1.16.2.1.12 Latching button element

The Latching Button display element works much like the Parameter Button element described in the previous chapter, but specialized to show and control an enumeration parameter which knows exactly two states (e.g. on/off or true/false).

When the operator changes the state of the button by clicking it once, the latching button sends the 'other' parameter value to the device. On the other hand, if some other instance in the system changes the parameter state, the latching button recognizes this and changes the up/down state of the button accordingly.

Like the parameter button, the latching button may be labeled with text or an image. To reflect the actual state, the latching button always is configured with two text string or two image names which are shown according to the actual parameter value.

The attributes listed below may be configured to customize a display element of this type:

• Message ID: The message ID addresses the parameter the element shall display or edit. The message ID consists of the MNC name, device name followed by a colon and the name of the parameter.ANT.11.XMIT-1.tx.on for example addresses the variable tx.on at a device named XMIT-1 at MNC.

• Label up: This label text is drawn on the button in "up" state.

• Label down: This label text is drawn on the button in "down" state..

• Value up: The value to be sent when the button is clicked an changes to "up" state.

• Value down: The value to be sent when the button is clicked an changes to "down" state.

• Privilege level: The privilege level necessary to change this parameter. The predefined screens of the software use 100. In your own screens you may set certain parameters to higher privilege levels, limiting the group of operators permitted to change the parameter.

• Use icon instead of label: Check this checkbox in order to make the button show an icon instead of a label text.

  • Icon up: The name of the icon to be shown in "up" state of the button. The field provides a list of all available icons / images on the sat-nms server.
  • Icon down: he name of the icon to be shown in "down" state of the button. The field provides a list of all available icons / images on the sat-nms server.

• Font: Font contains two options:

  • Font: The font attribute applies to the text shown in the parameter field itself. The label text is shown with the standard ("plain") font size for all font selections except the smallest one. In the latter case the label is drawn using this small font size, too.
  • Color: The color attribute of a parameter element sets the color of the label shown above the entry field. The text in the parameter field itself always is shown in the default text color of the selected look & feel. Colors may be specified by using a hexadecimal RGB notation. You may click to the color example field in order to open a color chooser dialog and select the color from there.

• Conditionally enable widget: Parameter fields may be locked to read only state unless another parameter matches a given value. For instance, changing the position of a wave guide switch may be inhibited while the carrier is switched on. Check this to activate this feature.

  • Enable ID: This field defines the ID for the enabling parameter.
  • Enable value: The value belonging to the parameter above. The actual value of the parameter

• Query before applying changes: Check this mark to make the element show a query before a parameter gets actually commanded.

  • Query text: The query text to be shown in the pop-up window. You may leave this field empty, the program uses a standard query text in this case.In the question text, placeholders may used for two values: Any occurrences of the pattern $P get replaced by the parameter name (message ID). Any occurrences of the pattern $V get replaced by the new value to set.

• Color: Checking this mark enables the variable background color feature for this screen element. Depending on the actual value of the variable addressed by color id, the element's background is set using the translation table. If the actual value of the color id variable does not match any of the table entries or if no color id is specified, the first color in the list is used to draw the element's background.The buttons Add/Set/Delete along with the value and color fields are used to edit the color translation table.

  • Color ID: The message ID of the parameter which controls the background color of this element.
  • Color: The color specification of the actually selected table entry. Clicking to this opens a color chooser dialog which lets you select/compose the the color to your needs.
  • Value: The parameter value of the actually selected table entry.
  • Bold: Draws the text bold if the parameter value matches.
  • Add: To add a new value / color pair to the list, fill the value and color fields.
  • Set: To change the color assigned to a given parameter value, first select the table entry of interest, change the color value.
  • Delete: To delete a value / color pair from the list, first select the table entry then click delete.