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Open form window

Open form window ( {aTable ;} formName {; type {; hPos {; vPos {; *}}}} ) : Integer

ParameterTypeDescription
aTableTableTable of the form or Default table, if omitted
formNameText, ObjectName (string) of table or project form, or a POSIX path (string) to a .json file describing the form, oran object describing the form
typeIntegerWindow type
hPosIntegerHorizontal position of the window
vPosIntegerVertical position of the window
*OperatorSave current position and size of the window
Function resultIntegerWindow reference number

Description

The Open form window command opens a new window using the size and resizing properties of the form formName.

Note: To know the main properties of a form, use the FORM GET PROPERTIES command.

In the formName parameter, you can pass:

  • the name of a form (project form or table form) to use;
  • the path (in POSIX syntax) to a valid .json file containing a description of the form to use. See Form file path;
  • an object containing a description of the form to use.

The formName is not displayed in the window. If you want to display the form, you have to call a command which loads a form (ADD RECORD for example).

The optional type parameter allows you to specify a type for the window. You must pass one of the following predefined constants (placed in the Open Form Window theme):

ConstantTypeValue
Controller form windowInteger133056
Form has full screen mode MacInteger65536
Form has no menu barInteger2048
Modal form dialog boxInteger1
Movable form dialog boxInteger5
Movable form dialog box no titleInteger524293
Palette form windowInteger1984
Plain form windowInteger8
Plain form window no titleInteger524296
Pop up form windowInteger32
Sheet form windowInteger33
Toolbar form windowInteger35

Window types are detailed in the Window Types section.

Note: The Form has full screen mode Mac and Form has no menu bar constants must be added to one of the other type constants.

By default, if the type parameter is not passed, a window of the Plain form window type is opened.

Close box
Windows of the Movable form dialog box, Plain form window, and Palette form window types have a close box. No method is associated to the window's close box. Clicking on this close box cancels and closes the window, except if the On Close Box form event has been activated for the form. In this case, the code associated with this event will be executed.

Size control
If "Window Size" properties of the formName are not set to "fixed", the opened window can be resized by the user. A zoom box can be available,depending on the window type. If the Fixed Width and/or Fixed Height property is checked in the form properties, the window will not be resizable.

Note: Some attributes (grow box, close box...) of the window created depend on the interface specifications of the operating system for the chosen type. It is therefore possible to obtain different results depending on the platform used.

The optional parameter hPos allows you to define the horizontal position of the window. You can pass a defined position in pixels or one of the following predefined constants placed in the Open Form Window theme:

ConstantTypeValue
Horizontally centeredInteger65536
On the leftInteger131072
On the rightInteger196608

The optional parameter vPos allows you to define the vertical position of the window. You can pass a defined position in pixels or one of the following predefined constants placed in the Open Form Window theme:

ConstantTypeValue
At the bottomInteger393216
At the topInteger327680
Vertically centeredInteger262144

These parameters are expressed relative to the top left corner of the contents area of the application window (Windows MDI mode) or to the main screen (macOS and Windows SDI mode). They take into account the presence of the tool bar and menu bar.

If you pass the optional parameter *, the current position and size of the window are memorized when closed. When the window is reopened again, its previous position and size are respected. In this case, the vPos and hPos parameters are only used the first time the window is opened.

Example 1

The following statement opens a standard window with a close box and automatically adjusts it to be the same size as the "Input" form. The form window size is not set to "fixed", then the window also has a grow and a zoom box:

 $winRef :=Open form window([Table1];"Enter")

Example 2

The following statement opens a floating palette in the upper left portion of the screen based on a project form named "Tools". This palette uses the last position it was in when the user closed it each time it is reopened:

 $winRef :=Open form window("Tools";Palette form window;On the left;At the top;*)

Example 3

This code must be called on macOS while a document window is displayed, for example from a form button, to display a sheet window:

 $myWin:=Open form window("sheet form";Sheet form window)
  // For the moment, the window is created but remains hidden
 DIALOG([aTable];"dialForm")
  //The On Load event is generated then the sheet window is displayed; it "drops down"
  //from the bottom of the title bar

Example 4

The following example uses the path to a .json form to display the records in an employee list:

 Open form window("/RESOURCES/OutputPersonnel.json";Plain form window)
 ALL RECORDS([Personnel])
 DIALOG("/RESOURCES/OutputPersonnel.json";*)

which displays:

See also

FORM GET PROPERTIES
Open window
Window Types
Window Types (compatibility)

Properties

Command number675
Thread safe