[This is preliminary documentation and is subject to change.]
Declaration Syntax| C# |
public abstract class UserInterface
Members| All Members | Constructors | Methods | Properties | ||
| Icon | Member | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | UserInterface()()()() | Initializes a new instance of the UserInterface class |
 | AskConnectionDetails(ConnectParameterSet) | Puts up the Connect dialogue allowing the user to enter or modify
the connection details used to initialise the Persistate system. |
| AskRetry(String, array<Object>[]()[][]) | Shows a warning message to the user, and asks whether the user
wishes to retry. |
| AskString(String) | Asks the user to input a single string value. |
| Beep()()()() | Sounds a default beep. |
| ChooseOne(String, ICollection) | Displays a choice of items from a collection to the user allowing
the choice of one of the items. |
| ChooseSeveral(String, ICollection) | Displays a choice of items from a collection to the user allowing
the choice of one or more of the items. |
| CloseWindow(IPWindow) | Closes an IPWindow in the user interface, releasing
all resources. |
| CreateWindow(String) | |
| CreateWindow(String, String) | |
| Equals(Object) | (Inherited from Object.) |
| Exit(String) | Terminates the user Session represented by this
UserInterface. |
| Finalize()()()() |
Allows an Object to attempt to free resources and perform other cleanup operations before the Object is reclaimed by garbage collection.
(Inherited from Object.) |
| GetFile(String, String) | Allows the user to select a file and returns its contents.
|
| GetHashCode()()()() |
Serves as a hash function for a particular type.
(Inherited from Object.) |
| GetStatus()()()() | Gets the current status message showing in the user interface.
|
| GetTextFile(String, String, Encoding) | Allows the user to select a text file and returns its contents.
|
| GetType()()()() |
Gets the Type of the current instance.
(Inherited from Object.) |
| GetWindow(Int32) | Obtains the IPWindow in the user interface with a
particular window number. |
| HideWindow(IPWindow) | Hides an IPWindow which is currently visible in the
user interface. |
| Inform(String, array<Object>[]()[][]) | Shows an information message to the user. |
| Invoke(Delegate, array<Object>[]()[][]) | Calls a particular method with a set of parameters, returning an
object. |
 | MainWindow | Gets the visible IPWindow which most recently had
the focus. If no window is visible, then this will be null.
|
| MemberwiseClone()()()() |
Creates a shallow copy of the current Object.
(Inherited from Object.) |
| RefreshAllPanes()()()() | Requests the user interface to refresh the data in all currently
showing Panes. This refreshes the user interface
from data held in memory only. It does not refresh data from the database.
|
| ReportError(String, String) | Reports an error to the user. |
| SelectObjects(String, ObjectClass, IClassified, Boolean, Boolean) | Displays an object selection modal form to allow the user to
choose one or more objects. |
| Session | Gets the Session running this user interface
|
| SetFocusTo(Persistent) | Sets the focus in the user interface to the Pane
showing a particular object. |
| SetFocusTo(Persistent, IPersistateList) | Sets the focus in the user interface to a row in a grid showing a
particular object. |
| SetStatus(String, Single) | Shows the user a current status. |
| Show(IClassified) | |
| Show(IClassified, Layout) | |
| Show(IClassified, String) | |
| Show(IClassified, Layout, String) | |
| ShowModal(IClassified, ContainerProperties) | Displays an object or collection to the user using the default
Layout. |
| ShowModal(IClassified, String) | Displays an object or collection to the user using the default
Layout. |
| ShowModal(IClassified, Layout, String) | Displays an object or collection to the user using a particular
Layout. |
| ShowModal(IClassified, Layout, ContainerProperties) | Displays an object or collection to the user using a particular
Layout. |
| ShowModalButtons(IClassified, String, array<String>[]()[][]) | Displays an object or collection to the user using the default
Layout, and with up to three custom buttons |
| ShowModalButtons(IClassified, Layout, String, array<String>[]()[][]) | Displays an object or collection to the user using a particular
Layout, and with up to three custom buttons |
| ShowModalButtons(IClassified, ContainerProperties, array<String>[]()[][]) | Displays an object or collection to the user using the default
Layout, and with up to three custom buttons |
| ShowModalButtons(IClassified, Layout, ContainerProperties, array<String>[]()[][]) | Displays an object or collection to the user using a particular
Layout, and with up to three custom buttons |
| ShowModalOkCancel(IClassified, String) | Displays an object or collection to the user using the default
Layout, and with Ok and Cancel buttons. |
| ShowModalOkCancel(IClassified, Layout, String) | Displays an object or collection to the user using a particular
Layout, and with Ok and Cancel buttons. |
| ShowModalOkCancel(IClassified, ContainerProperties) | Displays an object or collection to the user using the default
Layout, and with Ok and Cancel buttons. |
| ShowModalOkCancel(IClassified, Layout, ContainerProperties) | Displays an object or collection to the user using a particular
Layout, and with Ok and Cancel buttons. |
| ShowWindow(IPWindow) | Makes an IPWindow visible in the user interface.
|
| ShowWindow(IPWindow, String) | Makes an IPWindow visible in the user interface,
setting its title. |
| ShowWindowModal(IPWindow, String) | Makes an IPWindow visible in the user interface,
setting its title. |
| ToString()()()() | (Inherited from Object.) |
| UserConfirms(String, array<Object>[]()[][]) | Shows a message to the user, and asks for confirmation.
|
| Warn(String, array<Object>[]()[][]) | Shows a warning message to the user. |
| WindowNumber(IPWindow) | Obtains the index within the list returned by the Windows property for a particular window. |
| Windows | Gets a collection of all IPWindows
that have been created in the user interface. |
RemarksThis abstract class is part of the Persistate scheme for decoupling the user interface from controller modules. Controllers access the user interface through this class, and the IPWindow interface. Objects implementing the latter will represent top level forms in a desktop user interface, or browser windows or tabs in a web based interface.
This class will have derived classes for each type of user interface. For example, Persistate.UI.Desktop.DesktopUserInterface is the derived class which implements this using Windows Forms controls in a desktop application.
UserInterface has methods to create, show, hide and close IPWindows - see CreateWindow, ShowWindow, HideWindow and CloseWindow and their overloads.
The Windows property gets a collection of currently existing IPWindows, and the MainWindow property gets the IPWindow that the user is currently using. WindowNumber gets a unique number for each IPWindow, and GetWindow obtains the IPWindow with a given number.
The Show method and its overloads display objects in the IPWindow that the user is currently using, and are identical to the IPWindow.Show methods. There are three sets of methods to show an object or collection in a modal dialogue box. ShowModal shows the item in a simple dialogue, ShowModalOkCancel shows the item in a dialogue box with an OK and a Cancel button, and ShowModalButtons shows the item in a dialogue with up to three buttons with arbitrary text.
There are easy to use standard popup dialogues to Inform the user, Warn a warning and determine whether the UserConfirms an action. AskRetry shows a warning and asks the user to cancel or retry, and AskString is a simple dialogue where the user can enter a one line string.
There are three methods allowing the user to select objects. ChooseOne is used to select one object from a collection, ChooseSeveral is used to select one or more objects from a collection, and SelectObjects is a general purpose configurable dialogue where the user can navigate through the persistent tree accumulating selections of one or more desired objects. Finally there are the GetFile and GetTextFile methods allowing the user to select a file from his or her local file system.
Inheritance Hierarchy| Object | ||
 | UserInterface | |
| DesktopUserInterface | |