[Solved] How to move icons together at design time.
lazarus / 10-Designer

----------------------------------------------------------------------
loaded · 2021-09-20 08:14

Hi All,
Is it possible for the datasource icon to move with the button icon
during the design phase?

----------------------------------------------------------------------
JuhaManninen · 2021-09-20 08:27

Quote from: loaded on September 20, 2021, 10:14:04 amIs it possible
for the datasource icon to move with the button icon during the design
phase?
You must select them both using mouse Shift-click, then move.
Anchors cannot be used with non-visual components.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
loaded · 2021-09-20 08:33

First of all thank you very much for your reply, Master JuhaManninen.
Yes if I use the shift key they move together. If I want this move to
be permanent, is there anything else I can do?
Because I have more than one button and data source, it is a little
troublesome to use the shift key every time.
What I mean is actually assigning the button as the ancestor of the
datasource so that when I just move the button, the datasource will
travel with it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
MarkMLl · 2021-09-20 08:42

Quote from: loaded on September 20, 2021, 10:33:15 amFirst of all
thank you very much for your reply, Master JuhaManninen.
Yes if I use the shift key they move together. If I want this move to
be permanent, is there anything else I can do?
Because I have more than one button and data source, it is a little
troublesome to use the shift key every time.
What I mean is actually assigning the button as the ancestor of the
datasource so that when I just move the button, the datasource will
travel with it.

So what you're effectively looking for is a way of doing design-time
grouping, like you can group elements in a vector drawing program
(Inkscape, a CAD program etc.).

I'd suggest that this is closely related to being able to lock design-
time layout, and my understanding is that neither is well supported by
the IDE: the closest you'll get is by using a frame for visual
components or a datamodule for non-visual components.

MarkMLl

----------------------------------------------------------------------
loaded · 2021-09-20 08:50

MarkMLI, Thank you very much for taking your precious time to reply.
At least I realized I wasn't on the wrong track. Thanks.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
JuhaManninen · 2021-09-20 09:26

Yes, Datamodule may be the best choice. A form becomes messy quickly
when you put many non-visual components there.
Name the components on a Datamodule logically so they can easily be
associated with controls (Buttons etc.) on the form.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
loaded · 2021-09-20 10:19

I'm sorry I couldn't understand you MarkMLl because of my poor
English.
When Master JuhaManninen talked about the DataModule, I understood
very well what you meant.
When the issue is understood; It was like a light in the dark. 
Thank you both so much for teaching me something I didn't know.