]> git.saurik.com Git - wxWidgets.git/blame - docs/doxygen/overviews/propgrid.h
Translate text 'Property Error'
[wxWidgets.git] / docs / doxygen / overviews / propgrid.h
CommitLineData
1c4293cb
VZ
1/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
2// Name: propgrid.h
3// Purpose: topic overview
4// Author: wxWidgets team
de003797 5// RCS-ID: $Id$
1c4293cb
VZ
6// Licence: wxWindows license
7/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
8
9/**
10
11@page overview_propgrid wxPropertyGrid Overview
12
13Key Classes:
14@li wxPGProperty
15@li wxPropertyGrid
16@li wxPropertyGridEvent
17@li wxPropertyGridManager
18@li wxPropertyGridPage
19
bba3f9b5
JS
20 wxPropertyGrid is a specialized grid for editing properties - in other
21words name = value pairs. List of ready-to-use property classes include
22strings, numbers, flag sets, fonts, colours and many others. It is possible,
23for example, to categorize properties, set up a complete tree-hierarchy,
24add more than two columns, and set arbitrary per-property attributes.
1c4293cb 25
8622887c
JS
26 As this version of wxPropertyGrid has some backward-incompatible changes
27from version 1.4, everybody who need to maintain custom property classes
28should carefully read final section in @ref propgrid_compat.
29
216214f8
JS
30@li @ref propgrid_basics
31@li @ref propgrid_categories
32@li @ref propgrid_parentprops
33@li @ref propgrid_enumandflags
34@li @ref propgrid_advprops
bba3f9b5 35@li @ref propgrid_processingvalues
216214f8 36@li @ref propgrid_iterating
216214f8 37@li @ref propgrid_events
534090e3 38@li @ref propgrid_tooltipandhint
216214f8
JS
39@li @ref propgrid_validating
40@li @ref propgrid_populating
41@li @ref propgrid_cellrender
42@li @ref propgrid_customizing
43@li @ref propgrid_usage2
44@li @ref propgrid_subclassing
45@li @ref propgrid_misc
46@li @ref propgrid_proplist
8622887c 47@li @ref propgrid_compat
216214f8
JS
48
49@section propgrid_basics Creating and Populating wxPropertyGrid
1c4293cb
VZ
50
51As seen here, wxPropertyGrid is constructed in the same way as
52other wxWidgets controls:
53
54@code
55
56// Necessary header file
57#include <wx/propgrid/propgrid.h>
58
59...
60
61 // Assumes code is in frame/dialog constructor
62
63 // Construct wxPropertyGrid control
64 wxPropertyGrid* pg = new wxPropertyGrid(
65 this, // parent
66 PGID, // id
67 wxDefaultPosition, // position
68 wxDefaultSize, // size
69 // Here are just some of the supported window styles
70 wxPG_AUTO_SORT | // Automatic sorting after items added
71 wxPG_SPLITTER_AUTO_CENTER | // Automatically center splitter until user manually adjusts it
72 // Default style
73 wxPG_DEFAULT_STYLE );
74
75 // Window style flags are at premium, so some less often needed ones are
76 // available as extra window styles (wxPG_EX_xxx) which must be set using
77 // SetExtraStyle member function. wxPG_EX_HELP_AS_TOOLTIPS, for instance,
bba3f9b5 78 // allows displaying help strings as tool tips.
1c4293cb
VZ
79 pg->SetExtraStyle( wxPG_EX_HELP_AS_TOOLTIPS );
80
81@endcode
82
b55018ec 83 (for complete list of new window styles, see @ref propgrid_window_styles)
1c4293cb
VZ
84
85 wxPropertyGrid is usually populated with lines like this:
86
87@code
d6ae8b5b 88 pg->Append( new wxStringProperty("Label", "Name", "Initial Value") );
1c4293cb
VZ
89@endcode
90
91Naturally, wxStringProperty is a property class. Only the first function argument (label)
92is mandatory. Second one, name, defaults to label and, third, the initial value, to
93default value. If constant wxPG_LABEL is used as the name argument, then the label is
d665918b
JS
94automatically used as a name as well (this is more efficient than manually defining both
95as the same). Use of empty name is discouraged and will sometimes result in run-time error.
96Note that all property class constructors have quite similar constructor argument list.
1c4293cb
VZ
97
98To demonstrate other common property classes, here's another code snippet:
99
100@code
101
102 // Add int property
d6ae8b5b 103 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("IntProperty", wxPG_LABEL, 12345678) );
1c4293cb
VZ
104
105 // Add float property (value type is actually double)
d6ae8b5b 106 pg->Append( new wxFloatProperty("FloatProperty", wxPG_LABEL, 12345.678) );
1c4293cb
VZ
107
108 // Add a bool property
d6ae8b5b 109 pg->Append( new wxBoolProperty("BoolProperty", wxPG_LABEL, false) );
1c4293cb
VZ
110
111 // A string property that can be edited in a separate editor dialog.
d6ae8b5b 112 pg->Append( new wxLongStringProperty("LongStringProperty",
1c4293cb 113 wxPG_LABEL,
d6ae8b5b
JS
114 "This is much longer string than the "
115 "first one. Edit it by clicking the button."));
1c4293cb
VZ
116
117 // String editor with dir selector button.
d6ae8b5b 118 pg->Append( new wxDirProperty("DirProperty", wxPG_LABEL, ::wxGetUserHome()) );
1c4293cb
VZ
119
120 // wxArrayStringProperty embeds a wxArrayString.
d6ae8b5b
JS
121 pg->Append( new wxArrayStringProperty("Label of ArrayStringProperty",
122 "NameOfArrayStringProp"));
1c4293cb
VZ
123
124 // A file selector property.
d6ae8b5b 125 pg->Append( new wxFileProperty("FileProperty", wxPG_LABEL, wxEmptyString) );
1c4293cb 126
bba3f9b5 127 // Extra: set wild card for file property (format same as in wxFileDialog).
d6ae8b5b 128 pg->SetPropertyAttribute( "FileProperty",
1c4293cb 129 wxPG_FILE_WILDCARD,
d6ae8b5b 130 "All files (*.*)|*.*" );
1c4293cb
VZ
131
132@endcode
133
bba3f9b5
JS
134 Operations on properties are usually done by directly calling wxPGProperty's
135or wxPropertyGridInterface's member functions. wxPropertyGridInterface is an
136abstract base class for property containers such as wxPropertyGrid,
137wxPropertyGridManager, and wxPropertyGridPage. Note however that wxPGProperty's
138member functions generally do not refresh the grid.
1c4293cb 139
bba3f9b5
JS
140 wxPropertyGridInterface's property operation member functions , such as
141SetPropertyValue() and DisableProperty(), all accept a special wxPGPropArg id
142argument, using which you can refer to properties either by their pointer
143(for performance) or by their name (for convenience). For instance:
1c4293cb
VZ
144
145@code
bba3f9b5 146 // Add a file selector property.
d6ae8b5b 147 wxPGPropety* prop = pg->Append( new wxFileProperty("FileProperty",
bba3f9b5
JS
148 wxPG_LABEL,
149 wxEmptyString) );
1c4293cb 150
bba3f9b5 151 // Valid: Set wild card by name
d6ae8b5b 152 pg->SetPropertyAttribute( "FileProperty",
1c4293cb 153 wxPG_FILE_WILDCARD,
d6ae8b5b 154 "All files (*.*)|*.*" );
1c4293cb 155
bba3f9b5
JS
156 // Also Valid: Set wild card by property pointer
157 pg->SetPropertyAttribute( prop,
1c4293cb 158 wxPG_FILE_WILDCARD,
d6ae8b5b 159 "All files (*.*)|*.*" );
1c4293cb
VZ
160@endcode
161
bba3f9b5
JS
162 Using pointer is faster, since it doesn't require hash map lookup. Anyway,
163you can always get property pointer (wxPGProperty*) as return value from Append()
164or Insert(), or by calling wxPropertyGridInterface::GetPropertyByName() or
165just plain GetProperty().
1c4293cb 166
216214f8 167@section propgrid_categories Categories
1c4293cb 168
bba3f9b5 169 wxPropertyGrid has a hierarchic property storage and display model, which
1c4293cb
VZ
170allows property categories to hold child properties and even other
171categories. Other than that, from the programmer's point of view, categories
172can be treated exactly the same as "other" properties. For example, despite
bba3f9b5
JS
173its name, GetPropertyByName() also returns a category by name. Note however
174that sometimes the label of a property category may be referred as caption
175(for example, there is wxPropertyGrid::SetCaptionTextColour() method
176that sets text colour of property category labels).
1c4293cb
VZ
177
178 When category is added at the top (i.e. root) level of the hierarchy,
179it becomes a *current category*. This means that all other (non-category)
bba3f9b5
JS
180properties after it are automatically appended to it. You may add
181properties to specific categories by using wxPropertyGridInterface::Insert
182or wxPropertyGridInterface::AppendIn.
1c4293cb
VZ
183
184 Category code sample:
185
186@code
187
188 // One way to add category (similar to how other properties are added)
d6ae8b5b 189 pg->Append( new wxPropertyCategory("Main") );
1c4293cb
VZ
190
191 // All these are added to "Main" category
d6ae8b5b
JS
192 pg->Append( new wxStringProperty("Name") );
193 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("Age",wxPG_LABEL,25) );
194 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("Height",wxPG_LABEL,180) );
195 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("Weight") );
1c4293cb
VZ
196
197 // Another one
d6ae8b5b 198 pg->Append( new wxPropertyCategory("Attributes") );
1c4293cb
VZ
199
200 // All these are added to "Attributes" category
d6ae8b5b
JS
201 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("Intelligence") );
202 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("Agility") );
203 pg->Append( new wxIntProperty("Strength") );
1c4293cb
VZ
204
205@endcode
206
207
216214f8 208@section propgrid_parentprops Tree-like Property Structure
1c4293cb 209
bba3f9b5 210 Basically any property can have children. There are few limitations, however.
1c4293cb
VZ
211
212@remarks
bba3f9b5
JS
213- Names of properties with non-category, non-root parents are not stored in global
214 hash map. Instead, they can be accessed with strings like "Parent.Child".
215 For instance, in the sample below, child property named "Max. Speed (mph)"
216 can be accessed by global name "Car.Speeds.Max Speed (mph)".
217- If you want to property's value to be a string composed of the child property values,
218 you must use wxStringProperty as parent and use magic string "<composed>" as its
219 value.
1c4293cb
VZ
220- Events (eg. change of value) that occur in parent do not propagate to children. Events
221 that occur in children will propagate to parents, but only if they are wxStringProperties
222 with "<composed>" value.
1c4293cb
VZ
223
224Sample:
225
226@code
d6ae8b5b 227 wxPGProperty* carProp = pg->Append(new wxStringProperty("Car",
bba3f9b5 228 wxPG_LABEL,
d6ae8b5b 229 "<composed>"));
bba3f9b5 230
d6ae8b5b 231 pg->AppendIn(carProp, new wxStringProperty("Model",
bba3f9b5 232 wxPG_LABEL,
d6ae8b5b 233 "Lamborghini Diablo SV"));
1c4293cb 234
d6ae8b5b 235 pg->AppendIn(carProp, new wxIntProperty("Engine Size (cc)",
1c4293cb 236 wxPG_LABEL,
bba3f9b5 237 5707) );
1c4293cb 238
bba3f9b5 239 wxPGProperty* speedsProp = pg->AppendIn(carProp,
d6ae8b5b 240 new wxStringProperty("Speeds",
bba3f9b5 241 wxPG_LABEL,
d6ae8b5b 242 "<composed>"));
1c4293cb 243
d6ae8b5b 244 pg->AppendIn( speedsProp, new wxIntProperty("Max. Speed (mph)",
bba3f9b5 245 wxPG_LABEL,290) );
d6ae8b5b 246 pg->AppendIn( speedsProp, new wxFloatProperty("0-100 mph (sec)",
bba3f9b5 247 wxPG_LABEL,3.9) );
d6ae8b5b 248 pg->AppendIn( speedsProp, new wxFloatProperty("1/4 mile (sec)",
bba3f9b5 249 wxPG_LABEL,8.6) );
1c4293cb 250
bba3f9b5 251 // This is how child property can be referred to by name
d6ae8b5b 252 pg->SetPropertyValue( "Car.Speeds.Max. Speed (mph)", 300 );
1c4293cb 253
d6ae8b5b 254 pg->AppendIn(carProp, new wxIntProperty("Price ($)",
bba3f9b5
JS
255 wxPG_LABEL,
256 300000) );
257
258 // Displayed value of "Car" property is now very close to this:
259 // "Lamborghini Diablo SV; 5707 [300; 3.9; 8.6] 300000"
1c4293cb
VZ
260
261@endcode
262
216214f8 263@section propgrid_enumandflags wxEnumProperty and wxFlagsProperty
1c4293cb
VZ
264
265 wxEnumProperty is used when you want property's (integer or string) value
266to be selected from a popup list of choices.
267
bba3f9b5
JS
268 Creating wxEnumProperty is slightly more complex than those described
269earlier. You have to provide list of constant labels, and optionally relevant
270values (if label indexes are not sufficient).
1c4293cb
VZ
271
272@remarks
273
939d9364
JS
274- Value wxPG_INVALID_VALUE (equals INT_MAX) is not allowed as list
275 item value.
1c4293cb
VZ
276
277A very simple example:
278
279@code
280
281 //
282 // Using wxArrayString
283 //
284 wxArrayString arrDiet;
d6ae8b5b
JS
285 arr.Add("Herbivore");
286 arr.Add("Carnivore");
287 arr.Add("Omnivore");
1c4293cb 288
d6ae8b5b 289 pg->Append( new wxEnumProperty("Diet",
1c4293cb
VZ
290 wxPG_LABEL,
291 arrDiet) );
292
1c4293cb
VZ
293 //
294 // Using wxChar* array
295 //
296 const wxChar* arrayDiet[] =
297 { wxT("Herbivore"), wxT("Carnivore"), wxT("Omnivore"), NULL };
298
d6ae8b5b 299 pg->Append( new wxEnumProperty("Diet",
1c4293cb
VZ
300 wxPG_LABEL,
301 arrayDiet) );
302
1c4293cb
VZ
303@endcode
304
305Here's extended example using values as well:
306
307@code
308
309 //
310 // Using wxArrayString and wxArrayInt
311 //
312 wxArrayString arrDiet;
d6ae8b5b
JS
313 arr.Add("Herbivore");
314 arr.Add("Carnivore");
315 arr.Add("Omnivore");
1c4293cb
VZ
316
317 wxArrayInt arrIds;
318 arrIds.Add(40);
319 arrIds.Add(45);
320 arrIds.Add(50);
321
322 // Note that the initial value (the last argument) is the actual value,
323 // not index or anything like that. Thus, our value selects "Omnivore".
d6ae8b5b 324 pg->Append( new wxEnumProperty("Diet",
1c4293cb
VZ
325 wxPG_LABEL,
326 arrDiet,
327 arrIds,
328 50));
329
1c4293cb
VZ
330@endcode
331
332 wxPGChoices is a class where wxEnumProperty, and other properties which
bba3f9b5
JS
333 require storage for list of items, actually stores strings and values. It is
334 used to facilitate reference counting, and therefore recommended way of
1c4293cb
VZ
335 adding items when multiple properties share the same set.
336
337 You can use wxPGChoices directly as well, filling it and then passing it
bba3f9b5 338 to the constructor. In fact, if you wish to display bitmaps next to labels,
1c4293cb
VZ
339 your best choice is to use this approach.
340
341@code
342
343 wxPGChoices chs;
d6ae8b5b
JS
344 chs.Add("Herbivore", 40);
345 chs.Add("Carnivore", 45);
346 chs.Add("Omnivore", 50);
1c4293cb
VZ
347
348 // Let's add an item with bitmap, too
d6ae8b5b 349 chs.Add("None of the above", wxBitmap(), 60);
1c4293cb 350
d6ae8b5b 351 pg->Append( new wxEnumProperty("Primary Diet",
1c4293cb
VZ
352 wxPG_LABEL,
353 chs) );
354
355 // Add same choices to another property as well - this is efficient due
356 // to reference counting
d6ae8b5b 357 pg->Append( new wxEnumProperty("Secondary Diet",
1c4293cb
VZ
358 wxPG_LABEL,
359 chs) );
1c4293cb
VZ
360@endcode
361
d5774494
JS
362You can later change choices of property by using wxPGProperty::AddChoice(),
363wxPGProperty::InsertChoice(), wxPGProperty::DeleteChoice(), and
364wxPGProperty::SetChoices().
1c4293cb 365
bba3f9b5
JS
366<b>wxEditEnumProperty</b> works exactly like wxEnumProperty, except
367is uses non-read-only combo box as default editor, and value is stored as
1c4293cb
VZ
368string when it is not any of the choices.
369
939d9364 370wxFlagsProperty has similar construction:
1c4293cb
VZ
371
372@code
373
374 const wxChar* flags_prop_labels[] = { wxT("wxICONIZE"),
375 wxT("wxCAPTION"), wxT("wxMINIMIZE_BOX"), wxT("wxMAXIMIZE_BOX"), NULL };
376
377 // this value array would be optional if values matched string indexes
378 long flags_prop_values[] = { wxICONIZE, wxCAPTION, wxMINIMIZE_BOX,
379 wxMAXIMIZE_BOX };
380
d6ae8b5b 381 pg->Append( new wxFlagsProperty("Window Style",
1c4293cb
VZ
382 wxPG_LABEL,
383 flags_prop_labels,
384 flags_prop_values,
385 wxDEFAULT_FRAME_STYLE) );
386
387@endcode
388
389wxFlagsProperty can use wxPGChoices just the same way as wxEnumProperty
bba3f9b5 390<b>Note:</b> When changing "choices" (ie. flag labels) of wxFlagsProperty,
939d9364 391you will need to use wxPGProperty::SetChoices() to replace all choices
bba3f9b5 392at once - otherwise implicit child properties will not get updated properly.
1c4293cb 393
216214f8 394@section propgrid_advprops Specialized Properties
1c4293cb
VZ
395
396 This section describes the use of less often needed property classes.
397To use them, you have to include <wx/propgrid/advprops.h>.
398
399@code
400
401// Necessary extra header file
402#include <wx/propgrid/advprops.h>
403
404...
405
406 // Date property.
d6ae8b5b 407 pg->Append( new wxDateProperty("MyDateProperty",
1c4293cb
VZ
408 wxPG_LABEL,
409 wxDateTime::Now()) );
410
bba3f9b5 411 // Image file property. Wild card is auto-generated from available
1c4293cb 412 // image handlers, so it is not set this time.
d6ae8b5b
JS
413 pg->Append( new wxImageFileProperty("Label of ImageFileProperty",
414 "NameOfImageFileProp") );
1c4293cb
VZ
415
416 // Font property has sub-properties. Note that we give window's font as
417 // initial value.
d6ae8b5b 418 pg->Append( new wxFontProperty("Font",
1c4293cb
VZ
419 wxPG_LABEL,
420 GetFont()) );
421
422 // Colour property with arbitrary colour.
d6ae8b5b 423 pg->Append( new wxColourProperty("My Colour 1",
1c4293cb
VZ
424 wxPG_LABEL,
425 wxColour(242,109,0) ) );
426
427 // System colour property.
d6ae8b5b 428 pg->Append( new wxSystemColourProperty("My SysColour 1",
1c4293cb
VZ
429 wxPG_LABEL,
430 wxSystemSettings::GetColour(wxSYS_COLOUR_WINDOW)) );
431
432 // System colour property with custom colour.
d6ae8b5b 433 pg->Append( new wxSystemColourProperty("My SysColour 2",
1c4293cb
VZ
434 wxPG_LABEL,
435 wxColour(0,200,160) ) );
436
437 // Cursor property
d6ae8b5b 438 pg->Append( new wxCursorProperty("My Cursor",
1c4293cb
VZ
439 wxPG_LABEL,
440 wxCURSOR_ARROW));
441
442@endcode
443
444
bba3f9b5
JS
445@section propgrid_processingvalues Processing Property Values
446
4e0bdd56
JS
447Properties store their values internally as wxVariant, but is also possible to
448obtain them as wxAny, using implicit conversion. You can get property
449values with wxPGProperty::GetValue() and
450wxPropertyGridInterface::GetPropertyValue().
451
452Below is a code example which handles wxEVT_PG_CHANGED event:
453
454@code
455
456void MyWindowClass::OnPropertyGridChanged(wxPropertyGridEvent& event)
457{
458 wxPGProperty* property = event.GetProperty();
459
460 // Do nothing if event did not have associated property
461 if ( !property )
462 return;
463
464 // GetValue() returns wxVariant, but it is converted transparently to
465 // wxAny
466 wxAny value = property->GetValue();
467
468 // Also, handle the case where property value is unspecified
469 if ( value.IsNull() )
470 return;
471
472 // Handle changes in values, as needed
473 if ( property.GetName() == "MyStringProperty" )
474 OnMyStringPropertyChanged(value.As<wxString>());
475 else if ( property.GetName() == "MyColourProperty" )
476 OnMyColourPropertyChanged(value.As<wxColour>());
477}
478
479@endcode
480
481You can get a string-representation of property's value using
482wxPGProperty::GetValueAsString() or
483wxPropertyGridInterface::GetPropertyValueAsString(). This particular function
484is very safe to use with any kind of property.
485
486@note There is a one case in which you may want to take extra care when
487 dealing with raw wxVariant values. That is, integer-type properties,
488 such as wxIntProperty and wxUIntProperty, store value internally as
489 wx(U)LongLong when number doesn't fit into standard long type. Using
490 << operator to get wx(U)LongLong from wxVariant is customized to work
491 quite safely with various types of variant data. However, you can also
492 bypass this problem by using wxAny in your code instead of wxVariant.
bba3f9b5
JS
493
494Note that in some cases property value can be Null variant, which means
495that property value is unspecified. This usually occurs only when
496wxPG_EX_AUTO_UNSPECIFIED_VALUES extra window style is defined or when you
497manually set property value to Null (or unspecified).
498
499
216214f8 500@section propgrid_iterating Iterating through a property container
1c4293cb
VZ
501
502You can use somewhat STL'ish iterator classes to iterate through the grid.
503Here is a simple example of forward iterating through all individual
bba3f9b5
JS
504properties (not categories nor private child properties that are normally
505'transparent' to application code):
1c4293cb
VZ
506
507@code
508
509 wxPropertyGridIterator it;
510
511 for ( it = pg->GetIterator();
512 !it.AtEnd();
513 it++ )
514 {
515 wxPGProperty* p = *it;
516 // Do something with the property
517 }
518
519@endcode
520
521As expected there is also a const iterator:
522
523@code
524
525 wxPropertyGridConstIterator it;
526
527 for ( it = pg->GetIterator();
528 !it.AtEnd();
529 it++ )
530 {
531 const wxPGProperty* p = *it;
532 // Do something with the property
533 }
534
535@endcode
536
537You can give some arguments to GetIterator to determine which properties
538get automatically filtered out. For complete list of options, see
b55018ec
JS
539@ref propgrid_iterator_flags. GetIterator() also accepts other arguments.
540See wxPropertyGridInterface::GetIterator() for details.
1c4293cb
VZ
541
542This example reverse-iterates through all visible items:
543
544@code
545
546 wxPropertyGridIterator it;
547
548 for ( it = pg->GetIterator(wxPG_ITERATE_VISIBLE, wxBOTTOM);
549 !it.AtEnd();
550 it-- )
551 {
552 wxPGProperty* p = *it;
553 // Do something with the property
554 }
555
556@endcode
557
863d1ce7
JS
558@beginWxPythonOnly
559PropertyGridInterface has some useful pythonic iterators as attributes.
560@c Properties lets you iterate through all items that are not category
561captions or private children. @c Items lets you iterate through everything
562except private children. Also, there are GetPyIterator() and GetPyVIterator(),
563which return pythonic iterators instead of normal wxPropertyGridIterator.
564
565If you need to use C++ style iterators in wxPython code, note that
566Instead of ++ operator, use Next() method, and instead of
1c4293cb 567* operator, use GetProperty() method.
863d1ce7 568@endWxPythonOnly
1c4293cb
VZ
569
570GetIterator() only works with wxPropertyGrid and the individual pages
571of wxPropertyGridManager. In order to iterate through an arbitrary
bba3f9b5
JS
572property container (such as entire wxPropertyGridManager), you need to use
573wxPropertyGridInterface::GetVIterator(). Note however that this virtual
574iterator is limited to forward iteration.
1c4293cb
VZ
575
576@code
577
578 wxPGVIterator it;
579
580 for ( it = manager->GetVIterator();
581 !it.AtEnd();
582 it.Next() )
583 {
584 wxPGProperty* p = it.GetProperty();
585 // Do something with the property
586 }
587
588@endcode
589
216214f8 590@section propgrid_populating Populating wxPropertyGrid Automatically
1c4293cb 591
216214f8 592@subsection propgrid_fromvariants Populating from List of wxVariants
1c4293cb
VZ
593
594Example of populating an empty wxPropertyGrid from a values stored
595in an arbitrary list of wxVariants.
596
597@code
598
bba3f9b5 599 // This is a static method that initializes *all* built-in type handlers
1c4293cb
VZ
600 // available, including those for wxColour and wxFont. Refers to *all*
601 // included properties, so when compiling with static library, this
bba3f9b5 602 // method may increase the executable size noticeably.
1c4293cb
VZ
603 pg->InitAllTypeHandlers();
604
605 // Get contents of the grid as a wxVariant list
606 wxVariant all_values = pg->GetPropertyValues();
607
608 // Populate the list with values. If a property with appropriate
609 // name is not found, it is created according to the type of variant.
610 pg->SetPropertyValues( my_list_variant );
611
1c4293cb
VZ
612@endcode
613
216214f8 614@subsection propgrid_fromfile Loading Population from a Text-based Storage
1c4293cb
VZ
615
616Class wxPropertyGridPopulator may be helpful when writing code that
bba3f9b5
JS
617loads properties from a text-source. In fact, the wxPropertyGrid xrc-handler
618(which may not be currently included in wxWidgets, but probably will be in
619near future) uses it.
1c4293cb 620
bba3f9b5 621@subsection editablestate Saving and Restoring User-Editable State
1c4293cb 622
bba3f9b5
JS
623You can use wxPropertyGridInterface::SaveEditableState() and
624wxPropertyGridInterface::RestoreEditableState() to save and restore
625user-editable state (selected property, expanded/collapsed properties,
626selected page, scrolled position, and splitter positions).
1c4293cb 627
216214f8 628@section propgrid_events Event Handling
1c4293cb
VZ
629
630Probably the most important event is the Changed event which occurs when
631value of any property is changed by the user. Use EVT_PG_CHANGED(id,func)
632in your event table to use it.
633
634For complete list of event types, see wxPropertyGrid class reference.
635
bba3f9b5
JS
636However, one type of event that might need focused attention is EVT_PG_CHANGING,
637which occurs just prior property value is being changed by user. You can
638acquire pending value using wxPropertyGridEvent::GetValue(), and if it is
639not acceptable, call wxPropertyGridEvent::Veto() to prevent the value change
640from taking place.
1c4293cb
VZ
641
642@code
643
1c4293cb
VZ
644void MyForm::OnPropertyGridChanging( wxPropertyGridEvent& event )
645{
646 wxPGProperty* property = event.GetProperty();
647
648 if ( property == m_pWatchThisProperty )
649 {
650 // GetValue() returns the pending value, but is only
651 // supported by wxEVT_PG_CHANGING.
652 if ( event.GetValue().GetString() == g_pThisTextIsNotAllowed )
653 {
654 event.Veto();
655 return;
656 }
657 }
658}
659
660@endcode
661
bba3f9b5
JS
662@remarks On Child Property Event Handling
663- For properties which have private, implicit children (wxFontProperty and
664 wxFlagsProperty), events occur for the main parent property only.
665 For other properties events occur for the children themselves. See
666 @ref propgrid_parentprops.
1c4293cb 667
bba3f9b5 668- When property's child gets changed, you can use wxPropertyGridEvent::GetMainParent()
1c4293cb
VZ
669 to obtain its topmost non-category parent (useful, if you have deeply nested
670 properties).
671
534090e3
JS
672@section propgrid_tooltipandhint Help String, Hint and Tool Tips
673
674For each property you can specify two different types of help text. First,
675you can use wxPropertyGridInterface::SetPropertyHelpString() or
676wxPGProperty::SetHelpString() to set property's help text. Second, you
677can use wxPGProperty::SetAttribute() to set property's "Hint" attribute.
678
679Difference between hint and help string is that the hint is shown in an empty
680property value cell, while help string is shown either in the description text
681box, as a tool tip, or on the status bar, whichever of these is available.
682
683To enable display of help string as tool tips, you must explicitly use
684the wxPG_EX_HELP_AS_TOOLTIPS extra window style.
1c4293cb 685
216214f8 686@section propgrid_validating Validating Property Values
1c4293cb
VZ
687
688There are various ways to make sure user enters only correct values. First, you
689can use wxValidators similar to as you would with ordinary controls. Use
8622887c 690wxPropertyGridInterface::SetPropertyValidator() to assign wxValidator to
1c4293cb
VZ
691property.
692
693Second, you can subclass a property and override wxPGProperty::ValidateValue(),
bba3f9b5 694or handle wxEVT_PG_CHANGING for the same effect. Both of these ways do not
1c4293cb
VZ
695actually prevent user from temporarily entering invalid text, but they do give
696you an opportunity to warn the user and block changed value from being committed
697in a property.
698
699Various validation failure options can be controlled globally with
700wxPropertyGrid::SetValidationFailureBehavior(), or on an event basis by
701calling wxEvent::SetValidationFailureBehavior(). Here's a code snippet of
702how to handle wxEVT_PG_CHANGING, and to set custom failure behaviour and
703message.
704
705@code
706 void MyFrame::OnPropertyGridChanging(wxPropertyGridEvent& event)
707 {
708 wxPGProperty* property = event.GetProperty();
709
710 // You must use wxPropertyGridEvent::GetValue() to access
711 // the value to be validated.
712 wxVariant pendingValue = event.GetValue();
713
d6ae8b5b 714 if ( property->GetName() == "Font" )
1c4293cb
VZ
715 {
716 // Make sure value is not unspecified
717 if ( !pendingValue.IsNull() )
718 {
bba3f9b5
JS
719 wxFont font;
720 font << pendingValue;
1c4293cb
VZ
721
722 // Let's just allow Arial font
d6ae8b5b 723 if ( font.GetFaceName() != "Arial" )
1c4293cb
VZ
724 {
725 event.Veto();
726 event.SetValidationFailureBehavior(wxPG_VFB_STAY_IN_PROPERTY |
727 wxPG_VFB_BEEP |
728 wxPG_VFB_SHOW_MESSAGE);
729 }
730 }
731 }
732 }
733@endcode
734
735
216214f8 736@section propgrid_cellrender Customizing Individual Cell Appearance
1c4293cb
VZ
737
738You can control text colour, background colour, and attached image of
739each cell in the property grid. Use wxPropertyGridInterface::SetPropertyCell() or
740wxPGProperty::SetCell() for this purpose.
741
742In addition, it is possible to control these characteristics for
bba3f9b5 743wxPGChoices list items. See wxPGChoices class reference for more info.
1c4293cb
VZ
744
745
216214f8 746@section propgrid_customizing Customizing Properties (without sub-classing)
1c4293cb
VZ
747
748In this section are presented miscellaneous ways to have custom appearance
749and behavior for your properties without all the necessary hassle
750of sub-classing a property class etc.
751
216214f8 752@subsection propgrid_customimage Setting Value Image
1c4293cb
VZ
753
754Every property can have a small value image placed in front of the
755actual value text. Built-in example of this can be seen with
756wxColourProperty and wxImageFileProperty, but for others it can
757be set using wxPropertyGrid::SetPropertyImage method.
758
216214f8 759@subsection propgrid_customeditor Setting Property's Editor Control(s)
1c4293cb
VZ
760
761You can set editor control (or controls, in case of a control and button),
762of any property using wxPropertyGrid::SetPropertyEditor. Editors are passed
bba3f9b5 763as wxPGEditor_EditorName, and valid built-in EditorNames are
1c4293cb
VZ
764TextCtrl, Choice, ComboBox, CheckBox, TextCtrlAndButton, ChoiceAndButton,
765SpinCtrl, and DatePickerCtrl. Two last mentioned ones require call to
766static member function wxPropertyGrid::RegisterAdditionalEditors().
767
768Following example changes wxColourProperty's editor from default Choice
769to TextCtrlAndButton. wxColourProperty has its internal event handling set
770up so that button click events of the button will be used to trigger
771colour selection dialog.
772
773@code
774
d6ae8b5b 775 wxPGProperty* colProp = new wxColourProperty("Text Colour");
bba3f9b5
JS
776 pg->Append(colProp);
777 pg->SetPropertyEditor(colProp, wxPGEditor_TextCtrlAndButton);
1c4293cb
VZ
778
779@endcode
780
781Naturally, creating and setting custom editor classes is a possibility as
782well. For more information, see wxPGEditor class reference.
783
216214f8 784@subsection propgrid_editorattrs Property Attributes Recognized by Editors
1c4293cb 785
bba3f9b5
JS
786<b>SpinCtrl</b> editor can make use of property's "Min", "Max", "Step" and
787"Wrap" attributes.
1c4293cb 788
216214f8 789@subsection propgrid_multiplebuttons Adding Multiple Buttons Next to an Editor
1c4293cb
VZ
790
791See wxPGMultiButton class reference.
792
216214f8 793@subsection propgrid_customeventhandling Handling Events Passed from Properties
1c4293cb
VZ
794
795<b>wxEVT_COMMAND_BUTTON_CLICKED </b>(corresponds to event table macro EVT_BUTTON):
796Occurs when editor button click is not handled by the property itself
797(as is the case, for example, if you set property's editor to TextCtrlAndButton
798from the original TextCtrl).
799
216214f8 800@subsection propgrid_attributes Property Attributes
1c4293cb
VZ
801
802Miscellaneous values, often specific to a property type, can be set
bba3f9b5
JS
803using wxPropertyGridInterface::SetPropertyAttribute() and
804wxPropertyGridInterface::SetPropertyAttributeAll() methods.
1c4293cb
VZ
805
806Attribute names are strings and values wxVariant. Arbitrary names are allowed
bba3f9b5
JS
807in order to store values that are relevant to application only and not
808property grid. Constant equivalents of all attribute string names are
809provided. Some of them are defined as cached strings, so using these constants
810can provide for smaller binary size.
1c4293cb 811
b55018ec 812For complete list of attributes, see @ref propgrid_property_attributes.
1c4293cb 813
1c4293cb 814
216214f8 815@section propgrid_usage2 Using wxPropertyGridManager
1c4293cb
VZ
816
817wxPropertyGridManager is an efficient multi-page version of wxPropertyGrid,
bba3f9b5
JS
818which can optionally have tool bar for mode and page selection, and a help text
819box. For more information, see wxPropertyGridManager class reference.
1c4293cb 820
216214f8 821@subsection propgrid_propgridpage wxPropertyGridPage
1c4293cb
VZ
822
823wxPropertyGridPage is holder of properties for one page in manager. It is derived from
824wxEvtHandler, so you can subclass it to process page-specific property grid events. Hand
bba3f9b5 825over your page instance in wxPropertyGridManager::AddPage().
1c4293cb
VZ
826
827Please note that the wxPropertyGridPage itself only sports subset of wxPropertyGrid API
828(but unlike manager, this include item iteration). Naturally it inherits from
bba3f9b5 829wxPropertyGridInterface.
1c4293cb 830
bba3f9b5 831For more information, see wxPropertyGridPage class reference.
1c4293cb 832
bba3f9b5
JS
833
834@section propgrid_subclassing Sub-classing wxPropertyGrid and wxPropertyGridManager
1c4293cb
VZ
835
836Few things to note:
837
838- Only a small percentage of member functions are virtual. If you need more,
839 just e-mail to wx-dev mailing list.
840
841- Data manipulation is done in wxPropertyGridPageState class. So, instead of
bba3f9b5
JS
842 overriding wxPropertyGrid::Insert(), you'll probably want to override
843 wxPropertyGridPageState::DoInsert(). See header file for details.
1c4293cb 844
bba3f9b5
JS
845- Override wxPropertyGrid::CreateState() to instantiate your derivate
846 wxPropertyGridPageState. For wxPropertyGridManager, you'll need to subclass
847 wxPropertyGridPage instead (since it is derived from wxPropertyGridPageState),
848 and hand over instances in wxPropertyGridManager::AddPage() calls.
1c4293cb 849
bba3f9b5
JS
850- You can use a derivate wxPropertyGrid with manager by overriding
851 wxPropertyGridManager::CreatePropertyGrid() member function.
1c4293cb
VZ
852
853
216214f8 854@section propgrid_misc Miscellaneous Topics
1c4293cb 855
216214f8 856@subsection propgrid_namescope Property Name Scope
1c4293cb 857
258ccb95
JS
858 All properties which parent is category or root can be accessed
859directly by their base name (ie. name given for property in its constructor).
860Other properties can be accessed via "ParentsName.BaseName" notation,
861Naturally, all property names should be unique.
1c4293cb 862
216214f8 863@subsection propgrid_nonuniquelabels Non-unique Labels
258ccb95
JS
864
865 It is possible to have properties with identical label under same parent.
866However, care must be taken to ensure that each property still has
867unique (base) name.
1c4293cb 868
216214f8 869@subsection propgrid_boolproperty wxBoolProperty
1c4293cb 870
bba3f9b5
JS
871 There are few points about wxBoolProperty that require further discussion:
872 - wxBoolProperty can be shown as either normal combo box or as a check box.
1c4293cb
VZ
873 Property attribute wxPG_BOOL_USE_CHECKBOX is used to change this.
874 For example, if you have a wxFlagsProperty, you can
875 set its all items to use check box using the following:
876 @code
d6ae8b5b 877 pg->SetPropertyAttribute("MyFlagsProperty", wxPG_BOOL_USE_CHECKBOX, true, wxPG_RECURSE);
1c4293cb 878 @endcode
8622887c 879
bba3f9b5
JS
880 Following will set all individual bool properties in your control to
881 use check box:
8622887c 882
bba3f9b5
JS
883 @code
884 pg->SetPropertyAttributeAll(wxPG_BOOL_USE_CHECKBOX, true);
885 @endcode
1c4293cb 886
939d9364 887 - Default item names for wxBoolProperty are ["False", "True"]. This can be
bba3f9b5
JS
888 changed using static function wxPropertyGrid::SetBoolChoices(trueChoice,
889 falseChoice).
1c4293cb 890
216214f8 891@subsection propgrid_textctrlupdates Updates from wxTextCtrl Based Editor
1c4293cb
VZ
892
893 Changes from wxTextCtrl based property editors are committed (ie.
894wxEVT_PG_CHANGED is sent etc.) *only* when (1) user presser enter, (2)
895user moves to edit another property, or (3) when focus leaves
896the grid.
897
898 Because of this, you may find it useful, in some apps, to call
899wxPropertyGrid::CommitChangesFromEditor() just before you need to do any
900computations based on property grid values. Note that CommitChangesFromEditor()
901will dispatch wxEVT_PG_CHANGED with ProcessEvent, so any of your event handlers
902will be called immediately.
903
216214f8 904@subsection propgrid_splittercentering Centering the Splitter
1c4293cb
VZ
905
906 If you need to center the splitter, but only once when the program starts,
907then do <b>not</b> use the wxPG_SPLITTER_AUTO_CENTER window style, but the
908wxPropertyGrid::CenterSplitter() method. <b>However, be sure to call it after
909the sizer setup and SetSize calls!</b> (ie. usually at the end of the
910frame/dialog constructor)
911
fe01f16e
JS
912 Splitter centering behavior can be customized using
913wxPropertyGridInterface::SetColumnProportion(). Usually it is used to set
914non-equal column proportions, which in essence stops the splitter(s) from
915being 'centered' as such, and instead just auto-resized.
916
216214f8 917@subsection propgrid_splittersetting Setting Splitter Position When Creating Property Grid
1c4293cb
VZ
918
919Splitter position cannot exceed grid size, and therefore setting it during
920form creation may fail as initial grid size is often smaller than desired
921splitter position, especially when sizers are being used.
922
216214f8 923@subsection propgrid_colourproperty wxColourProperty and wxSystemColourProperty
1c4293cb 924
bba3f9b5 925Through sub-classing, these two property classes provide substantial customization
1c4293cb
VZ
926features. Subclass wxSystemColourProperty if you want to use wxColourPropertyValue
927(which features colour type in addition to wxColour), and wxColourProperty if plain
928wxColour is enough.
929
930Override wxSystemColourProperty::ColourToString() to redefine how colours are
931printed as strings.
932
933Override wxSystemColourProperty::GetCustomColourIndex() to redefine location of
934the item that triggers colour picker dialog (default is last).
935
936Override wxSystemColourProperty::GetColour() to determine which colour matches
937which choice entry.
938
216214f8 939@section propgrid_proplist Property Class Descriptions
1c4293cb
VZ
940
941See @ref pgproperty_properties
942
8622887c
JS
943@section propgrid_compat Changes from wxPropertyGrid 1.4
944
945Version of wxPropertyGrid bundled with wxWidgets 2.9+ has various backward-
946incompatible changes from version 1.4, which had a stable API and will remain
947as the last separate branch.
948
949Note that in general any behavior-breaking changes should not compile or run
950without warnings or errors.
951
952@subsection propgrid_compat_general General Changes
953
954 - Tab-traversal can no longer be used to travel between properties. Now
955 it only causes focus to move from main grid to editor of selected property.
956 Arrow keys are now your primary means of navigating between properties,
957 with keyboard. This change allowed fixing broken tab traversal on wxGTK
958 (which is open issue in wxPropertyGrid 1.4).
959
960 - A few member functions were removed from wxPropertyGridInterface.
961 Please use wxPGProperty's counterparts from now on.
962
963 - wxPGChoices now has proper Copy-On-Write behavior.
964
965 - wxPGChoices::SetExclusive() was renamed to AllocExclusive().
966
967 - wxPGProperty::SetPropertyChoicesExclusive() was removed. Instead, use
968 GetChoices().AllocExclusive().
969
970 - wxPGProperty::ClearModifiedStatus() is removed. Please use
971 SetModifiedStatus() instead.
972
973 - wxPropertyGridInterface::GetExpandedProperties() is removed. You should
974 now use wxPropertyGridInterface::GetEditableState() instead.
1c4293cb 975
08c1613f
JS
976 - wxPG_EX_DISABLE_TLP_TRACKING is now enabled by default. To get the old
977 behavior (recommended if you don't use a system that reparents the grid
978 on its own), use the wxPG_EX_ENABLE_TLP_TRACKING extra style.
979
8622887c
JS
980 - Extended window style wxPG_EX_LEGACY_VALIDATORS was removed.
981
982 - wxPropertyGridManager now has same Get/SetSelection() semantics as
983 wxPropertyGrid.
984
985 - Various wxPropertyGridManager page-related functions now return pointer
986 to the page object instead of index.
987
988 - Instead of calling wxPropertyGrid::SetButtonShortcut(), use
989 wxPropertyGrid::SetActionTrigger(wxPG_ACTION_PRESS_BUTTON).
990
991 - wxPGProperty::GetCell() now returns a reference. AcquireCell() was removed.
992
993 - wxPGMultiButton::FinalizePosition() has been renamed to Finalize(),
994 and it has slightly different argument list.
995
996 - wxPropertyGridEvent::HasProperty() is removed. You can use GetProperty()
997 as immediate replacement when checking if event has a property.
998
534090e3
JS
999 - "InlineHelp" property has been replaced with "Hint".
1000
27c14b30
JS
1001 - wxPropertyGrid::CanClose() has been removed. Call
1002 wxPropertyGridInterface::EditorValidate() instead.
1003
8622887c
JS
1004@subsection propgrid_compat_propdev Property and Editor Sub-classing Changes
1005
1006 - Confusing custom property macros have been eliminated.
1007
1008 - Implement wxPGProperty::ValueToString() instead of GetValueAsString().
1009
1010 - wxPGProperty::ChildChanged() must now return the modified value of
1011 whole property instead of writing it back into 'thisValue' argument.
1012
1013 - Removed wxPropertyGrid::PrepareValueForDialogEditing(). Use
1014 wxPropertyGrid::GetPendingEditedValue() instead.
1015
1016 - wxPGProperty::GetChoiceInfo() is removed, as all properties now carry
1017 wxPGChoices instance (protected wxPGProperty::m_choices).
1018
1019 - Connect() should no longer be called in implementations of
1020 wxPGEditor::CreateControls(). wxPropertyGrid automatically passes all
1021 events from editor to wxPGEditor::OnEvent() and wxPGProperty::OnEvent(),
1022 as appropriate.
0cd4552a
JS
1023
1024 - wxPython: Previously some of the reimplemented member functions needed a
1025 'Py' prefix. This is no longer necessary. For instance, if you previously
1026 implemented PyStringToValue() for your custom property, you should now
1027 just implement StringToValue().
8622887c 1028*/