2 The control Object

The tasks of the control object depend on the way the control object is used. There are two possibilities:

If the control object is used as OLE client, then the communication with the server will be established with this object. In addition, this object defines the area in which the server is to appear within the client. All calls made to the server to set and query properties or to call methods will thus be carried out via this control object.
If the control object is used as OLE server, it is used to define the interface and to communicate with the client. Dialog Manager is not able to make all its objects, methods, resources and attributes, etc. available as interfaces. This would go beyond the scope of the interfaces in OLE and, in addition, it is not recommendable offering the entire dialog to the external program. The attributes, methods and events of the control object describe the interface of the OLE server to its clients.

Definition

{ export | reexport } { model } control { <Identifier> }
{
  <standard attributes>
  <plain attributes>
  <geometry attributes>
  <grid attributes>
  <hierarchy attributes>
  <layout attributes>
  <object-specific attributes>
}

Events

Children

Parent

2.1 Attributes

Attributes	RSD	PID	Properties	Short Description
.acc_label	string object	string text	S.G/D/C	overwrites the Automation Identifier for Microsoft UI Automation
.acc_text	object string	text string	S.G/D/C	overwrites the Automation Name for Microsoft UI Automation
.accelerator	identifier	accel	S,G/D/C	accelerator of object
.active	boolean	active	S,G/D/C	state of server or client
.bgc	identifier	color	S,G/D/C	background color of object
.bordercolor	identifier	color	S,G/D/C	border color of object
.borderwidth	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	width of object border
.child[integer]	object	object	S,G/-/C	accesses the I-th child object
.childcount	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	queries the number of child objects
.class	class	class	-,G/-/-	class of object
.connect	boolean	boolean	S,G/D/C	state of connection to OLE server or OLE client
.cursor	identifier	cursor	S,G/D/C	cursor belonging to object
.cut_pending	boolean	boolean	S,G/-/-	cut operation is still pending
.cut_pending_changed	boolean	boolean	-,G/-/-	changing state during cut operation
.dialog	identifier	instance	-,G/-/-	dialog for object
.document[integer]	object	document	S,G/-/-	accesses the I-th XML Document
.external	boolean	boolean	-,G/-/-	returns if the object class is an USW class
.external[integer]	class	class	-,G/-/-	returns the I-th registered USW class
.fgc	identifier	color	S,G/D/C	foreground color of object
.firstchild	object	object	S,G/-/C	accesses the first child object
.firstrecord	object	record	S,G/-/C	accesses the first record of an object
.firstsubcontrol	object	object	S,G/D/C	accesses the first subcontrol
.focus	object boolean	instance boolean	-,G/-/-	keyboard focus of object
.font	identifier	font	S,G/D/C	font of object
.function	identifier	func	S,G/D/C	function of object
.groupbox	identifier	instance	-,G/-/-	groupbox the object belongs to
.height	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	indicates height of object
.help	string identifier	string text	S,G/D/C	helptext of object
.index	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	current index of object in the children list of its parent
.label	string	string	S,G/D/C	name (identifier) of object
.lastchild	object	object	S,G/-/C	accesses the last child object
.lastrecord	object	record	S,G/-/C	accesses the last record of an object
.lastsubcontrol	object	object	S,G/D/C	accesses the last subcontrol
.license_key	string	string	S,G/D/C	license key for an ActiveX control
.member[integer]	attribute	attribute	-,G/-/-	i-th user-defined attribute of object
.membercount	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	number of user-defined attributes
.menu	identifier	instance	S,G/D/C	menu of object
.message[integer]	identifier	message	-,G/D/-	messages to be sent to client
.mode	enum	enum	S,G/D/C	mode of control object, either as client or as server
.model	identifier	instance	S,G/D/C	model belonging to object
.name	string	string	-,G/D/-	name or ProgID of server or of client
.notepage	identifier	instance	-,G/-/-	notepage the object belongs to
.parent	identifier	instance	S,G/-/-	parent of object
.picture	identifier	instance	S,G/D/C	picture to be displayed in inactive state
.posraster	boolean	boolean	S,G/D/C	indication of position refers to raster
.real_height	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	real height of object
.real_sensitive	boolean	boolean	-,G/-/-	real selectability of object
.real_visible	boolean	boolean	-,G/-/-	real visibility of object
.real_width	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	real width of object
.real_x	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	real distance from the left (in pixel)
.real_xraster	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	width of internally used raster
.real_y	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	real distance from top (in pixel)
.real_yraster	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	height of internally used raster
.record[integer]	object	record	S,G/-/C	accesses the I-th record of an object
.recordcount	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	queries the number of child records
.reffont	identifier	font	S,G/D/C	reference font of object
.scope	integer (1, 2, 3)	scope	-,G/-/-	queries the object type (Default, Model or instance)
.sensitive	boolean	boolean	S,G/D/C	selectability of object
.sizeraster	boolean	boolean	S,G/D/C	size refers to raster of parent object
.statushelp	string identifier	string text	S,G/D/C	text to be displayed in the statusbar
.subcontrol[integer]	object	object	S,G/D/C	accesses the I-th subcontrol
.subcontrolcount	integer	integer	-,G/-/-	queries the number of subcontrols
.toolhelp	string object	string text	S,G/D/C	gives a short explanation of object at the cursor
.userdata	anyvalue	anyvalue	S,G/D/C	userdata of object of any datatype
.uuid	string	string	-,G/D/-	unambiguous UUID of OLE server
.visible	boolean	boolean	S,G/D/C	visibility of object
.width	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	current width of object
.window	identifier	instance	-,G/-/-	window the object belongs to
.xauto	integer (-1, 0, 1)	integer	S,G/D/C	type of x-coordinates definition
.xleft	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	x-coordinate, distance from the left
.xraster	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	unit in x direction
.xright	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	x-coordinate, distance from the right
.yauto	integer (-1, 0, 1)	integer	S,G/D/C	type of y-coordinates definition
.ybottom	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	y-coordinate, distance from bottom
.yraster	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	unit in y direction
.ytop	integer	integer	S,G/D/C	y-coordinate, distance from top

2.2 Specific Attributes

2.2.1 connect

Identifier:

.connect

Classification:

object-specific attribute

Definition

argument type:	boolean
C definition:	AT_connect
C datatype:	DT_boolean
COBOL definition:	AT-connect
COBOL datatype:	DT-boolean
access:	set, get

changed, i.e. attribute can be used to trigger rules.

This attribute defines the state of the connection to the OLE client or to the OLE server. The services of the OLE server can only be used if there is a connection.

2.2.2 mode

Identifier:

.mode

Classification:

object-specific attribute

Definition

argument type:	enum
value range:	mode_none, mode_client, mode_server
C definition:	AT_mode
C datatype:	DT_enum
COBOL definition:	AT-mode
COBOL datatype:	DT-enum
access:	set, get

changed, i.e. attribute can be used to trigger rules.

This attribute defines how to use the control object. There are three possibilities:

mode_none: The mode is not defined, i.e. control is not used, neither as client nor as server. For example, you can set this value if you have implemented an OLE server, but if, for some reason, you are not able to act as a server, e.g. because the program was started as a normal program.
mode_client: The control object will be regarded as OLE client, i.e. an OLE server will be accessed via this object.
mode_server: The control object is used as OLE server and may be accessed by other clients.

2.2.3 name

Identifier:

.name

Classification:

object-specific attribute

Definition

argument type:	string
C definition:	AT_name
C datatype:	DT_string
COBOL definition:	AT-name
COBOL datatype:	DT-string
access:	set, get

changed, i.e. attribute can be used to trigger rules.

This attribute defines the name of the corresponding server at the control object which is used as OLE client. You may deposit either the name or the ProgID of the server in this attribute.

If the control object is used as OLE server, the given string in this attribute will be registered as server name in the registry list.

Example

model control CtTest

{

.mode mode_client;

.name "InternetExplorer.Application.1";

.visible true;

.active true;

.connect false;

}

2.2.4 picture

Identifier:

.picture

Classification:

object-specific attribute

Definition

argument type:	object
C definition:	AT_picture
C datatype:	DT_tile
COBOL definition:	AT-picture
COBOL datatype:	DT-tile
access:	set, get

changed, i.e. attribute can be used to trigger rules.

This attribute is used to define the picture which is to be displayed in the inactive state of the control object.

2.2.5 uuid

Identifier:

.uuid

Classification:

object-specific attribute

Definition

argument type:	string
C definition:	AT_uuid
C datatype:	DT_string
COBOL definition:	AT-uuid
COBOL datatype:	DT-string
access:	get

This attribute must be set when the control object is used as OLE server. Via this UUID the object can be clearly identified by other programs. This UUID will be generated by using the program guidgen.exe.

Figure 14-1: Generation of GUID

If the control object is used as OLE client, you may deposit the server UUID in this attribute. This attribute thus replaces the attribute .name which is usually used to deposit the server name.