delphi memento

Directories organisation

2006-12-31T03:37:00.000-08:00

There should be 5 distincts directories:

- source directory (called for ex. 'Projects source') -> CD_EMERGENCY
- source backup directory (called for ex. 'Projects source backup') -> CD_STORAGE
- project management directory (called for ex. 'Projects management') -> CD_EMERGENCY
- test directory (called for ex. 'Projects test') -> CD_EMERGENCY
- production directory (this depends on the user) -> CD_EMERGENCY

[***] ShellExecute in Delphi

2005-01-31T03:15:00.000-08:00

ShellExecute: see festra
uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls, SHELLAPI;
...

//Open a document
sText:=InputBox('Node Document to Open', 'Document Path ?', sText);
ShellExecute(0,'open', PChar('Notepad.exe'),Pchar('"' + sText + '"'), nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL);

//Explore a file folder with Windows Explorer:
ShellExecute(Handle, 'explore', PChar(ExtractFilePath (sText), nil, nil, SW_SHOW);

//Run a DOS command and return immediately:
ShellExecute(Handle, 'open', PChar('command.com'), PChar('/c copy file1.txt file2.txt'), nil, SW_SHOW);

//Run a DOS command and keep the DOS-window open ("stay in DOS"):
ShellExecute(Handle, 'open', PChar('command.com'), PChar('/k dir'), nil, SW_SHOW);

From http://www.bancoems.com/mini_faq_examples.htm#ShellExecute
//uses ShellAPI;
procedure RunAProgram (const theProgram, itsParameters, defaultDirectory: string);
var
rslt: integer;
msg: string;
begin
rslt := ShellExecute(0, 'open',
pChar (theProgram),
pChar (itsParameters),
pChar (defaultDirectory),
sw_ShowNormal);
if rslt <= 32 then
begin
case rslt of
0,
se_err_OOM:
msg := 'Out of memory/resources';
error_File_Not_Found:
msg := 'File "' + theProgram + '" not found';
error_Path_Not_Found:
msg := 'Path not found';
error_Bad_Format:
msg := 'Damaged or invalid exe';
se_err_AccessDenied:
msg := 'Access denied';
se_err_NoAssoc,
se_err_AssocIncomplete:
msg := 'Filename association invalid';
se_err_DDEBusy,
se_err_DDEFail,
se_err_DDETimeOut:
msg := 'DDE error';
se_err_Share:
msg := 'Sharing violation';
else
msg := 'no text';
end;
raise Exception.Create('ShellExecute error #' + IntToStr (rslt) + ': ' + msg);
end;
end;

Links

2005-01-10T05:36:00.000-08:00

Forums:
http://www.programmersheaven.com/c/MsgBoard/wwwboard.asp?Board=4

http://forum.hardware.fr/hardwarefr/Programmation/Les-logiciels-gratuits-pour-bien-programmer-sujet-41471-6.htm

How to use Splitter Control ?

2005-01-10T05:20:00.000-08:00

Place 2 controls for example 2 richedit:
- the left one with property 'align' to 'aleft'
- the right one with property 'align' to 'alclient' !!!

Then place the splitter in-between. For a horizontal splitter change splitter align property to 'altop'.

Strings functions

2005-01-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

Splitting a string:
http://www.bancoems.com/CompLangPascalDelphiMisc-MiniFAQ.htm#Q14

Getting Directories and Paths

2005-01-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

Splitting path functions:
ExtractFilePath

Working Directory:

Path of the exe:
Application.ExeName or ParamStr(0) will return the full name of your executable.

Testing the existence

2005-01-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

Of a component: http://www.bancoems.com/mini_faq_examples.htm#RuntimeEventHandler

Runtime-Assigned Event Handler Example

Make a form, add a button called CreateButton, give it an OnClick handler and copy the following code into it:

procedure TForm1.CreateButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
if not Assigned(RuntimeButton1) then
begin
RuntimeButton1 := TButton.Create(Self);
RuntimeButton1.Parent := Form1;
RuntimeButton1.Top := CreateButton.Top + 32;
RuntimeButton1.Left := CreateButton.Left;
RuntimeButton1.Caption := 'Press me!';
RuntimeButton1.OnClick := RuntimeButtonClick;
end
else if not Assigned(RuntimeButton2) then
begin
RuntimeButton2 := TButton.Create(Self);
RuntimeButton2.Parent := Form1;
RuntimeButton2.Top := RuntimeButton1.Top + 32;
RuntimeButton2.Left := CreateButton.Left;
RuntimeButton2.Caption := 'Press me too!';
RuntimeButton2.OnClick := RuntimeButtonClick;
end;
end;

Copy the following lines into the declaration of TForm1 (put them in the public or private sections, but not where Delphi puts the objects added at design time):

RuntimeButton1: TButton;
RuntimeButton2: TButton;
procedure RuntimeButtonClick(Sender: TObject);

Then copy this procedure into the implementation section:

procedure TForm1.RuntimeButtonClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
ShowMessage('A button that was created at runtime was just pressed.'
+ #13#10#13#10
+ 'The button''s caption is: "' + TButton(Sender).Caption + '"');
end;

At runtime, initially there is only one button. If you press on it then a button with caption "Press me!" is created; if you press the original button again, a second button with caption "Press me too!" is created. Pressing the runtime-created buttons produces the ShowMessage dialog, which shows the caption of the button that was pressed.

Glossary

2005-01-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

Class:
A class, or class type, defines a structure consisting of fields, methods, and properties.

Object:

OOP in Delphi

2005-01-08T02:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/delphi/chapter/ch02.html

Casting

2005-01-08T02:43:00.000-08:00

Example:

Procedure Handler_AlwaysOnTop (Sender: TObject);
Begin
TMenuItem(Sender).Checked:=Not TMenuItem(Sender).Checked;
SetAlwaysOnTop;
End;

How to cope with Win API Messages ?

2005-01-08T02:12:00.000-08:00

In your form's class declaration put this:

procedure WM<%Window_Message_Suffix%>(var Msg: TWM<%Window_Message_Suffix%>);
message WM_<%Window_Message_Suffix%>;

In your form's class implementation put this:

procedure TYourForm.WM<%Window_Message_Suffix%>(var Msg: TWM<%Window_Message_Suffix%>);
begin
inherited;
with Msg do
begin

end;
end;

Creating Custom Components

2005-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Fundamentals on classes:
http://info.borland.com/techpubs/delphi/delphi5/oplg/classes.html
http://delphi.about.com/library/bluc/text/uc061102b.htm

Parent and Owner

2005-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

The parent is the container.
The owner is the creator. it is the parameter passed to the Create constructor. It can be changed with InsertComponent/RemoveComponent methods.

How to detect the existence of a component / variable ?

2005-01-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

[***] Creating a Control At RunTime

2005-01-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

Var
<%VarName%> : <%ClassName%>;
begin
<%VarName%> := <%ClassName%>.Create( Self );
end;

With <%VarName%> do
Begin
Parent := Self;
end;

ClassName: {TMainMenu,TToolbar, TToolButton, StatusBar, TTabbedNotebook, TPanel, TMenu}

For Splitter see
http://www.delphifr.com/forum.v2.aspx?ID=226771
Splitter := TSplitter.Create(Self);
Splitter.Parent := Self;
Splitter.Left := PnlGauche.Width;
Splitter.Align := alLeft;
Splitter.Width := 2;

While Var = False do begin

2005-01-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

http://delphi.about.com/od/objectpascalide/l/aa091101b.htm

Guess := False;
while Guess = False do begin
//...

Guess:=True;
//...
end; //while

Get the temp directory

2005-01-05T04:58:00.000-08:00

ShowMessage(GetEnvironmentVariable('Temp'));

Toolbar Memento

2005-01-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

Toolbar (Win32): a fixed barmenu; will require an imagelist (Win32).
Coolbar (Win32): you can move it but originally it sticks to Caption and adjusts its width automatically to the client zone.
ControlBar (VCL): similar to Coolbar but can be placed anywhere.

ToolBar INSIDE a Coolbar or ControlBar is possible.
Panel INSIDE a coolbar or ControlBar is possible.

Project Coda1\Configuration_01 uses multiple panels INSIDE a ControlBar.
Project Coda1\Configuration_02 uses a Toolbar INSIDE a Coolbar.

Delphi Language : the basics for absolute beginner

2005-01-03T07:09:00.000-08:00

Comments:
// or {}
---------------------------------------------------------------
A procedure begins with 'procedure':

---------------------------------------------------------------
Ask an input and Show a Message Box:

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
WhatsName: string;
WhatsAge: integer;
begin
WhatsName:= InputBox('I ask you', 'What''s your name', 'John by default');
WhatsName:= InputBox('I ask you', 'What''s your age', '');
ShowMessage('Hello ' + WhatsName + IntToStr(WhatsAge) + '!')
end;
----------------------------------------------------------------
if ... then
begin
...
end;

After Delphi Install

2005-01-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

Deactivate Delphi Direct

- Menu Tools | Environment | Delphi Direct
- Uncheck

- Menu Tools | Designer
- Uncheck 'Align on grid'

Creating a dos console (command line) application

2005-01-03T04:01:00.000-08:00

http://delphi.about.com/od/objectpascalide/l/aa091101a.htm

0. Select "File | New Application"
1. Select "Project | Remove From Project..."
2. Select Unit1 (Form1) and click OK. Delphi will remove the selected unit from the uses clause of the current project.
3. Select "Project | View Source"
4. Edit your project source file:
• Delete all the code inside "begin" and "end".
• After the uses keyword, replace the "Forms" unit with "SysUtils".
• Place {$APPTYPE CONSOLE} right under the "program" statement.

. The $APPTYPE directive controls whether to generate a Win32 console or graphical UI application. The {$APPTYPE CONSOLE} directive (equivalent to the /CC command-line option), tells the compiler to generate a console application.
. The uses keyword, as usual, lists all the units this unit uses (units that are part of a project). As you can see, the SysUtils unit is included by default. Another unit is included too, the System unit, though this is hidden from us.
. In between the begin ... end pair you add your code.

Classical GUI Framework

2005-01-02T01:29:00.000-08:00

- Full Screen App
- Application Menu with TMainMenu
- Toolbar Menu

System Tray in Delphi

2004-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hide the Clock icon on Windows Tray

All inclusions must be tracked for broken links

2004-12-31T03:26:00.000-08:00

Command line compilation

2004-12-30T02:57:00.000-08:00

Use of DCC32.exe:
http://info.borland.com/techpubs/delphi/delphi5/oplg/overview.html

Tools for creating cfg configuration file:
http://www.cublea.net/delphi/cfgmaker/