ActionSet.Navigators

Access and Outlook Style Navigators.

AccessNavigator is ideal for applications where database object manipulation is implemented and users deal with objects like view, data entry forms, lists of data. OutlookNavigator is implementation of navigation component known from Office 2007 Outtlok application. SimpleNavigator is ideal for options dialogs and similar simplified scenarios.

AccessNavigator

AccessNavigator is implementation of main navigation component found in Access 2007. Therefore it is ideal for applications where database object manipulation is implemented and users deal with objects like view, data entry forms, lists of data. This is in fact most of the modern applications like CRM, Financial software, catalogue software and many more.

        

On the above picture we can see the AccessNavigator with ContextMenu shown for a Item. AccessNavigator consists of the Title part which has menu drop-down functionality (see below) and collapse/expand button, which is an optional feature. Below the Title is Filtering facility, this allows users to enter the text string to find an item starting with the string. Filter is applied upon hitting Enter key, clicking on the filter clear button on the right side of Filter will return back all the items. Under the Filter row is area for Groups and Items. Each group consists of Items which can have Sub-items up to one level. This is an advanced facility of PureComponents AccessNavigator, original navigator in Access 2007 does not support this. More information about ContextMenu and filtering is further down the document.

Clicking the title of the Navigator brings up the Group Filtering menu. This allows users to select only one group to be shown at a time if needed, simplifying the navigation and filtering out the objects not needed to show at a time. Function "All Groups" clears the filtering and shows all groups at once again, this text and all other texts in title menu can be changed and therefore localized. Function Toggle Filter shows or hides the Filter row below the Title of AccessNavigator.

AccessNavigator Features

Group Filtering

Group filtering is accessible through the title menu. Click title menu and select a name of a group, it will be then selected exclusively in the navigator and only its items will be shown. To return to the full list select all Groups function.

Context Menu

Items can be associated with the Context Menu. Every Item has MenuItems collection where context menu items can be inserted. Also a Group has MenuItems collection. If menu items are specified for a group, then all items in the group has these items in its Context Menu. If menu items on item level are specified, then these items are used in Context menu instead.

ScreenTips

ScreenTip is advanced tool tip functionality. Each item can have its screen tip specified. This is done on Item.ScreenTip property. Simple set ScreenTip.Active to True, provide Text and Description and Image and then when user drags mouse over this item and holds it there for some time, then the screen tip will be shown.

Group Coloring

As advanced functionality PureComponents AccessNavigator provides the possibility to set the back color of the Group. This allows you to distinguish between normal groups and some special and maybe functionally different groups, like access rights, state of the items in it and so on.

Item Coloring

Further to the group coloring it is possible to set the fore color of the Items. This allows you to set up items to different states and let the user to find out about this. Like green for "go" items and "red" for items needing some attention and so on.

Group / Item Visible

Groups and items can be set to visible or invisible modes. This allows you to have one navigation system and just hide groups or items depending on application user rights for example, or on the state of the application or mode the user is currently switched to.

Group / Item Enabled

Groups and items can be disabled or enabled. It is the similar to visible property but items and groups are not completely hidden but only made inactive in the case of Enable = True. Usage is similar to the Visible property, its usage is for application rights or mode distinguish and similar.

Item Filter

Item filter is the area just below the Title of AccessNavigator. This allows users to enter the start of the name of the item they want to filter out. Hitting the Enter key will process the filter and all non matched items will be filtered out. Default text "Search..." in the item filter can be changed using the AccessNavigator.FilterSearchText property. Clearing the filter is easy as well, clear out the text and hit Enter or click the cross sign on the right side of the filter currently entered.

Image above shows all items starting with character "C". Clicking on the filter icon on the right side will clear the filter and will show all items.

AccessNavigatorMDI

AccessNavigatorMDI is simplified MDI implementation as known from Access 2007. Control has the left side navigation and right side where screens for each item are being shown.

PureComponents made usage easier for you and with override of a single event you can provide the content for the page being shown. Content is being requested upon the double-click on the item. Once user double-clicks the item, then event AccessNavigatorMDI.MDIControlContentRequest is fired.

OutlookNavigator

OutlookNavigator is implementation of navigation component known from Office 2007 Outtlok application.

ScreenTips ScreenTip is advanced tool tip functionality. Each item can have its screen tip specified. This is done on Item.ScreenTip property. Simple set ScreenTip.Active to True, provide Text and Description and Image and then when user drags mouse over this item and holds it there for some time, then the screen tip will be shown. Group Visible Groups can be set to visible or invisible modes. This allows you to have one navigation system and just hide groups or items depending on application user rights for example, or on the state of the application or mode the user is currently switched to. Group Tag Item has property Tag of type Object. This allows you to enter any object as associated data with the item and the item then has it always there for your needs. This is typically used to store some item specific data for the window to be shown when the item is selected, for example an ID of the object from Database, or the SQL Command showing the data or even the data set associated with the item. Expanded Group Currently selected item can be accessed by ExpandedGroup property. It is get/set property so it is possible to change the currently selected item by code as well. Expand / Collapse In the title of the navigator there is a "<<" or ">>" icon. These stands as buttons to collapse or expand the control. To show this capability OutlookNavigator.NavigatorMinimalizable must be set to True (default setting). Turning it False will not render the collapse/expand button. In the collapsed mode the control is still fully functional and allows users to manipulate the content of the group. Simply click the text of the middle area of the control and a popup will be shown with the content of the group.

Events There are many specific event for you to handle and manage the behavior of the control, here is the list of the events available. GroupClick - Fired when Group in the control is clicked. GroupMouseEnter - Fired when mouse enters the Group. GroupMouseLeave - Fired when mouse leaves the Group. GroupSelecting - Fired when Group in the control is being selected. GroupTextChanging - Fired when text in the control is changing. GroupTextChanged - Fired when text in the control is changed. GroupSelected - Fired when Group in the control is selected. Minimalize - Fired when control has minimalized. Minimalizing - Fired when control is about to be minimalized. Restore - Fired when control is restored to original size from minimalized state

SimpleNavigator

SimpleNavigator as its name suggest is simple navigation component. It does not provide any groups or other more complex features and is a simple list of items which provide navigation facility. This control is ideal for options dialogs and similar simplified scenarios.