Release notes
This release is not perfect:
- Closes manually editors before closing a resource file, it's safer.
- Icons in the Hierarchy list are do not represent the class of the object. Dont worry about it.
- When moving a view into a new parent, this change do not reflect in already opened editors.
- Using BSlider or BTabs with BeConstruct make it crash. In my opinion, this is a BeOS R3 problem.
BeConstruct User guide
Open and creating resources files
When you launch BeConstruct, a window named "Palette" shows up.
With the "File" menu of this window, you can either open a resource file or create a new one.
NOTE: You can only edit resources files: BeConstruct won't open others files. All applications are resources files in BeOS.
Creating new resources
To create a new resource, simply drag something (most of case a BWindow) from the palette window on the (perhaps empty) resource list. You are asked to set the type and the id of the new resource.
Pressing "Create resource" will create the new resource containing the dropped message.
If you choose the "Extract replicants" option when you have dragged an replicants using his dragger, only the replicants object is stored in the resource, without other informations standing in the message (as drop location, etc ...).
The second way to create a new resource is by using the "Create Resource" of the "Resources" menu. You are asked for the type, the id and the name of the new resource what will be created (empty this time).
Editing resources
You can edit a resource in for ways: in hexadecimal, using a resource editor, using the message editor or directly and graphicly editing the replicants (if it's a BView).
If you double-click in the resource list, the best editor is open for you.
A click with command key on the list let you choice your editor kind.
You can choose your editor kind by using the "Edit" menu.
The third kind of editor, named InstantiatedEditor, is the more usefull and intuitive.
Using the InstantiatedEditor
With a InstantiatedEditor, you can graphicly edit window or views.
GOTCHA: if you're editing a single view, DON'T delete it !
With the mouse, you can select child views, moving there and growing there like in a drawing program. Hint: if you move a single view, you can change his parent, but not if you move severals at the same times.
To remove a view, select it and press the delete key.
By double-clicking in a view (or selecting one and press return), you can ask for a complete editor for the properties of this view. The editor composition depend off the class of the view.
You can drag object from the "Palette" window to adding more objects, or drag replicants objects directly from other application (like NetPositive) !
To edit a window itself, click in a view with the command key pressed and choose "Edit the window" in the contextual menu.
Other options in this contextual menu are:
- "Test mode on": for testing the interface avoiding to selection views.
- "Safe mode off": for avoiding to automaticly close all the properties editors when you delete a view.
- "Align ..." (when two or more views are selected): to perfectly align your views
- "Align the same as the two first" (when three or more views are selected): make the offset between views the same for all the view selected
Using the BMessage Editor
When you use the BMessageEditor, you see the list of entries of the BMessage you are editing.
At the left, it's the entry name. You can edit it.
At the right, it's the entry data. Currently, only the String, Long, Bool and Float types are directly editable. For others types, it's always possible to edit the data in hexadecimal.
To delete a field, select the corresponding line and press the delete key.
To add a new field, enter the desired type in the bottom of the window and drag the new field from the box at the right of the bottom.
HINT: to see the content of a dragging message of a another application, use BeConstruct and drop it in a new resource file.
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