Category: ZIM STUDIO

Creating User Interface Objects

User interface objects are created using the New Object dialog. There are two ways to open this dialogue:

✓ From the Main Menu

✓ From the Menu Toobar

✓ From the Database Tab Page

From the Main Menu

✓  Select File then click on New.

From the Menu Tool Bar

✓  Click on the New icon in the Menu Tool Bar:

From the Database Tab Page

✓ Right-click on the type of object to be created and click on New:

✓ The New Object dialog will pop up.

The New Object Dialog

✓ If you are connected to multiple databases, make sure you select the correct database to which you want to add this new Zim object.

✓ Select the type of object that you wish to create.

✓ On the right side panel name the object you are creating, and select/define the dimensions if applicable.

✓ Click on the “OK” button to create the object.

Creating Database Objects

✓ From the “Database” tab, navigate to the type  of object you wish to create, right click on the object, and select “New” from the right click menu.

✓ The default attributes of the newly-created database object will appear in the GUI Designer page tab ins, since such objects have no visual attributes.

✓ If necessary, Modify the default attributes of the Database object created

What is Zim IDE ?

The Zim Integrated Development Environment (Zim IDE) is a full-featured development environment to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for Zim database applications.

Zim IDE combines and extends the functionality of three separate development components for Zim applications:

Zim Painter

Zim Development Center

Data Dictionary Browser

ZIM is committed to the continuous development and improvement of Zim IDE and the Zim language.

As such, there will always be new features and improvements in  Zim IDE as we continue to develop and enhance its functionality.

Contents of this ZimIDE guide

This guide contains the following sections:

Status of Zim IDE Components:

Known Issues:

✓ The following user interface objects are functional in Zim IDE, but are still being fine-tuned for Zim Thin Client and Zim QT:

  ✓ Grid Control

  ✓ Tool Strip

✓ The following attributes are functional in Zim IDE, but are still not fully supported by Zim Thin Client and Zim QT:

  ✓ Anchoring

  ✓ Docking

✓ Note: Forms can be created and saved with these user interface objects and form fields can be configured with these attributes, but they will not be usable until Zim Thin Client, Zim QT and the Zim language itself become capable of supporting them;

✓ The Application Generator is not supported in Zim IDE.

Zim 7.12 Limitations with Zim IDE:

✓ The Zim 7.12 runtimes do not support the new user interface objects available in Zim IDE;

✓ Forms and Displays can be designed using the same objects and features that were available in Zim Painter;

✓ The new user interface objects and attributes available in Zim IDE are only supported by Zim Thin Client and Zim QT (both are only available with Zim 9.00).

General Features

✓ Local and remote application development;

✓ Multiuser application development;

✓ Design and edit forms and displays in both GUI and TUI applications;

✓ Design and edit graphical report templates (under development);

✓ Supports all Zim 7.12 and Zim 9.00 platforms (Windows, Linux, etc.);

✓ Connect to multiple databases simultaneously;

✓ Browse the entire data dictionary through the Tree View Tab Page.

Graphical User Interface Designer

✓ New user interface objects for Zim 9.00:

  ✓ Grid Control

  ✓ Tab Control and Tab Page, managed automatically by the client (does not require extra Zim code)

  ✓ Tool Strip

✓ New attributes for form fields:

  ✓ Anchoring

  ✓ Docking

✓ The Attributes Tab Page can be configured to be always visible;

✓ Create and edit multiple objects simultaneously;

✓ Modern tabbed development interface:

  ✓ Each Form, Display, Window, Menu, and Document stays open in its own tab page.

Document Editor

✓ Designed as an embedded specialized editor for Zim application programs and other documents;

✓ Syntax highlighting customized for the Zim language;

✓ Region expanding and contracting;

Database Viewer Tab Page

✓ Simultaneously browse every database currently connected to the development environment in a single tab page.