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- Topic: Displaying Graphics on a HanDBase Form

- Product: HanDBase Forms

- Version: 4.0

- Date: November 25, 2007

- Handheld OS: n/a

Tutorial:

This tutorial's goal is to introduce the ability to display graphics on a form as a new feature in HanDBase 4.0. This feature's main function is to provide the user with the opportunity to create custom forms. Being able to display graphics on forms extends the previous functionality of HanDBase by allowing users to display a company logo, logotype or product reference, to name a few. In this tutorial, the necessary steps to configure HanDBase and HanDBase Forms on the desktop to take advantage of this new feature will be detailed. Then, the results of properly configuring graphics on forms will be examined. Finally, additional resources will be provided should any further information be needed.

To take advantage of graphics on forms HanDBase first needs to be configured on the desktop. Do this by selecting HanDBase Desktop at the following location:

Start Menu / All Programs / HanDBase 4/

Step #1:

Once opened, the first step is to create a database or select an existing database while in list view. For the purpose of this tutorial, a sample database has been created with the fields:

Database Name=CompanyLogo

Field 1 - Name=Company Name, Type=Text

Field 2 - Name=Product, Type=Text

Field 3 - Name=Price, Type=Integer

Step #2:

a) Once the "CompanyLogo" database has been created in HanDBase, the next step is create a form to use when entering data.

b) In the DB Properties window, select the "forms" option on the right side of the screen by tapping the button.

c) As a result of doing this, HanDBase will launch HanDBase Forms to allow for designing of the UI (user interface).

d) To create a form, click “New” in the Form Browser window.

e) If the Form Browser window is not visible, turn it on my selecting the menu option View / Show Form Browser.

f) In the Form Details window at the left of the screen, define the parameters of the form, including it's name, background color and button options.

Step #3:

a) The next sequence is geared towards placing UI elements onto the screen that correspond with the database fields. The toolbar at the top of the window contains a sequence of buttons that when pressed place different items on the form. Move the mouse over each of the buttons to see what UI element they create.

b) Create labels for each of the fields by selecting the Label button from the toolbar. Click on the form window to initially place each item.

c) Define each of them to match one of the fields in the "CompanyLogo" database.

d) After placing labels on the form, create text field UI elements that are associated with the fields and position each of them near their respective labels.

e) Finally, select an image file from the computer’s hard drive and position it on the form.

f) Start by adding an picture button UI element from the toolbar and configuring it to match the parameters listed below.

- General Tab:

o Data Source: Optionally assign the button to a field

o Image Location: Use field value to pull the image path from a string used in the database. Use other to select a file from the computer’s hard drive.

o Select the "browse" button to select the image stored in a directory on the computer.

- Layout Tab:

o Adjust the width and height of the button to accommodate the graphic. The Scaled to Fit box may be checked to force the image to display on the button.

- Attributes Tab:

o Set Visible to equal Yes

- Actions Tab:

o Here a button action can be defined. To assign an action to the button, choose one of the options from the dropdown list. Up to two different actions can be assigned to a button. If there is to only be a graphic displayed on a form, simply leave the action set to “Do Nothing”.

After setting up HanDBase Forms 4 to use display graphics on a form, as described above, when editing or adding a record to the database, a graphical button will display the image that was assigned during the above sequence.

To summarize, this tutorial has introduced the ability to display graphics on a form as one of the many new features in HanDBase 4. Additional resources, if needed, can be found at:

1 link to video version of tutorial

2 link to download database files used in the tutorial

If further assistance is needed, please contact DDH Software's technical support at http://www.ddhsoftware.com/support