Action Defaults

The Genero BDL runtime system includes an XML file, default.4ad, in the lib subdirectory of the installation directory FGLDIR, that defines presentation attributes for some commonly used actions.

If you match the action names used in this file exactly when you define your action views ( toolbar or topmenu items, buttons, etc.) in the form specification file, the presentation attributes defined for this action will be used. All action names must be in lowercase.

For example, the following line in the default.4ad file:

<ActionDefault name="find" text="Find"
               image="find" comment="Search" />

defines presentation attributes for a find action - the text to be displayed on the action view find defined in the form, the image file to be used as the icon for the action view, and the comment to be associated with the action view. The attribute values are case-sensitive, so the action name in the form specification file must be "find", not "Find".

The following line in the default.4ad file defines presentation attributes for the predefined action cancel. An accelerator key is assigned as an alternate means of invoking the action:

<ActionDefault name="cancel" text="Cancel"
               acceleratorName="Escape" />

You can override a default presentation attribute in your program. For example, by specifying a TEXT attribute for the action find in the form specification file, the default TEXT value of "Find" will be replaced with the value "Looking".

03 TOPMENU
04
...   
07   GROUP stores (TEXT="Stores")
08    COMMAND find (TEXT="Looking")

You can create your own .4ad file to standardize the presentation attributes for all the common actions used by your application. See Action defaults files in the Genero Business Development Language User Guide for additional details.