Back to main pageSeveral files can possibly be loaded by a form - excontrols.f, bitmap.f, mdi.f, mdidialog.f, and filelister.f ExControls.f will be loaded if one or more controls are used in the form and Bitmap.f will be loaded if any bitmap buttons or static labels are used. Mdi.f and MdiDialog.f will be loaded if a form is set to compile as an MDI dialogwindow. Filelister.f is a directory browser loaded if a form has such a object. The paths for these files are already set in ForthForm but if your path is different then be sure to add it, as in fpath+ yourdrive:\your\path.
Compiled forms can be used in an application in a number of ways -
A form can be copied to the clipboard and then pasted into the program and
modified.
It can be compiled to disk and the .frm file modified with a text editor.
Source file FormProperty.f is an example of this. One drawback to this
and the previous method is that any future desired modification to the form
wil prove difficult without erasing any modifications. As such, these two
methods are best used when no future changes to the designed form is
anticipated.
The third method involves compiling the form to a .frm file and loading the
form with the application. Controls would then be accessed directly or
indirectly to achieve the intended purpose. An alternative method would be to
use the loaded form object as the superclass for an additional form object.
The Preferences.frm source file and the code that uses it is such an example of the
former method. It is reproduce here for purposes of explanation. An example of the latter method
is also given.
/* ********************** ForthForm Preferences **************** */
needs preferences.frm \ preferences dialog
: ApplyPreferences ( -- )
IsButtonChecked?: chkFlatToolBar to FlatToolBar?
IsButtonChecked?: chkButtonText to ButtonText?
Close: TheControlToolBar
TheMainWindow Start: TheControlToolBar
false SaveRestore: TheControlToolBar
\+ withbgnd ReDrawImage: TheMainWindow
;
: pref-func { id obj -- } ( h m w l id obj -- h m w l )
id
case IDOK of ApplyPreferences Close: obj endof
IDCANCEL of Close: obj endof
endcase ;
: doPreferences ( -- )
['] pref-func SetCommand: frmPreferences
GetHandle: TheMainWindow SetParent: frmPreferences
IDOK SetID: btnOk
IDCANCEL SetID: btnCancel
Start: frmPreferences
FlatToolbar? Check: chkFlatToolBar
ButtonText? Check: chkButtontext ; ' doPreferences is doPref
/* ************************************************************** */
Notes - "ApplyPreferences" is the routine that will update the application if
the user clicks the 'Ok' button.
- "pref-func" is the function that handles the form 'WM_COMMAND' message.
Two parameters are of primary concern; 'id' which is the id of the control that
was clicked and 'obj' which is the address of the form object. An application
can use these two values to control various aspects of the displayed form.
To set the message handler for the WM_COMMAND message use the method
SetCommand: (formname) e.g ['] pref-func SetCommand: frmPreferences.
Controls can be compiled as global whereby they will be referenced by name or
they can be referenced by dot notation (not recommended however)e.g. IDOK SetID: frmPreferences.btnOk
If the form is a modal form its parent can be set by the SetParentWindow: method
e.g Gethandle: TheMainWindow SetParentWindow: frmPreferences. If it is not modal but
a parent is set the form will simply behave as an owned window, its title not
being displayed in the task bar.
Method #2
fload test.frm \ load the form
:Object MyForm Super frmTest \ use the form in test.frm as super class
\ note the error in "Super" above. HTML would not permit the "less than" character
\ all controls are automatically available without them being global
\ you can change the window style
:M WindowStyle: ( -- style )
WS_CAPTION ;M \ eliminate the Close [x] button for this form
:M On_Init: ( -- ) \ modify the behaviour of some controls
On_Init: Super \ initialize form
false Enable: chkButton \ disable this one
IDOK SetID: btnOk \ change this id
\ and anything else you wish
;M
\ the power is yours!
;Object
Control commands
The controls directly supported by ForthForm at this time include,
Single and multi-selection listboxes
Text and bitmap labels
Single and multiline textboxes
Text and bitmap buttons
Checkboxes
Radiobuttons
Combo and combolist boxes
Groupboxes
Horizontal and vertical up/down controls
Tab Controls
A Directory Browser class
Additional controls are available in the source file ExControls.f. In addition a
generic control is provided to allow for any control not directly supported by
ForthForm. Compiled forms will have the coordinates and dimensions of any such control
added as values e.g
A form having a generic control with the name "imgButton" will have the following values
when compiled -
'x' value imgButtonX - x coordinate
'y' value imgButtonY - y coordinate
'w' value imgButtonW - width
'h' value imgButtonH - height
The directory browser object is created by the FileWindow class. This object is
capable of displaying files matching different specs for a directory as well as
displaying the files and directories in ascending or descending order. The method
"SetSpecs:" with an argument for e.g "*.f;*.htm;*.frm" (note each spec is separated
by a ; ) sets the object to display files with matching extensions. Some other methods
include -
ShowFiles: ( flag -- ) display files if flag is true otherwise show directories only.
UpdateFiles: ( -- ) update the file display, perhaps after changing the filespecs or
the path.
IsOn_Update: ( cfa -- ) the function at cfa will be executed after the file display.
is updated.
SetPath: ( addr cnt -- ) set the path for the the displaying of files.
SortAscending:, SortDescending: change the display order of files and directories.
Directories will always be displayed first.
#Dirs:, #Files: return the number of directories or files respectively.
For further information please browse the file FileLister.f.
Following are some other control methods that may be useful in forms.
AddStyle: ( style -- ) - add any additional style to a control before it is created.
Enable:, Disable:, - self-explanatory
SetFont: ( fonthndl -- ) - set the font for applicable controls
AddStringTo: ( stringz -- ) - add asciiz string to listboxes and comboboxes
SetSelection: ( n -- ) - set current selection for listboxes and comboboxes
Clear: - erases contents of listboxes and comboboxes
Check: ( flag -- ) - checks (true) or unchecks (false) a checkbox or radiobutton
IsButtonchecked?: ( -- f ) - return state of radiobutton or checkbox
SetBitmap: ( hbitmap -- ) - set image for a bitmap button
ToolString: ( addr cnt -- ) - set the tooltip for a bitmap button
N.B All controls are derive from the basic Win32Forth controls. As such any methods
available for those controls can also be used. Please review the source files
ExControls.f (and its component files), Control.f, Controls.f as well as Generic.f for a more
exhaustive list of methods for the various controls.
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