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Updated on Oct. 19, 2001 <<<<<<<<<<---------

We are going to build us a fully functional Text Editor
with User input. This will allow the end user to answer several questions that you make up for them, and then submit the information into the editor.
We are going to be using the TRichEdit Component for our project.

This Project will be designed using Delphi 6 Professional.
But we are going to try our hardest to make sure that nothing is used that that will only compile with this version of Delphi.

Please rate this Code/Tutorial and e-mail us your comments or suggestions for future codes/tutorials
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Part.1
Start Delphi, open a new form. Name it {UserTextEditor}
Then in the Caption. Add this: User input Text Editor
Click File/Save All in order 1st name Editor
2nd naming UserFriendlyTextInputEditor.

Next we want to add the following:
1 TPanel with Aligned alClient

1 TPageControl aligned alClient Name the PageControl "PageKeeper" w/o the " "
1 TRichEdit aligned AlClient
Click on {Lines} in the Object Inspector and delete the default RichEdit1. This will give your RichEdit a clean surface with no writing in it)

Next we are going to name the RichEdit.
Let's give it the Name of InputKeeper.
This will be a good time to Save All your work.

Now lets hit the shortcut keys for the compiler : Shift F9 :
and then lets run our editor. We can type text into the editor but that is about it for the time being.

Now lets add some more goodies to this joker to get it up and going.

Before going any further lets click on the SaveDialog first
and do the following
Object Inspector Properties do the following

Click OK and do the same to the TOpenDialog
Hint: After clicking OK, Click CTRL C and then click on TOpenDialog and click on the Filter Box and hit CTRL V
This is a shortcut for long information to be added to these Dialogs :)
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Part.2

Now we are going to add the following Components to the Form
1: TMainMenu
1: TPopupMenu

TMainMenu Add the following:
The following is: {File} is the Top Caption and below fall under {File} and so on... Write each of the following in the Caption area and then add the letters aside to the Shortcut:

This will be a good time to Compile and save all your work.
Remember Hint.1
_______________________________________________________________

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Now we are going to add another Component to the form and add some information to it.

On the Win32 Tab in Delphi double click on the
TStatusBar (it will automatically align alBottom Leave this as Default)
Double click on the TStatusBar to invoke the StatusBar Editor and add the following information to it.

Click on the Yellow Folder 7 times
(make sure that the property tab is showing in the Object inspector)

Now we are going to add another component that will help the TStatusBar: On the Additional tab
hunt for the ApplicationEvents (Blue circle w/3 black arrows)

After inserting the component into your project form: do the following and add the following code:

var
CharPosX,CharPosY: integer;
EM_EXLINEFROMCHAR :integer;
begin
CharPosY := SendMessage(TRichEdit(Sender).Handle, EM_EXLINEFROMCHAR, 0,TRichEdit(Sender).SelStart);
CharPosX := (TRichEdit(Sender).SelStart - SendMessage(TRichEdit(Sender).Handle, EM_LINEINDEX, CharPosY, 0));
Inc(CharPosY);
Inc(CharPosX);
StatusBar1.Panels[0].Text:= Format('Line: %d Col: %d', [CharPosY, CharPosX]);
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Part.3:
Lets Start Coding!! :)

This is the fun part. {I ask that with all my hard work that you do not Copy and Paste this code into your Forms Editor. But that you Print this out, and follow all instruction's and and set their and have fun typing, Keeping in mind too take a break every 30 - 60minutes to give your fingers a break in the Coding process. Or your fingers will become stressed and cramped. to the point to where it will become hard to type and keep up with your own self without making allot of mistakes.} :)

now we are going to click the Statusbar and go to the Object inspector Events tab and
double click the OnDrawPanel and add the following code for the drawing of information
to the TStatusBar.

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next:
lets add the information for our MainMenu

Not in a complete order of rows.
Going by what comes to mind first.

(now we have to add 1 more thing to make the sDateTimeFormat work)
Scroll to the top of the Form Editor and between the
uses and type sections add this: const
sDateTimeFormat: String = 'yyyy-mm-dd';

double click Font insert this code =

double click Save insert this code :
{This will save the current open file}
var
sEdit : String;
begin
SaveDialog1.InitialDir := GetCurrentDir();
sEdit := InputKeeper.Text;
If Length(Trim(sEdit)) = 0 Then
MessageDlg('No Text To Be Saved',mtError,[MBOK],0)
Else If SaveDialog1.Execute Then
inputKeeper.Lines.SaveToFile(SaveDialog1.Filename);

double click Printer Setup insert this code PrinterSetupDialog1.Execute;

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Now if you know how to make a .hlp file (Help File) then you will add this under the Help drop down
if you do not have a Help File created then you will receive an error
Application.HelpFile := ExePath + 'UserTextEditor.hlp';
Application.HelpContext(10);

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Now we are going to add some calls to the Main Forms Events Handler.
1st go to Object inspector's Events tab and choose from the drop down list
the name of the Editor. In our case this will be the very last one on the list
UserTextEditor TUserTextEditor
Double click and insert the following code into each of the following

IniFile.SaveToFile(ExePath + 'UserTextEditor.ini');
IniFile.Free;
(Now we have to add a Type Private in order to make the .ini & ExePath work without errors)
(These 2 calls must be added above any procedure or function
IniFile: TStringList;
ExePath: string;

----------------------------------------------------------------
Now over to the TRichEdit Component lets do the same as above
on the Events tab

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Now lets add to our editor a TToolBar from the Win32 Tab. This will automatically align alTop
Now we are going to add some buttons to the ToolBar. We will do this by simply right clicking on
the toolbar and choosing New Button.
Add 4 New Buttons and then Add a New Separator (Located below the New Button)
next
Add 1 New Button and a New Separator
Add 3 New Buttons and a New Separator
Add 1 New Button

Next add a TImageList from the Win32 Tab
Double click the TImageList to invoke the Image Collector. Browse into the Directory that you
unzipped the Tutorial into and double click the image file, Except Yes to all for the images to separate.

Add images to the button by # of buttons
In the Object inspector Click on the Toolbar and go to Images. Double click, this will bring in the
imagelist1. Now on each button do the following: Object inspector click on each button and and go to
ImageIndex. Follow the following rule: do the following in the Events OnClick
1st: New ImageIndex 6 New1Click
2nd: Open ImageIndex23 Open1Click
3rd: Save ImageIndex46 Save1Click
4th: Close ImageIndex69 Exit1Click
5th: Printer ImageIndex101 Printer1Click
6th: Cut ImageIndex0 Cut1Click
7th: Copy ImageIndex1 Copy1Click
8th: Paste ImageIndex2 Paste1Click
9th: Undo ImageIndex3 Undo1Click
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Now we are going to add in the fun stuff.:)

O.K. What we are going to do here, is design a few input edits that will drop the information right directly into our Editor. From what the user types into the RunTime edits.

Are we Ready? Lets Go Rock & Roll

1st: Lets go to the MainMenu and open it up, by double clicking it to invoke the Menu Editor.

Now we are going to add the following to it.
we already have the following in here: now make it look like the below example:
File Edit Help - - User I&nput;
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3

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Let's add 2 more code. Let's call this the Bonus Code:

On the TToolBar, lets add 2 TSpeedButtons with the Width of 50

Name one mail and the other Sight
Under each button add the following code:

Now we are going to need to scroll to the top of the editor and add the following to the Uses list
ShellAPI the mail and url calls will not work without it.

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Now we are going to add some code for the Print: Add the following information to the TToolBar Print Button &

MainMenu Print Function: <<<<<<<<<<<<----------------- color="#ff0000" Look :~)

Now we are going to add the information for the Save As Procedure:

Add the following code un the MainMenu's Save As..... <<<<<<<<<----------------->ook :~)

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We are going to add a really nice feature to our application now?? <<<----------------- &>ook :~)

we are going to add the ability to Drag & Drop files right into the the TRichEdit:

1st we are going to add a procedure into the Type list (not the Private (or) Public but the Type)

Add this Code

procedure DropFiles(var Msg: TWMDropFiles); message wm_DropFiles;

Click on the TRichEdit to activate it on the Object Inspector

Now Double Click the OnSelectionChange and enter this code into

it's Editor

<<<<<<----------------- Look :~)

This procedure is alot better I think than the original one that is submitted

but I am going to leave the original on the tutorial just incase someone

likes it better ( Your Choose )

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have fun! :)

This tutorial is dedicated to all the Victims of Sept.11th 2001 Tragedies here in the United States.

New York, Washington and on Flight 93.

Thoughts to you and your families.