Creating Panel Controls

Defining an Info Tip

The Define Info Tip dialog is used to customize the floating tip associated with a control by adding features such as a tip title, descriptive tip text and a hyperlink. These features enhance the visual display and functionality of the tip by providing users with much needed information at their fingertips.

Two types of tips can be defined:

Standard

Allows you to enter a standard tip using default formatting (i.e. font style and size) for the tip text.

Provides the option to insert a hyperlink, which is useful for directing users to an additional source of information such as a page in an online manual or a relevant website.

HTML

Provides a simplified HTML Editor with pre-defined toolbars for customizing the tip text.

(Support for HTML tips was added in PxPlus 2017.)

(The Define Info Tip dialog was added in PxPlus 2016.)

The Define Info Tip dialog is accessed when using the NOMADS Panel Designer to create or edit the design properties for the following panel controls: Button, Radio Button, Check Box, List Box, Drop Box, Multi-Line, Grid and Chart. In the properties window for the control, select the User Aid tab and click the button to the right of the Floating Tip multi-line input to invoke the Define Info Tip dialog. When clicking OK to save the tip, the Floating Tip drop box on the User Aid tab is set to Expression.

Below are examples of a Standard tip and an HTML tip defined with an optional hyperlink in the Define Info Tip dialog for a Button control. When the mouse pointer is positioned over the Button control (in the Test Panel below), the floating tip with the hyperlink is displayed.

 


"Standard" Tip Definition


"HTML" Tip Definition
(Added in PxPlus 2017)



Floating Tip with Hyperlink

The Define Info Tip dialog consists of the following options:

Info Tip

These options are required when defining a tip:

Title

Enter the heading to display in the first line of the tip.

Tip Type

Available selections:

Standard

(Default) Select this style to create a standard tip with text using the default formatting (i.e. font style and size). Provides the option to insert a hyperlink.

HTML

Select this style to create a tip using a simplified HTML Editor to customize the tip text. Once HTMLis selected, the Tip Type cannot be switched back to Standard. You will need to click OK or Cancel to exit the dialog and then define a new tip as Standard.

Tip Text

Enter the contents for the tip, which will display when the mouse pointer is positioned on the control. The tip text displays directly below the tip title and includes helpful information about the control.

For Standard tips, type the text to be displayed, pressing Enter to start a new line. Maximum size is 2K.

For HTML tips, use the HTML Editor provided to format any entered text, insert a link, insert an image, select text and/or background colors, etc.

(Support for selecting Tip Type was added in PxPlus 2017.)
(Support for HTML tips was added in PxPlus 2017.)

Hyperlink

(Standard Tip) These options are used to define a hyperlink that will be inserted within the tip (Optional):

URL

Internet address that you want the user to access within the tip. For the hyperlink to function in iNomads, the URL must be preceded with http://.

Text

Text that will display as the hyperlink.

Entering a URL only without hyperlink text will display the full URL as a hyperlink below the tip text.

Entering a URL and hyperlink text will display the hyperlink text as the link to the URL below the tip text.

Entering <a> anywhere within the Tip Text field will position the hyperlink in that location rather than below the tip text.

Hover here to test tip

(Standard Tip) This hyperlink button is available only after a Title and Tip Text have been entered. It is used to check the appearance and functionality of the tip as the user will see it.

To test the tip, hover the mouse pointer over this button without clicking on it. The tip displays for a few seconds, allowing enough time to move the mouse off the control and click the hyperlink within the tip, if one has been defined.

Press/Hover here to update/test tip

(HTML Tip) This hyperlink button is used to check the appearance and functionality of the tip as the user will see it.

To test the tip before saving it, click this button to first update the tip with any changes. Then, test the tip by hovering the mouse pointer over this button.

(The Press/Hover hyperlink button for HTML tips was added in PxPlus 2017.)

Ok

Saves the current tip and closes this dialog. The Floating Tip drop box on the User Aid tab changes to Expression, and the adjacent multi-line input is populated with some of the tip's details.

Delete

Displays a message that asks you to confirm the deletion of the current tip. Deleting the tip closes this dialog, changes the Floating Tip drop box on the User Aid tab to Fixed and clears the tip's details from the adjacent multi-line input.

(The Delete button was added in PxPlus 2017.)

Cancel

Cancels any changes to the current tip and closes this dialog.

 

Note:
Setting the 'TC' parameter to -2 allows you to customize the appearance of the tooltip. See *TOOLTIP.