Navigation:  How to Work with Screens > Setting Screen Properties

 

Overview

 

Once a screen is added (see Creating and Editing a Screen), the properties window automatically appears. This is where the screen settings are defined. This properties window can be opened at any time during project development so you can edit the corresponding screen settings.

 

 

Setting of Screen Properties

 

To open the screen's properties window, either right-click the screen's tree view representation and select "Edit" OR  open the screen by double-clicking it, in the tree view, and, then, double-click the open screen to access the screen properties window OR  right-click the screen and select "Edit".

 

 

General tab

 

The properties window opens with the "General" tab. Below are all the options displayed in this tab. You must adjust or maintain the options/values that are provided.

 

 

 

Detail of the Select a Wallpaper window

 

 

This window opens when you click in the options concerning wallpaper.

The "Theme" tab is open by default and contains the available wallpapers (the same that are displayed in the "Style Preview Section" when you select in the "Control" tab).

Select the adequate theme and click .

 

Detail of Screen Toolbar

 

 

Below are icons that can be displayed in the toolbar of your device's screen.

 

 

 

Details on Color

 

 

You can customize the "Basic Colors" by changing the values of the available color elements (Hue, Sat, Lum, Red, Green and Blue).

 

Help tab

 

Another tab in the “Screen Properties” window is the “Help” tab. It is used to add text in a "help" format.

 

 

Entering data in the upper box adds information to the project's user report which is created by the "Report Settings" tool (located in the "File" menu > "Report").

Entering data in the lower box, is a text addition to the device itself, a "help" text that is viewed by the operator when he clicks in the screen's toolbar.

 

 

Use the right click in MCL-Designer's input boxes to access certain features regarding the input box's option as well as general actions such as "Copy"; "Paste"; "Search".

Ex: If you right-click the "Text Data" input box (included in a "Display Text" properties window), you are provided with the "Paste", "Search..." and "Variable Select" options.

If you right-click any other input box, it will provide other possibilities.

 

 

Actions tab

 

The final tab in the “Screen Properties” window is the “Actions” tab. It is used to add processes to events that handle data within the screen.

 

 

 

Events associated to Screens

 

Events are specific actions performed by the operator that trigger actions within the application. These actions, which are defined by the developer, are designated, in the MCL-Designer environment, as processes. There is always a default event associated to a screen but more can be added to the screen.

There are 7 types of events associated to screens:

 

1. On Ready

This event is executed after the "Routine In" and/or the display of screen controls and, immediately, before the operator begins to interact with the application.

 

2. On Validate

This event is only executed if:

a) there are controls on the screen requiring validation and

b) their input is, in fact, validated. This background validation uses all established settings from the "Screen Properties" window.

 

If there are no controls that require validation on the screen, there will be NO input validation and, consequently, the event “On Validate” will NOT be triggered.

 

 

Ensure that the "Execute screen Validation when all input are valid" option is checked.

 

 

 

3. On Hotkey

This event is used to define an action that is executed following a specified keystroke (in a virtual (SIP) or hardware keyboard).

This event can be used simultaneously in a screen and in one or more controls, so, it is important to understand how the system will handle On Hotkey event priority. The On Hotkey events will be triggered as follows:

 

1. The On Hotkey event associated to a control when it comes into focus (ex: a hotkey defined by the developer within a Grid control which triggers a specific process/action).

2. The use of embedded keys within the control with focus (ex: navigating the fields of a "Grid" control with the use of arrow keys).

3. The On Hotkey event associated to the screen that contains the control with focus but triggers other processes(actions).

 

When using this event, consider the target device and its SIP (Virtual Keyboard). In the case of Windows Mobile devices, if the target device uses a custom SIP instead of the OS default SIP, it may return an unexpected system key. This means that the On Hotkey will NOT be triggered and the associated processes will NOT be executed.

 

In the case of Android devices, due to its OS implementation that manages data input (ex: the SIP), the use of On Hotkey events in controls that enable keyboard input (ex: "Input Keyboard", "Input Barcode", etc.) is NOT recommended. The data entered with the Android device's SIP is considered text and does NOT trigger the On Hotkey events you added to the control.

 

4. On Timer

This event is an exception. It is executed due to a lack of activity by the operator during a specific time cycle. It is associated to a specific action - a background Go To Branch Process on a countdown timer. A specific countdown time and a target location can be set. This countdown can be redundant if the “Repeatable” option is checked.

 

If you use an "On Timer" event on a screen, do NOT add "On Timer" events to any controls included in that same screen.

 

 

5. On Power

This event is used to trigger an action the moment the device is connected to an external power source (ex: a cradle). The action (process) will continue to run even if the device is immediately back on battery.

 

6. On RFID Tag Read

This event is triggered after every tag read. It is used to obtain the data on each tag and to store it in a pre-established variable. See The On RFID Tag Read Event.

 

7. On Barcode Read

This event is used to enable the device's barcode reader and read barcodes, at screen level, without the use of an "Input Barcode" control. The data being read via this event are stored in a local variable - L_Value (&1a).

When an "On Barcode Read" event is added to a screen, you must define the related settings in its properties window:

 

 

a. If you intend to add other processes to the event, maintain the "<Action>" option in the "Do" drop-down.

If you want to redirect the workflow to another destination within the program that includes the screen, select the appropriate destination.

 

b. Define the appropriate scanner profile for the event in the "Profile" option:

 

<Default>

Select this option to refer to the scanner profile settings within a particular device (the scanner settings are set by the device's OS, they are NOT changed by the MCL-Client).

The settings cannot be changed which means that there is no <default> profile in the "Scanner Profile List" window.

 

OR

 

"General"

Select this option to use a profile with generic scanner settings. This barcode scanner profile is editable.

 

OR

 

Select a scanner profile you have created within MCL-Designer.

 

You can select a scanner profile from the drop-down OR  click to access a table with a list of the available barcode profiles.

If required, you can also edit an existing profile or add more.

See To Edit a Barcode Scanner Profile and/or To Create a Barcode Scanner Profile.

 

c. Check the "Auto Trigger" option, if you want the device to, automatically, activate its scanner and read a barcode when the application's workflow reaches the "on Barcode Read" event (when the screen is loaded).

 

When using the "On Barcode Read" event in a screen, consider the following:

 

•The operator can scan multiple barcodes without the screen having to reload after every barcode reading.

•If the "Auto Trigger" option is checked, when the screen is loaded/its workflow executes, the device's barcode reader (the beam) is activated automatically.

•If one of the controls in the screen is on focus (all control types except an "Input Barcode"), the event will execute anyway without affecting the control on focus.

 

We do NOT recommend the simultaneous use of "Input Barcode" controls and the "On Barcode Read" event in the same screen.

If you have an "Input Barcode" and the "On Barcode Read" event in the same screen and the control is on focus, the "Input Barcode" has the priority. Meaning, when the operator first presses the trigger, the data is captured by the "Input Barcode" control. When the operator presses the trigger again, it will execute the "On Barcode Read" event.

 

This event uses predefined local variables to store the barcode data being read:

 

 

8. On NFC Tag Read

This event is triggered after every NFC tag read.

When an "On NFC Tag Read" event is added to a screen, you must define the related settings in its properties window:

 

 

a. Maintain the default "<Action>" option if you intend to add other processes to the event.

If you want to redirect the workflow to another destination within the program that includes the screen, select one of the available destinations.

 

b. Select the intended NFC profile in the "Profile" drop-down  OR  click to access a table with a list of the available NFC profiles and select one. If required, you can also edit an existing profile or create more. See To Create an NFC Profile.

 

 

To add an event, click . See How to Work with Processes.

 

To add a process, either use the editing bar, located on the top of the "Actions" tab and click OR  right-click any row and select the "Add/Insert ..." option in the resulting menu OR  select the intended group of processes in the "Process tab" and, then, drag the process you require from the "Process Display section" onto the "Actions" tab. See Adding and Editing Processes.

 

 

The Screen's Right-Click Menu

 

As mentioned earlier (see Setting of Screen Properties), the screen's properties window can be accessed by right-clicking a screen's empty space and selecting "Edit".

This right-click menu includes the following options:

 

 

 

 

Tab Order

 

The tab order defines the order that input controls will follow when pressing the "Tab" key or when the control is validated within a screen.

To have a control follow a defined tab order, it must have the option "Tab Stop" enabled (in the control's "Layout" tab).

To view the screen's tab order and/or change it, proceed as follows:

 

Step-by-step

 

1. Right-click an empty area of the current screen.

 

 

Remember that this option is only active for screens that contain more than one input control.

 

 

2. Select the "Change Tab Order" option.

 

 

The input controls come into focus displaying an overlapping red square with a number that refers to the current tab order.

By default, the tab order is set according to the control's position within the screen - from top to bottom and from left to right.

 

3. If required, change the tab order by clicking each control in the intended sequence, meaning, your clicking sequence will become the new tab order:

 

 

Ex: This tab order change is the result of the following clicking sequence:

•First, the control to the right was clicked (the corresponding number turned into a "1");

•Second, the control closest to the top was clicked (the existing number was replaced with a "2");

•Third, the control to the left was clicked (turning its number into a "3").

 

4. Press <ENTER> in your PC keyboard to apply your changes.

 

As an alternative to step 4, you can use the screen's right-click menu:

 

a. Right-click an empty area in the screen.

 

b. In the resulting menu, click "Change Tab Order".

 

 

c. Click to apply your changes, to set the focus back on the screen without applying your edition or to keep focus on the input controls and be able to modify the tab order.

 

 

As an alternative, use the drag-and-drop of input controls within the tree view - the first control to be represented in the tree view is the first control to receive input, then, the next control and so on.

 

Example of Tab Order Change Via Control "Drag-and-Drop" in the Tree View

 

 

 

Detail of a View All Actions window

 

 

The View Actions window displays the information regarding the active screen and the controls, events and processes included in it.

It is used to view all the elements included in the active screen (events,controls, processes) and it is also editable, meaning, you can add processes to either screen or controls as well as edit screen, control and process properties.

 

To edit an event's properties, double-click the intended event to open an "Event" window. In the "Do" box, either maintain the default option "<Action>" (if you want to add processes) or select one of the "Go to" shortcuts provided by the drop-down or list.

 

To add an event to the screen or a control, right-click the element that will include the event and click "Add Action". in the resulting window, select the intended event and define its settings.

See Events associated to Screens.

See Events associated to Controls

 

To add processes to an event, use one of the following:

•Double-click an empty line to open a "Process List" (see Detail of Process List) and select the appropriate process.

•Drag the intended process from the "Process Display Section" (located to the right of the "Work Area") and drop it on the intended event.

•Use the editing bar (see Detail of the Editing Bar). Click to open a "Process List" and select a process.

•Right-click the event that will contain the new process, click the "Add/Insert" option and, in the resulting "Process List", select the intended process.

 

To edit the properties of a control or a process, double-click the intended element to open the corresponding properties window and make the required changes.

 

 

Below are all the available right-click menus in the "View All Actions" window.

 

 

To modify process execution order, either drag the selected process to the intended target or use the (cut), (copy) and (paste) icons from the "Editing" bar (see Detail of Process List).