Copyright: Copyright © 1999-2007 Developer Express Inc.
Citation: Copyright © 1999-2007 Developer Express Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  This program is protected by US and International Treaties.  Any unauthorized reproduction, duplication, and distribution is strictly prohibited.


MainMenu
FlowChart Editor Main Menu

The main menu of the editor window includes the following items:

File

Open

Loads flow chart contents from a file.  The file that stores flow chart contents may be a file saved earlier using the Save As menu item.

Save As …

Saves flow chart contents to a file.  You can load data from this file into another flow chart control.

Edit

Use this menu to modify a selected item.

Undo

Use this menu item to undo most recent changes to the flow chart.

Copy

Copies selection to the clipboard.

Cut

Cuts selection and places it onto the clipboard.

Paste

Pastes clipboard contents to the flow chat.

Select All

Selects all items within the flow chart.

Clear Selection

Cancels any selection in a flow chart control.

Bring To Front

Brings selected objects in front of other objects in the flow chart window.  If you apply Bring To Front to a selected object, then that selected object overlaps other items on screen.

Send To Back

Places selected objects behind other objects to the end of Z-buffer.

View

Zoom In

Enlarges a flow chart’s view.

Zoom Out

Lessens a flow chart’s view.

Fit

Changes a flow chart’s zoom ratio in order to show all chart items within the flow chart window.

Actual Size

Resets the zoom ratio of the flow chart window to 100% (no zoom).

Union

New Union

Creates a new union.  The selected object becomes the main object of the union.  Double-click the main object to select all objects that belong to the union.  This item is enabled only when several objects are selected.

Add To Union

Adds selected object(s) to a union.  If a selected object is already in the union, it is not added to it.

Remove From Union

Removes an object from a union.  This item is enabled only when a selected object is the member of a union.  The Remove From Union item is disabled when the selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear Union

Removes all objects from a union.  This item is enabled only when a selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear All Unions

Removes all objects from all existing unions.


Toolbar
FlowChart Editor Toolbar

The flow chart editor includes a toolbar with the following sections:

Create Section

Use buttons of this section to create a new item within the flow chart.

In order to draw a new object or a connection:

1.	Click [image] or [image] button on the toolbar to create a new object or a connection.

2.	Drag the mouse pointer diagonally in the direction you want.

The default background and foreground colors are displayed on the lower-left corner of the editor screen.  Use the left mouse button to draw with the foreground color or the right mouse button to draw the background color.

Object Section

Use buttons of this section to customize object formatting.

1.	To change object shape use the [image] button.

2.	To change the border width of an object, first select the object, then use the [image] button.

3.	Use the [image] button to change the font of object text.

4.	Use the [image] button to change text layout within the flow chart window.

5.	Use the [image] button to change image layout within the flow chart window.

Connection Section

Use the buttons in this section to customize the look of a selected connection.

Change the connection type by clicking the [image] button.

Use the [image] button to change the font used for connection text.

Use the [image] and [image] buttons to specify the style of source and destination edges of a connection.

Use the [image] and [image] buttons to change the size of source and destination arrows.  Generally, a connection can have arrows with arbitrary size, but the dropdown menu within the flow chart editor allows you only predefined sizes.  Use the Properties popup menu item to change the arrow size of the connection.

Use the [image] and [image] buttons to specify to linked source and destination objects.

Zoom Section

Use the buttons within this section to change the scale of the flow chart.

1.	Use the [image] button to zoom a flow chart’s view.  First, toggle this button, then zoom in the flow chart view area.  To zoom out, use the ALT key when zooming.

2.	Use the [image] button to fit a flow chart’s contents in the flow chart window.

Palette Section

Use this palette to change the color of a current object or connection.

Use the left mouse button to change the foreground color.  Use right mouse click to change the background.  Double click the current foreground or background boxes in order to specify a color that differs from available palette colors.

To change the border color of an object, selected it and then specify a new foreground.  To fill an object with a particular color, first select the object and then specify a new background color.

To change the color of a connection line, first select the connection, then specify a new foreground color.  To specify the color of connection arrows, first select the connection then specify a new background color.

Note: If there are no selected objects or connections within the editor, setting a new background color changes the flow chart’s background color.


Popup Menu
FlowChart Editor Popup Menu

The popup menu appears when clicking the right mouse button on an item within the flow chart editor.  The popup menu contains the number of standard operations, such as Copy, Cut, Paste, and options, specific for flow chart items.

Use Properties to edit flow chart item properties.  If a selected item is a flow chart object, the object customizing form activates.  If a selected item is a connection, the connection customizing form activates.

The edit section contains items for modifying objects or connections:

Undo

Use this item to undo the last changes to the flow chart.

Copy

Copies selection to the clipboard.

Cut

Cuts selection and places it into the clipboard.

Paste

Pastes clipboard contents to the flow chart.

Remove Point

Deletes the intermediate point of a connection.  This item is enabled only when you click the right mouse button on the intermediate point.

Select All

Selects all flow chart items in a flow chart.

Clear Selection

Removes selection of all items within a flow chart.

Bring To Front

Places an item in front of all other flow chart items.

Send To Back

Places an item behind other flow chart items.

The popup menu of the flow chart editor has a union section.  Its items are enabled only if the selected item is a flow chart object.  Objects of the same union move together, even if a user moves only one object comprising it.  Items of the union section perform the same actions as the Union item of the main menu.

New Union

Creates a new union.  The selected object becomes the main object of the union.  Double-click the main object to select all objects that belong to the union.  This item is enabled only when several objects are selected.

Add To Union

Adds selected object(s) to a union.  If a selected object is already in the union, it is not added to it.

Remove From Union

Removes an object from a union.  This item is enabled only when a selected object is the member of a union.  The Remove From Union item is disabled when the selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear Union

Removes all objects from a union.  This item is enabled only when a selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear All Unions

Removes all objects from all existing unions.


Object Customizing Form

The object customizing form provides easy configuration of objects properties.  The object customizing form contains three pages:

General Page

Contains edit controls for most object properties.

Height - Specifies the vertical size of an object in flow chart coordinates.

Width - Specifies the horizontal size of an object in flow chart coordinates.

Text - Determines object text.  Use the [image] button to the right of the text edit box in order to change text font.

Text Layout - Specifies text layout.

Shape Type - Specifies object shape.

Line Width - Determines border width of an object.

Shape Color - Specifies border color.  Double clicking the color box activates the color selection dialog.

Background Color - Specifies the background color for an object.

Transparent  - Determines whether an object is transparent.

Image Page

This page provides image selection for an object.  Simply select an image from the window.

Image Layout - Specifies image position within a flow chart object.

Use the Clear Image button to remove a link between an image and object.  After clicking the Clear Image button an object has no associated image.

Frame Page

The intent of this page is to configure the object frame.  These settings are meaningful only for objects of type fcsRectangle.  Options of this page are similar to parameters of the DrawEdge funtion (see Win32 API help).

Edge Style section

RaisedIn	Raised inner edge
RaisedOut	Raised outer edge
SunkenIn	Sunken outer edge
SunkenOut	Sunken inner edge
Frame Style section

Flat	Flat border of an object
Mono	Object has a one-dimensional rectangle border
Left	Left side of border rectangle
Top	Top of border rectangle
Right	Right side of border rectangle
Bottom	Bottom of border rectangle
Soft	Soft edges instead of tiles
Adjust	The border rectangle to be adjusted to leave space for client area
Middle	Interior of rectangle to be filled
Diagonal	Diagonal border


Connection Customizing Form

The connection customizing form provides a visual interface for connection properties.

Text

Enter connection text into this edit box.  Use the [image] button to change text font in the Text box

The Source and Destination sections determine respectively the source and destination connection edges.

Source section	Destination section
Arrow Type	Type of source connection edge.	Arrow Type	Type of destination connection edge.
Arrow Size	Specifies size of source arrow edge. Use this property to define unique arrow sizes.	Arrow Size	Specifies size of destination arrow edge.  Use this property to define unique arrow sizes.
Linked Point	Determines the linked point of a source object.  Connection is linked to the source object at this point.	Linked Point	Determines the linked point of a destination object.  Connection is linked to the destination source object at this point

Color

Represents connection color.  Double click the color box to activate a color selection dialog.  Use this color dialog to specify a new color for a connection

Arrow Color

Represents the color of arrows.  Double click the color box in order to choose a new color from the color selection dialog.