Folder Object

THANK YOU!

End of Presentation