Form Basics
Forms are created by using the Application Object Tree (AOT). All the information in a form is contained in controls. This includes data fields, buttons, tabs, grids, and pictures. The behavior of a form is dictated by properties set on the form data sources, form design, and form controls. If the required behavior cannot be set by using the form properties, you might have to add code. Try to add code on the data sources (tables) or in a class, rather than on the form itself.
The following figure shows a complex form with several tabs. It is used to display and enter information in a table.
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CustTable Form
The components of the form shown in the previous figure include the following:
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Tabs – these are created by adding TabPage controls to the form design.
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Buttons without arrows – MenuItemButton controls. They open other forms or reports.
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Buttons with arrows – MenuButton controls. They open a menu of other items.
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Text boxes – StringEdit controls. They are organized into groups (Identification, Credit, Administration, and Vendor) by using Group controls.
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Text boxes with arrows – lookup controls. These enable users to browse through records in another form (a lookup form) before selecting a particular value.
The form is open on the General tab. All data entry forms have an Overview tab, which displays records in a grid, and a General tab, which displays more detail about each record.