Operations in forms editor

At creation of the application interface for each component the following operations are executed:

- Choice of a component in the Palette of components or in menu item Change / Add and allocation of it on the form;

- Change of component properties.

The developer does these operations in the Form constructor, window, by using Palette of components and page "Properties " of Object inspector. Thus developer operations are similar to operation in the environment of the graphics editor, and creation process of the application interface more reminds the designing or drawing.

 The choice of a component in the Palette is doing by mouse click on the necessary component, for example, Button, therefore its icon accepts pressed (submerged) view. If after that you click on a free place of the form, there is a selected component will appear on the form, and its icon in the graphic Palette accepts normal view. The icons of components mirror assignment of components, besides when mouse cursor is placed onto each of components the hint about its assignment is displayed.

After allocation of components in the form you can adapt them for your needs and tasks. The components can be displaced, aligned, their sizes may be increased or decreased, their properties may be changed. Take into account that a component in which you want to make changes should be marked.

For search, review and change the properties of the form's element use Object inspector,which may be called by menu item View options / Object inspector or F11 key.

Marking of components.

The component is considered marked when small squares of black color (markers of marking) appear on its sides. The marking is executed by mouse click on a component in the form. The form marking is executed similarly however in a marked state the form is not marked by markers. For marking (selection) of the form it is enough to click in its any place free from others component's.

The group choice of components is admitted, thus it is possible to edit one-type properties for selected group in Object inspector.

 The group choice of components is executed by the mouse choice of each component at the pressed <Shift> key, or by placing of the cursor on the form field press the left mouse button and having kept it in this state stretch a "rubber" rectangle. All objects presented inside and on boundaries of this rectangle will be marked. Thus around of each component in the group the scaling markers of grey colour will appear. The repeated choice of a component at the pressed key <Shift> deselects this object, not destroying group choice of remaining components.

 Click the right mouse button in limits of selected group or select other component to deselect a component or a components group.

The component can be marked even if he is closed from above by other components. For this purpose simply click the mouse in that place where this component must be located. One more way of selection a component it is the list of form components in the Object inspector.

Grouping

The form can contain components, which are containers for other components. It means, that if to displace the component - container then the presented in him components will be displaced too. Such components as Frame, Panel and Page control are referred to containers. The sense and purpose of container's applying is that the components presented in him can be considered as a unit. At deleting of the container, all components presented in him are deleted also.

Alignment

Position of objects on the form may be changed so:

- by moving of marked objects with help of the mouse;

- by setting of appropriate parameters in the Object inspector;

- by usage of specialized alignment  functions for marked objects ("Alignment" buttons group on the main panel).

Resizing

It is possible to resize the marked object also with the help of the mouse. For this purpose it is necessary to displace scaling markers.

By indicating parameters in appropriate properties of the Object inspector it is possible to set sizes of components more precisely.

Deleting of components from the form

For deleting a component it is necessary to mark (to select) the necessary component (group of component) and to select Cut icon on the main panel or menu item Edit / Delete, or to press  DEL  key.

Editing of components: change of properties values

The properties represent attributes defining a way of displaying and  the work of components at execution of the application. Each component in the Palette of components has properties values by default. After location of a component into the form its properties may be changed. For  this purpose use Object inspector.