Building Apps in Delphi With the VCL Part 2

Replace the string grid with a TDrawGrid and load the periodic table from a csv into a reusable periodic table class, rendering element details in the grid.

Explore how abstracting the elements class enables a firemonkey version of the periodic table, with steps like adding a new unit and compiling for OS X.

Explore TImage and its picture property, with auto size, center, stretch, and proportional options for PNG and JPEG images. Load via an open picture dialog and observe progressive display.

Learn to use form scrollbars and the TScrollBox to create scrolling regions, control scrolling with increment, range, and smooth tracking, and place images and controls inside a scroll box.

Explore the Delphi VCL TSplitter for resizing left-right and top-bottom panels, including auto snap, min size, horizontal and vertical layouts, and configurable resize styles.

Explore TLabeledEdit and TStaticText in the VCL, configure label properties such as caption, text hint, and password char, and learn when to use static text versus label, window handle considerations.

Explore how to implement a TButtonedEdit in Delphi VCL with left and right buttons, image list, enabled state handling, and a right button pop up or drop down menu.

Explore the T toolbar as a container for tool buttons with image lists, drop-down menus, and adjustable styles, wrapping, and captions.

Discover the TLinkLabel component for adding clickable links in a Delphi VCL app, using caption text, on link click, and the use visual style setting.

Explore how to use the Delphi VCL TFlowPanel to arrange controls in left-to-right or top-to-bottom flow, toggle auto wrap, and reorder items at design-time or runtime.

Learn how to use the up down control with an edit, adjust alignment and orientation, enable wrap, and explore its events—changing and changing X—for Delphi VCL apps.

Learn to use the t track bar in Delphi VCL, updating a label via the on-change event. Configure frequency, maximum, line size, orientation, page size, position, tooltip, and tick marks.

Discover how the tcp/ip manifest and the ip man unit add runtime themes to older Delphi versions, while modern Delphi uses enable runtime themes, making the manifest largely unnecessary.

Discover the Delphi VCL tab control: customize tabs with multi-line, ragged right, height, and width; respond to onchange events to update the UI, and explore theming limits and multi-select.

Explore the tab set in Delphi's VCL: add tabs, adjust shrink to fit, colors, margins, style, align top or bottom, set images, and handle on change with backward compatibility caveat.

Explore hotkeys in Delphi VCL by configuring the hotkey property, applying modifiers (ctrl, shift, alt), and linking menu items and buttons to shortcuts such as ctrl+n.

Leverage the TAnimate component to implement basic animations and play a basic AVI file in Delphi apps, using shell resources, the shell animations unit, and available frame navigation.

Explore the Delphi VCL TMonthCalendar component, enabling autosize; select dates or ranges; navigate months and years; set min/max dates; use month info and bold info to highlight appointment days.

Explore how TDateTimePicker handles date and time with two pickers, and tune properties, onchange events, date formats, alignment, and user input behavior.

Learn to use TPageControl to organize a form with tab sheets, set an active page, navigate with next and previous actions, and control visibility and theming in a wizard.

Learn to use the TPageScroller to host a panel with speed buttons, adjust margins, orientation, and button size, and enable auto scroll for horizontal or vertical navigation.

Explore application wide events with TApplicationEvents, learning to use show hint, modal events, exception handling, on idle, on message, and action updates to drive UI behavior across forms.

We review the VCL coverage so far, listing standard controls and application events from part one and two, plus data access, dbexpress, and upcoming tree view and list view.

Celebrate completing part two and recognize its usefulness, note opportunities for future use, and look forward to part three.