AppToolbar control from a different thread

It is possible to control the AppFrame PowerToolbar from any thread in your application. In this tutorial you will be taken through the steps needed.

The finished application for this tutorial can be found at: Clarion6\3rdParty\Examples\PowerToolbar\AppToolbarTutorial.app

Create a new application

Add the global PowerToolbar template

See Adding the templates

Go to the "Advanced" tab

On the advanced tab of the global template, make sure "Support AppFrame-Toolbar from other threads" is checked.

Notice the Object name (AppToolbar). This is what we will refer to in our code later on.

Click "Ok" twice to get back to the Application Tree.

Add AppFrame

Double-click the Main(Todo) procedure to bring up the "Select Procedure Type" dialog.

Select "Frame - Multiple Document Main Menu"

Create the window

Click the Window button

Select "Application Main MDI Frame" and click OK. This will bring up the window formatter.

Delete the menubar (We do not want a menu for this tutorial)

Select the menu-item "Menu -> Delete Menu"

Create the toolbar

Select the menu-item "Toolbar -> New Toolbar"

Populate PowerToolbar control

Click the "Control Template" toolbutton

Choose the template "POToolbar - Toolbar Control"

Click somewhere inside the Clarion toolbar or Window to place the PowerToolbar-control.

Right-click PowerToolbar control, and select "Actions"

Select the "Advanced" tab

Notice "ID-Filename". All ID's for this toolbar will be exported to this file. You will need to select this file in the MDI Client template later in this tutorial.

"Object name" must be the same as global template setting.

Add a band

Select the "Bands"-tab

Click the "Insert"-button

As "Name", type "Tutorial"

Add a button

Click the "Insert"-button

Type "Button 1" in the Name field.

Set button action

Select the "Actions"-tab

As "Action" select "Call a Procedure"

Enter "TestWindow" as procedure name

Check the "Initiate thread" checkbox

Click OK three times to get back to the window formatter

Save and exit the window

Compile the application

You must do this to generate the ID-file (AppToolbarTutorial1.id)

Create the window

Double-click the "TestWindow (ToDo)"-procedure

Select "Window - Generic Window Handler"

Click the "Window button"

Select "MDI Child Window"

Save and exit the window formatter

Add the MDI-template

Click the "Extensions"-button

Click "Insert"

Select "PowerToolbarMDIClient - PowerToolbar MDI Client"

Set up the template

Click the "..." button next to the ID-file prompt.

Select the "AppToolbarTutorial1.id"-file. This is the file generated by the toolbar-control i the AppFrame.

Click the "Advanced"-tab

Notice "AppFame Toolbar". This is the object name that we saw in both the global template, and the AppFrame toolbar-control.

Click OK to get back to the Procedure Properties window.

Click the "Window" button to get to the window formatter.

Place a button on the window

Make sure "Use" is ?Button1

Code some actions for the toolbar

Select the "Actions"-tab

Click the embed button

Double click "Control Events -> ?Button1 -> Accepted -> Generated Code"

Select "Source" as Embed type

Enter code to manipulate the toolbar

AppToolbar is a global object which you can use to control the appframe-toolbar

The various AppToolbar methods is described here

Enter the following code into the source editor

!Manipulate AppFrame toolbar button

!Enable/Disable

If AppToolbar.GetEnabled(ID1_Button1)               !Check if button is enabled

   AppToolbar.SetEnabled(ID1_Button1, False)       !Disable button

Else

   AppToolbar.SetEnabled(ID1_Button1, True)        !Enable button

End

!Change text

If AppToolbar.GetText(ID1_Button1) = 'Button 1'     !Get button text

   AppToolbar.SetText(ID1_Button1, 'Hello world!') !Set new text

Else

   AppToolbar.SetText(ID1_Button1, 'Button 1')     !Set back to default text

End

Save and exit the source editor

Compile and run the application.

Click "Button 1" in the toolbar to open our test-window.

Click "Button 1" in the test-window and observe what happens to the toolbar button.