16/23 FORMS - Pop up menu

Introduction

Pop-up menus are "mini-menus" that appear when you right click on an object. They are intended to include only items relevant to the object they are attached to. Therefore an application may have many pop-up menus. Pop-up menus do not have module files. They are owned by the FORM modules.

Hands-On

Your client wants to have capability to cut, paste, and copy words or lines when they type their comments in the "comments" item at the "Customer" tab canvas.

You have been assigned to add the above functions into the "comments" item in their application.

See Figure 16.

Your tasks are:

1- Add more functionality into the “comments” text item.

2- Create pop-up menu to have cut, past, and copy functions.

3- Associate pop-up menu to the “comments” item.

4- Run and test all user functional requirements.

You will learn how to: create "pop-up" menu, with following functionality "cut," "paste," and "copy,” use tab canvas, use “object navigator,” use “Data Blocks,” use “Layout Editor,” use “Property Palette,” use “Run Form,” and “Execute Query.”

Figure 16

Open a Module

In the ‘Object Navigator’ window, highlight Forms. Go to the Main menu and choose “File,” select “Open” to open an existing form (customer_orders_V13)

from the “iself” folder.

Save a Module

Click on the “CUSTOMER_ORDERS_V13” form. The color changes to blue. Then change the name and save the Form name as version 14 (customer_orders_v14). This way the original form is untouched.

Layout Editor

Go to the Main menu and choose the "Tools" option and select "Layout Editor." Adjust the window if needed.

In the Layout Editor, make sure that the Canvas box contains Canvas Tab name (CANVASn) and the Block box contains Customer.

Create a Popup Menu

In the Object Navigator, select the "Popup Menus" item and click on the "Create" icon (Green ‘+’). A popup menu will be created for you (MENUnn).

Change a popup menu’s name

Highlight the object (MENUnn) and click again to change its color to blue. Then type its new name EDITOR_TOOLS.

Open Menu Editor for a popup menu

Double click on the EDITOR_TOOLS icon, the Menu Editor window will be displayed.

In the Menu Editor, you can change the layout and property of each item in the menu. You can add, remove, change the Menu items.

In the toolbar of the Menu Editor, you can find very useful icons. There are the ‘Create Right’ icon, ‘Create Down’ icon, and ‘Delete’ icon. If you move your cursor on them, a tooltip will display their functions.

Add items into a popup menu

Change "new_itemnn” to "Cut" and press the enter key.

Click on the "Create Down" icon, change " new_itemnn " to "Copy," and press the enter key.

Click on the "Create Down" icon again, change " new_itemnn " to "Paste," and press the enter key.

Right click on the Cut item and open its Property Palette. Change “Menu item Type" to "Magic" and "Magic item" to "Cut." Then close the window.

Right click on the Copy item and open its Property Palette. Change “Menu item Type" to "Magic" and "Magic item" to "Copy." Then close the window.

Right click on the Paste item and open its Property Palette. Change “Menu item Type" to "Magic" and "Magic item" to "Paste." Then close the window.

Exit Menu Editor

Now, close the Menu Editor windown.

Assign a popup menu to an item

In the Layout Editor, right click on the COMMENTS item and open its Property Palette.

In its Property palette, go to the ‘Popup Menu’ item and click on the Down Arrow to display all existing Popup Menus. You should see EDITOR_TOOLS. Assign "editor_tools" to "Popup menu." Then, close the window

Compile and run the Form

Compile and run the application Form.

Execute Query

Click on “Execute query.”

Move the cursor to the "Comments" item and right click on it. The "Popup Menu" will be displayed. You should see all the options such as CUT, COPY, and PASTE.

Select a portion of the text, right click on it, then copy and paste it.

Select a portion of the text, right click on it and cut the selected text.

Save the changes.

Copy the whole text and paste it to the “NEXT” record.

Save the transaction.

Navigate through the application Form.

After testing the application, close the window and save the changes.

Questions:

Q: Describe a Pop-Up menu in a Form Module.

Q: How do you create a Pop-Up menu?

Q: Your client wants to have capability to cut, paste, and copy words or lines when they type their comments in the "comments" item at the "Customer" tab canvas.

You have been assigned to add the above functions into the "comments" item in their application.

See Figure 16.

Your tasks are:

1- Add more functionality into the “comments” text item.

2- Create pop-up menu to have cut, past, and copy functions.

3- Associate pop-up menu to the “comments” item.

4- Run and test all user functional requirements.