Moving multiple controls

[David Kenny]

I know development is on hold right now, so this is for future consideration.

Right now, selecting multiple controls gives you a properties list that they all share.  The Top and Left properties are set to the topmost and leftmost values respectively.  Changing either, sets the top or left for all controls selected. Thus aligning all the controls. Signs are already allowed in the edit box, but are ignored in the case of '+' (because + 5 is the same as 5). But, for instance, Left -5 moves the left edge of the selected controls off the form.

My proposal leaves the UnSigned behavior unchanged. But by including a sign would direct an offset to be applied to each control separately. So, for instance, Top +100 would move each control 100 down from what each controls current location is.  And, respectively, Top -100 would move them up. Thus giving us the ability to shift multiple controls on the form without needing the Ctrl-(cursor key) method. Leaving the current method for fine tuning if needed.

David

[John Montenigro]

Hi David,
I have a question:

If this were implemented, would you want to see the original values updated, or somehow continue to show the original plus an offset?

In other words, are you willing to lose the original value, like in case you wanted to go back to it...

-John

[David Kenny]

John,

Ideally, any changes in form-design-mode would be undoable.  Without undo, you would of course lose the original value (I had never considered saving the offset. Not sure how well that would work).  You can already do what I am proposing (except for the method of implementation) by adding or subtracting an offset from it's current location to each control in turn. You can also drag multiple selected controls. The original values are lost these ways also.

I was wanting a way to move many controls (at a time) an exact distance, while offering a novel and easy way to implement it using positive and negative offsets.

I was looking at FF 3.7 just now. I noticed that while moving multiple controls using the mouse and the keyboard, the statusbar displays different results for each method.  They should be the same.  The mouse drag method is the one producing funny results and the statusbar shows the correct value as soon as the left mouse button is released. If the mouse method had the same statusbar results as the Ctrl-Arrow key method, dragging with the mouse could be more precise.  Even better if the statusbar showed an offset instead of current values (during a multiple-control drag operation). There is even enough room in the statusbar to add a drag offset values for all types of move operations. But now we are talking about quite a bit more development time.

David