The Form Editor designs the user interface for your
application. End users interact with the application you design
through the use of controls like list boxes, buttons, and input
fields. You can also style your forms with frames, text, lines,
and images. In addition, you can create forms that run reports,
search data sources, and much more.
Here is a brief overview of how you design forms:
- Place controls,
such as radio buttons, check boxes, images, and buttons, on your
form to communicate information to and collect information from
your end users.
For example, you use edit boxes, list boxes, check
boxes, and radio buttons to request information from end users.
You use text and images to communicate information to them.
For
more information on how to use controls, see Developing and Using Controls.
- Define the
properties of these controls. The properties determine what the
controls look like (for example, colors and fonts) and how they
behave (for example, whether an entry into an edit box displays
asterisks for passwords, or whether the end user can make multiple
selections in a list box). Some controls also have properties which
can be bound to data, either from a Maintain variable or coded at
development time.
Most properties can be changed dynamically at
run time.
For more information on properties, see Form and Control Properties Reference.
- Define the
events that end users cause by interacting with the form (such as clicking
a button) and what action occurs when an event takes place (such
as writing data to a data source or opening another form).
For
more information on events, see Defining Events and Event Handlers.
After you place controls on your form, you can:
- Select
all the controls on your form and manipulate them as a group.
- Use standard
Cut, Copy, and Paste commands on your controls. WebFOCUS Maintain
also supplies an extra command for making copies of controls, the
Duplicate command.
- Use special
commands to resize, align, and space controls.
- Group controls
together so that they are treated as a unit.
- Undo editing
mistakes or redo actions.
If you are designing complicated forms, you can place controls
on separate layers.