Caution: in version 12, the RAD was entirely rebuilt. The method explained in this page is kept for backward compatibility. For more details, see New RAD patterns.

• The different options displayed or grayed in the wizard for window creation.
• The files required for the window to operate (the RAD classes that must be be copied into the generation directory of the window for example).
• The groups of controls that will be found in the window.
• The code of the window and the code of the local or global procedures.
• The characteristics of the different areas where the controls will be displayed. Each control area is associated with a button area and with an area of browse buttons. For each button area, the pattern contains the description of buttons (size, name, caption, ...) and their code.

The structure of the MDL files can be divided into two sections:

1. Pattern description
   • Characteristics of the pattern displayed in the wizard
   • Characteristics of the pattern required in programing (classes, groups of controls, ...)
   • The code of the window and the code of the local or global procedures
2. Window description
   • Characteristics of the control areas (repeated for each control area)
   • Characteristics of the button areas (repeated for each button area)
   • Characteristics of a button (repeated for each button)
   • Code of the button

The MDE files are MDL files used to share common scripts between several MDL files. The content of the MDE file is identical to the MDL file. However, the code is found once only in the MDE file. The MDL files that use this code will only have to perform a simple call.

Calling the MDE file from a MDL file

The following syntax must be used: