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WideStudio Application Builder User's Guide

Set Properties

Each GUI object has internal variables, called "properties", which define its shape, color, and actions. To customize an instance, you alter its properties. The properties are set via the Property Editor of the Inspector. The Property Editor can be opened in two ways: ((Builder >> menu:Edit >> Properties)) or ((Inspector >> tab:Properties)).

[Above, how to access Properties from (top) the Builder's menu-bar and (bottom) the Inspector.]

[Above, how to access Properties from an Instance's context-menu.]

Using any of the above three methods, you'll get a properties sheet similar to the one below. This example shows the properties of WSCvbtn (a push button).

[Above, view of the Properties sheet (to the right of the Inspector).]

The properties sheet contains many rows, one per property. Each row has a label, to the left, and a control (most often a text box), to the right. After editing a property, hit [Enter] to confirm the change, and send it to the instance. The example below shows three properties being changed ("Width", "Foreground", and "Label string"), and their effects upon the instance.

[Above, (top) changes in the Properties sheet, and (below) corresponding changes in the Instance.]

You can specify a hexadecimal RGB value, or press color button to display the color selection dialog, when the property is a color property.

Color properties ("Foreground", "Background", "Top shadow color", "Bottom shadow color") can be adjusted in one of two ways. You can either click the color swatch to open a special color selection dialog box, or directly type a six-digit hexadecimal RGB value.

[Above, setting the "Foreground" color property to purple. Top, the property in the Properties sheet. Bottom, the color selection dialog.]

A hexadecimal color value is represented by a "number" sign ("#") followed by three hexadecimal pairs, representing the intensity of Red, Green, and Blue. A hex digit is {0-9,a,b,c,d,e,f}. "00" is zero intensity, and "ff" is maximum. Hence, white is "#ffffff", medium grey is "#999999", and black is "#000000". Red is "#ff0000", medium green is "#00cc00", dark blue is "#000033", and so forth. Valid colors are in the range:

#00000 - #ffffff

(Most computer graphics applications represent colors in this way.) You can also specify system default colors with the color selection dialog. You have better use these colors on development for Windows system.

The color selection dialog permits you to use the standard Windows system colors, that is, the ones shared by all the applications. When developing a program for use under Windows, use these to ensure that it matches everybody else.

[Above: how to select the system default colors.]

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