General
Introduction
There are a number of common connectors and properties shared by all modules in Proto. They enable you to perform universal tasks in a familiar manner with each module. The input and output connectors are located in each module's input and output menu under the submenu "General Module Connectors". The common property tab is labeled "General" and is present in every module's Property Panel. Some common connectors are only available in certain modules: only control modules have the "Set Control Visible" and "Set Control Enabled" input connectors, while only the module's that are able to be used as plug-ins have an enabled "Use Module As Plug-in" output connector.
Property Panel:
General Tab
- Name
- The name of its module type (i.e. Pie Graph). This field is not editable.
- Label
- Sets the label that is displayed below the module in both the Builder and the Viewer.
- Show label in Viewer
- Only available in modules with Viewer controls. Toggles whether the label is displayed in the Viewer or not.
- Viewer ToolTip
- Stores information about the module that appears in a ToolTip - a small pop-up tag - when the mouse hovers over the module's control in the Viewer.
- Visible
- Only available in modules with Viewer controls. Toggles whether the control is visible in the Viewer or not.
- Viewer tab order
- The number indicates the order in which the control for this module gains focus when pressing the "Tab" key in the Viewer. Only available in modules with Viewer controls that can be cycled to by pressing the "Tab" key: Button, Check Box, Slider, Text Box, List Box, and Date Chooser.
Viewer Presentation
- Standard
- Display a custom module in the standard manner in its parent module with a border and title.
- None
- Display a custom module inside its parent module without a border or title.
- Pop up
- Display the custom module in its own separate Viewer window.
- Position
- This controls the position of the Viewer window of a pop up module when it is opened. "Default" displays the window in its last open position. "Center screen" displays the window in the center of the screen. "Center parent" displays the window in the center of its parent module.
Input Menu:
Set Label
Sets the label that is displayed below the module in both the Builder and the Viewer.
Accepted Datatypes:
- Text
- Any valid text can be displayed as a label.
Triggered Outputs:
- Output Message:
- Get Label
Wait For Event
When anything arrives on this input, the module waits to process itself until its next internal event. An example of an internal event would be the pressing of a Button's control or the reception of an update notification for a ProtoDB Reader. This connector is commonly employed when using an Excel Writer in combination with an Excel Reader, by connecting the Writer's "On Done Processing" output connector to the Reader's "Wait For Event" input connector. This connection causes the Excel Reader to wait for an internal event - a change in its underlying Excel sheet caused by the Excel Writer - before continuing with its execution.
Accepted Datatypes:
- Any
Triggered Outputs:
- Output Message:
- On Done Processing
Open Property Panel
Immediately opens the module's Property Panel.
Accepted Datatypes:
- Any
Set Control Visible
Sets whether or not this module's control is shown in the Viewer. This menu item is only present in control modules.
Accepted Datatypes:
- True/false
- True shows the Viewer control; False hides it.
Set Control Enabled
Sets whether or not this module's Viewer control accepts user interaction. This menu item is only present in control modules.
Accepted Datatypes:
- True/false
- True enables the Viewer control; False disables it.
Output Menu:
Get Label
Gets the module's label.
Output Datatype:
- Text
- The label text.
Triggered By:
- Input Message:
- Set Label
- Action:
- Changing the label in the property panel.
Use Module As Plug-in
Output Datatype:
- Module
- A module, with all of its inputs, properties, and internal processing
Triggered By:
- Action:
- The triggers depend on which module is being used as a Plug-in.
On Done Processing
Outputs a "true" every time the module has completed execution. This connector is commonly employed when using an Excel Writer in combination with an Excel Reader, connecting the Writer's "On Done Processing" output connector to the Reader's "Wait For Event" input connector. This connection causes the Excel Reader to wait for an internal event - the completion of changes to its underlying Excel sheet, which is caused by the Excel Writer - before continuing with its execution.
Output Datatype:
- True/False
- Outputs "true" when it completes processing.
Triggered By:
- Input Message:
- Wait For Event