Uikon Core Controls Overview

Provides core controls that are common to every UI variant. Further controls are available through the UI variant-specific APIs.

Note that in v7.0s, this API was moved out of Symbian OS and into the TechView test UI supplied on Symbian OS Development Kits. Where appropriate, equivalent classes will be provided by the relevant phone-specific UI.

The controls include:

• base classes, such as for listboxes, buttons, and editors, that are extended in Uikon itself, in UI variant-specific APIs, and applications

• fundamental controls, such as images, menus, labels, and scroll bars, that are used directly

• container controls, such as button groups and status panes, whose use varies between UI variants

Note some control types, such as menus, are usually defined with resources.

As with all controls, the Uikon Core Controls are derived from the UI Control Framework.

The API has a large number of control classes. The main groups are: buttons, button groups, editable text windows, images, list boxes, menus, scroll bars, and status panes.

Many Uikon controls can have a rectangular border, and are derived from a base class that provides handling for this. The base class is CEikBorderedControl.

Support is provided for buttons of various types, such as latchable buttons, and buttons displaying images. The base class is CEikButtonBase, and the basic button CEikCommandButton, resource CMBUT.

UI variants typically use groups of buttons, such as toolbars and CBAs, for quick command input. Toolbar and band classes and resources are CEikToolBar, TOOLBAR, TOOLBAND, TBAR_CTRL, TBAR_BUTTON, and TBAR_PICBUT. CBA classes and resources are CEikButtonGroupContainer, CBA, and CBA_BUTTON.

A highly functional editable text window is provided, including facilities for clipboard, text layout, search and replace, and undo. The class is CEikEdwin, resource EDWIN.

Labels are simple controls that display text. The label classes is CEikLabel, resource LABEL.

Bitmaps images can be used as controls through CEikImage, resource IMAGE.

Base classes for list boxes are provided, together with concrete controls for text-based list boxes, and snaking (multi-column) list boxes. The class structure separates the main list box class (CEikListBox based, resource LISTBOX), drawing the current items on view (CListBoxView based), drawing an individual item (CListItemDrawer), and list box data (MListBoxModel).

Menu bars, panes, and items are provided through a family of classes whose names begin CEikMenuBar, resources MENU_BAR, MENU_PANE, MENU_TITLE, and MENU_ITEM. Hotkeys can be defined through HOTKEYS and HOTKEY.

Scroll bars are provided by CEikScrollBar, and CEikArrowHeadScrollBar, a scroll bar without a shaft and two small nudge buttons for scrolling.

Application status pane's are provided through a family of classes whose names begin CEikStatusPane.

UI Control Framework Overview