Properties - General
 

Instance of ControlPanel Group chooser SettingsArea


 Settings Area

This panel allows you to modify properties of the selected bean. Properties values depend on the type of beans selected. Because the VisualMust architecture has been built around beans, the list of properties is obtained dynamically by inquiring the component via the introspection method. As a consequence, it is not possible here to comment an exhaustive list of these properties.

For further information, you may refer to the documentation from the Beans provider. If you have set the doc paths in the interface builder preferences, you may have a direct access to the documentation of the selected bean by clicking on the Bean Docs in the Group Chooser.


There are three properties that deserve additional comments.

Bean Name

Each time you are creating a component, VisualMust will build a single name for this bean. You are recommended to rename it, giving it a name that makes sense for you. According to the recommendation of objects programming, VisualMust will generate a get_<BeanName> method that will allow you to use this object at your convenience. By calling this method, you will be assured that the component has been built as a body, including its properties and descendants.

You will be able to rename the object later on, even after having used it within your source code. VisualMust will change for you any occurrences inside your source code. See Preferences - Source Code chapter.

All these issues will be discussed in the "Architecture" chapter.

Multiple Exclusion

This property is bound to the toggle button component. In the "on" state, the toggle button will be included to the current multiple-exclusion ButtonGroup object. Adding a toggle button with the same ButtonGroup object means that turning "on" one of those buttons turns off all other buttons in the group. Additionally, in the "on" state, you may have access to the Properties - Group panel.

The multiple exclusion property is not available for radio buttons. Actually, for a radio button, this property is always considered as being in the "on" state.

Start Group

This property is bound to the toggle button component. In the "on" state, it will be used to create a new multiple-exclusion scope for a set of buttons. Creating a set of buttons with the same ButtonGroup object means that turning "on" one of those buttons turns off all other buttons in the group. You may have an overview of the groups by using the Properties - Group panel. So, for further information, see the "Properties - Group" chapter.


Instance of Control Panel

The Control Panel shows the hierarchy of the application's components. Clicking an icon will cause the component associated to this icon to be displayed with selected-state emphasis. The Group Chooser as well as the Settings Area will be updated immediately according to the selected component.

This instance can be quite handy when you have added a group of components in sequence and want to set their properties (eg the columns of a JTable or the RadioButtons of a group). You don't have to go back to your design and select the next object, selecting it in this instance is much more effective. Note that even if VisualMust gives to any component a unique name, your application (or applet) will be more readable afterwards if you change the name of the used objects (Bean Name property) to something more meaningful than «TableColumn34».

You can notice that the properties associated with the given object are classified and organized by groups. These groups (as the properties they hold) are subject to changes in accordance with the selected object itself or its context (don't be afraid if, after having set a given layout for a panel, all the elements it contains are given a constraints group). This splitting tries to be as intuitive as possible and allows the use of specific interfaces in some cases (colors). Don't hesitate to click on any of the proposed groups to see what related items are made accessible. When clicking Group Chooser, you may choose one of the available groups according to the selected component.

Much more facilities are available through the control panel or this instance. Your are highly encouraged to browse the "Control Panel" chapter to discover some more goodies.

The Events window hosts another instance of the control panel which offers the same facilities.


Group chooser and Settings Area

As stated before, the properties of a given component are grouped in different families, this avoids huge lists of unrelated elements (the alphabetical order would have mixed up all the stuff) and allows to propose a more suitable interface in much cases.
The predefined groups are identified in this area by the following icons. The way of setting the associated properties has been tailored for any of these possibilities.
Please note that some properties of any components are a function of its context. The list given below is exhaustive but may not be proposed for every piece of your GUI. This doesn't mean in any case that the list you can see at a moment will be the one you will see forever : If you modify the context of the object, its properties list will change and so will do the proposed group.

In a generic way, any bean property that cannot be associated to any other group will be added to the General group. This group will offer you some rather handy editors to select the correct value you want to assign to a given property, but is also able to use a bean specific Custom Property Editor provided with the given bean if it is available (we can regret that, as this facility is not implemented in the vast majority of the interface builders available, only few beans providers offer such editors). The user-friendliness of this feature is given in this example using a JBCSolutions DateChooser bean (see the "Properties - Custom Property Editor " chapter). For the technically inclined, in that case, the bean itself is used as an editor for its properties...).


Here is a complete list of the groups handled by VisualMust.
 
Group Descriptions
General In a generic way, any bean property that cannot be associated to any other group will be added to the General group.
Colors Allows you to set any color defined as accessible in the given bean.
Fonts Allows you to select the used font and offers you a sample for your selection.
Bounds This group of properties allows you to fine tune the size and location of your components.
Group This Settings area is correlated with the multiple-exclusion, toggle buttons.
Regions Will appear if the parent has been set a BorderLayout, or if the component is a JToolBar.
Images This Settings area contains all properties that handle images.
Constraints Will appear if the parent's layout supports positional information (eg GridbagLayout).
Layout Will appear it the given component supports layouts. (Any JPanel will exhibit this).
Reset Guess what ...
ScrollPane This group of properties allows you to fine tune the ScrollBar policy that has to be used.
Bean Docs This can retrieve the documentation coming with the bean.
Customizer Dialog Customizer Dialog and Custom Property Editor provide a complete custom GUI for customizing a target bean.