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Documentation

Palette

The component palette provides quick access to commonly used components (JavaBeans) available for adding to forms.

Palette

    

The components are organized in categories. Click on a category header to expand or collapse a category.

You can add a new component to the form in following ways:

  • Select a component in the palette, move the cursor to the Design or Structure view and click where you want to add the component.
  • Select Choose Bean, enter the class name of the component in the Choose Bean dialog, click OK, move the cursor to the Design or Structure view and click where you want to add the component.

To add multiple instances of a component, press the Ctrl key (Mac OS X: Command key) while clicking on the Design or Structure view.

The component palette is fully customizable. Right-click on the palette to add, edit, remove or reorder components and categories. Or use the Palette Manager.

Toolbar commands
Palette Manager Opens the Palette Manager dialog to customize the palette.

Choose Bean

You can use any component that follows the JavaBean specification in JFormDesigner. Select Choose Bean in the palette to open the Choose Bean dialog.

Search tab

On this tab you can search for classes. Enter the first few characters of the class you want to choose until it appears in the matching classes list. Then select it in the list and click OK.

The matching classes list displays all classes that match. It is separated into up to three sections:

  • Matching history: classes found in the history of last used classes. If the search field is empty, the complete history is displayed. To delete a class from the history, select it and press the Delete key or right-click on it an select Delete from the popup menu.
  • Matching classes: classes found in the Classpath specified in the current Project.
  • Matching palette: classes found in the palette.

Choose Bean (Search)

JARs tab

On this tab you can select classes that are marked as JavaBean in the JAR's manifest. The provider of the component JAR can mark some classes as JavaBean in the manifest file. Popular 3rd party component libraries like MiG Calendar or JIDE components use this to make it easier to find the few classes, which can be used in GUI builders, in libraries that contain hundreds of classes.

Choose Bean (JARs)

See also http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/guide/jar/jar.html#Per-Entry%20Attributes

Other options

The Is Container check box allows you to specify whether a bean is a container or not.

If you select Add to palette category, the component will be added to the palette category specified in the following field. Click the New button to create a new category for your components if necessary.

Stand-alone: Use the Classpath button to specify the location of your component classes. Add your JAR files or class folders.

IDE plug-ins: The classpath specified in the IDE project is used to locate component classes.

Palette Manager

This dialog allows you to fully customize the component palette. You can add, edit, remove or reorder components and categories.

Palette Manager

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