Paint on Shape

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Problem Description

Here is a program that demonstrates how to add an "OnPaint" event to a TGraphic control which does not have that event defined. Specifically the problem is to to add an identifying name or number to TShape controls.

Background & Techniques

I recently became involved in an interesting project to design software to drive nozzles for a children's water fountain. We do not have the Digital IO card or the solenoids yet, but I decided to write a simulator to help my buddy define locations and trial "scripts" to drive the fountain. I am representing the nozzles with TShape controls but needed to identify each with a number. An OnPaint event exit was the logical way to do this, but TShape does not support that event.

Here is a summary of the steps necessary to add the feature:

Define a new class derived from the control. in this case:

TNozzle = class(TShape)

Expose FOnPaint and Paint methods for the new class

private
FOnpaint:TNotifyEvent;
protected
procedure Paint; override;

Publish the OnPaint event property as a new event to make it accessible to the using program:

published
property OnPaint: TNotifyEvent read FOnPaint write FOnPaint;

Add a line to the Paint method to check for assignment and call FOnPaint inherited paint;

procedure TNozzle.Paint;
begin
inherited paint; {Let TShape paint do its thing}
if assigned(FOnPaint) then FonPaint(self); {call our paint event}
end;

The new class could be installed as a new component based on the above four steps. I prefer to reintroduce the Create constructor to pass additional initial property values and to use the existing graphic control as a "prototype" to source the new pertinent properties such as owner, parent, left, top, height, width, shape, color, etc. for the new control. This allows us to use Delphi's IDE to visually define the the characteristics we want. The prototype control may be freed after transferring its properties to the new control;

constructor create(NewNozzleId:integer; s:TShape); reintroduce;

6. Define your own OnPaint TNotifyEvent and assign it to OnPaint as new control is initialized.

procedure TForm1.NozzlePaint(Sender: TObject);
begin
With TNozzle(sender), canvas do
begin
{Draw NozzleId in center of the nozzle}
textout(width div 2 -4, height div 2 -4,nozzleId);
end
end;

A similar technique could be used to customize the appearance of TLabel or TBevel controls, both TGraphic descendents without an OnPaint event..

March 6, 2017: A Delphi programmer recently sent me his attempt to move the TNozzle class to a separate unit and found that the his drawing attempts were displayed in the wrong place. The solution was to draw on the canvas of the TNozzle Parent property. This happened by default when the class existed in the same unit as the parent. ShapePaint Version 2.0 of demonstrates how to do this. I also added a "ShowId" Boolean property to TNozzle which can eliminate the need for the previous user OnPaint exit. It is initialized to True by default. I left the user exit (Step 6 above) in place and modified it to only draw the nozzle Id when ShowId is false.

Running/Exploring the Program

	Download source
	Download executable

Original Date: August 21,2006

Modified: May 15, 2018

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