Title: TFrame.OnCreate: how to Implement the OnCreate event for a Delphi TFrame object
TFrame is a container for components; it can be nested within forms or other frames.
A frame, like a form, is a container for other components. Frames can be nested within forms or other frames, and they can be saved on the Component palette for easy reuse.
Missing OnCreate!
Once you start using frames, you'll note there's no OnCreate event you can use to initialize your frames.
In short, the reason that a frame does not have a OnCreate event is there is no good time to fire the event.
However, by overriding the Create method you can mimic the OnCreate event. After all, the OnCreate for Forms gets fired at the end of the Create constructor - so overriding Create for Frames is as having the OnCreate event.
Here's the source code of a simple frame exposing a publuc property and overriding the Create constructor:
unit WebNavigatorUnit;
interface
uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes,
Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls;
type
TWebNavigatorFrame = class(TFrame)
urlEdit: TEdit;
private
fURL: string;
procedure SetURL(const Value: string) ;
public
constructor Create(AOwner: TComponent) ; override;
published
property URL : string read fURL write SetURL;
end;
implementation
{$R *.dfm}
constructor TWebNavigatorFrame.Create(AOwner: TComponent) ;
begin
inherited Create(AOwner) ;
//"OnCreate" code
URL := 'http://delphi.about.com';
end;
procedure TWebNavigatorFrame.SetURL(const Value: string) ;
begin
fURL := Value;
urlEdit.Text := Value;
end;
end.
The "WebNavigatorFrame" acts as a web site launcher hosting an Edit and a Button control.
Note: if you are new to frames, make sure you read the following two articles: Visual Component Development Using Frames
, Replacing TabSheets with Frames