Creating Static Items

Creating Static Items

Static menu items place graphical elements on a menu page. Currently, you can create static text, icons, or panels. Static panels can be a standard display or a graph display. To create a new static item, display the menu page where the item will appear, then select:

Utilities -> Edit Menu -> New -> Static Text or Static Panel or Static Icon

To edit an existing static item, display the menu page the static text is on, and select:

Utilities -> Edit Menu -> double-click on item

For example, Creating a Static Display Panel or Rectangle shows an example of the menu page that is displayed when Static Panel is selected. The fields that display on the menu page depend on the type of item selected. For details on a field, click on the field in the figure.

Figure 8-6. Creating a Static Display Panel or Rectangle

Static Item Options

Menu page Displays the name of the menu page where the item will be added.

Font Number Select the font number for the label for this static item.

Conditional Section Indicate the conditional section you want associated with this static item. See Creating a Conditional Section.

x/y/dx/dy Display Coordinates The upper left corner of the static item is specified in the first two boxes. The width and height of the static item are specified in the second two boxes.

Help Enter the help search string associated with this item. When this item is selected and the F1 key is pressed, the help database associated with the menu page file will be searched for a record with this name. If a matching record is found, it will be displayed in the help window (see Custom Online Help).

Label Enter the label you want to display with the static item.

Relative In the "Relative position" data boxes, enter the position for this label relative to the upper left corner of the static item.

Text Double click on Aa|Aa (next to Text color) to display a pop-up menu showing you the text and background color options. If Opaque is selected, the text will look like the left "Aa", otherwise it will look like the right "Aa".

Standard Select this option to create a static display panel. The fields on the bottom of the menu page will update to allow configuration of a static display panel. For details, see static display panels.

Graph Select this option to create a static graph panel. The fields on the bottom of the menu page will update to allow configuration of a static graph panel. For details, see static graph panels.

For static display panels:

Characteristics For static panels and rectangles, specify the characteristics of the panels appearance (edges inset, outset, plain, color or gray background).

Panel Rtn: Specify a routine that will be run when this item is displayed (see menu.pnl.spawn (arg, mode, db.p, x, y, dx, dy $cmd)( ). The value in "Arg" will be passed to the "Rtn". When a routine name is entered here, a V+ routine will be called that allows the customizer to take control of a section of the menu page. The routine is notified of the size and position of the panel as well as all events that take place within the panel, thus allowing the customizer to program this area as if it were a window. "Arg" is passed to the panel routine.

Color: Select this option to create a static graph panel.

For static icons:

When you are adding a static icon, the fields at the bottom of the screen display as shown:

Fields for Static Icons

Name
Specify the icon name. The icon name must either be a standard Adept icon or a custom icon you have created with the EDITICON utility and loaded with a call to ai.load.icon( ).

Index
If the icons are stored in an array, specify the array index.

For static graph panels:

If the graph button is selected, the fields on the Static Panel or Rectangle menu page update for configuration of the graph data as shown in the following figure. Click on a field in the figure for information. For more details on ,

Fields for Static Graph Panel

Panel Rtn:

Specify a routine that will be run when this item is displayed (see menu.pnl.spawn (arg, mode, db.p, x, y, dx, dy $cmd)( ). The value in "Arg" will be passed to the "Rtn". When a routine name is entered here, a V+ routine will be called that allows the customizer to take control of a section of the menu page. The routine is notified of the size and position of the panel as well as all events that take place within the panel, thus allowing the customizer to program this area as if it were a window. "Arg" is passed to the panel routine.

Graph Definition

Description Array:

This section specifies the graph data that will be used to plot and draw the graph.

Enter the name of the string array for the graph labels. For details on initializing and defining the description array, see Creating a Graph.

Data Array:

Enter the name of the data array for the graph values. For details on initializing and defining the description array, see Creating a Graph.

Auto refresh

Click this field if you want to be able to use the redraw (mu.graph.redraw) or refresh (mu.graph.refresh) routines to update the graph.

Menu Item Drawing Order

Menu items are drawn in the following order:

Starting with conditional section 0, all menu items in a single conditional section are drawn. When two menu items overlap, the item in the higher conditional section will overlay the item from the lower conditional section.

Within a single conditional section:

a. Static panels are drawn first. Multiple panels in a single section are drawn in the order they were created.

b. The remaining items within the section are drawn in the order they were created.

When a button, scroll bar, data box, or scroll window is selected, it is brought to the front until the next redraw is executed.

Menu page	Displays the name of the menu page where the item will be added.
Font Number	Select the font number for the label for this static item.
Conditional Section	Indicate the conditional section you want associated with this static item. See Creating a Conditional Section.
x/y/dx/dy Display Coordinates	The upper left corner of the static item is specified in the first two boxes. The width and height of the static item are specified in the second two boxes.
Help	Enter the help search string associated with this item. When this item is selected and the F1 key is pressed, the help database associated with the menu page file will be searched for a record with this name. If a matching record is found, it will be displayed in the help window (see Custom Online Help).
Label	Enter the label you want to display with the static item.
Relative	In the "Relative position" data boxes, enter the position for this label relative to the upper left corner of the static item.
Text	Double click on Aa\|Aa (next to Text color) to display a pop-up menu showing you the text and background color options. If Opaque is selected, the text will look like the left "Aa", otherwise it will look like the right "Aa".
Standard	Select this option to create a static display panel. The fields on the bottom of the menu page will update to allow configuration of a static display panel. For details, see static display panels.
Graph	Select this option to create a static graph panel. The fields on the bottom of the menu page will update to allow configuration of a static graph panel. For details, see static graph panels.

Characteristics	For static panels and rectangles, specify the characteristics of the panels appearance (edges inset, outset, plain, color or gray background).
Panel Rtn:	Specify a routine that will be run when this item is displayed (see menu.pnl.spawn (arg, mode, db.p, x, y, dx, dy $cmd)( ). The value in "Arg" will be passed to the "Rtn". When a routine name is entered here, a V+ routine will be called that allows the customizer to take control of a section of the menu page. The routine is notified of the size and position of the panel as well as all events that take place within the panel, thus allowing the customizer to program this area as if it were a window. "Arg" is passed to the panel routine.
Color:	Select this option to create a static graph panel.

Name	Specify the icon name. The icon name must either be a standard Adept icon or a custom icon you have created with the EDITICON utility and loaded with a call to ai.load.icon( ).
Index	If the icons are stored in an array, specify the array index.

Panel Rtn:	Specify a routine that will be run when this item is displayed (see menu.pnl.spawn (arg, mode, db.p, x, y, dx, dy $cmd)( ). The value in "Arg" will be passed to the "Rtn". When a routine name is entered here, a V+ routine will be called that allows the customizer to take control of a section of the menu page. The routine is notified of the size and position of the panel as well as all events that take place within the panel, thus allowing the customizer to program this area as if it were a window. "Arg" is passed to the panel routine.
Graph Definition Description Array:	This section specifies the graph data that will be used to plot and draw the graph. Enter the name of the string array for the graph labels. For details on initializing and defining the description array, see Creating a Graph.
Data Array:	Enter the name of the data array for the graph values. For details on initializing and defining the description array, see Creating a Graph.
Auto refresh	Click this field if you want to be able to use the redraw (mu.graph.redraw) or refresh (mu.graph.refresh) routines to update the graph.