ADK_FieldControl - Field control

Field controls (ADK_FieldControl) are designed as class methods within a GUI class. In general, field controls are considered to be complex controls, which may consist of any number of sub controls (fields). Field controls are abstract methods. They do not get a data source and do not require a specific context, i.e. field controls do not get position or parent. In order to display a field control as sub control in another field control, it has to referenced via a field (ADK_Field) in the control, which provides data source and context (e.g. position, parent) for the control for displaying the control properly. While the field control is an abstract method, the field rather corresponds to a method call.

Field controls belong to a GUI class, which defines the complex data type the field control is based on. Field controls contain a number of inner elements (fields) in order to display data for class instances. Normally, field controls are defined as abstract class methods in a design class. In order to display a control within another field control, a field (ADK_Field) has to be created, that defines position and size for the control and its data source. Thus, a field control might be associated with fields in different controls. An order to display a field control in a window (dialog) the field control has to be assigned to the window.

Both, field and field control allow setting context style (ADK_ContextStyle) properties. The idea is, that the field control defines the default settings while the field may overwrite the settings in a specific context. Usually, context style properties set to not empty values in the field definition will overwrite corresponding properties in the field control.

Similar to context styles a context class defined in a field control will be ignored, when another context class has been defined for the field.

Field controls may refer to a number of subordinated elements defined in the style action (ADK_StyleAction).