[SOLVED] Align objects at runtime

[tudi_x]

hi All,
i have some objects that i am creating at run time. i would like to know the easiest way to align their centers on vertical.
i there something built in for this?

the below did not move the buttons center at run time.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
2. begin
3.   Button1.AnchorSide[akBottom].Side := asrCenter;
4.   Button1.AnchorSide[akBottom].Control := Button2;
5. end;

thank you

[taazz]

so what is wrong is wrong with

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. button1.top := ((button2.top+button2.height) div 2) - (button1.height div 2);

?

[tudi_x]

i made the post in the light of example 2 in http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/lcl/controls/anchoring%20controls.html.
i thought i found a different way than directly computing the coordinates.

could you please advise if example 2 should actually move the buttons?

[taazz]

I think anchoring gets involved only when button2 is moved not when button1 is sized/moved.

[tudi_x]

thank you.
i will stick with the below.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
2. begin
3.    Button1.Top:= AlignVertica(Button1, Button2);
4. end;
5.  
6. function TForm1.AlignVertica(AObjToAlign: TWinControl; AllignTo: TWinControl): integer;
7. begin
8.   Result:= round(AllignTo.Top + AllignTo.Height div 2 - AObjToAlign.Height div 2);
9. end;

[howardpc]

For anchoring to work correctly you have to set two (or more) anchors. You can centre buttons on a form with code like this:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
2. begin
3.   with Button1 do begin  // centre button in form
4.     AnchorSideLeft.Control:=Self;
5.     AnchorSideLeft.Side:=asrCenter;
6.     AnchorSideTop.Control:=Self;
7.     AnchorSideTop.Side:=asrCenter;
8.     BorderSpacing.Around:=10;
9.   end;
10.   with Button2 do begin // centre horizontally, and place below Button1
11.     AnchorSideLeft.Control:=Self;
12.     AnchorSideLeft.Side:=asrCenter;
13.     AnchorSideTop.Control:=Button1;
14.     AnchorSideTop.Side:=asrBottom;
15.   end;
16. end;

[tudi_x]

i would use the anchoring when i have at least two elements of kind center, top, bottom, right, left to relate to.
thank you!

[tudi_x]

how would an alignment with the right side of the form be obtained? (windows 7 Lazarus 1.8 RC4 64b)

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
2. var
3.   l: TLabel;
4.  
5. begin
6.   l := TLabel.Create(self);
7.   l.Parent := self;
8.   l.Caption := 'xxxx';
9.   l.Visible := True;
10.   l.Top := 50;
11.   l.Left := 50;
12.  
13.   with l do
14.   begin
15.     //AnchorSideTop.Control := self;  //works
16.     //AnchorSideLeft.Control := self; //works
17.     //AnchorSideBottom.Control:= self;  //does not work
18.     AnchorSideRight.Control := self;   //does not work
19.     //AnchorSide[akRight].Control := self;  //does not work
20.   end;
21. end;

[taazz]

remove the with statement it might work.

[tudi_x]

removed and got the same results.
please advise

[taazz]

removed and got the same results.
please advise

define does not work.

[tudi_x]

does not work = the control does not move to the right side of the Form / self as a result of the anchoring.
as per my understanding the right side of the control (SideRight) should anchor with the control i indicate (.Control := self).

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.  AnchorSideRight.Control := self;  

how come it works for the left side?

[taazz]

Why don't you use the anchors property of the control? In any case, before setting your anchorsides make sure that
1) the anchors property is empty ee set it to []
2) the autosize property is false

Those are only steps to make sure that nothing else overrides your settings.

But if I where you I would simple set the anchors property to [akRight].

[tudi_x]

the anchor commands do not have any effect.
could you please help with a working example or is this a bug?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
2. var
3.   l: TLabel;
4.  
5. begin
6.   l := TLabel.Create(self);
7.   l.Parent := self;
8.   l.Caption := 'xxxx';
9.   l.Visible := True;
10.   l.Top := 50;
11.   l.Color := clYellow;
12.   //l.Alignment := taRightJustify;
13.   l.AutoSize := False;
14.  
15.   //l.Left := self.Width - l.Width;
16.   l.Left := 20;
17.   //l.AnchorSideRight.Control := self;
18.   l.AnchorSide[akRight].Control := self;  //no effect
19.   Form1.Caption := IntToStr(self.Width) + '|' + IntToStr(l.Width) + '|' + IntToStr(l.Left);
20. end;  

how come it works for the left side?

[balazsszekely]

Just move l(TLabel) to the private section of the form, then:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
2. begin
3.   l := TLabel.Create(self);
4.   l.Parent := self;
5.   l.Caption := 'xxxx';
6.   l.Visible := True;
7.   l.Top := 50;
8.   l.Color := clYellow;
9.   //l.Alignment := taRightJustify;
10.   l.AutoSize := False;
11.  
12.   //l.Left := self.Width - l.Width;
13.   l.Left := 20;
14.   l.Top := (Form1.Height - l.Height) div 2;
15. end;
16.  
17. procedure TForm1.FormResize(Sender: TObject);
18. begin
19.   l.Top := (Form1.Height - l.Height) div 2;
20. end;
21.