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Issue 9.2

REVIEW

FGSourceList

Issue: 9.2 (January/February 2011)
Author: Geoffrey A. Rabe
Article Description: No description available.
Article Length (in bytes): 3,932
Starting Page Number: 12
Article Number: 9202
Related Web Link(s):

http://www.madebyfiga.com/fgsourcelist/

Full text of article...

FGSourceList is an updated version of the AppleListbox that figa software put out and was reviewed by REALbasic Developer (May/June 2008, 6.4). It is based on the REALbasic listbox, but made to look and act like the source list found in three styles: the Finder's list of folders, the Mail app's list of folders, and the new appearance of iTunes 10 sources/devices. In addition, it comes with a collection of icons you can use for the items in each section, and if there's an icon you want or need that's not included, you're free to use your own 16 x 16 pixel icon. The items can also be reordered within each section while the app the control has been added to is running.

The control comes in two parts: the source list itself (FGSourceList) and a helper class (FGSourceListItem), plus the collection of icons. The instructions are very easy to follow to add these parts to your Project. After adding the folder of the control parts to your Project, you simply drag an instance of the FGSourceList from the 'Project Controls' pop-up list from your Toolbar to a window, which will add an FGSourceList, automatically containing a root item. To this, you can add other items (FGSourceListItems), which can be Sections (Level 1 items), or other Items (Children of Sections; EG, Level 2, or Level 3 items, to satisfy Apple's HIG, stipulating the levels of hierarchy).

The documentation is very good about how to use the control and definitely deserves an A+! After describing how to add the control to your Project, the next section describes all the Events that apply to the FGSourceList, including those it inherits from the Listbox class, which have been removed, and the ones created for use with the control. Of course, the text then goes on to describe how to apply each Event. Next, it goes through all the Methods that can be used by the control, and how to use them. Following this is a list of error and presentation (as in type) style constants. And then comes a list of FGSourceList Properties. These are all clear as to usage and very nice to find in a custom control. The rest of the documentation focuses on the Methods and Properties of the FGSourceListItem, and reads as clear and as helpful as the text that came before it.

All in all, I was very impressed with this control. I did go back to look at the review of the earlier version, and I could tell how much more Mr. Pettet put into it. As he phrased it, "A beautiful, beautiful REALbasic control!"

End of article.