Drawing Non-Property Controls

Non-property controls are stand-alone controls that are not linked to item properties. Non-property controls include label, group, image, and static text controls.

You can create the following non-property controls from the Tools Palette:

  • Create non-property controls (general)
  • Create Label non-property controls
  • Create Image non-property controls
  • Create Group non-property controls
  • Create Static Text non-property controls

To create a non-property control (general):

  1. Click the appropriate button on the Tools Palette. The mouse pointer changes to a cross-hair.
  2. Click and drag to draw the control on the form. A dialog box opens so you can name the control.

To create a Label control:

  1. Click the Label Control button on the Tools Palette, then click the Form Layout Area, and drag to draw the control on the form. The Create New Control dialog box opens.
  2. Select the property control to be associated with the label, and click OK.
  3. Change the Caption value to descriptive text for the control, replacing the Label: default value.

To create an Image control:

  1. Click the Image Control button on the Tools Palette, then click the Form Layout Area, and drag to draw the control on the form. The Create New Control dialog box opens.
  2. The Import Image dialog box opens. By default you will be navigated to the last folder you have chosen an image from.
  3. Browse to the image file (.jpg, .png, .bmp, .wbmp, .gif) of your choice, and click Import.

To create a Group control:

  1. Click the Group control button on the Tools Palette, then click the Form Layout Area, and drag to draw the control on the form.
  2. The control is created. To add children drag other controls inside.
  3. Operations performed with the group control (such as move/copy/cut/paste/delete and so on) will be performed with its associated child controls as well.

To create a Static Text non-property control, do the following:

  1. Click the Static Text Control button on the Tools Palette, then click the Form Layout Area, and drag to draw the control on the form. The Create New Control dialog box opens.
  2. Select the Display Caption Only check box (the "Caption" field pops up)
  3. Type the display text in the Caption field (later it can be edited in the Properties Pane).