798.TXT
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The R:BASE 5.0 Windows Interface
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PRODUCT: R:BASE VERSION: 5.X
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AREA : General Information CATEGORY: General Information
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R:BASE 5.0 has an entirely new look. With the move to Windows, you'll
see a different interface. You might find yourself using old hot keys
and getting unexpected results, because R:BASE 5.0 uses different hot
key combinations. It takes some getting used to, but don't give up.
All the old familiar features are still there. The R> prompt is just
a mouse click away. Redesigning the interface to fit Windows and CUA
requirements allowed incorporation of many enhancements requested by
users.
In R:BASE 5.0, there is generally more than one way to perform an
action. You can use the menus, the tool bar, or the Object Manager to
access your data and the various other elements of a database such as
forms, reports, and applications. Browsing through the menus, you'll
see that some items are followed by an ellipsis (...). That
indicates a dialog box comes up when you select that menu item. All
menu items have a hot key_the underlined letter. A hot key is
accessed by pressing [Alt] and the letter. Some menu items have a
keyboard shortcut key which is displayed next to the menu item.
Review your Windows User's Guide for information about moving around
in Windows and the Windows-specific function keys.
An MDI Application
R:BASE 5.0 is a Windows MDI (Multiple Document Interface)
application. MDI is a standard Windows user interface technique for
managing applications that have multiple, related windows open at the
same time. The main window that you see when you start R:BASE is the
parent window; each window that you open within R:BASE 5.0 is a
child window.
Working with Child Windows
An MDI child window can be sized and moved, but always remains within
the boundaries of the parent window. The child window has it's own
title bar, but shares the parent window's menu bar and status bar.
A child window can be closed or minimized individually without
affecting the parent window or other child windows. You switch
between child windows using the mouse, the Window menu on the R:BASE
5.0 menu bar, or the [Ctrl][F4] function key. In addition, the
options on the Window menu allow you to arrange and close child
windows.
In R:BASE 5.0, the following are all opened as child windows:
The Form Designer
The Report Designer
The Label Designer
The text editor, RBEdit
The R> prompt
The Application Designer
The Data Browser
Query by Example
The Object Manager
The Database Designer. RBDefine
Utilities: Settings
The Import/Export utility
The title bar for the parent window shows the name of the
application, R:BASE 5.0. The title bar for a child window shows the
name of the R:BASE element, such as "Data Browser", and if applicable
the name of the table being used.
The menu bar displays the available menus. It changes dynamically as
different elements of R:BASE 5.0 are used.
The tool bar displays available buttons that start various elements of
R:BASE 5.0. Place the cursor on a button, and a description of the
action it performs displays on the status bar.
The control menu (sometimes called the system menu) is in the upper
left corner of the title bar of every window and dialog box. The
control menu can be used instead of the mouse to resize, minimize,
maximize, restore, or close the window. Double click on the menu to
quickly close a window.
The minimize and maximize buttons in the upper right corner of the
title bar of a window are used to reduce the window to an icon, or
to maximize it to fill the parent window.
The child windows can be sized, minimized as icons, or maximized.
Options on the Window menu can be used to manage the display of child
windows.
You can have many MDI child windows open at one time. As you switch
between windows, the R:BASE 5.0 menu bar and the File menu change in
relation to the database element you are working with. The different
menus specific to each child window are added between the File and
Tools menus. The File menu reflects options specific to each child
window.
When a child window is maximized, its title bar and information is
displayed on the R:BASE 5.0 title bar. In an MDI application, when
one child window is maximized, all child windows are maximized. For
example, if you maximize an RBEdit window, after you close it, the
Object Manager displays maximized rather than as a window. Simply
click on the Restore button to return it to its previous size.
When the Data Browser is active, the file menu has the Save answer,
Print data and Printer setup options added.
The Data Browser specific menu options are added to the main menu bar
between File and Tools.
The title bar for the parent window, R:BASE 5.0, displays the
information from the Data Browser child window.
The restore button, used to restore a window to it's previous,
non-maximized size, is placed in the upper right corner of the menu
bar.
The control menu for a maximized child window moves to the upper left
corner of the menu bar.
Working with Dialog Boxes
In addition to an MDI child window, some elements of R:BASE 5.0 are
displayed as dialog boxes. A dialog box cannot be maximized or
minimized; it must be completed or closed. A dialog box has a title
bar and a control menu, but no minimize or maximize buttons. A dialog
box also typically has OK, Cancel, and Help buttons. A dialog box
opens when more information is needed. The dialog box is where you
enter options and then proceed to execute an action. Press the [Tab]
key or use the mouse to move between items on a dialog box. Press
[Enter] or click the OK button to accept your choices, close the
dialog box, and execute. Press [Esc] or click the Cancel button to
close the dialog box without accepting the information, and without
executing the action. Some of the elements of R:BASE 5.0 that come up
as dialog boxes are:
Codelock
Printing reports and labels
The Where Builder
Granting access rights
Naming form, reports, and labels
Message boxes
In addition, dialog boxes display additional information, warnings,
and error messages. Dialog boxes are modal, they must be completed or
closed before any other element of R:BASE 5.0 can be accessed.
The title bar of a dialog box has no minimize, maximize buttons. It
has a control menu, which is used to move or close the dialog box.
Double click on the control menu to quickly close the dialog box.
The command buttons initiate action from the dialog box.
No other elements of the application are accessible until the dialog
box is completed or closed.
Understanding Modal Elements
Modal is a Windows term meaning that you must complete the current
process before moving elsewhere within the application. You can move
to other Windows applications by pressing [Alt][Tab], but you cannot
access the main R:BASE 5.0 menu or move to other child windows when
a modal element is active. The current or active window is the one in
front, the color of the title bar shows that it is active. A modal
window or dialog box requires a response_it cannot be minimized or
moved to the background. It must be completed or closed before focus
can be placed on any other window. Within R:BASE 5.0, the following
elements are modal:
Entering or editing data with a form
Running an application
Dialog boxes
In addition to being modal, forms and applications automatically
open maximized. You cannot see or switch to other child windows.
However, you can open a form from the R> prompt as non-modal through
use of the MDI command syntax. This syntax also allows a form to come
up in a sizable window.
EDIT MDI formname
ENTER MDI formname
Hot Key Changes
Many of the keystrokes you used in the DOS version of R:BASE are no
longer applicable under Windows. Windows common user interface
guideline (CUA) dictates the structure of the menus and use of hot
keys. R:BASE 5.0 uses hot keys the same as all your other Windows
applications.
The underlined letters on the menus indicate the hot keys. Press
{Alt] and the underlined letter to open a menu. This is the same way
you accessed main menu items in DOS versions of R:BASE. In DOS
R:BASE, however, the first letter of the menu item was always the hot
key. In Windows, the hot key can be specified so that it is always a
unique letter. To access the items on the drop down menus, press the
hot key letter without pressing the [Alt].
In Windows, you also have hot keys on the dialog boxes. Hot keys are
used throughout R:BASE 5.0. Except for the drop down menus, you
activate the hot key by pressing [Alt] and the underlined letter. To
access a list box arrow using the keyboard, press [Alt] and the down
arrow key. Your Windows documentation has a complete listing of
keyboard shortcuts_generally in the appendix.
The biggest difference in keyboard use between DOS applications and
Windows applications is the use of the [Enter] key. In Windows,
pressing the [Enter] key indicates that you are done and to begin
execution. To move between fields in a dialog box, for example, you
must press the [Tab] key or use the mouse. In DOS, pressing [Enter]
was often used for moving between fields and for indicating
completion. Windows differentiates the two actions.
For example, when designing a new form, don't press [Enter]
immediately after typing in the new form name. Pressing [Enter]
indicates that you are done entering information in the dialog box
and immediately launches the Forms Designer. Press [Tab] or use the
mouse to select the table name, then choose Quick or Custom. After
filling out all the sections of the dialog box, press [Enter] or
click OK. To select items on a check box menu, use the mouse or
press [spacebar], then press [Enter] when all items have been
selected.
You'll undoubtedly press [Enter] at the wrong time at first, but it
won't take long to get used to the new interface and keystrokes. Some
of the hot keys from the DOS versions of R:BASE are standard Windows
hot keys; those hot keys have been remapped. To see the current hot
keys, press [Shift][F1] then click the Hot Keys button.