I can't find anything on the form types in the Help. I created a Paper
Form, and it looks different, but what is it designed to help me do?

It seems to be a form with only a caption, and no scroll bar capability.

Okay, I'll go with a form that just looks more like paper than a
traditional Window. That's fine, but perhaps something in help to
explain it.

I can't resize the forms though on the desktop. And trying back in EWB
1, I can't there either. Now, in my applications I never want to, but I
figured it would be there. Or is there a property I am overlooking? The
AllowDrag allows me to move the form, but resizing isn't there.
No-biggy as I wouldn't want it.

It would also be nice to have a slightly different icon for the
application, perhaps another color? Having the two side by side will be
awkward.

Hmm, the component icons seem rather small to me. May not matter. I
think I'd like a label under each one though.

I'll have a proper go later, picking up my new project idea.

On 27/01/15 21:18, Matthew Jones wrote:
>
> I can't resize the forms though on the desktop. And trying back in EWB
> 1, I can't there either. Now, in my applications I never want to, but I
> figured it would be there. Or is there a property I am overlooking? The
> AllowDrag allows me to move the form, but resizing isn't there.
> No-biggy as I wouldn't want it.
>

I raised an enhancement request for run-time mouse resizing of
forms/panels some time ago. It's not in EWB1 and sounds like it didn't
make it for EWB2 (so far).

With the new control layout capabilities I think form re-sizing will be
useful in some situations. I would use it especially when I have forms
being managed using an MDI.

Hopefully the feature is still on Tim's radar and will turn up in a
future release.

--
Rick

Matthew,

<< I can't find anything on the form types in the Help. >>

Per the release notes, the documentation is not complete.  Don't expect it
to help you out with anything at this point.  The preview is simply for
playing around with and trying to create some controls.

<< I created a Paper Form, and it looks different, but what is it designed
to help me do? >>

It looks different, and that's its whole point of existence.  We got a lot
of complaints in EWB1 about "Windows-looking forms", so I wanted to make
sure that I could a) include something non-formy in the product, and b)
demonstrate how easy it is to create a new form class with a different look
and feel.

This is the code for TPaperForm:

  {$INTERFACE TPaperFormCaptionBar}

  TPaperFormCaptionBar = class(TCaptionBar)
     protected
        function GetInterfaceClassName: String; override;
     end;

  {$INTERFACE TPaperForm}

  TPaperForm = class(TFormControl)
     protected
        function GetInterfaceClassName: String; override;
        function CreateCaptionBar: TCaptionBar; override;
     published
        property Top;
        property Left;
        property Height;
        property Width;
        property AlwaysOnTop;
        property Background;
        property CaptionBar;
        property Constraints;
        property Cursor;
        property InsetShadow;
        property Layout;
        property Margins;
        property Opacity;
        property OutsetShadow;
        property Padding;
        property ScrollBars;
        property Visible;
        property OnShow;
        property OnHide;
        property OnMove;
        property OnSize;
        property OnClick;
        property OnDblClick;
        property OnMouseDown;
        property OnMouseMove;
        property OnMouseUp;
        property OnMouseEnter;
        property OnMouseLeave;
        property OnClose;
        property OnCloseQuery;
     end;

A new interface, 3 method overrides, and you've got a new form type that can
be used at design-time/run-time.

<< It seems to be a form with only a caption, and no scroll bar capability.
>>

The scrollbars were left off accidentally - see above published properties
for where to include it if you want scrollbars.

<< Okay, I'll go with a form that just looks more like paper than a
traditional Window. That's fine, but perhaps something in help to explain
it. >>

Again, the help is not done.  In fact, it's basically the EWB1 help at this
point.

<< I can't resize the forms though on the desktop. And trying back in EWB 1,
I can't there either. Now, in my applications I never want to, but I figured
it would be there. Or is there a property I am overlooking? The AllowDrag
allows me to move the form, but resizing isn't there. No-biggy as I wouldn't
want it. >>

You can't drag forms or re-size them using the mouse in EWB 2.  Both of
these will probably come after the initial release.  I had to start cutting
some features out of the "list" in order to get this thing done in a year,
so these were easy decisions because they aren't used very much.  Automatic
dragging support is already in the UI layer (that's how the scrollbar thumbs
work), but I still need to hook up the controls to it.

<< It would also be nice to have a slightly different icon for the
application, perhaps another color? Having the two side by side will be
awkward. >>

I'll probably add a "2" to it somewhere.

<< Hmm, the component icons seem rather small to me. May not matter. I think
I'd like a label under each one though. >>

If you hover the mouse over them, they will tell you what is what.

Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Tim Young [Elevate Software] wrote:

> << Hmm, the component icons seem rather small to me. May not matter.
> I think I'd like a label under each one though. >>
>
> If you hover the mouse over them, they will tell you what is what.

Indeed, but they are quite small (or my eyes are getting old!) and the
label would remove doubt. But that was a first impression based on the
tabs seeming bigger than the content.

Matthew,

<< Indeed, but they are quite small (or my eyes are getting old!) and the
label would remove doubt. >>

The label would probably be the same size as the mouse-over hint label, so
I'm not sure how much help it would be in the size department.  But, I can
definitely see about adding labels, as I'm sure that it will be a common
request.

Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Tim Young [Elevate Software] wrote:

> not sure how much help it would be in the size department.

It would help in the always visible department though.