iOS Code Snippet Designer-Compatible ComboBox Class

I've previously created a simple class that provides some ComboBox-like functionality in B4I. The problem was that this did not work very well with Designer, so I’ve now created an improved version that allows you to position and size the ComboBoxes using Designer.

The ComboBoxes are positioned on top of TextFields, which you position along with other fields etc in Designer. This allows the ComboBoxes to be in the right place when the device is rotated or when used across a range of devices. Most of the properties of the TextField are also applied to the fields of the drop-down but you can easily override this if necessary to create a more customised view.

This is a typical designer layout using the Class:



The Combo drop-downs will be positioned below the text views when they are activated.

They are declared like this:

Code:

Sub Process_Globals
    'These global variables will be declared once when the application starts.
    'Public variables can be accessed from all modules.
    Public App As Application
    Public NavControl As NavigationController
    Private Page1, Page2 As Page

    'You can set the desired placement and properties of the txtboxes using designer
    Dim txtCombo1,txtCombo2,txtCombo3,txtCombo4,txtCombo5,txtCombo6,txtCombo7 As TextField

    Dim Combo1,Combo2, Combo3, Combo4, Combo5, Combo6, Combo7 As Combo

Here is an example of initializing a ComboBox:

Code:

Private Sub Application_Start (Nav As NavigationController)
.....
    Combo1.Initialize(txtCombo1, 1.5, 5, bmTransparentArrow)

The base object is txtCombo1. Each row of the drop-down will be 1.5 times the height of the TextField, and there will be a maximum of 5 rows of data displayed below the TextField.

The Graphic for the DropDown Arrow at the right of the text box is taken from the bmTransparentArrow bitmap. It will be re-sized to fit into the right-hand side of the TextField.

If the corresponding TextField is Enabled, then the user can enter data from the keyboard otherwise they have to make a selection from the specified list.

There are multiple methods for adding data to the ComboBox viz:

Code:

AddSection ( SectionHeader As String, items As List, IndentLevel As Int, StdIcon As Bitmap)
'This will add a list of string items with a section header
'If the StdIcon bitmap is initialised this bitmap will be added to all the list items
e.g.
Combo2.AddSection("Downstairs",Array("Hall","Kitchen","Dining room","Lounge","Study","Gym"),1,Null)

AddSingleLine ( itemtext As String, image As Bitmap)
'This will add a one line item to the end of the combo-box
'If the image is initialised with a bitmap, then it will be added to the element

AddTwoLines ( itemtext1 As String, itemtext2 As String, image As Bitmap)
'This will add a two line item to the end of the combo-box
'If the image is initialised with a bitmap, then it will be added to the element

Images can be added to the existing sections from a list of file-names or BitMaps

Code:

AddBitMapsFromFileList(SectionIndex As Int,Dir As String,FileNames As List)

'This will add (or replace) the existing images in the specified SectionIndex with the files from the specified list

'SectionIndex is the number of the section to which the Images will be added
'Dir is the folder in which the files reside e.g. Files.DirAssets etc
'FileNames is a list containing filenames eg Array("abc.png","pqr.png").  You can use Null or empty string elements to prevent the corresponding item from being changed

AddBitMapsToSection(SectionIndex As Int,Bitmaps As List)

'This will add (or replace) the existing images in the specified SectionIndex with the bitmaps in the specified list
'SectionIndex is the number of the section to which the Images will be added
'Bitmaps is a list containing preloaded bitmaps. You can use Null elements to prevent the corresponding item from being changed.

Numerous properties of the ComboBoxes can be changed

Examples:

Code:

'Apply 2-color gradient effect to section header background
    Combo3.SectionHeaderColors=Array(Colors.Yellow,Colors.red)
    'Set large bold font
    Combo3.Font=Font.CreateNew2("Cochin-Bold",36)  ‘Over-rides TextField font

    Combo3.AddSection("Temp",Array("16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23","24","25"),1,hotimg)
    'Replace images in first 4 elements with different image
    Combo3.AddBitmapsToSection(0,Array(coolImg,coolImg,coolImg,coolImg))

    'You can set the properties of the dropdown table using the underlying Tableview object    e.g.
    Combo3.Tableview.Alpha=0.9 ‘This makes the drop-down slightly transparent

Results

Here is a small example of what is possible:



There are many other facilities. Please study the examples in the attached Zipped project. This contains the required Combo.bas class and also another class ColorByName, which is used in some of the examples.

This is a summary of how to use the ComboBox class:

'These are the steps to creating and using Combo-boxes
' 1. Create TextView boxes in Designer (set the Tag property to the name of the ComboBox object eg Combo1)
' (If you don't want the user to be able to enter text directly then set Enabled=False in the TextView)
' 2. Declare the Combo objects in Process Globals and load a bitmap for the DropDown Arrow
' 3. Initialise the Combo objects when needed. Just decide how big each drop-row needs to be and
' how many rows you want to be visible in the dropdown.
' 4. Add Sections of data to the ComboBox using any of the following methods:
' AddSection (Add a list of items with optional common image)
' AddBitmapsToSection (Adds/Replaces Images in Section)
' AddBitmapsFromFileList (Adds/Replaces Images in Section)
' AddSingleLine
' AddTwoLines
' All of the above methods allow for an optional bitmap to be added to the elements
' 4. Be sure to call the combo Resize method in the Page_Resize event, so that the combo objects are
' re-aligned and re-sized with the TextField
' 5. There are other methods to do further customisation. Most properties are inherited from the TextField object
' You can access the underlying TableView directly with the the TableView property of the Combobox

You are free to use this code in any project. If you use this to create a chargeable library it would be nice to acknowledge the origin of parts of the code that you have re-used.

If you have suggestions for useful additions/changes then please post them in the forum.

Derek Johnson

P.S See Post #23 by Jack Cole for a fix to a problem with the Up/Down arrow. I've attached his amended version as JC_ComboBox.zip

 

I seem to be missing a library reference to the TableView in your combo class. How is that possible? Im sorry i am very new to b4i! I am just trying to add a combo box to my app, but havent been able to do so... halp?

-Nevermind...Including libraries on the right... learning curve...

 

You need to have this library reference set:



Derek

 

Yes thank you it took me more time than i'd like to admit! Class works very well !

 

Derek
I´m trying your demo but when click to dropdown I receive an error

Code:

Error occurred on line: 469 (Combo)
Object was not initialized (UIImage)

In line "469 p_imgArrow.Bitmap = Null"

If I comment this line appears both arrow up and down so I comment the next line also and appears only the down arrow always.

I like to know if it´s possible to drop down the list if we click in a text , for now just the image click works

Thanks

Humberto

 

You could play with the textfield`s beginedit event. Calling the arrow_click event. And finally removing the focus from the textfield.

Code:

p_bm_arrow=ArrowBitMap
    p_imgArrow.Bitmap=p_bm_arrow

ArrowBitmap is set during construction as a parameter(Initialize)

 

The "Arrow_Click" is a private routine from class module.

I tryed to initialize the textfield with "Arrow" but the "Arrow_Click" doesn´t fire

 

Can you put a part of your code?

 

Code:

Dim Txt_Busca_Grupo  As TextField

Code:

Txt_Busca_Grupo.Initialize ("Arrow")
    Txt_Busca_Grupo.Enabled = False
    Txt_Busca_Grupo.BorderStyle = Txt_Busca_Grupo.STYLE_LINE
    Txt_Busca_Grupo.Tag = "Cb_Busca_Grupo"
    Txt_Busca_Grupo.Text = "Gastrônomia"
    Pnl_sv.AddView ( Txt_Busca_Grupo,100, xTop, 180, 35)
   
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.Initialize (Txt_Busca_Grupo,1,5,bmTransparentArrow)
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.Font = Font.CreateNew(14)
'    Cb_Busca_Raio.setSectionHeaderColors(Array(Colors.Yellow,Colors.Red))
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.AddSingleLine ( "Gastrônomia",Null)     ' .AddSection("",Array("Gastrônomia","Bar/Padaria/Café","Lojas","Serviços"),1,Null)
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.AddSingleLine ( "Bar/Padaria/Café",Null)   
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.AddSingleLine ( "Lojas",Null)   
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.AddSingleLine ( "Serviços",Null)   
    'You can set the properties of the dropdown table using Tableview   
    Cb_Busca_Grupo.Tableview.Alpha=0.9

 

I´ll try to add a transparent label beside the arrow in a class module and point to "Arrow_Click"

 

Try this:

Code:

Sub Arrow_BeginEdit

Txt_Busca_Grupo.ResignFocus
Cb_Busca_Grupo.Arrow_Click

End Sub

The only problem is that the keyboard is slightly called for me... not a perfect solution...

I would suggest putting a panel on top of the textfield and calling Cb_Busca_Grupo.Arrow_Click

 

works

inside the class module combo

Code:

p_bm_arrow=ArrowBitMap
    p_imgArrow.Bitmap=p_bm_arrow
   
    p_label.Initialize ("Arrow")
   
    Dim no As NativeObject = objAnchor
    Dim Parent = no.GetField("superview")    As View
    c_objParentPanel= Parent

    c_objParentPanel.Addview(p_label,vLeft,vTop,vWidth,vHeight)

    'Arrow needs to be a bit smaller than the text height
    c_objParentPanel.Addview(p_imgArrow,vLeft+vWidth-objAnchor.height+3,vTop+2,vHeight-4,vHeight-4)
    'c_objParentPanel.Addview(p_imgArrow2,vLeft+vWidth-objAnchor.height+200,vTop+2,vHeight-4,vHeight-4)

   
    p_imgArrow.BringToFront

    'Add the tableview
    c_objParentPanel.AddView(p_TableView,vLeft,vTop+objAnchor.Height,vWidth,vHeight)
    Return
End Sub

Try this

 

Wow, great job! It works very nicely! Much simpler and global than my solution!

 

I could not solve the arrow problem yet

the line "p_imgArrow.Bitmap = Null" still raise error

 

Its weird i do not have p_imgArrow.Bitmap = Null anywhere in my code. I only have p_imgArrow.Bitmap=p_bm_arrow twice

 

In Arrow_Click sub in combo.bas

Code:

Private Sub Arrow_Click
    c_Dropped=Not(c_Dropped)
    objAnchor.ResignFocus
  
    p_imgArrow.Bitmap=p_bm_arrow
  
    If c_Dropped Then
        ReSize
        p_TableView.Visible=True
        p_TableView.Height=c_DropHeight
        p_TableView.BringToFront
'        p_imgArrow.Bitmap =  Null
'        LoadImage(p_imgArrow,p_bm_arrow,180)
    Else
         p_TableView.Visible=False
    End If  
End Sub

 

I dont know if it helps but this is what i did:

Code:

c_Dropped=Not(c_Dropped)
    objAnchor.ResignFocus
    LoadImage(p_imgArrow,LoadBitmap(File.DirAssets,"empty.png"),0)
    LoadImage(p_imgArrow,p_bm_arrow,0)
   
    If c_Dropped Then
        ReSize
        p_TableView.Visible=True
        p_TableView.Height=c_DropHeight
        p_TableView.BringToFront
        LoadImage(p_imgArrow,LoadBitmap(File.DirAssets,"empty.png"),0)
        LoadImage(p_imgArrow,p_bm_arrow,180)
    Else
        p_TableView.Visible=False
    End If

I did this a while back, empty.png is a white empty square in png format. Nothing else, i believe i had trouble with the background... i dont quite remember...

 

I´ll try

But I think that will be an image over other each time the user press the button

 

I think thats the trick i used to cover the other arrow from being in the background... Still not perfect... but it works

 

Humberto,

I haven't been able to re-test this but I think that you may have missed this item out

Code:

' 2. .... load a bitmap for the DropDown Arrow

You need to have a graphic for the dropdown arrow, I wasn't expecting anyone not to define that. There is a suitable graphic in the demo code.

The error probably happens when you select the drop down, and the code tries to rotate an uninitialised bitmap.

Derek