Packed and unpacked grids

When resizing a window, the content will either grow with the window or be packed in the top left position.

Grids and stretchable elements

If elements in the window can grow, they will follow the window container and resize accordingly. Some elements can grow vertically, some can grow horizontally, and some can grow in both directions. The way resizable form items can grow is controlled by the STRETCH attribute. The window content is packed horizontally, vertically or in both directions, if none of the elements can grow in that direction.

The following form item types can grow horizontally:

TABLE / TREE containers are horizontally stretchable by design
SCROLLGRID containers, with tile-list view rendering
IMAGE, TEXTEDIT, WEBCOMPONENT items, with STRETCH=BOTH or STRETCH=X
"Flat" items like EDIT, BUTTON, COMBOBOX withSTRETCH=X (see Form item types)

The following form item types can grow vertically:

TABLE / TREE containers: by design, when WANTFIXEDPAGESIZE is not used
SCROLLGRID containers, when WANTFIXEDPAGESIZE=NO
IMAGE, TEXTEDIT, WEBCOMPONENT items, with STRETCH=BOTH or STRETCH=Y

Packed and unpacked grid example

In general, a GRID container can grow if any object inside the GRID can grow. There is an exception to this rule. If there is a single GROUP container (defined without the GRIDCHILDRENINPARENT attribute) inside a GRID and nothing else, the grid can grow even if the objects inside the grid cannot grow.

This exception allows better rendering of a grouped grid.

Packed grid screenshot — Figure: Packed grid (GROUP with GRIDCHILDRENINPARENT)

Unpacked grid screenshot — Figure: Unpacked grid (GROUP without GRIDCHILDRENINPARENT)

Here the code example:

LAYOUT
GRID
{
<GROUP g1   >
[f1        ]
[f2   ]
<           >
}
END
END

ATTRIBUTES
GROUP g1: group1, TEXT="Group 1"
        , GRIDCHILDRENINPARENT -- Comment to see the difference
        ;
EDIT f1 = FORMONLY.field1;
EDIT f2 = FORMONLY.field2;
END