Object Inspector

The Object Inspector is a properties and events editor similar to Delphi and C++Builder. It allows you to visually configure control properties and assign event handlers without writing code manually.

Overview

The Object Inspector has two main tabs:

• Properties — Edit control properties in a categorized grid
• Events — Assign event handlers to control events

At the top, a Control Selector ComboBox lets you switch between all controls on the current form.

Properties Tab

Categorized Grid

Properties are organized into categories for easier navigation:

Category	Properties
Appearance	cPrompt, cValue, nWidth, nHeight, nClrPane, nClrText, oFont, cPicture
Position	nLeft, nTop, nWidth, nHeight
Behavior	lVisible, lEnabled, lTabStop, lReadOnly
Data	cDataSource, cDataField, nDataType
Font	cFontName, nFontSize, lFontBold, lFontItalic

Property Editors

Different property types use different editors:

Property Type	Editor	Example
String	Text input	Control name, caption text
Number	Numeric input	Position, size values
Logical	Dropdown (.T./.F.)	Visible, Enabled
Color	Color picker	Background, text color
Font	Font picker	Font name, size, style
Enum	Dropdown list	BorderStyle, Position, WindowState

Dropdown Editors for Enumerations

Properties with predefined values show dropdown lists:

Property	Values
nBorderStyle	0=bsSizeable, 1=bsSingle, 2=bsNone, 3=bsToolWindow
nPosition	0=poDesigned, 1=poCenter, 2=poCenterScreen
nWindowState	0=wsNormal, 1=wsMinimized, 2=wsMaximized
nFormStyle	0=fsNormal, 1=fsStayOnTop
nCursor	0=crDefault, 1=crArrow, 2=crIBeam, 3=crHand, etc.

Events Tab

The Events tab shows all available events for the selected control type. The event list is dynamic and retrieved via UI_GETALLEVENTS from the backend.

Assigning Event Handlers

1. Double-click an event to auto-generate a handler
2. Type directly in the event field to assign a code block
3. Select from existing methods via dropdown

// Double-clicking OnClick generates:
oBtn:OnClick := { || Button1Click() }

METHOD Button1Click() CLASS TForm1
   MsgInfo( "Button clicked!" )
return nil

Common Events

Event	Fires When	Available For
OnClick	User clicks the control	Button, CheckBox, RadioButton, ListBox, etc.
OnChange	Control value changes	Edit, Memo, ComboBox, CheckBox, etc.
OnInit	Control is created and initialized	All controls
OnClose	Form is about to close	Form only
OnTimer	Timer interval elapsed	Timer only
OnKeyDown	Key is pressed down	All input controls
OnKeyUp	Key is released	All input controls
OnKeyPress	Character key pressed	All input controls
OnMouseDown	Mouse button pressed	All controls
OnMouseUp	Mouse button released	All controls
OnMouseMove	Mouse moves over control	All controls
OnMouseWheel	Mouse wheel scrolled	All controls
OnDblClick	User double-clicks	All controls
OnCreate	Form is being created	Form only
OnDestroy	Form is being destroyed	Form only
OnShow	Form is shown	Form only
OnHide	Form is hidden	Form only
OnActivate	Form receives focus	Form only
OnResize	Form is resized	Form only
OnPaint	Form needs repainting	Form only

Property Types (C++ Backend)

In the C++ backend, properties are defined with types:

Constant	Value	Usage
PT_STRING	1	Text properties (name, caption, value)
PT_NUMBER	2	Numeric properties (position, size, intervals)
PT_LOGICAL	3	Boolean properties (visible, enabled, checked)
PT_COLOR	4	Color properties (background, text color)
PT_FONT	5	Font properties (name, size, style)

Code Examples

Setting Properties via Object Inspector

When you edit properties in the inspector, the generated code looks like:

METHOD CreateForm() CLASS TForm1
   ::cTitle     := "My Application"
   ::nLeft      := 100
   ::nTop       := 170
   ::nWidth     := 640
   ::nHeight    := 480
   ::nPosition  := 2  // poCenterScreen
   ::nWindowState := 0  // wsNormal
return nil

Event Assignment in Code

// Inline code block
oBtn:OnClick := { || MsgInfo( "Hello!" ) }

// Call to method
oBtn:OnClick := { || ::HandleButtonClick() }

METHOD HandleButtonClick() CLASS TForm1
   MsgInfo( "Button was clicked" )
return nil

Tips for Using Object Inspector

1. Use categories — Expand categories to find properties quickly
2. Double-click events — Auto-generates handler methods in your class
3. Use dropdowns for enums — Ensures valid values (BorderStyle, Position, etc.)
4. Color picker — Click color properties to open the color selector
5. Control selector — Use the ComboBox at top to switch between controls
6. Real-time updates — Changes reflect instantly in designer and code
7. Reset to default — Right-click a property to reset to default value