Forms Designer

Opto_Will · March 2020

Can anyone give me a tip on how to expand the Controls box (Full Toolbar) in Forms Designer to not cut off the corodinates at the bottom?

I thought it might be a resolution/magnification issue as it seems to affect every instance I connect to (even RDP) but all my efforts failed. I have seen it look fine on other Computers so I know it is possible!!

I have been putting up with it for months. It seems simple but it is driving me mad! Since I cant just drag to expand the size it must be a simple setting somewhere I can alter (a number in a file somewhere perhaps) but it has me beat...

DonBakke · March 2020

Sadly, there is no solution to this other than running OI in Windows 7.

Opto_Will · March 2020

Don,

Wow you are quick! Burning the midnight oil (almost literally!)?

Ok. Not what I had hoped but I will put it to rest. Good to know I am not the only one then...
That could be it's own support group!!

MattCrozier · March 2020

Here's something I got from the old Rev forum:

Subroutine FD_controls( params)
/*	Adjust the size of the Controls Panel in Form Designer so that the dimensions information visible on Windows 8+

	Pass a parameter to reduce the Controls Panel height for an un-bound form.
	
	From the Rev forum:
	Subject: windows 8 & form builder graphics
	URL: http://www.revelation.com/o4wtrs/oecgi3.exe/O4W_HANDOFF?DESTN=O4W_RUN_FORM&INQID=WORKS_READ&KEY=03B7D18910A3DE7E7BDDBCC76

*/
   declare function FindWindow, MoveWindow
   $insert logical

   winText = "Controls" : \00\
   winClass = "TbxWindowClass" : \00\
   
   height = if params then 244 else 336
   
   hwnd = FindWindow( winClass, getPointer( winText ) )
   
   if ( hwnd ) then
      *call MoveWindow( hwnd, 800, 100, 105, 244, TRUE$ )
      call MoveWindow( hwnd, 800, 100, 105, height, TRUE$ )
   end
Return ''

I just run this program in System Monitor whenever I need to see that size information in the Controls panel. It's not a permanent fix, but does the trick when required.

HTH, M@

DonBakke · March 2020

@M@ - I am genuinely surprised I never came across that post. This issue has been posted so many times without any fix (or work around) from Revelation. Obviously the original thread is now lost (I looked), but do you know who posted that code?

FYI, the MoveWindow API doesn't appear to exist as MoveWindow in 9.4.4 but it does exists as winApi_MoveWindow.

@Opto_Will - M@'s helpful post reminded me that we already have this code nicely wrapped up in a service that you have access to. You can get the exactly same behavior by entering this in the System Monitor:

RUN WINDOWS_SERVICES 'SetSize', '', 'TbxWindowClass', '', 800, 100, 105, 336

Opto_Will · March 2020

Firstly, Thank you very much Matt for the tip!!!
I was slower in reaching where Don is and was just realising MoveWindow wasnt in my 9.4.4 install.

Don, that worked a treat!

Now I will sit back and grin and enjoy the slowly spreading sense of satisfaction of a problem overcome.....

Gentlemen, thank you both for helping restore my sanity just that little bit :)

AusMarkB · March 2020

What he said

MattCrozier · March 2020

Hmm, I can't recall - it may have come from Carl, if not Jared.
I may have had to prototype MoveWindow myself at the time. I think the winAPI stubs came later.

AusMarkB · April 2020

So this was/is a handy little tip but just to expand slightly on Matt's comment,

It's not a permanent fix, but does the trick when required

I just noticed that the controls box actually redraws itself every time you open a form.
By not permanent I was thinking "well if I close the form designer, I'll have to run it again next time I open it" but I just had occasion to be switching between two forms and it redraws itself each time.

Still handy but worth noting if it stops someone else from scratching their head thinking "I thought I had run that already????"

Opto_Will · April 2020

Thats true. I found it handy to map it to a hotkey combination for those instances where I bounce back and forth around forms and am doing work where seeeing the whole control box is really useful (that is, not all the time). Two second detour to drop back and hotkey the command and keep on truckin.

Not perfect but stil less annoying than trying to guesstimate cutoff numbers!

Forms Designer

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