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VisualMobileDesignerPalatteReference

This document gives a brief description about each of the Java ME, Visual Mobile Designer Palette components in Netbeans 6.5

Contents

List Of Palette Components


Databinding

Components based on Databinding Frameworks (read more)

dataset DataSet DataSet databinding framework. (read more)
indexable dataset Indexable DataSet Indexable DataSet databinding framework. (read more)
contacts dataset Contacts DataSet Contacts DataSet databinding framework. (read more)


Displayables

Components based on the Displayable class. (read more)

alert Alert An alert is a screen that shows data to the user and waits for a certain period of time before proceeding to the next Displayable. An alert can contain a text string and an image. The intended use of Alert is to inform the user about errors and other exceptional conditions. (read more)
text box Text Box The TextBox class is a Screen that allows the user to enter and edit text. (read more)
wait screen Wait Screen Wait Screens allow users to execute a blocking background task (for example, connecting to a network), and show the progress of the task or display a message on the screen to inform the user that the application is still working as intended. (read more)
sms composer SMS Composer The SMS Composer is a custom component that provides a mechanism and user interface to send short message using Short Message Service (SMS). This component utilizes the JSR-120 Wireless Messaging API. This API is not a part of the MIDP 2.0 specification so this custom component can only be deployed to devices that have built-in support for JSR-120. (read more)
form Form A Form is a Screen that contains an arbitrary mixture of items: images, read-only text fields, editable text fields, editable date fields, gauges, choice groups, and custom items. In general, any subclass of the Item class may be contained within a form. The implementation handles layout, traversal, and scrolling. The entire contents of the Form scroll together. (read more)
login screen Login Screen The Login Screen custom component provides a useful user interface with standard elements such as Username Field, Password Field and Login Button. You can use this custom component to create the login interface for accessing protected features such as GSM banking. (read more)
file browser File Browser File browser is a custom component that provides a user interface to work with device file system. It provides basic functionality to browse content of devices storage memory. This component utilizes The FileConnection API which is part of the JSR-75 specification for PDA Optional Packages for the Java ME Platform. JSR-75 is not a part of the MIDP 2.0 specification which is why this custom component can be used only with JSR-75 enabled devices. (read more)
list List A Screen containing list of choices. Most of its behavior is common with class ChoiceGroup, and their common API. The different List types in particular, are defined in interface Choice. When a List is present on the display, the user can interact with it by selecting elements and possibly by traversing and scrolling among them. Traversing and scrolling operations do not cause application-visible events. The system notifies the application only when a Command is invoked by notifying its CommandListener. The List class also supports a select command that may be invoked specially depending upon the capabilities of the device. (read more)
splash screen Splash Screen Splash screens are used to enhance the look and feel of an application. Typically, you use a splash screen when the program starts, or to display a logo or branding information. It gives users the first impression of your application. (read more)
pim browser PIM Browser The PIM Browser is a custom component that provides easy access to standard mobile devices functions like calendar, address book or task list. You can use the PIM Browser component to enable mobile Java applications to access locally stored personal information databases. This component utilizes The PIM (Personal Information Management) API which is a part of the JSR-75 specification's PDA Optional Packages for the Java ME Platform. Because JSR-75 is not a part of the MIDP 2.0 specification, it is by definition a custom component and can only be used with JSR-75 enabled devices. (read more)


Commands

Components based on the Command class (read more)

Note: All Command components have the same functionality and behavior. The Command class is a construct that encapsulates the semantic information of an action. The behavior that the command activates is not encapsulated in this object. This means that the component only contains information about a "command", not the action that occurs when the command is activated. The action that occurs is defined in the CommandListener associated with the Displayable. Command objects are presented in the user interface. How they are presented can depend on the semantic information contained within the command.

Component name Description of function
command Back Command Same as regular command
command Help Command Same as regular command
command Screen Command Same as regular command
command Cancel Command Same as regular command
command Item Command Same as regular command
command Stop Command Same as regular command
command Exit Command Same as regular command
command Ok Command Same as regular command


Elements

Component name Description of function
element Choice Element Choice Item item component element.
element List Element Lists list component element.


Items

Components based on the Item class. (read more)

Component name Description of function
item Choice Group A ChoiceGroup is a group of selectable elements intended to be placed within a Form. The group may be created with a mode that requires a single choice to be made or that allows multiple choices. The implementation is responsible for providing the graphical representation of these modes and must provide visually different graphics for different modes. For example, it might use "radio buttons" for the single choice mode and "check boxes" for the multiple choice mode. (read more)
item Image Item Each ImageItem object contains a reference to an Image object. This Image may be mutable or immutable. If the Image is mutable, the effect is as if snapshot of its contents is taken at the time the ImageItem is constructed with this Image and when setImage is called with an Image. The snapshot is used whenever the contents of the ImageItem are displayed. Even if the application subsequently draws into the Image, the snapshot is not modified until the next call to setImage. The snapshot is not updated when the container of the ImageItem becomes current or becomes visible on the display. (This is because the application does not have control over exactly when Displayables and Items appear and disappear from the display.) (read more)
item Text Field A TextField is an editable text component that may be placed into a Form. It can be given a piece of text that is used as the initial value. (read more)
item Date Field A DateField is an editable component for presenting date and time (calendar) information that may be placed into a Form. Value for this field can be initially set or left unset. If value is not set then the UI for the field shows this clearly. The field value for "not initialized state" is not valid value and getDate() for this state returns null.
item Spacer A blank, non-interactive item with a customizable minimum size. The minimum width is useful for allocating flexible amounts of space between Items within the same row of a Form. The minimum height is useful for enforcing a particular minimum height of a row. The application can set the minimum width or height to any non-negative value. The implementation may enforce implementation-defined maximum values for the minimum width and height. (read more)
table item Table Item The TableItem component enables you to quickly create tables that consist of one or more columns, each with a header area and a data area that repeats for each record. The table can be larger than a screen in both directions; users can use a cursor to scroll in all directions. (read more)
item Gauge Implements a graphical display, such as a bar graph, of an integer value. The Gauge contains a current value that lies between zero and the maximum value, inclusive. The application can control the current value and maximum value. The range of values specified by the application may be larger than the number of distinct visual states possible on the device, so more than one value may have the same visual representation.(read more)
item String Item An item that can contain a string. A StringItem is display-only; the user cannot edit the contents. Both the label and the textual content of a StringItem may be modified by the application. The visual representation of the label may differ from that of the textual contents. (read more)


Flow

Application "flow" related components. Mostly responsible for application logic.

Component name Description of function
entry point Entry Point Represents a method in designed class. The method contains a code specified by an action assigned to it called the "Entry Called" pin. Code generated by this component:
|}

 public void method() {
        // write pre-action user code here
 
        // write post-action user code here
    }
(read more)
list action List Action This component creates a transition for each List Element. It can also handle the List Elements independently as a single transaction. The "List.SELECT_COMMAND" (assigned to each list) is hidden by default. You can show it by changing "Show Select Command" property of the "MyList Assigned Commands List.SELECT_COMMAND" component in the Inspector. Then you will see the special "List.SELECT_COMMAND" in the Flow. You can use it the same way as any other command. By default "List.SELECT_COMMAND" has "List Action" action assigned. This action calls the "myListAction" method. The method contains code which performs actions of assigned list elements based on the list selection. Use the assigned "List Action" to any other command in your List component. list action
switch Switch "Switch" is similar to the "If" component but you have to specify cases by assigning "Switch Case" components. Code generated by this component:
|}

public void method() {
        // enter pre-switch user code here
        switch (0) {
            case 1:
                // write pre-action user code here
 
                // write post-action user code here
                break;
            case 2:
                // write pre-action user code here
 
                // write post-action user code here
                break;
        }
        // enter post-switch user code here
    }
(read more) 		if If| "If" represents a flow forking based on a specified condition. Code generated by this component: 
public void method() {
        // enter pre-if user code here
        if (true) {
            // write pre-action user code here
 
            // write post-action user code here
        } else {
            // write pre-action user code here
 
            // write post-action user code here
        }
        // enter post-if user code here
    }
(read more)
previous screen Previous Screen Action The "Previous Screen Action" is an action that switches the current displayable to a displayable which was shown before the current one. This helps to create wizard-like applications by modeling "Next" and "Finish" buttons. All "Back" commands can have "Previous Screen Action" assigned. The action is shown as an icon instead of an edge. (read more)
call point Call Point It represents a code fragment. When a transition is pointing to the Call Point, then the specified code fragment is executed. Code generated by this component depends on the applications flow and user input. (read more)
switch case Switch Case Element of the Switch component. (read more)


Resources

Component name Description of function
resource Font The Font class represents fonts and font metrics. Fonts cannot be created by applications. Instead, applications query for fonts based on font attributes and the system will attempt to provide a font that matches the requested attributes as closely as possible. (read more)
resource Simple Table Model Simple implementation of table item TableModel. This model can hold a matrix of String values where all of the rows must have the same number of columns and rows cannot be null. (read more)
resource Image The Image class is used to hold image data. Image objects exist independently of the display device. They exist only in off-screen memory and will not be painted on the display unless an explicit command is issued by the application (such as within the paint() method of a Canvas) or when an Image object is placed within a Form screen or an Alert screen and that screen is made current. (read more)
resource Simple Cancellable Task A CancellableTask object is used in wait screen WaitScreen component to be run in the background. (read more)
resource Ticker Implements a "ticker-tape", a piece of text that runs continuously across the display. The direction and speed of scrolling are determined by the implementation. The ticker string scrolls continuously when animated so that when the string finishes scrolling on the display, the ticker starts over at the beginning of the string. (read more)


SVG Components

SVG based UI components (read more)

Component name Description of function
svg element SVG Menu Element SVG based component. svg menu SVG Menu element.
svg menu SVG Menu SVG based component. Screen representing a menu component. SVG animation can contain named elements, which are being focused while the users moves up/down. In the case SVG image contains animation on the focus event, the user can see the animated transition between the named elements.
svg wait screen SVG Wait Screen SVG based component. Wait Screens allow users to execute a blocking background task (for example, connecting to a network), and show the progress of the task or display a message on the screen to inform the user that the application is still working as intended.
svg menu action SVG Menu Action Component works similar to the list action List Action component.
svg player SVG Player SVG based component. It is wrapper for SVG images and animations.
svg image SVG Image SVG based component. SVG Image.
svg splash screen SVG Splash Screen SVG based component. Splash screens are used to enhance the look and feel of an application. Typically, you use a splash screen when the program starts, or to display a logo or branding information. It gives users the first impression of your application.


Custom

For adding developer created Custom Components (read more)

Component name Description of function
user defined user defined


Feedback contact: Karol Harezlak

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