Set to Size of a Previous Gadget

PML Customisation User Guide

Form Layout : Gadget Size Management : Set to Size of a Previous Gadget

A new gadget's size component can be set to the size of any previously placed gadget, for example:

frame fr1 |Frame 1| ... Width.gad6 Height

This sets the width of fr1 to that of gad6, and its height to that of the last (most recently placed) gadget.

Notes:

When setting the width of a gadget with a displayed in-line tag, you are setting the width of the interactor, i.e. the gadget excluding the tag, which is sized separately.

When setting the width to that of a gadget with a displayed in-line tag, the width retrieved is that of the interactor, i.e. the gadget excluding any tag width.

All gadgets have a TAG attribute, which may be set in the gadget definition or modified after the gadget definition is complete. The gadget size depends on the tag's existence, whether the tag is displayable, and the tag's value at the time of definition.

The following table categorizes the gadgets and explains the effect of Width, Height and TagWidth settings. It also specifies whether gadget scroll bars are within the defined gadget size or additional to it.


Gadget	Description and issues	Sizing attributes
TEXT, OPTION, COMBO, NUMERIC	Optional displayed in-line tag to left of the gadget interactor.	Tag is sized by explicit text, but TAGWIDTH overrides this. WIDTH interactor width
TOGGLE, RTOGGLE	Optional displayed in-line tag to right of the gadget interactor.	Tag is sized by explicit text, but TAGWIDTH overrides this.
LIST,SELECTOR,	Optional displayed tag above, only if defined. Scrollbars automatic when needed	WIDTH excludes scrollbar space HEIGHT is number of visible lines, excludes scrollbar space, excludes tag display
TEXTPANE	Optional displayed tag above, only if defined. Scrollbars automatic when needed	WIDTH includes scrollbar space HEIGHT is number of visible lines, includes scrollbar space, excludes tag display
SLIDER, G2D, G3D, GM3D	Tag never displayed	Defined completely by WIDTH and HEIGHT
PARAGRAPH	Tag never displayed	WIDTH includes scrollbar space
FRAME, BUTTON	Tag is integral	Defined completely by WIDTH and HEIGHT
ALPHA	Optional displayed tag above, only if defined. Scroll bars always present. Recommend: always house in a frame gadget, and use frame’s tag for title.	WIDTH excludes scrollbar space HEIGHT excludes scrollbar space, includes tag display

Figure 17:8.

Table showing meaning of Size for different gadget types

The form !!tagDisplay (file tagDisplay.pmlfrm) shown in Figure 17:9 illustrates the information given in the table, and shows how the default auto-placement position for the first gadget in a frame depends on the tag text.

Figure 17:9.

Form illustrating the information in table 17:8.