Adding a Component to a Form

You can add a new component to your form by selecting a component from the Component Palette, selecting a container in the Component Inspector, or selecting a bean from the Explorer.

To add a component using the Component Palette:

  1. If you are displaying the default large palette, select a component in the Component Palette by clicking its icon.

    If you are displaying the small palette, click Image of Add Mode button in the Component Palette and select a component from the Add Mode menu.

    To toggle between the large palette and small palette, right-click in the mode button region of the Component Palette.

  2. To add one instance of the component, click in the Form Designer pane in the area where you want to place the component.

    Alternatively, to add multiple components of the same type, hold down the Shift key and click in multiple places.

    To add the component to the Other Components node, click in the white area in the Form Designer.

Tip When working with nested containers, it is sometimes difficult to select the container to which you want to add the component. You must first select the desired container before selecting the component to add. You then select the component from the component palette, hold down the Alt key, and click the desired container again to add the component.
Tip You can add several components to a container and arrange them at a later time. Select the container first and select each of the component in the Component Palette. Press the spacebar after each component selection and each component will be automatically added to the Form Designer.

To add a component using the Component Inspector:

  1. In the Component Inspector, select the container where you want to add a component or select the Other Components node if you want to add the component there.
  2. Right-click to display the contextual menu and choose a component from the Add From Palette submenu.

    The component is added to the container in the Form Designer pane.

To add a bean using the Explorer:

  1. In the Explorer, find the class node of the bean.

    The class must be a bean (it must be possible to create an instance of the class using an empty public constructor), and it must be compiled.

  2. Right-click the class node and choose Copy from the contextual menu.
  3. Choose Paste from the contextual menu of either the Form Designer or the Other Components node in the Component Inspector.
Tip If you have a bean that you expect to repeatedly add to forms, consider adding the bean to the Component Palette.
See also
Adding a Bean to the Component Palette
Component Palette
Selecting Components in a Form
Form Designer
Form Editor

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