Tag Archives: properties

HMG-IDE In Short

Posted on by vivaclipper

HMG-IDE Harbour MiniGUI Integrated Development Environment is a comprehensive and highly sophisticated project management utility. It is also extremely facilitated to easily use.

It’s possible to build and manage an entire project from scratch under this utility; without needing cryptic batch command ( .bat ) file, without interesting endless compiler / linker switches, etc.

HMG-IDE is more than a project maker :

  •  A clever form editor
  •  A database files ( Tables ) manager
  •  A report builder / editor

HMG-IDE_InShort

HMG-IDE come as two flawor : ANSI and Unicode versions. Dont worry about it, this two version works almost exectly same; only difference is Unicode supoort. You may use either depending on either your need to Unicode or not.

HMG-IDE has four part :

– Control Panel : This main window is constituted on a menu bar and a tool box, having many command buttons with descriptive tool tips.

– Project Browser : You can view, select and inspect all project elements in this window. henever you add or exclude a project element (module (program source file), form, resource, report …), IDE automatically updates the project browser.

– Object Inspector : This window is for view and change properties and events of GUI elements in your forms.

– Form design board : A chalk board for designing forms and directing its graphical elements.

 

Working with IDE

Posted on by vivaclipper

Since HMG-IDE is an Integrated Development Environment, it’s possible building an entire project from scratch under HMG-IDE.

But this doesn’t mean “without coding”.

So, we can develop all GUI necessities of our project via HMG-IDE; but what, always we will need some little coding.

Then we can begin our project by building a project file. This is the very first and the easiest step:

Simply run IDE.exe and then select “New Project”.

When IDE ask, select (or build a new) a working folder and give a name (say Viva_HMG) to the project. .hbp extension will be assigned by IDE to project file.

Whenever IDE build a new project, automatically build and open a module file with name Main.prg and a form file with name Main.fmg.

Module file open by your text editor and form file open by IDE itself.

The content of your module file will be like this :

#include <hmg.ch>
Function Main
        Load Window Main
        Main.Center
        Main.Activate
Return

Basic rules :

– Every HMG project have one ( and only one ) “MAIN” procedure / function

– For using GUI controls, every HMG project have one ( and only one ) “MAIN” form.

So, names of both module and form files are “Main“.

File names doesn’t mandatory;

– only name of first procedure / function of first module file must be “Main” and

– “Window Type” property of one form must be “MAIN“.

You can see “module” tab of Project Browser window “(Main)” sign adjacent to the Main.prg and at the bottom line of “Properties” tab of Object Inspector “Window Type” property of “Main” form already set “MAIN” by IDE.

Now, we can work on our first form.

First we can give a name to it.

But what happening?

There isn’t “Name” in the properties list of our form !

Yes, this is correct; because:

– Basic rule 3: Every HMG form has their own name. Only exception is: a form to be LOAD, has a unchangeable name: TEMPLATE.

In other hand, you give an “alias” to a loaded form. The way of this is using “AS” close in the LOAD command. FE:

Load Window Main AS frmIDEBS_01

In this case you have change “Center” and “Activate” commands too :

frmIDEBS_01.Center
frmIDEBS_01.Activate

If you don’t use an “alias” in that way, you will use in all references of form by its file name; in this example : “Main”.

Now, its time to give a “Title” to the form.

For this, we will use “TITLE” property of form:

Double click “Title” and give a title in the open Input Box, say “It’s a Wonderful Life”

We can change easily background color of form:

Double click BackColor in the properties list.

Click “Custom“.

In the Color Select Form select your favorite background color or simply enter these tree values. : 64, 220, 210

Press RUN button and look to your application in work.

That’s all !  

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