Creating Panel Controls

Panels may be set up so that they appear as layered file folders, giving the user easy access to different sub-panels within the window. This effect is achieved via the Folder control, which links and displays previously defined sub-panels using a tabbed or tabless (wizard style) format. Users can navigate between sub-panels by clicking on a tab, using the Alt key, or pressing the arrow keys while focus is on the Folder control.

Note:
There is no equivalent directive in PxPlus for creating folders. A folder can be drawn using an OOP object, which can be instantiated in code outside of NOMADS. See Folder Object.

NOMADS stores the name of the currently active folder control in the folder_id$ variable and stores a reference for each tab/sub-panel in a variable named FLDR.subpanelname.CTL.

Example:

FLDR.CSTMAINT.CTL

You can use this variable to refer to a sub-panel in your program. The following restrictions apply to folder controls:

• A panel contains one folder control only; however, that object can contain multiple sub-panels.
• A folder control cannot be contained within a sub-panel; i.e. no folders on folders. You can have multiple folder objects active, provided each is in a different window where multiple active windows are in effect.
• Query objects or popup menus cannot be assigned to a folder control as one of the sub-panels (i.e. panels that contain queries and popup menus can be used as sub-panels); however, if you were to specify an actual query or popup object, the application would error out.

Creating Folders

To draw folders on your panel, select the Folder control tool from the Controls Toolbar. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse to create a rectangle to the desired size. Release the mouse button to create a new empty folder control.

Sub-panels are added to a folder control using the Tabs/Folder Properties dialogue. See Folder Properties and Adding and Modifying Sub-Panels.

For making other adjustments, see Modifying Objects.