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Page 306

FIG. 13.15
The Layout Editor
displays canvas1,
canvas2, and canvas3
at the same time.




FIG. 13.16
The Layout Editor Format
pull-down menu.




FIG. 13.17
Reformatting the Gender
item by using the Font
dialog box.


Selecting a font changes the range of values in the Size list box. This list box contains the available text sizes. Each font has a different range of sizes. The larger the number, the larger the size of the text. The text in the figure is size 18.

The third setting is Font Style. The available Font Style settings can also change with the type of font selected. The settings are generally regular, Italic, bold, or bold Italic. The sample text is in the figure is formatted in bold Italic.

The final setting type in the dialog box is contained in the Effects frame. The frame consists of two check boxes located at the bottom-left of the dialog box. Checking the Strikeout check box places a line through the text. Checking the Underline check box underlines the text. The Sample Window shows the effect of checking these options.

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The Spacing Option The Spacing option spaces multiple-line boilerplate text. Selecting the Spacing option displays a submenu with four options: single, space and one-half, double-space, and custom. Figure 13.18 illustrates the submenu and examples of the various spacing.

FIG. 13.18
Examples of using the
spacing and alignment
options on boilerplate
text.




NOTE
The formatting techniques discussed in this section and some of the following sessions can be practiced on a blank canvas. Create a new form on the Object Navigator. Select the Tools, Layout Editor option. This will create a blank canvas that can be used to practice formatting techniques.

The Spacing/Custom OptionWhen you select the Spacing/Custom option, a custom dialog box appears, which offers spacing settings in 6-, 12-, and 18-point sizes. In addition, the developer can specify any desired number of points.

The Alignment optionThe Alignment option sets text justification. Pressing this option causes a submenu to open to the right, which lists a number of text-alignment settings. Figure 13.19 shows this menu and examples of left, center, and right alignment. Left alignment places the first word of each text row on the left side of the text box, with the first letter of each row aligned. Right alignment places the last character of each row on the right side of the text box, with the last character of each row aligned. Center alignment places each row of the text in the middle of the text box. The first and last characters of the row are of equal distance from the edge of the text box.

The Direction Option The Direction option changes the layout direction of the text. Some languages read from left to right. The Left-to-Right setting supports the layout. The Right-to-Left setting supports right to left. The Start and End alignment settings are used when the direction is Left-to-Right or Right-to-Left. When the direction is Left-to-right and alignment is Start, alignment is Left alignment. Specifying End alignment causes Right alignment. When the direction is Right-to-Left and alignment is Start, the alignment is Right alignment. It changes to Left alignment when you specify End alignment.

FIG. 13.19
The Alignment options
and examples.


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The Line Option The Line option changes the width or weight of lines drawn on the canvas. These lines can be part of a text box or graphic image. Figure 13.20 illustrates the various settings. To change the line weight of an object, select the line to be changed, then select the desired setting.

FIG. 13.20
Various settings of the
Line width options.


The Bevel Option The Bevel option modifies the appearance of an object border. This option is used for text items, chart items, custom items, and stacked items. Figure 13.21 illustrates the menu and the appearance of the various bevels. The Bevel option has five settings:

FIG. 13.21
The Bevel format
settings and examples.


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The Dash Setting The Dash setting changes the lines or borders from a solid line to a dashed line. Figure 13.22 illustrates the menus and examples of the settings.

FIG. 13.22
The Dash menu options
and examples.


The Arrow SettingThe Arrow places an arrowhead at the end of a line. Figure 13.23 displays the Arrow submenu and options.

FIG. 13.23
The Arrow line options.


The Reduce Resolution Option The Reduce Resolution option works on images by reducing the quality of the selected image. When reducing the image size, forms tries to maintain the original resolution. The smaller image may not need the higher resolution. Lowering the resolution may save memory as well as disk storage.

The Drawing OptionsThe Drawing Options selection has a submenu with four options: general, arc, rounded rectangle, and image, as shown in Figure 13.24.

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FIG. 13.24
The Drawing Options
submenu.


The General OptionThe General option opens the General Drawing Options dialog box, shown in Figure 13.25. The dialog box has three sets of settings: Cap Style, Join Style, and Object Creation. Cap Style specifies whether the end points of lines should be butt, round, or projected. Join Style specifies whether the corners of rectangles are rendered bevel, miter, or round. Object Creation settings determine how the objects are created. Draw from corner is the default manner, and the image is created or enlarged in the direction the mouse is dragged. Draw from center enlarges the object in the opposite direction the mouse is dragged.

FIG. 13.25
The General Drawing
Options dialog box.


The Arc OptionThe Arc drawing option opens the Arc Drawing Options dialog box. as shown in Figure 13.26. The box contains two sets of check box settings. The first is Arc Fill. The Pie setting renders the fill from the center-point of the circle. Chord renders the fill with a line segment between the arc's two end points. The second set of check boxes control Arc Closure. The Closed setting renders the border of the arc on the entire perimeter of the arc objects fill region. Open is used to have the border circumscribe only the arc itself.

IG. 13.26
The Arc Drawing Options
dialog box.


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