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Help / Developing an application or website / Controls, windows and pages / Controls: Options and actions
  • What is an element?
  • Handling an element
  • Handling a second-level element
  • Special cases: Items of a data file or query
  • Handling a third-level element
  • Special cases: Menu options
  • Retrieving the name of an element in the code
  • Overview
  • Retrieving the name of an element by Drag and Drop
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Stored procedures
Referring to an element in a WLanguage event / process
What is an element?
The table below presents the different elements found in an application:
ElementSecond-level elementThird-level element
Window
  • Window controls
  • Window menus
  • Cells of a status bar
  • Controls belonging to a supercontrol or to a toolbar
  • Menu options
  • Table columns
Page
Frameset
  • Page controls
  • Page menus
Table columns
Report
  • Report controls
  • Report blocks
Table columns
QueryQuery items
Data fileItems of a data file
The menu options and the items found in a data file are handled differently. For more details, see Special case: Items and Special case: Menu options.
Remark: To simplify the writing of WLanguage processes, WINDEV, WEBDEV and WINDEV Mobile allow you to easily retrieve the name of an element in a code window. For more details, see Retrieving the name of an element in the code.
Handling an element
To handle a page, window, report, query or data file in a WLanguage event or process, simply use the name of this element. This name can be used:
  • in a WLanguage function.
  • with a WLanguage property.
  • in direct assignment.
For example:
// Initialize and run the QRY_CustomerList query
HExecuteQuery(QRY_CustomerList)
 
// Modify the number of copies for the RPT_Customer report
RPT_Customer.NbCopy = 10
 
// Retrieve the title of the WIN_SearchWin window
ResTitle is string = WIN_SearchWin
 
// Retrieve the title of the PAGE_SearchPage page
ResTitle is string = PAGE_SearchPage
Handling a second-level element
To handle a second-level element (control or menu of a window/page, control or block of a report, etc.) in a WLanguage event or process, simply:
  • use the name of this second-level element directly. This syntax is valid only if this second-level element is handled from the window (or from the report) to which it belongs.
  • use the following notation: "<ElementName>.<Name2ndLevelElement>".
A second-level element can be handled:
  • in a WLanguage function.
  • with a WLanguage property.
  • in direct assignment.
For example:
// Expands the list of COMBO_FrenchCity
// of the WIN_Customer window
ComboOpen(COMBO_FrenchCity)
// equivalent to: ComboOpen(WIN_Customer.COMBO_FrenchCity)
 
// Modify the background color of CtTotalBT control
// in the RPT_Order report
CtTotalBT.BackgroundColor = LightBlue
// equivalent to RPT_Order.CtTotalBT.BackgroundColor = LightBlue
 
// Initialize the EDT_City edit control of the
// WIN_Customer window from another window
WIN_Customer.EDT_City = "Momtpellier"
 
// Refresh the LOOP_ProductLooper looper
// from the start of looper
LooperDisplay(LOOP_ProductLooper, taStart)
// equivalent to: LooperDisplay(PAGE_CustomerPage.LOOPER_ProductLooper, taStart)

Special cases: Items of a data file or query

To handle an item in a data file or query through programming, simply:
  • use the name of the item directly. This syntax is valid only if the item is handled by a function or by a property into which the name of the data file or the name of the query to which the item belongs is specified.
  • use the following syntax: "<FileName/ItemName>.<ItemName>".
For example:
// Assign to the ZC item of Customer data file
// the value entered in the EDT_ZipCode control
CUSTOMER.ZC = EDT_ZipCode
 
// Moves to the 2000th record
// of CUSTOMER file according to CUSTNAME item
HReadFirst(CUSTOMER, CUSTNAME)
HForward(CUSTOMER, CUSTNAME, 1999)
Handling a third-level element
To handle a third-level element (control within a supercontrol, toolbar, table column, etc.) in a WLanguage event or process, simply:
  • use the name of this third-level element directly. This syntax is valid only if the following conditions are fulfilled:
    • this third-level element is handled from the second-level element to which it belongs (supercontrol, toolbar or table).
    • no other third-level element uses the same name.
  • use the following notation if the third-level element is used from the window (or from the report) to which it belongs: "<Name2ndLevelElement>.<Name3rdLevelElement;;;>".
  • use the following notation if the third-level element is handled from another window (or from another report): "<ElementName>.<Name2ndLevelElement>.<Name3rdLevelElement>".
A third-level element can be handled:
  • in a WLanguage function.
  • with a WLanguage property.
  • in direct assignment.
For example:
// Modify the width of COL_CustomerName column
// No other COL_CustomerName column is found in the window
COL_CustomerName.Width += 10
 
// Modify the maximum number of characters in the EDT_Font control
// belonging to the SC_SctStyle supercontrol from the supercontrol window
SC_SctStyle.EDT_Font.Size += 10
 
// Modify the height of the EDT_Font control belonging to the
// TBAR_Style toolbar from another window
WIN_Customer.TBAR_Style.EDT_Font.Height += 10
WEBDEV - Server codeWindows

Special cases: Menu options

To handle a menu option through programming, you must:
  • use the name of the option directly. This syntax is valid only if the menu option is handled from the menu or from the window associated with the menu.
  • use one of the following syntaxes: "<WindowName>.<OptionName>" or "<WindowName>.<MenuName>.<OptionName>".
For example:
// Change the color of the font for the OPT_CustomerForm option
// of the MENU_Customer menu from the window of this menu
OPT_CustomerForm.Color = DarkBlue
 
// Change the color of the font for the OPT_CustomerForm option
// of the MENU_Customer menu from another window
WIN_Customer.MENU_Customer.OPT_CustomerForm.Color = DarkBlue
// equivalent to: WIN_Customer.OPT_CustomerForm.Color = DarkBlue
Retrieving the name of an element in the code

Overview

To retrieve the name of an element (regardless of its level) in the code:

Retrieving the name of an element by Drag and Drop

To retrieve the name of an element by Drag and Drop:
  1. Select the element whose name must be retrieved:
  2. Keep the left mouse button down while moving the element:
  3. Release the mouse button at the location where the name of the element should be used. The name of the dropped element is displayed.
See also
Minimum version required
  • Version 9
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Last update: 06/19/2023

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