PML Customisation
User Guide
Form Layout : Layout Modes
Two layout commands are supported, namely Layout Form and Setup Form. Each one allows the same set of form definition commands terminated by Exit. The layout commands themselves are very similar, but differ in their default attributes and optional keywords supported. They also have some small but significant behavioural difference.
Layout Form (recommended) is the new way of laying out forms:
Setup Form is the old familiar scheme :
VarChars (recommended) is based on measuring precise string widths. It is better suited to the use of variably spaced fonts, and removes the need for most uses of the TagWidth specifier. The benefits of using VarChars are:
FixChars is the old layout mode retained for backwards compatibility with older PML applications, which is based on the use of notional character width to calculate the approximate size of textual gadgets and gadget tags. Because the calculated sizes are only approximate, you have to make frequent use of the gadget's Width and TagWidth attributes, and considerable trial and error, to achieve a required layout.
