storing a group as a customProperty

[Peter Brigham MD]

It's actually for FORMalizer. It's a utility to use in the IDE for  
creating a stack that contains a form (imported scanned image, eg)  
with superimposed fields, then cloning the stack with its image and  
fields and attaching it as a substack to whatever stack system you  
need it in. It streamlines loading the fields with data  
programmatically and printing it out. I got tired filling out forms by  
copying stuff by pen from the computer screen over and over again, so  
I put this together.

It's a palette with controls and a blank 8.5x11 proportioned stack  
window. The palette gives you ways of importing a scanned form image  
and laying down fields, etc, but since it's in the IDE I have to  
assume that some user will forget that to empty the form stack and  
start over you click a button on the palette -- so I have to cover the  
eventuality that the user will maybe do a quick select all with the  
pointer tool and hit delete. Which would take out all the user- 
generated images and fields but also my utility buttons, etc.

I'm glad I can prevent this and don't have to wrestle with restoring  
anything.

Peter M. Brigham
pmbrig at gmail.com

On 3/23/09, Richard Gaskin  wrote:

> Peter Brigham MD wrote:
>
>> ...I'll have to store the group in a stack and store the stack in a
>> customProp.
>
> You can, but that's a lot of work.  What sort of UI are you providing
> that lets people have unbridled use of the pointer tool and keyboard?
>
> Couldn't you just trap the deleteKey and act on the selectedObjects
> yourself?
>
> I've done a lot of save/restore of objects to/from other locations;  
> not
> too difficult, but also not without surprises you'll discover as you  
> go.
>
> If you can prevent the undesired action from ever happening in the  
> first
> place I suspect you'll save yourself some time.
>
> --
>  Richard Gaskin
>  Fourth World