Basic Help.

[DFergFLA]

I am so confused. I have tried a few things with this. I can change the label on a button.
CommandButton1.text = "Hello" works
But I can't change the label of a form
From1.text = "hello"
doesn't work
Form1.capttion = "hello"
doesn't work.

I get compile errors like "error 214: Member isn't static" or "error255 Ambiguous symbol access. Explicate scope resolution required, found "text"

Neither one of those mean anything to me and I haven't been able to find any information using google. Is there any documentation at all for these forms, widgets? I'm not sure I understand what the difference between, Text, and Caption. But it works for the command button but not a form. It would seem to me that it should work the same way as the text for the button.

Frustration aside. I have been able to do some simple loops and math with output to the terminal. Overall I am really having fun. But being a newbie my ability to understand the problems and troubleshoot them is very limited.

[XusinboyBekchanov]

Form1 is a type. You must refer to fForm1, below is the definition:
Dim Shared fForm1 As Form1

[demosthenesk]

Added: "Create Form types without Type word" option to Designer options:
1cb24b4

ok!
Nice, it works!
Thanks!

[XusinboyBekchanov]

Thank you too.

[W98X]

Improved: Changed Form Type name and Form name:
bcccbd0

That's great! Now the form can be accessed according to the name the user chooses, with no need for an unexplained f at the start. 👍

Now the user is able to chose any naming convention they want (or no naming convention at all!). This is achieved via the form name property in the property grid.

In the screenshot below, I have used the naming convention frm at the start of the form name and now it can be accessed as frmMyForm1.show

In another screenshot, I have used the naming convention of f at the start, to make it accessible via fMyForm1.show

In another screenshot, I have used no naming convention at all. The form is accessible according the name I gave it in the property panel MyForm1. So now it is easy and obvious to access the form via MyForm1.show or MyForm1.caption = "I am form 1"

From this day onwards, newbies will no longer hit the error that DFergFLA experienced of a form name needing an unexplained f at the start. The form will now be accessible according to the name it has in the properties panel. This is obvious and easy now.

This is a big improvement. Many thanks. 😀

[XusinboyBekchanov]

Good.

[XusinboyBekchanov]

Fixed: Name property of Form in Designer:
73225be

[DFergFLA]

Ok, , where would that go?

[XusinboyBekchanov]

By default, this is already there:

#ifdef __FB_WIN32__
	'#Compile "Form1.rc"
#endif
'#Region "Form"
	#include once "mff/Form.bi"
	
	Using My.Sys.Forms
	
	Type Form1 Extends Form
		
	End Type
	
	Dim Shared fForm1 As Form1
	
	#ifndef _NOT_AUTORUN_FORMS_
		fForm1.Show
		
		App.Run
	#endif
'#End Region

[DFergFLA]

Ok, I can see that code in the form1 constructor. So, I am still at square 1. If that is the code I need to make this work and that code is already there.... Then why can't I change the form1.text ?

[DFergFLA]

[XusinboyBekchanov]

Here:

[DFergFLA]

Thank You, thank you, thank you.

Can I get a little more info on what the lower case f in "fForm1.text" is for?

[XusinboyBekchanov]

Variables can be named in different ways:

[demosthenesk]

Every developer or company has their own standards for code writing.
For example for standard data types like integer, long, double etc i name variables like iVar, lVar, dVar
For custom data types like forms, buttons, comboboxes, lists etc i name variable objects like fForm1, btnSave, cmbList, lstList etc...
You can define your own name standards as you like !

[demosthenesk]

Anatomy of a Form1.frm code

Every form has a template code for the beginning when you add a form in your project.
The following code is an example:

#ifdef __FB_WIN32__
	'#Compile "Form1.rc"
#endif
'#Region "Form"
	#include once "mff/Form.bi"
	
	Using My.Sys.Forms
	
	Type Form1 Extends Form
		Declare Constructor
		
	End Type
	
	Constructor Form1
		' Form1
		With This
			.Name = "Form1"
			.Text = "Form1"
			.Caption = "Form1"
			.SetBounds 0, 0, 350, 300
		End With
	End Constructor
	
	Dim Shared fForm1 As Form1
	
	#ifndef _NOT_AUTORUN_FORMS_
		fForm1.Show
		
		App.Run
	#endif
'#End Region

First we have a preprocessor check to test if the code runs in windows. If it is, then we order to compile also Form1.rc file.

#ifdef __FB_WIN32__
	'#Compile "Form1.rc"
#endif

After that we have the Region form code.
We include header files from mff according to what kind of objects we have on the Form.
Below we include only the form header.
And we use the Forms namespace.

	#include once "mff/Form.bi"
	
	Using My.Sys.Forms

After we have the Form1 type which extends the Form type.
Here we declare Constructor, Event subs etc.

	Type Form1 Extends Form
		Declare Constructor
		
	End Type

Next, we have the object's constructors.
Here we have the Form1 constructor which initialize some Form's properties.

	Constructor Form1
		' Form1
		With This
			.Name = "Form1"
			.Text = "Form1"
			.Caption = "Form1"
			.SetBounds 0, 0, 350, 300
		End With
	End Constructor

After that we define an object var for the type Form1. This var has the name fForm1.

Dim Shared fForm1 As Form1

After that, we have the app section where we run the app and show the form.

	#ifndef _NOT_AUTORUN_FORMS_
		fForm1.Show
		
		App.Run
	#endif
'#End Region

Below this section the IDE adds event subs

[demosthenesk]

For example:

Private Sub Form1.Form_Click_(ByRef Sender As Control)
	*Cast(Form1 Ptr, Sender.Designer).Form_Click(Sender)
End Sub
Private Sub Form1.Form_Click(ByRef Sender As Control)
	Print "Hello World !!!"
End Sub