The
TextDirection property is used to determine and change the writing direction in a window, report or control (useful for languages such as Arabic or Hebrew).
Remark: The writing direction of a language can be defined in the linguistic options of the project:
- On the "Project" tab, in the "Project" group, click "Description".
- In the "Languages" tab, select the "Various" linguistic options and configure the "Text direction".
// Change the writing direction for all the window controls
IF WIN_Edit.TextDirection = tdDefault THEN
WIN_Edit.TextDirection = tdRightToLeft
END
Syntax
Finding out the writing direction currently used in a window, report or control Hide the details
<Result> = <Element used>.TextDirection
<Result>: Integer constant
Writing direction currently used. This constant can correspond to one of the following values: | |
| tdDefault | Default writing direction (writing direction defined for the current language in the characteristics of the project). |
| tdLeftToRight | Text written from left to right. |
| tdRightToLeft | Text written from right to left. |
<Element used>: Name of control, window or report
Name of the element (window, report or control) for which the writing direction is requested.
Modifying the writing direction used in a window, report or control Hide the details
<Element used>.TextDirection = <New direction>
<Element used>: Name of control, window or report
Name of the element (window, report or control) for which the writing direction must be modified.
<New direction>: Integer constant
New writing direction. This constant can correspond to one of the following values: | |
| tdDefault | Default writing direction (writing direction defined for the current language in the characteristics of the project). |
| tdLeftToRight | Text written from left to right. |
| tdRightToLeft | Text written from right to left. |
Remarks
Modifying the writing direction in a window
When the writing direction is reversed in a window (tdRightToLeft constant):
- The marker of the window is modified. The window origin (0, 0) changes from the upper-left corner to the upper-right corner. The X-axis is oriented to the left. The anchor of controls is modified accordingly.
- The controls are displayed in "mirror".
- All the controls defined by the tdDefault constant are changed to tdRightToLeft: the captions of the controls are displayed on the right side of the control, the scrollbars are displayed on the left side of the control, ...
Modifying the writing direction in a control
When the writing direction is reversed in a control (tdRightToLeft constant), only the display mode of the control is modified: the captions of the controls are displayed on the right side of the control, the scrollbars are displayed on the left side of the control, ...
Required configuration
The languages written from right to left are supported by the Windows versions later than Windows 95 and NT4.
To enable this option:
- Display the control panel ("Start .. Control panel").
- Select "Regional and linguistic options".
- In the "Languages" tab, select "Install the files for the languages with right-to-left complex script".
- Validate.
Actual writing direction
If the writing direction corresponds to the
tdDefault constant, use the
RightToLeft property to determine the "actual" writing direction. This property returns
True if the actual writing direction goes from right to left and
False if the actual writing direction goes from left to right.
Limits
In the reports, this property is available for the following elements:- Report.
- Static control.
- Calculated control.
- RTF control.
- Preset control.
- Link control.
- Edit control.
- Chart control.