Controls
Controls are the basic parts of an interface. The Interface Designer allows you to create two types of controls: input controls, which allow the user to enter information, and output controls, which display additional items in the interface.
Note:
The following only applies to Tedds for Word.
Add controls
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Do one of the following:
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On the Interface Designer toolbar, click the arrow on the right side of theInput or Output button, depending on which type of control you want to add.
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In the list that appears, select the control that you want to add.
Control Description Input controls Button
A button that allows the user to perform an operation, such as open a data list.
Check Box
A box that the user can select to perform an operation, such as include a sketch with the output.
Drop List
A list of standard values that only allows the user to select values in the initial list.
Edit
An input field where the user can type the desired value.
Edit Drop List
A list of standard values that allows the user to enter values that are not in the initial list.
Edit Up Down
An input box where the user can enter a value, and adjust the value by using up and down buttons.
Label
A field that displays a line of text.
List Box
A list box of standard values that only allows the user to select values in the in the initial list.
Output controls Blank
A blank line used for separating controls.
Data view
When using a custom page template, the control allows you to show a library item or a sketch within the interface.
For more information, see Data views.
Separator Horizontal
A horizontal line that you can use for separating areas of an interface page.
Separator Vertical
A vertical line that you can use for separating areas of an interface page.
Custom control
Allows you to create a custom control.
List view
Allows you to insert a list in your interface.
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At the top of the page, click Add Control.
A new control appears on the template.
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- In the property pane, define the control properties according to your needs.
Adjust control properties
Note:
The available properties may vary depending on the control type.
The property pane allows you to define and modify the properties of the selected control. To adjust the control properties, do the following:
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Click the control and go to the property pane.
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Adjust the control properties according to your needs.
In the following table, see the properties of controls in the property pane.Property name Description Appearance Name The variable name for the input value when the calculation is run.
Description Text that the interface views to clarify what information is required in the selected field.
Enable if Determines whether the control is enabled or not.
Tip:To always enable the control, leave the field empty.
To disable the control, type 0 in the field.
To define a control on which the current control is dependent, in the Enable if field, type the name of the control on which the current control is dependent.
Hide if disabled Determines whether the control is viewed in the interface when it is disabled.
Info width Determines how wide the area for the information icon (
) is.
Description width Determines how wide the area for the control description is.
Name width Determines how wide the area for the control name is.
Value width Determines how wide the area for the variable value is.
Unit width Determines how wide the area for the variable unit is.
Type Allows you to select a type for the control.
Data Default value Determines the default value of the variable, unless another value already exists.
Disabled value A value that determines whether the control is disabled.
Units Determines the units of the value.
Tip:Units may require superscripts, and many variables use Greek characters or subscripts.
To format controls, you can use the formatting buttons on the right side of each property field. In addition, you can click the ... button on the right side of the selected property field to format controls.
Value type Determines the type of the value (number or string).
Events Validation failed A calculation that is performed when the validation of input controls on the page fails.
Validation succeeded A calculation that is performed when the validation of input controls on the page succeeds.
Value changed A calculation that is performed when the user has modified the input value.
Value changing A calculation that is performed just before the variable is updated because the user has modified the input value.
Validation Expression Allows you to create an expression that determines whether the input value is valid or not.
If the value of the expression in the Expression field is True, the input value is valid.
Tip:To consider all variable values as valid, leave the Expression field empty.
Message Allows you to create a message that is viewed if the validation of the expression in the Expression field fails.
Min value The minimum value of the variable.
Max value The maximum value of the variable.
Information Information Text that appears in the yellow context help window on top of the page when the user does not modify a specific input control.
Delete controls
- Select the control that you want to delete.
- On the Interface Designer toolbar, click Delete.