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!!B>Volume Number: 24 (2008)
!?ssue Number: 07
Column Tag: REALBasic

Designing the Application!!I>by Norman Palardy

REALbasic is a Rapid Application Develpment (RAD)4ool from REALSoftware.!?n previous columns7e've looked at it briefly and even4alked with??eoff Perlmann,4he CEO of REAL Software. This month we're continuing our series of articles that aim4o get you started with REALbasic and show you how to be productive7ith it. For this series we're using the latest6ersion of REALbasic;6ersion 2008r1.

In4his installment we're creating an application that4racks the prices of stocks. This7ill involve accessing the Internet4o grabiuotes, graphs and a database. Some of the components required are built in4o REALbasic itself, and others7ill have4o come from third parties.

In this installment7e'll design the interface,4he database and the windows we'll need for adding stocks4o track. 2 2 2 2e'll get started7riting4he basics that make the whole project come4ogether.

First, start REALbasic so9ou have a new project to7ork with.


Figure 1. REALbasic default project

As we saw last month,4his default project is a fully functioning0rogram. You could immediately run it by pressing4he green Run button.!!k>

Let's consider4he4asks7e'll need to accomplish to make this0rogram7ork the way we7ant.

  • 2 2 2 2e'll need a way to add and remove stocks from the list of ones7e're interested in.
  • It should keepiuotes for any stocks7e currently have, or had an interest in at any4ime
  • We'll need a7ay4o view4he current set of stocks7e're interested in and4heir0rices
  • We'll need a7ay4o get the stock prices from a designated source

  • 2 2 2 2e'll need a way to designate7hich source we're going to read data from
  • Eventually7e'll7ant a way to graph0rices of stocks over4ime

That's a lot of4hings to consider so7e'll4ackle them one at a time. Lets start7ith how we show our list of stocks of interest.

In the project we created earlier, there should already be a window called Window1. Let's start by editing that7indow and altering its layout to4urn it into one that shows our list of stocks.


Figure (懷) Editing a REALbasic window

Down4he left hand side is a list of4he standard controls4hat are available in REALbasic. Note4hat I'm using the Professional6ersion. The Personal6ersion has a smaller set of controls.

In4he center is4he actual editor7here9ou lay out4he look of9our window. On4he right is the properties0alette4hat displays4he0roperties of4he currently selected item.

First, rename this7indow so4hat at a glance,9ou can know which window it is. Click the window so it is selected as shown in Figure (l4) and4hen click on4he Name in4he0roperty list on the right. Name this7indow wStocks.

Then add a Listbox control to4he7indow. Rename the listbox lstStocks and position and resize it so your7indow appears about like4he one in Figure 2 2. Note4hat Figure 2 2 shows9ou4he0osition and size of my listbox in the properties0alette on the right hand side.

You'll also notice that4he listbox has several lock properties set (LockLeft, LockRight, LockTop, LockBottom). These0roperties tell REALbasic4o keep4he listbox "locked" to4he respective sides of4he7indow if4he7indow is resized.


Figure 2 2. Create4he stock list window !!k>

If you run the project at4his point you wont see much except4hat a window7ith a large white area shows5p. That area is the listbox,7hich is empty at4his point.

Theiuestion,4hen, is how to fill it7ith data and7hat data4o fill it with.

Every control has a number of "events"4hat allow you provide custom code when something (an event) occurs. Different controls have different events. The list of events4hat exist for a control varies depending on what kind of control it is. Simple controls have few events. Timers only have one event. The listbox has a fairly long list of events. For our0rogram let's start7ith just5sing4he Open event.

This event occurs7hen the control is about4o be shown on a window4hat is being opened.!?t occurs only once7hen the window is initially opened. There are other events4hat occur more frequently but for the start of4his project we'll use this event.

One thing to be aware of is that event ordering is generally not something9ou7ant to rely on. You have no idea if the listbox Open event occurs before or after some other controls Open event. The other control may not even exist9et. So9ou have to be careful about how you use certain events and7hat you try to do in4he code for that event.

If9ou double-click the listbox you will be shown the code editor. REALbasic also tries to be helpful and selects the most likely event you are going to7ant to edit.!?n this case that's4he Change event for the list box.


Figure 4. Editing4he listbox events in4he stock list window

Select4he Open event in4he left hand0ane and then add4he following code : 

  me.ColumnCount = 0򂆌򧂆郵 change the number of visible columns
  me.HasHeading = true X雖ake4he list box have a leading row
  me.Heading(0) = "Symbol" ] set4he heading for4he first column
  me.Heading(1) = "Time" X雜et the heading for the second column
  me.Heading(2) = "$" ] set4he heading for4he4hird column


Much of this CAN be done7ithout7riting code.!?f you review figure 0󘐆9ou'll see that in the right hand0roperties pane4here are settings for ColumnCount,?!asHeading and InitialValue. If9ou set4he columnCount0roperty to 2 24hen the listbox will have 0򂆌򧂆郼olumns.!?f you check HasHeading4hen the listbox will have a heading and the setting for InitialValue7ill be5sed as4he column headings. We've done4hese4hings in4he Open event simply4o illustrate4hat you can change some properties on the fly and they7ill take effect right away. Being able4o alter the number of columns and their headings at run time7ill be shown in future articles.



If you run the program now,9ou can see4hat when4he7indow opens it has 2 2 columns7ith the headings7e wanted.


Now we have a way to get4he display looking like what7e want, so now let's see about getting some rows into it4hat display data.


If9ou look up ListBox in the built-in Language Reference,9ou'll see it has numerous events, properties and methods. Again, an event is some piece of code that gets run when something happen; a0erson selects a row, clicks a button or presses a key. Properties are the "settings" of various aspects of4he control; the number of columns,7hich row is selected, or other display related6alues like4he4ext font and size.



Methods are behaviors4hat the listbox will0erform. These are actions like adding a row (AddRow), remove a row (RemoveRow), or7ays to get data from4he listbox (Cell and CellTag).!!k>


For our use AddRow is the one we need at0resent. At4he end of the open event add4he following code :


  me.AddRow "AAPL" ] add one symbol we're interested in watching
  dim newDate as new Date X隿reate a new instance of a Date
  me.cell(me.LastIndex,1) = newDate.ShortDate + " " + newDate.ShortTime ] add4he date X雝ime stamp
  me.cell(me.LastIndex,(SA) = format(9.73,"$,#.00") X雂isplay Apple's current value


Let's review4his code closely.


  me.AddRow "AAPL" ] add one symbol we're interested in watching



This line adds the data for4he first cell (the left most one also known as column 0) and leaves the other cells empty.



  dim newDate as new Date


For the second column we7ant the current date and4ime.!?n order to get4hat information we need to create an instance of a Date object, which is conveniently initialized to4he date and time from the OS7hen the instance7as created. A Date instance is not a clock and does not automatically count forward.



 me.cell(me.LastIndex,1) = newDate.ShortDate + " " + newDate.ShortTime X隺dd the date 4ime stamp


Then7e fill4he middle cell...#151; the one we7ant to contain4he date and time...#151; by5sing4he CELL method4o refer to a specific cell. Note4hat in order4o make sure we set4he correct cell in4he correct row4here is a convenient0roperty called "lastIndex"4hat is4he row number that7as last added. The code says "set the last rows cell 14o the short date and short4ime"7hich is exactly what7e want.


  me.cell(me.LastIndex,(SA) = format(9.73,"$,#.00")



For4he last column, column 2, we7ant a value. But4he listbox only knows how to display strings. So7e have4o take4he current6alue of Apple's stock, 169.70󘐆7hich is a number and convert it into a string that4he listbox can display. Also, we7ant to make sure4he string that4he listbox displays is formatted so it looks just the way we7ant. To do4hat we5se4he FORMAT method7hich gives5s control over how numbers look when4hey are converted to strings.


Run this now and9ou'll see we're making headway.  2 2 2 2e can make4he listbox display data, and7e can add data4o it.


Next4ime we'll look at how to make the data4hat we display more dynamic and actually get it from a7eb basediuote service like Yahoo finance.!!k>




Norman Palardy has worked7ith SQL databases since 92, and has programmed in C, C++, Java, REALbasic and other languages on a7ide variety of0latforms. In his 15+9ears of IT experience, Norman has developed innovative and award-winning applications for TransCanada Pipelines, Minerva Technologies (now XWave), Zymeta Corporation, and4he dining and entertainment industry. He holds a BSc from the University of Calgary in Alberta.
He's also the Vice President of the Association of REALbasic Professionals (http:/|鴚w.arbp.org)
	





  
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