Scripting Component Categories in Altium Designer

The Scripting system's visual form controls, based on Embarcadero's Visual Component Library (VCL), are represented by a wide range of conventional Delphi-type component objects and two specialized Altium component categories — the Altium Standard and Instrument Controls groups.

► Refer to the component categories in the Embarcadero VCL documentation for full details on the methods, properties and events for the majority of components.

The two specialized categories (expandable sections) in the Altium Designer Tool Palette – Altium Standard and Instrument Controls – are derived from standard Delphi-type components, but are not specifically included in the Embarcadero reference documentation.

Component Events and Properties

To see a list of Events and Properties for a component:

• Select a component on the Form and activate the Events or Properties tab in the Object Inspector panel.
• Select the Events or Properties link on the appropriate component reference page in the Embarcadero documentation. In the case of the TButton control for example, select the Standard category, the TButton page and then the Events or Properties view.

Component Methods

To find a particular Method (or Property) for a Tool Palette component, use the Code Completion feature (see Script Editor Tools). For example, by typing TButton.hi the Code Completion window will show both the Hide procedure and Hint property for the TButton component object. Use Ctrl+Space to manually invoke the Code Completion window.

Use the Code Completion (Ctrl+Space) feature to search for a valid component Method or Property.

Refer to the following sections to find the Methods and further information on the various category in the scripting Tools Palette.

Standard Controls

See the Standard Controls category in the Embarcadero VCL documentation. Select the Methods link on a component reference page to see the full information on the available methods (procedures, functions etc) for that component object.

	MainMenu	A menu bar and its accompanying drop-down menus.
	PopupMenu	A pop-up (context) menu that appears when a user right clicks.
	Label	A non-windowed control that displays text on a form.
	Edit	A single-line edit control, used to retrieve text that a user types.
	Memo	A multi-line edit box.
	Button	A conventional push button control.
	CheckBox	A check box object that can be on (checked) or off (unchecked).
	RadioButton	A wrapper for a system radio button.
	ListBox	A collection of items displayed in a scrollable list.
	ComboBox	An edit box combined with a scrollable list.
	ScrollBar	A scroll bar used to scroll the contents of an object.
	GroupBox	A Windows group box.
	RadioGroup	A group of radio buttons that function together.
	Panel	A generic panel control.
	ActionList	A list of actions that can be used by components and controls.

Additional Controls

See the Additional Controls category in the Embarcadero VCL documentation. Select the Methods link on a component reference page to see the full information on the available methods (procedures, functions etc) for that component object.

	BitBtn	A push button control incorporating a bitmap.
	SpeedButton	A button that is used to execute commands or set modes.
	MaskEdit	A generic masked edit control.
	StringGrid	A grid control to simplify the handling of strings etc.
	DrawGrid	A grid control that displays information in column/row format.
	Image	A control that displays a graphical image.
	Shape	A geometric shape that can be drawn on a form.
	Bevel	A beveled outline for form components.
	ScrollBox	A scrollable list with check boxes next to each item
	CheckListBox	An edit box combined with a scrollable list.
	Splitter	A control to divide the form client area into resizable panes.
	StaticText	A windowed control that displays text on a form.
	ControlBar	A control to manage the layout of toolbar components.

Win32 Controls

See the Win32 Controls category in the Embarcadero VCL documentation. Select the Methods link on a component reference page to see the full information on the available methods (procedures, functions etc) for that component object.

	TabControl	A tab set that has the appearance of notebook dividers.
	PageControl	A set of pages used to make a multiple page dialog box.
	ImageList	A collection of images, with each referred to by its index.
	RichEdit	A wrapper for a Windows rich text edit control.
	TrackBar	A wrapper for a track bar control.
	ProgressBar	A simple progress bar.
	UpDown	A wrapper for a Windows up-down control.
	HotKey	A wrapper for a Windows Common Control hot key.
	Animate	An animation control.
	DateTimePicker	A list box for entering dates or times.
	TreeView	A window that displays a hierarchical list of items.
	ListView	A list that can display items in several different ways
	HeaderControl	A set of resizable column headers.
	StatusBar	A status bar (row of panels) usually at the bottom of a form.
	ToolBar	A manager for tool buttons and other controls.
	CoolBar	A collection of windowed controls within editable bands.
	MonthCalendar	A stand-alone calendar with selectable dates.
	PageScroller	A display area for a narrow window, such as a toolbar.

System Controls

See the System Controls category in the Embarcadero VCL documentation. Select the Methods link on a component reference page to see the full information on the available methods (procedures, functions etc) for that component object.

	Timer	An encapsulation of the Windows API timer functions.
	PaintBox	A canvas that applications can use for rendering an image.
	MediaPlayer	A Media Control Interface (MCI) device controller.
	OleContainer	A control to embed or link OLE objects.

Dialog Controls

See the Dialog Controls category in the Embarcadero VCL documentation. Select the Methods link on a component reference page to see the full information on the available methods (procedures, functions etc) for that component object.

	OpenDialog	A file selection dialog.
	SaveDialog	A 'Save As' dialog for saving files.
	OpenPictureDialog	A graphics-file selection dialog.
	SavePictureDialog	A 'Save As' dialog for saving graphics files.
	FontDialog	A font-selection dialog.
	ColorDialog	A modal color-selection dialog.
	PrintDialog	A Print dialog.
	PrinterSetupDialog	A print-setup dialog for configuring printers.
	FindDialog	A Find dialog that allows users to search for text in a file.
	ReplaceDialog	A search-and-replace dialog.

Altium Standard Controls

The Tool Palette panel's Altium Standard category consists of standard components with the Altium Theme (look and feel) applied. In most cases, additional methods and properties are available.

► See Altium Standard Controls for more information on the scripting system's Standard Controls.

	WinXPPageControl	Related to the PageControl component (Win32).
	WinXPTabControl	Related to the TabControl component (Win32).
	XPBitBtn	Related to the BitBtn component (Additional).
	XPButton	Related to the Button component (Standard).
	XPButtonEdit	Related to the Edit component (Standard).
	XPButtonEx	Related to the Button component (Standard).
	XPCheckBox	Related to the CheckBox component (Standard).
	XPComboBox	Related to the ComboBox component (Standard).
	XPDirectoryEdit	Related to the Edit component (Standard).
	XPEdit	Related to the Edit component (Standard).
	XPExtPanel	Related to the Panel component (Standard).
	XPFileNameEdit	Related to the Edit component (Standard).
	XPGroupBox	Related to the GroupBox component (Standard).
	XPHistoryEdit	Related to the Edit component (Standard).
	XPImageList	Related to the ImageList component (Win32).
	XPSpinnerImage	Related to the Image component (Additional).
	XPLabel	Related to the Label component (Standard).
	XPListBox	Related to the ListBox component (Standard).
	XPProgressBar	Related to the ProgressBar component (Win32).
	XPRadioButton	Related to the RadioButton component (Standard).
	XPRadioGroup	Related to the RadioGroup component (Standard).
	XPScrollBar	Related to the Scrollbar component (Standard).
	XPSpeedButton	Related to the SpeedButton component (Additional).
	XPSpinEdit	Related to the Edit component (Standard).
	XPSplitButton	Related to the Button component (Standard).
	XPSplitter	Related to the Splitter component (Additional).
	XPTrackBar	Related to the Trackbar component (Win32).
	XStatusBar	Related to the StatusBar component (Win32).

Instrument Controls

The Tool Palette panel's Instrument Controls category contains components (controls) that are used to design an Altium Designer Custom Instrument panel GUI (legacy).

► See Instrument Controls for more information on the scripting system's Instrument Controls.

	SignalLinkManager	Instrument signal linking manager.
	InstrumentBackgroundPanel	Instrument panel background color.
	InstrumentBackground	Instrument background color.
	InstrumentButton	Instrument push button.
	InstrumentCaption	Instrument panel caption.
	InstrumentCheckBox	Instrument check box.
	InstrumentEdit	Instrument edit box.
	InstrumentGauge	Analog style instrument gauge/meter.
	InstrumentGlyphButton	Instrument speed button graphic image.
	InstrumentGraph	Instrument graph display.
	InstrumentKnob	Instrument rotary control knob.
	InstrumentLabel	Instrument panel label.
	InstrumentLEDDigits	7-segment digital LED display.
	InstrumentLEDsPanel	Grouped LED indicator row.
	InstrumentMultiGraph	Multiple trace graph display.
	InstrumentNumericPanel	Instrument numeric readout.
	InstrumentPanel	Instrument panel area.
	InstrumentProgressBar	LED bar signal/progress indicator
	InstrumentRadioButton	Instrument radio button selector.
	InstrumentRadioGroup	Instrument group control for radio buttons.
	InstrumentScrollbar	Instrument scroll bar control.
	InstrumentShape	Instrument panel geometric shape.
	InstrumentSilkScreen	Instrument panel silk screen overlay.
	InstrumentTerminal	Instrument character display terminal window.
	InstrumentTrackBar	Instrument slider bar control.