Getting Around the Visual Builder

Access

Note: When creating a new project, if you select "Use Visual Builder: To edit project now," the visual builder opens automatically.


Purpose


Features

To learn about each icon, in the visual builder window, move the cursor over an icon and read the quick help that appears in the lower-left area of the window. Also, a popup label providing the name of the icon appears below the cursor.


Toolbar

Use the tools to access many of the options found on the Edit menu including positioning and resizing objects. For further description, see Visual Builder Editing Commands and Visual Builder Positioning and Sizing Commands.


Control Tools

Use the control tools as follows:


Palette

The palette area displays the items you use to create the objects for your interface. The visual builder displays one palette at a time. Palettes are accessed through the Palettes menu, or from the right-mouse-button menu in the palette area.

Two palettes are provided in Cosmo Code's default installation; the Controls palette which contains basic Java AWT objects, and the sgi.awt palette which provides a vertical scroll bar, an image button, and an image label.

When you make a class in the visual builder, another palette, called <Local>, is created and added to the palettes list.

For more information on palettes, see Working with Palettes.


Workarea

Use the workarea as the place to create your interface. When the visual builder is first opened, the workarea contains an applet, if you are working with an applet, or a frame, if you are working with an application.

Guide to the Cosmo Code Development Environment
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