Really basic questions about the new form designer

[Klonk]

Sorry, but I do ot really understand how to use the new form designer.

1. I create a new form within the IDE. Now I want to save it. Which ending to use? .pb or .pbf or something else?
2. I see that some procedures have been created in the newly generated form source? How to use them? Create a project? Include the file somehow?
3. How to use the event procedure?

So basically: How does a normal workflow look like?

[thinkitsimple]

same questions here. is there a basic documentation about the new form designer?

[Polo]

Use .pbf - there's no proper help file yet, you can read a very short help draft here: http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtop ... 22&t=52214

[SniffTheGlove]

Could I ask a silly question?

There does not appear to be an Example in the Examples Folder for the Form Designer.


I copied the code out of the only reference I could fine with is just a single page in the help file at
http://www.purebasic.com/documentation/ ... _form.html

... The code from that page is...

Main File "main.pb"

Code: Select all

XIncludeFile "MainWindow.pbf" ; Include the first window definition
  XIncludeFile "DateWindow.pbf" ; Include the second window definition
  
  OpenMainWindow() ; Open the first window. This procedure name is always 'Open' followed by the window name
  OpenDateWindow() ; Open the second window
  
  ; The event procedures, as specified in the 'event procedure' property of each gadget
  Procedure OkButtonEvent(EventType)
    Debug "OkButton event"
  EndProcedure
  
  Procedure CancelButtonEvent(EventType)
    Debug "CancelButton event"
  EndProcedure
  
  Procedure TrainCalendarEvent(EventType)
    Debug "TrainCalendar event"
  EndProcedure
  
  ; The main event loop as usual, the only change is to call the automatically
  ; generated event procedure for each window.
  Repeat
    Event = WaitWindowEvent()
    
    Select EventWindow()
      Case MainWindow
        MainWindow_Events(Event) ; This procedure name is always window name followed by '_Events'
        
      Case DateWindow
        DateWindow_Events(Event)
        
    EndSelect
    
  Until Event = #PB_Event_CloseWindow ; Quit on any window close

Now to create the Form files the help file quotes

MainWindow.pbf ; The main window
DateWindow.pbf ; Another window

If we assume MainWindow.pbf has two buttons ('OK' and 'Cancel') and DateWindow.pbf has one calendar gadget, here is how the main file would look like (the main file is not handled by the form designer, it has to be written manually):

I this is where I am getting confused as I created a MainWindow.pbf and a DateWindow.pbf via the Form Designer. I selected the gadgets from the Form Toolbox and placed them on the Forms and saved them. I then ran Main.pb and got Procedure errors as the code in the help file is different to what the Form Designer creates, So I changed the Procuedure names to reflect OpenMainWindow in stead of Open_Window_0 etc and then the gadgets names now appear to be different and I am just going around in circles trying to see where I am going wrong.

Is it possible someone could post the code for MainWindow.pbf and DateWindow.pbf, that way I can understand how it all works. Could it also be possible to maybe add the code to the help file so there is at least a complete working solution and not just half working code. Maybe even create the files and put a copy into the Examples folder of the installation.

Thanks

[SniffTheGlove]

After a few more hours I figured it all out. (At least I think)

I cut out reference to the DateWindow and just tried to get an OK button to work in Debug Window.

OK,

Keep the Main.pb code the same as the help file but delete the following...
XIncludeFile "DateWindow.pbf" call
OpenDateWindow Call
TrainCalendarEvent(EventType) Procedure
Case DateWindow Select

That removes the Datewindow stuff

Now create a new Form and give it a Variable name of MainWindow
Now add a Button to the form, then in the Button's properties select the DropDown box for the Event Procedure and you should see 2 Procedures listed...
OkButtonEvent
CancelButtonEvent

Select the OkButtonEvent and then save the form as MainWindow.pbf

Now goto Main.pb and press F5 to run and clicking the button shows a response in the Debug window.

Simple now once I understand the methodoly

So the finished code looks like

Main.pb

Code: Select all

  XIncludeFile "MainWindow.pbf" ; Include the first window definition

  
  OpenMainWindow() ; Open the first window. This procedure name is always 'Open' followed by the window name

  
  ; The event procedures, as specified in the 'event procedure' property of each gadget
  Procedure OkButtonEvent(EventType)
    Debug "OkButton event"
  EndProcedure
  
  Procedure CancelButtonEvent(EventType)
    Debug "CancelButton event"
  EndProcedure

  
  ; The main event loop as usual, the only change is to call the automatically
  ; generated event procedure for each window.
  Repeat
    Event = WaitWindowEvent()
    
    Select EventWindow()
      Case MainWindow
        MainWindow_Events(Event) ; This procedure name is always window name followed by '_Events'
 
        
    EndSelect
    
  Until Event = #PB_Event_CloseWindow ; Quit on any window close

MainWindow.pbf

Code: Select all

Global MainWindow

Global Button_0

Declare OkButtonEvent(EventType)

Procedure OpenMainWindow()
  MainWindow = OpenWindow(#PB_Any, 0, 0, 220, 110, "", #PB_Window_SystemMenu)
  Button_0 = ButtonGadget(#PB_Any, 70, 30, 80, 30, "OOK")
EndProcedure

Procedure MainWindow_Events(event)
  Select event
    Case #PB_Event_CloseWindow
      ProcedureReturn #False

    Case #PB_Event_Menu
      Select EventMenu()
      EndSelect

    Case #PB_Event_Gadget
      Select EventGadget()
        Case Button_0
          OkButtonEvent(EventType())          
      EndSelect
  EndSelect
  ProcedureReturn #True
EndProcedure

[Skitted]

I just put my basic question here too...

What should happen once I click the Tools->Form Designer Menue Item ? Should it open the Designer ? It doesn't...

What is the Toolbox Tap in the Purebasic GUI good for ? I see all the Forms but I can not for example drag one into my code...(which would be cool) Currently it seems I can just scroll through the list, but nothing more, if I want to do anything I need to open the FormDesigner.exe...

I also found an error : Once I create a Button and set the Caption Text to "Click this !" it generates the following code, which does not run, because of the "" missing...

Code: Select all

  Button_0 = ButtonGadget(#PB_Any, 120, 140, 360, 90, Click this !)

Kind regards,
Newbie Skitted

P.s. I use PB 5.11

[Lothar Schirm]

@Skitted

If you click the Tools -> Form Designer Menue Item, you will only add the Form Designer Toolbox and Object List to your opened tools (e.g. Procedures, Project, File Explorer), if it is not yet. In order to open the Form Designer, you will have to click "Form -> New Form".

You cannot drag and drop controls from the toolbox into your code. You can only click on a control in the Toolbox (e.g. Button) so that you can draw it on your form. You can also drag and drop the button from the Toolbox on the form.

I cannot reproduce your error, using your example, I get a correct code.

[Polo]

If the "" are missing it means you clicked on "use caption as a variable".

[menschmarkus]

If the "" are missing it means you clicked on "use caption as a variable".

yep,
thats the reason why I made my proposal (http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtop ... 22&t=54067)
and the relating tiny tool (http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtop ... 12&t=54371)