HMG Help - Basics

HMG and Alternate Syntax:

All over this help document you can find that there are two types of syntax available for the definition of various controls. One is traditional '@ row, col CONTROLTYPE controlname' syntax and the alternate syntax with 'define....end' statements. Each synatx is having its own merits and demerits.

@ nRow, nCol CONTROLTYPE controlname

While '@ nRow, nCol CONTROLTYPE controlname' syntax is a single line simple syntax it requires the sequence of various properties of that control as it is. For example the following statement is right:

@ 10,10 textbox t1 height 40 width 100

Where as the following is wrong

@ 10,10 textbox t1 width 100 height 40

In other words, you have to memorize the sequentail order of the various properties also.

Alternate Syntax: DEFINE CONTROLTYPE controlname:

In the case of alternate syntax, the control definition is between DEFINE....END statements and the property values can be in any order. That is the advantage of alternate syntax though it requires more lines of coding.

For example, both the following are right:

define textbox t1
   row 10
   col 10
   width 100
   height 30
end textbox

define textbox t1
   row 10
   col 10
   height 30
   width 100
end textbox