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EiffelBuild Notation

This page contains descriptions of terms found within the EiffelBuild documentation.

Object

An EiffelBuild object is a representation of a Vision2 component and its properties. When developing with EiffelBuild, you manipulate objects to build the desired interface.

Each object type has a different set of properties that may be manipulated, and these correspond directly to the properties available within the EiffelVision 2 type. There is property which is specific to an EiffelBuild object, Name which is used for your identification purposes and as the attribute name in the generated code.

For more information on manipulating objects within EiffelBuild, see:

Within EiffelBuild, there may be multiple views of a single object displayed simultaneously. Any modifications to an object will immediately update all views. Both the layout constructor and the builder window provide views of the objects within your project, and in these, the objects may be manipulated. The display window also provides a view of the objects in your system, except the objects cannot be manipulated from this view. It can be thought of as a preview of the project you are developing.

Component

EiffelBuild components are templates representing user defined object structures. From a component, you can quickly build a matching structure of objects. Components are available in EiffelBuild so that you do not repeatedly create the same structures over and over again while developing your projects.

You specify a new component by creating it from an existing object structure. See component_selector for more detailed instructions on the use of components.

To view an existing component, use the component_viewer .

It is not possible to modify a component once created, except to delete it.

Pick and Drop

The pick and drop mechanism is one of Eiffel Software 's exclusive technologies and is provided by EiffelVision 2 . In EiffelBuild, it allows you to easily send data from a component of the interface to another.

You can Pick a reference to a development object, such as an object or component with a single click of the right mouse button. Then as you start moving the mouse around - not pressing any of its buttons - a pebble tracks the cursor position, and a line continuously connects the pebble to the object's original position.

You may terminate this situation in either of two ways:

  • If the pebble you are dragging is the regular cursor, you can right-click again to confirm the pick-and-drop and so effectively send the dragged development object to the targeted component. This is known as Dropping.

Right-clicking when the pebble is the no cursor, will only stop the pick-and-drop because the component you are hovering with the mouse does not accept your development object.

  • If, for any reason, you change your mind, you can cancel the pick-and-drop by left-clicking anywhere or by pressing the Escape key.
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