GAMBAS BOOK 3.19.1

You will use these two classes for the arrangement of components in a container or for the alignment of, for example, text in a text box or an image in a picture box.

This static class provides constants and 6 methods that are used to specify the alignment of objects or text, provided they have the Alignment property. The Draw.Text method also uses the constants of the Align class.

To specify the alignment of visible objects, knowledge of the direction matrix is as necessary as the associated constants for the designated directions:

Table 20.7.1.1: Direction matrix - constants for the Alignment property.

If you use the alignment of text, for example, with the editor TextEdit to specify the alignment of text, note the dependence on the writing direction of the language used:

Table 20.7.1.2.1: Alignment of text according to writing direction

All property values from the upper tables can be set or read out using the 6 methods IsBottom, IsCenter, IsLeft, IsMiddle, IsRight and IsTop, as shown in Example 1:

Public Sub btnSetCenter_Click()
  If Not Align.IsCenter(PictureBox1.Alignment) Then
     PictureBox1.Alignment = Align.Center
  Endif
End

Example 2

This is how you set the text alignment of a text box - analogously also of a MaskBox - and a textarea:

...
  TextBox1.Text = "Ausrichtung"
  TextBox1.Alignment = Align.Right
  TextArea1.Alignment = Align.Normal
...

If, on the other hand, you want to align the current paragraph or the selected text in the TextEdit editor, set the property TextEdit.Format.Alignment with the 4 alignments Normal, Left, Center and Right :

Public Sub btnSetProperty_Click()
  TextEdit1.Format.Alignment = Align.Center
  TextEdit1.Format.Color = Color.Red
  TextEdit1.Format.Background = Color.LightGray
  TextEdit1.Format.Font = Font["FreeMono,14"]
End

This class is static. It provides constants that can be used to set the Arrange property of many components if they have the Arrange property. Only components that act as containers for other components such as Shape, Panel, Expander, DrawingArea1 or TabStrip have the Arrangement property. The arrangement of components must always be specified relative to the container.

Table 20.7.2.1: Constants for the Arrangement Property

You can use the values specified in Table 20.7.2.1 to arrange components in a container. When arranging components in a container, you can make further adjustments using the container properties Spacing and Padding:

• Container.Padding - The integer value (pixels) determines the distance of a component from the edge of the container.
• Container.Spacing - The integer value (pixels) determines the distance between individual components in the container.

Example 1

Three buttons are added to a Panel1. The following properties are set:

• Panel1.W = 280
• Panel1.Spacing = 14
• Panel1.Padding = 7
• Panel1. Arrangement = 1
• Panel1.Border = 1 ' Plain

Figure 20.7.2.1.1: Design (Panel1 at design time).

Figure 20.7.2.1.2: Horizontal (Panel1. Arrangement = 1)

Figure 20.7.2.1.3: Row (Panel1. Arrangement = 3 (Row))

If you reduce another container with the three buttons instead of a panel - a window is very suitable - then you can easily see the effect of creating a new column. With the assignment Panel1. Arrangement = Arrange.Row you get the arrangement in Figure 20.7.1.3.

Example 2

An HSplit component is placed on the form FMain. With the instruction

FMain.Arrangement = Arrange.Fill

the HSplit component completely fills the space in the container form.