SplitCon Help

Design Overview

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SplitCon consists of the following components:

a demo form, splitcon.scx
The demo form illustrates how to use the SplitCon classes.
a class library, splitcon.vcx
This library contains the core SplitCon class definitions that can be used by any application to support splitters.

The SplitCon Demo Form

To launch the SplitCon demo application (built from form splitcon.scx) just issue the following VFP command line:

splitcon()

This will bring up a tabbed dialog with 4 tabbed pages, labeled 2X1, 1X2, 3X4, and Nested.  SplitCon allows for a 2-dimensional array of sub-containers, separated by vertical and horizontal "splitter" lines, which can be dragged to resize the containers between them.  Each page shows an example for the indicated number of rows and columns.  The last tabbed page illustrates a simple case of nested split containers, where a 1X2 split container contains a 2X1 split container.  It's a humble demo because the sub-containers are empty, but if you put controls into these containers and add logic to support the Resize event, things get a lot more interesting.


The SplitCon Class Library

The SplitCon class library, splitcon.vcx, contains the following class definitions:


The SplitContainer Class

Based on VFP's Container class, the SplitContainer class has logic in its Init and Resize event methods, and the following custom properties:

SplitContainer Properties

splcp_barabove
Property containing an object reference to the top-bounding splitter bar for this container. Null if there is none. Used for automatic resizing.
splcp_barbelow
Property containing an object reference to the bottom-bounding splitter bar for this container. Null if there is none. Used for automatic resizing.
splcp_barleft
Property containing an object reference to the left-bounding splitter bar for this container. Null if there is none. Used for automatic resizing.
splcp_barright
Property containing an object reference to the right-bounding splitter bar for this container. Null if there is none. Used for automatic resizing.
splcp_coordx
Property for holding on to the X-position of the mouse pointer while a splitter is being dragged. This is set in the target's OLEDragOver event method, and used in the splitter's OLEGiveFeedback event method.
splcp_coordy
Property for holding on to the Y-position of the mouse pointer while a splitter is being dragged. This is set in the target's OLEDragOver event method, and used in the splitter's OLEGiveFeedback event method.
splcp_ncols
Property containing the number of colums of sub-containers into which this outer container is divided. 0 means none, i.e. there is no array of sub-containers.
splcp_nrows
Property containing the number of rows of sub-containers into which this outer container is divided. 0 means none, i.e. there is no array of sub-containers.
splcp_resizecontinuously
Flag (i.e. boolean) property indicating whether to resize continuously as the splitter bar is dragged, or just when the drag completes.

SplitContainer Methods

Init Event Method
The Init logic loops over the array of sub-containers (if there are any) and connects them to their bounding splitter bars by saving splitters object references in each sub-container's splcp_barabove, splcp_barbelow, splcp_barleft, and splcp_barright properties.  Within the same loops the splitter bars are also threaded to their neighbors, using a similar set of splitterbar properties, so that dragging can be properly restricted to prevent crossing these boundaries.

This initialization logic does the work for predefined subclasses of various row and column dimensions, but it requires that a strict naming convention be followed in order to initialize various internally used object references.  (Other methods, however, should make no assumption about naming conventions for sub-containers and splitter bars, but instead use the appropriate linking properties. This will facilitate support of dynamic splitters, where rows and columns can be added and removed on the fly.)

Resize Event Method
For terminal containers, i.e. those with property splcp_nrows = 0, this is a no-op.  Otherwise, for split containers, the Resize logic adjusts the dimensions of the splitter's cover (whose member name is Splittercover1) and loops over all controls in the container, propagating resizing effects to the child splitter bars and sub-containers.

SplitContainer Subclasses

Included in the splitcon.vcx class library are subclasses of the SplitContainer class, some of which are used by the demo form, splitcon.scx.  Note that the foundation SplitContainer class is actually the degenerate case of a terminal split container, which has no splitter or sub-containers.  The subclasses, splitcon_1_2, splitcon_2_1, splitcon_3_4, and so on are examples of non-trivial split containers that actually contain splitters and sub-containers.  The names of these subclasses follow a consistent convention with the first number being the count of sub-container rows and the second number being the count of sub-container columns.  These simple subclasses may be of general utility, but one is not required to use them, and you can compose your own such subclasses or member objects within a form, with your own naming conventions.

Note however that while the name of a top-level split container class or member object can be whatever you choose, the naming conventions for the child members within such a class or member object have greater significance.  By following the standard naming conventions, one gets the additional benefit of automatic initialization of internal object references that are required for proper operation, handled by the default SplitContainer.Init method.  Unless you are prepared to perform the equivalent initialization logic to support your own member object naming conventions, you should follow these standard naming conventions:


The SplitterBar Class

The SplitterBar foundation class, based on VFP's Shape, is subclassed into SplitterBarH and SplitterBarV, which are the classes actually used for horizontal and vertical splitter bars.  The subclasses SplitterBarH and SplitterBarV have no additional method code, and they differ only in their Height, Width, and MousePointer properties.  These classes also have the following custom properties:

SplitterBar Properties

splbp_barabove
Property containing an object reference to the top-bounding splitter bar for this splitter. Null if there is none. Used to restrict against dragging over neighboring splitters.
splbp_barbelow
Property containing an object reference to the bottom-bounding splitter bar for this splitter. Null if there is none. Used to restrict against dragging over neighboring splitters.
splbp_barleft
Property containing an object reference to the left-bounding splitter bar for this splitter. Null if there is none. Used to restrict against dragging over neighboring splitters.
splbp_barright
Property containing an object reference to the right-bounding splitter bar for this splitter. Null if there is none. Used to restrict against dragging over neighboring splitters.
splbp_horizontal
Flag (boolean) property to easily distinguish vertical and horizontal splitter bar cases.

SplitterBar Methods

The following SplitterBar event methods have have code:

OLEStartDrag Event Method
Triggered when the users starts to drag a splitter, this brings the active splitter and the splitter cover forward and makes the cover trap all available OLE drag & drop target locations by setting its OLEDropMode property to 1.

OLEGiveFeedback Event Method
This method is triggered after every OLEDragOver event.  The logic handles displaying a double-headed mouse pointer, movement of the splitter bar (within limits), and triggering a Resize on the parent split container if its splcp_resizecontinuously property is .T.

OLECompleteDrag Event Method
Triggered when the users finishes dragging a splitter, this hides the splitter cover and disables its trapping of OLE drag and drop events, i.e. sets its OLEDropMode property to 0.  If the parent split container's splcp_resizecontinuously property is set to .T., the parent's Resize event is also triggered at this point.

The SplitterCover Class

The SplitterCover class, based on VFP's Shape, is a transparent member of a split container, used only during the process of dragging a splitter bar.  It has code for the following event method:

OLEDragOver Event Method
This event is triggered in the splitter cover as the splitter bar is dragged over it, when the cover's OLEDropMode property is set to 1 (Enabled).  By bouncing back and forth between the splitter cover's OLEDragOver and the splitter bar's OLEGiveFeedback events, both the drop target and the drop source have a channel of communication.

The logic for SplitterCover holds on to the mouse coordinates in the splcp_CoordX and splcp_CoordY properties of the parent SplitContainer, using VFP's AMOUSEOBJ() to get mouse coordinates relative to the parent container.  Also, this method makes the necessary OLEDrop property settings to inform VFP that it's OK to drop to this location (OLEDropHasData = 1), and enable Move onto this target (OLEDropEffects = 2).

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