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340 lines
14 KiB
Text
340 lines
14 KiB
Text
<!-- $XConsortium: ch01.sgm /main/6 1996/09/08 19:47:49 rws $ -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Digital Equipment Corporation. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Hewlett-Packard Company. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 International Business Machines Corp. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Sun Microsystems, Inc. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Novell, Inc. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 FUJITSU LIMITED. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Hitachi. -->
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<Chapter Id="ABUG.intro.div.1">
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<Title Id="ABUG.intro.mkr.1">Getting Started</Title>
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<Para>App Builder is a development tool that makes designing, creating, and
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prototyping a user interface easier. App Builder gives you the freedom to
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create and try user interfaces without writing any code. Because you can create
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and modify an interface easily, you'll find that you can spend more time
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designing and testing, the surest route to better user interfaces.</Para>
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<InformalTable Id="ABUG.intro.itbl.1" Frame="All">
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<TGroup Cols="1">
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<ColSpec Colname="1" Colwidth="4.0 in">
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<TBody>
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<Row Rowsep="1">
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<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Application Builder Primary Window2'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="ABUG.intro.mkr.2"></Para></Entry>
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</Row>
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<Row Rowsep="1">
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<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Starting and Exiting App Builder3'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="ABUG.intro.mkr.3"></Para></Entry>
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</Row>
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<Row Rowsep="1">
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<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Overview of the App Builder Process4'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="ABUG.intro.mkr.4"></Para></Entry>
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</Row>
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<Row Rowsep="1">
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<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Object Types5'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="ABUG.intro.mkr.5"></Para></Entry>
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</Row>
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<Row Rowsep="1">
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<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Rules for Dropping Objects6'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="ABUG.intro.mkr.6"></Para></Entry>
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</Row>
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</TBody>
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</TGroup>
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</InformalTable>
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<Sect1 Id="ABUG.intro.div.2">
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<Title Id="ABUG.intro.mkr.2">Application Builder Primary Window</Title>
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<Para>The Application Builder primary window, shown below, is the starting point
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for creating a user interface. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;App Builder Primary Window&xd3; on page 116'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.apWDB.mkr.2">,
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for a detailed description of the primary window.<IndexTerm>
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<Primary>drag and drop</Primary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>creating</Primary>
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<Secondary>interface</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>interface</Primary>
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<Secondary>creating</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>user interface</Primary><Secondary><Emphasis>See<Default Para Font> interface<$nopage></Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>interface</Primary>
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<Secondary>creating</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>creating</Primary>
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<Secondary>interface</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>creating</Primary>
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<Secondary>interface</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>interface</Primary>
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<Secondary>creating</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm>
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</Para>
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<Figure>
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<Title>Application Builder primary window</Title>
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<Graphic Entityref="ABUG.intro.fig.1" Id="ABUG.intro.grph.1"></Graphic>
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</Figure>
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<Para><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>App Builder</Primary>
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<Secondary>primary window</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm>The basic method for creating an App Builder user interface is to <Emphasis>drag and drop</Emphasis>
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objects from the App Builder primary window onto the workspace or onto
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other App Builder objects. See
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<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter 3, &xd2;Laying Out a User Interface'--><XRef Role="ChapNumAndTitle" Linkend="ABUG.layo.mkr.1">, for
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details.</Para>
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</Sect1>
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<Sect1 Id="ABUG.intro.div.3">
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<Title Id="ABUG.intro.mkr.3">Starting and Exiting App Builder</Title>
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<Sect2 Id="ABUG.intro.div.4" Role="Procedure">
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<Title>To Open App Builder from an Icon</Title>
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<Sidebar>
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<Para><Graphic Entityref="ABUG.intro.fig.2" Id="ABUG.intro.igrph.1"></Graphic></Para>
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</Sidebar>
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<OrderedList>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>If App Builder has previously been open and the App Builder icon is on the
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workspace, double-click the icon to open App Builder.<IndexTerm>
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<Primary>App Builder</Primary>
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<Secondary>icon</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>App Builder</Primary>
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<Secondary>starting</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>starting App Builder</Primary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary><Filename | Command>dtappbuilder<Default Para Font> command</Primary>
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</IndexTerm>
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</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>If App Builder is installed on the Front Panel, click the App Builder icon in
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the Personal Applications subpanel to open App Builder.</Para>
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<Para>To install App Builder on the Front Panel, see “To Put an Application Icon in
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the Front Panel” in the Application Manager help volume for instructions.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</OrderedList>
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</Sect2>
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<Sect2 Id="ABUG.intro.div.5" Role="Procedure">
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<Title>To Start App Builder from the Command Line</Title>
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<Para>The command to run App Builder is <Command>dtbuilder</Command>. Do the following to start App
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Builder from the command line:</Para>
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<OrderedList>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Type <Command>dtbuilder</Command></Para>
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<Para>If dtbuilder is in your path, App Builder will start. If it is not in your path,
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you will need to type the full path name (which, by default, is
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<Filename>/usr/dt/bin/dtbuilder</Filename>) or change to the folder where <Command>dtbuilder</Command> is
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located before typing <Command>dtbuilder</Command>.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</OrderedList>
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</Sect2>
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<Sect2 Id="ABUG.intro.div.6" Role="Procedure">
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<Title>To Exit App Builder<IndexTerm><Primary>App Builder</Primary><Secondary>exiting</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>quitting</Primary><Secondary>App Builder</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
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<OrderedList>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Choose Exit from the File menu of the App Builder primary window to quit
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App Builder.</Para>
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<Para>If you have not saved all changes, a message dialog box will be displayed,
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giving you the opportunity to discard the changes and continue the exit
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process or to cancel the exit process and continue running App Builder.
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Click Discard Changes if you do not want to save them. Click Cancel if you
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do not want to discard your changes; you could then save your changes and
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exit.<IndexTerm>
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<Primary>App Builder</Primary>
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<Secondary>quitting</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm>
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</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</OrderedList>
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</Sect2>
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</Sect1>
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<Sect1 Id="ABUG.intro.div.7">
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<Title Id="ABUG.intro.mkr.4">Overview of the App Builder Process</Title>
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<Para>The basic process of building and maintaining a user interface with App
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Builder is simple and straightforward. There are many variations on this
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formula, but the process is similar for any application.<IndexTerm><Primary>App Builder</Primary><Secondary>overview of process</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>interface</Primary><Secondary>overview of creating and maintaining</Secondary></IndexTerm>
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</Para>
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<OrderedList>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Start App Builder. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Starting and Exiting App Builder&xd3; on page 3'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.intro.mkr.3">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Open a new project and a new module. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Creating, Opening, and Saving
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Projects&xd3; on page 7'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.proj.mkr.3">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Drag and drop windows (main windows and custom dialogs) to the
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workspace, creating a new module for each window, in most cases. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Dragging and Dropping Palette Objects&xd3; on page 22'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.layo.mkr.2">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Drag and drop panes onto main windows or custom dialogs. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Dragging
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and Dropping Palette Objects&xd3; on page 22'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.layo.mkr.2">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Drag and drop controls (buttons, choice objects, text fields, for example)
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onto control panes. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Dragging and Dropping Palette Objects&xd3; on
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page 22'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.layo.mkr.2">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Create pane objects, menus, and message dialogs. See
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<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter 5, &xd2;Creating
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and Editing Panes, Menus, and Messages'--><XRef Role="ChapNumAndTitle" Linkend="ABUG.crobj.mkr.1">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Create help dialogs. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Creating Help and Help Connections&xd3; on page 67'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.afunc.mkr.2">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Edit the properties of interface objects. See
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<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter 4, &xd2;Editing Properties of
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Interface Objects'--><XRef Role="ChapNumAndTitle" Linkend="ABUG.edprp.mkr.1">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Make functional connections between objects in the user interface. See
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<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter 6, &xd2;Adding Functionality to the Interface'--><XRef Role="ChapNumAndTitle" Linkend="ABUG.afunc.mkr.1">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Go into test mode to test menus, help, and connections. See
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<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter 8,
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&xd2;Testing Menus, Help, and Connections'--><XRef Role="ChapNumAndTitle" Linkend="ABUG.test.mkr.1">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Display the Code Generator to generate code and make the user interface.
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See
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<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter 9, &xd2;Generating Code and Building an Application'--><XRef Role="ChapNumAndTitle" Linkend="ABUG.codeg.mkr.1">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Add user code to the code generated by App Builder. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Adding User
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Code to Generated Code&xd3; on page 112'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.codeg.mkr.6">.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Debug the code, make and run the application.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Repeat the process to modify and maintain the user interface.</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</OrderedList>
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</Sect1>
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<Sect1 Id="ABUG.intro.div.8">
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<Title Id="ABUG.intro.mkr.5">Object Types<IndexTerm><Primary>object types</Primary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>types of objects</Primary></IndexTerm></Title>
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<Para>There are three basic types of objects on the primary window: windows, panes,
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and controls. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;App Builder Primary Window&xd3; on page 116'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.apWDB.mkr.2">, for
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descriptions of each of the objects.</Para>
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<Para>The windows in App Builder are:</Para>
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<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Main window</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Custom dialog</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>File selection dialog</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</ItemizedList>
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<Para>The panes in App Builder are:</Para>
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<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Control pane</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Text pane</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Draw area pane</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Term pane</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</ItemizedList>
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<Para>The controls in App Builder are:</Para>
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<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Button</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Check box (Choice object)</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Combo box</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Gauge</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Label</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>List (scrolling list)</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Menu bar*</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Menu button</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Option menu (Choice object)</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Radio box (Choice object)</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Scale</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Separator</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Spin box</Para>
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</ListItem>
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<ListItem>
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<Para>Text Field</Para>
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</ListItem>
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</ItemizedList>
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<Note>
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<Para>*The menu bar is not a control, but it is on the Controls palette. It can
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only be dropped on a main window.</Para>
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</Note>
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</Sect1>
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<Sect1 Id="ABUG.intro.div.9">
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<Title Id="ABUG.intro.mkr.6">Rules for Dropping Objects<IndexTerm><Primary>rules</Primary><Secondary>for dropping objects</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>objects</Primary><Secondary>rules for dropping</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>drag and drop</Primary><Secondary>rules</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>rules</Primary><Secondary>drag and drop</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
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<Para>The rules for dragging and dropping the three types of App Builder objects are
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explained below. An error message will be displayed if you attempt to drop an
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object on an illegal target.</Para>
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<Para><Emphasis><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>drop rules</Primary>
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<Secondary>for windows</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>windows</Primary>
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<Secondary>drop rules</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm>Windows</Emphasis> (main window, custom dialog, file selection dialog) can be dropped
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anywhere on the workspace except for the App Builder primary window.</Para>
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<Para><Emphasis><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>drop rules</Primary>
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<Secondary>for panes</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>panes</Primary>
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<Secondary>drop rules</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm>Panes</Emphasis> (control pane, text pane, draw area pane, term pane) can be dropped on
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a main window, a custom dialog, or on another pane. See
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<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Creating and
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Editing Pane Entities&xd3; on page 40'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="ABUG.crobj.mkr.2"> for more information.</Para>
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<Para><Emphasis><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>controls</Primary>
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<Secondary>drop rules</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
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<Primary>drop rules</Primary>
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<Secondary>for controls</Secondary>
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</IndexTerm>Controls</Emphasis> (buttons, menus, boxes, for example) can be dropped on a control pane
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or a group.</Para>
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<Note>
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<Para>As noted above, a menu bar is on the Controls palette, but it is not
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really a control. It can only be dropped on a main window. A menu bar can be
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dropped anywhere on a main window; it will always appear at the top of the
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window.</Para>
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</Note>
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</Sect1>
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</Chapter>
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<!--fickle 1.14 mif-to-docbook 1.7 01/02/96 10:11:44-->
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