Library Object Selection 

Console and Object List

 

After creating and/or opening a library, NOMADS displays the Library Object Selection window with the current library name displayed in the title bar. For an existing library, this window displays any object names contained within the library. Otherwise, the list will be empty.

This is the control area in NOMADS for designing and creating the components you will need to build your GUI application.

As each new Object Name is created and added to the library, it is added to the Object List. For a description of the types of objects that can be created, see Creating Library Objects.

Each object in the Object list displays specific details such as the object name, object type, title, revised date and the last person to save changes to it.

You can use the Views menu to select the display style you prefer (Button View, Toolbar View or Menubar View) for accessing common functions in the Library Object Selection window. For example, Toolbar View (pictured above) presents a series of toolbar options at the top of the window. Button View presents a series of buttons at the bottom, and Menubar View presents a menu bar.

For an explanation of the menu bar and button options, see Menu Options and Button Options.

Note:
Toolbar View is assumed for most examples and descriptions throughout the NOMADS Graphical Application Help documentation unless stated otherwise.

Object List

Each object in the Library Object Selection window lists the following information:

Object Name

Name of the panel, dialogue or window. This is the name entered in the Name field when the object was first created.

For object names, valid characters are: letters (A-Z, a-z); numbers (0-9); ~ (tilde); @ (at symbol); . (period); $ (dollar sign); _ (underscore); - (dash); + (plus sign). If an invalid character is used, a message will display.

Note:
The letter case of the original name entered for a new object will be used in the Object list.

To change the case of existing object names, use the Copy Screen Objects utility.

(Letter case support for object names in the Object list was added in PxPlus 2023.)

Type

Letter code used to identify the object type (when the object was defined). Each object type is also represented by a different icon that precedes each object name in the list.

The letter codes are defined as follows:

(D)

Dialogue

Panel object created as a freestanding dialogue box and not constrained by the main PxPlus window. The Dialogue attribute in the Panel Header must be selected.

(Dh)

Dialogue (HTML)

Panel object created by using the File Maintenance Generator where an HTML page was also generated. Applicable for main panels only, not folder/tab panels.

(P)

Popup

A type of menu object that is invisible until the user right-clicks on a popup-enabled object. Unlike standard menus, a popup is stored in the NOMADS library as an independent object. See Popup Menu.

(Q)

Query

A type of panel generated using built-in attributes intended for the display and lookup of records from a data file or database. See Query Subsystem.

(q)

Query List

Query-like definition used by Smart Controls to auto-load a list of records from a data file or a database table.

(W)

Window

Panel object created as a window. Default type when a new panel object is created. (The Dialogue attribute is not selected in the Panel Header.)

(The "Dh" object type was added in PxPlus 2021.)

Title

Displays contents of the Title attribute in the Panel Header. Defaults to the text entered in the Name field when the object was first created.

Revised Date

Date and time stamp identifying the most recent modification.

By

User ID of the designer responsible for the most recent modification. If the panel is a generated File Maintenance panel, the words (File Maint.) will display next to the User ID.

When the Library Object Selection window is first accessed, the Object list is initially sorted in ascending order by Object Name. To change the sort order, click on a column heading. An up or down arrow displays above the selected column heading to indicate the sort order. The current sort sequence is retained after accessing an individual object from the list and returning to the Library Object Selection window, as well as after copying or deleting objects from the list. This feature is available when using the Button View, Toolbar View or Menubar View (Views menu).