Delphi 3

User Interface Design

by Warren Kovach

with Ludovic Dubois

Published by Prentice Hall, 1997

ISBN 0-13-617960-6

Sharpen up your user interface programming skills!

As a developer, your user interface is effectively your "shop window", so it is vital that your software is clear, consistent and easy-to-use. Delphi 3 - User Interface Design is aimed at developers who need to produce solid, modern looking programs. The emphasis is on real-world problems in developing applications, not just programming techniques.

There are plenty of examples of how to program various user interface elements in Delphi. Learn how to add the latest features that give your program a modern look, such as status bars, toolbars (including dockable toolbars and the latest CoolBar type), multipage dialog boxes and wizards, rollup dialogs and toolboxes, "What's this" help buttons, recently used file lists, splash screens and "Easter eggs". There are also sections on bullet proof programming and effective error reporting, efficient multitasking and accessing system information. A separate chapter on writing international applications is included, written by Ludovic Dubois, the developer of the Polyglot Delphi internationalization expert.

Throughout the book the new features of Delphi 3 are highlighted, particularly those that aid in implementing the latest user interface features. A separate chapter reviews the new features of Delphi 3 and introduces the ActiveX/COM support and the new Internet features. All code was tested under all versions of Delphi, including the 16-bit version 1.

Develop modern looking and easy-to use software with Delphi!

User level: Intermediate - Advanced

Covers: Delphi version 1, 2 and 3

• Design Delphi programs with the latest in user interface elements
• Give your users the best in on-line assistance
• Handle errors gracefully and report them to the user in a clear fashion
• Let your program access system information (OS, processor, drives, tasks, memory)
• Increase your market by translating your program
• Add drag and drop, recently used file lists, splash screens, Easter eggs, saveable child windows, etc.

Contents

Sample chapter