jsRichEdit Overview

Introducing the jsRichEdit custom class for use with dBASE.

jsRichEdit is a custom class which is written almost entirely in dBL code and based on the PaintBox standard dBL class. The dBL code in the jsRichEdit class surfaces the highly stable, widely used, and well-known richedit common controls window class v2.0/3.0 functionality.

If you've used any of the popular word-processing programs over the past 4-5 years, then you already know what richedit v2.0/3.0 functionality is all about. The same basic richedit technology is used in all sorts of applications from simple chat applications and plaintext edit boxes to full-blown word processing applications. Now, as amazing as it may seem, almost all of that functionality can be easily integrated directly into ANY dBL application with jsRichEdit and you have full control of the functionality which the users have access to. And your clients will already know and recognize richedit behavior, so client training and support is also reduced.

The image above shows the jsRichEdit editor custom class on a standard dBASE form with standard dBASE controls and dBL source code used to control almost all aspects of editing. In fact, this is one of the sample forms included with the jsRichEdit package.

jsRichEdit can be used for many purposes:

jsRichEdit is a very stable richtext editor. In fact, this document itself was created using jsRichEdit. Almost all of the standard richedit v2.0/3.0 functionality is now available to you through dBL code.
jsRichEdit is a very stable plaintext editor. You can use it as a replacement for the stock Editor class in dBL applications. But instead of the limited properties and methods of the stock Editor class, you will have the extended functionality of jsRichEdit available to you through dBL code.
jsRichEdit also supports a password display character. A simple single method call sets the passwordChar property to the display character of choice, and all text typed by the user is displayed using the specified password display character. So jsRichEdit can be used as a simple password-type of entryfield.
jsRichEdit also supports uppercase/lowercase translation. All text can be converted to uppercase or lowercase as the user enters data.
In plain text mode, jsRichEdit can be an excellent general purpose and programmer's editor. Write your own source code editor in dBL code with the features and functionality you want.
jsRichEdit provides a rich set of features, not only for user-entry of highly formatted text, but also for dBL source-level control, text manipulation and formatting, and querying. It easily provides counts for bytes, characters, words, lines, etc. You can leverage the power, functionality, and ease of jsRichEdit as a tool to help open the door to more sophisticated document generation, storage, and management applications. Or add this new functionality to existing applications.
jsRichEdit is not an ActiveX component, so there are no complicated and time-consuming application deployment, ActiveX system registration, or ActiveX licensing issues to contend with. Simply deploy the jsRichEdit dBL compiled object files the same as you deploy the rest of the object files for your application, either in the application EXE or using DEO. And deploy the small jsUtils.dll file as you would any other dll required by your application. The best place for the dll is in the same folder path where the application EXE is located. Now jsRichEdit is ready to work for you. It really is that simple.

For those of you who don't believe it, YES dBASE can do some rather amazing things. And now with jsRichEdit, dBASE becomes even more powerful.

What can the jsRichEdit custom class really do?

Bulleting and Numbering

This is a bulleted item.
This is another bulleted item.
Bulleting and numbering are fully controllable in dBL code.
Even the spacing between individual bullets or numbers and the text can be controlled.
Any and all jsRichEdit functionality can also be surfaced to the user through dBL stock UI classes.

Numbered lists.

This is a counted list.
Counted lists can start at any number desired.
The starting number can be set from dBL code.

Alphabetized lists.
Roman numeral lists.

Paragraph Alignment
jsRichEdit surfaces almost all standard richedit v2.0/3.0 functionality including justification.
Text can be left-justified.
Or as you've probably already noticed from above, text can be centered.

And right-justification is also supported just as easily.

And to even up both left and right ends of text lines, text justification between the left and right display borders is also supported.

Font Play

This is the Arial 10pt font which is the dBASE default. Personally I think believe it should have been defaulted to 9.

This is the Courier 10pt font. As you'll see, all fonts and effects work well.

Wanna make an Impact ? This is the Impact 10pt font. It really stands out in the crowd.

This is the MS Sans Serif 10pt font. This is our default friend from the old Visual dBASE 5.x days.

This is the System 10pt font. What can I say about this one...not much.

This is the Times New Roman 10pt font. Great for that old type-setter's look.

Now we're back to the Arial 10pt font to play with fontsize.

Yes Virginia, we can do almost anything we want to do with fonts now. And save the document to a regular dBASE table memo field or any other character-based memo-type field. The jsRichEdit custom class even provides the hooks for dataLinking to the data table field for you.

Oops! Now how did those dotted underlines get into those lines above?
That is simply functionality that is built into the richedit window class that is surfaced by the jsRichEdit class. Note however that other word processors and richtext editors that support richtext may not support dotted underlines in text. In many cases, dotted underlines will be displayed as solid underlines instead of dotted underlines. Dotted underlining is only one example of functionality that is built-in to the richedit window class and surfaced by jsRichEdit that is rarely if ever seen in other software. This allows you to implement unique and exclusive features in dBL applications for you and your clients.

Oh! And did I mention Color too?

But WAIT... there's even more yet.

What we've covered so far is the easy stuff.

What about some more advanced and complex stuff?

Control vertical spacing before and after paragraphs.
Control vertical line spacing within paragraphs.
Selectable single or multi-level undo/redo.
Full clipboard copy/cut/paste support of selected text or entire contents in plaintext or richtext under UI and/or dBL control.
Insert files directly at the current position within the editor.
Save the currently selected text or the entire contents to a file in plaintext or richtext.
Count bytes, characters, words, lines, or paragraphs in documents for statistical purposes.
Dual-mode plaintext/richtext functionality.
Built-in switchable wordwrap.
Advanced search capabilities.
Find Text
Replace Text
Go to Line
Set/reset fixed and custom tabstops.
Also very good for static display and printing of columnar data.
Printing of all or selected contents in the jsRichEdit control.
The jsRichEdit package includes transparent dll-resident bitmaps for use on dBL PushButtons and ToolButtons within your applicaitons.
Integrated right-click dBL popup edit menu which can also be turned off if required.
dBL dialogs fully integrated with the jsRichEdit class for advanced Find, Replace, GoTo, and setting/resetting custom tabstops.
Demo forms to use as a resource for implementing jsRichEdit functionality in dBL applications.
Full-featured dBL word processing form and companion menu file which uses the jsRichEdit class that you can include in your own dBL applications as-is or you can customize it to your specific needs. This is the same form that this document was created in. And this form also serves as another dBL sample for you to examine to learn how to take advantage of all of the jsRichEdit class functionality.
Use jsRichEdit to replace the stock Editor class in dBASE for plaintext work.
Use jsRichEdit in all kinds of document generation and processing applications for richtext work.
All jsRichEdit functionality is directly accessable and customizeable from dBL code.