The Text-Label component can display simple HTML text, also known as RichText. A text label will always be used if you only want to output the text to be displayed in plain format:

Figure 16.2.1: Display of extensive RichText in a TextLabel

In a text label, you can display text that you assign via the Text Label, Text or Text Label, Caption property. Further properties of a text label are described in the table:

Table 16.2.1.1: Selected text label properties

RichText in Gambas uses a subset of HTML. The following HTML tags are allowed to mark text elements:

<h1>, <h2>, <h3>, <h4>, <h5>, <h6> → Headlines
<b> → Bold font
<i> → Italic 
<s> → Crossed out
<u> → Underlined
<sub> → Subscript 
<sup> → Superscript
<small> → Small
<p> → Paragraph
<br> → Line break
<a> → Link
<font> → Font 

Information about <font> tag is given in the following table. Please note that the <font> tag no longer exists under HTML5.

tablelayout

Table 16.2.2.2.1: Information about <font> tag

With <a>….</a> insert a link into the RichText. It is underlined and displayed in blue format - as it is expected for a hyperlink - but has no effect! After right-clicking on the link, you can copy the link address in the context menu.

These tags are also tested to mark single or multi-line source code, insert a horizontal line or display an unsorted list of n entries:

<tt> → single-line source text 
<pre> → multiline source code
<hr> → horizontal line
<ul> → unsorted list
<li> → list

Hints:

• Change the font properties of a text label using the <font> tag. If you only want to use one font with one style and size, you can do without it and set the font properties in the Properties window (IDE) or in the source code.
• Working with CSS is not supported, so that this text in a text label is not displayed as it would be possible in any browser.
• It has proved to be a good idea to adapt the size of the text label to the text to be displayed.
• You can use any HTML entity → http://unicode.e-workers.de/entities.php
• To quickly and efficiently mark a longer text with the above tags (RichText) a text editor like BlueFish is sufficient. Create an HTML file with this editor and save it in the project directory of the Gambas project that should use RichText. In the IDE, you can open and edit the contents of the HTML file with the text editor BlueFish.

Like a simple label, you react with the TextLabel.Adjust() method if the text for a text label has changed at runtime and the text label size should automatically adapt to the changed text:

Public Sub btnAdjust_Click()  
  TextLabel.Wrap = False ' Bei längeren Textpassagen TRUE
  TextLabel.AutoResize = False
  TextLabel.Padding = 8
  TextLabel.Text = "<font size=4 face=Ubuntu color=#C3DDFF>IP-Adresse &rarr; IPv4</font>" 
  TextLabel.Text &= "<hr>Informationen auf <a href=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv4>"
  TextLabel.Text &= "www.wikipedia.de</a>!"
  TextLabel.Adjust()
End ' btnAdjust_Click() 
 
Public Sub btnAutoResize_Click()
  TextLabel.AutoResize = True
  TextLabel.Padding = 8
  TextLabel.Text = "<font size=+1 face=Arial color=Red>Neue IP-Adresse &rarr; IPv6</font>" 
  TextLabel.Text &= "<hr>Informationen auf <a href=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6>"
  TextLabel.Text &= "www.wikipedia.de</a>!"
End ' btnAutoResize_Click() 

Alternatively, set the TextLabel. AutoResize property to True to achieve the same effect.

16.2.3 Project {c_hl} 16.2.3 Project {c_hl}

Figure 16.2.3.1: RichText display for each HotSpot in a text label

As you can see, the source code for the project is very straightforward:

' Gambas class file
 
Private mText As String[]
 
Public Sub Form_Open()
 
  FMain.Center
  FMain.Resizable = False
 
  mText = New String[]  
  mText = Split(File.Load("Text/architecture.txt"), "|")
 
  lblProject.Tag = mText[0]
  lblCompiler.Tag = mText[1]
  lblArchiver.Tag = mText[2]
  lblCompiledFiles.Tag = mText[3]
  lblExecutableFile.Tag = mText[4]
  lblMMAP.Tag = mText[5]
  lblClassLoader.Tag = mText[6]
  lblExecutionUnit.Tag = mText[7]
  lblSubRoutines.Tag = mText[8]
  lblComponentInterface.Tag = mText[9]
  lblComponentLoader.Tag = mText[10]
  lblInterpreter.Tag = mText[11]
  lblComponents.Tag = mText[12]
  lblNativeClasses.Tag = mText[13]
 
End ' Form_Open()
 
Public Sub HotSpots_MouseDown()
  TextLabel1.Text = Last.Tag
End

The procedure HotSpots_MouseDown() replaces, in conjunction with the special object Last - which returns a reference to the object that last triggered an event - here at least 14 individual procedures!