Widget width inside hbox tags

By default, the form item width of BUTTONEDIT, DATEEDIT, DATETIMEEDIT and COMBOBOX widgets are computed by fglform as follows:

if item-tag-width > 2
   width = item-tag-width - 2
else
   width = item-tag-width

Where item-tag-width represents the number of cells used in the form layout by the item tag.

For example, with the following form definition:
LAYOUT
GRID
{
 1234567
[f1     ]
[f2     ]
}   
END 
END
ATTRIBUTES
EDIT f1 = FORMONLY.field1;
BUTTONEDIT f2 = FORMONLY.field2;
END
The resulting .42f file will define and Edit element with a width of 7 cells and a ButtonEdit :
...
   <Edit width="7"  ... />
...
   <ButtonEdit width="5" ... />
...

If needed, it is possible to specify the width of a field element within an hbox tag, by using the - (hyphen) marker. When using the hyphen marker, the item-tag-width-2 rule does not apply.

The hbox tag is created when using the : (colon) and the - (hyphen) marker is to be placed after the last cell that will define the actual field width.

For example:

LAYOUT
GRID
{
      EDIT [f1     ]  width = 7
BUTTONEDIT [f2     ]  width = 5 (7-2)
BUTTONEDIT [f3:    ]  width = 2
BUTTONEDIT [f4   : ]  width = 3 (5-2)
BUTTONEDIT [f5  -: ]  width = 4
}
END
END
ATTRIBUTES
      EDIT f1 = FORMONLY.field1;
BUTTONEDIT f2 = FORMONLY.field2;
BUTTONEDIT f3 = FORMONLY.field3;
BUTTONEDIT f4 = FORMONLY.field4;
BUTTONEDIT f5 = FORMONLY.field5;
END
In the above form definition:
  • The f1 item tag occupies 7 grid columns and gets a width of 7.
  • The f2 item tag occupies 7 grid columns and gets a width of 5 (7-2), because it's a BUTTONEDIT, to save space for the button.
  • The f3 item tag occupies 7 grid columns, defines and hbox because a : colon is used, and gets a width of 2, based on the position of the colon inside the square breaces.
  • The f4 item tag occupies 7 grid columns, defines and hbox with :, and gets a width of 3, because the : colon limits the element width to 5 cells inside the hbox. Since it's a BUTTONEDIT, 5-2 = 3.
  • The f5 item tag occupies 7 grid columns, defines and hbox with :, and gets a width of 4, because the - hyphen defines the exact width for the field. When using the hyphen marker, the -2 rule does not apply.

Visual result:

Figure: Form using field width specifier

Form using field width specifier screenshot