Alignment Toolbar (Design Mode)

This toolbar is available only in Design Mode. It includes options for aligning form components, both with respect to other components and to the form itself.

This table describes the alignment toolbar options:

Option Description or Comments
Snap to grid Adjusts the size of the current component to the nearest grid dimensions that match the grid size settings.

The grid size settings are made on the Design Time tab of the User Preferences window.

For more information, see Design Time Settings.

Align left Aligns all selected components so that their left edges line up.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components line up with whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should line up with, after selecting all components to be aligned (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to line up with. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align center Aligns all selected components so that their horizontal centers line up.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components line up with whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should line up with, after selecting all components to be aligned (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to line up with. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align right Aligns all selected components so that their right edges line up.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components line up with whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should line up with, after selecting all components to be aligned (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to line up with. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align top Aligns all selected components so that their top edges line up.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components line up with whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should line up with, after selecting all components to be aligned (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to line up with. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align middle Aligns all selected components so that their vertical middles line up.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components line up with whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should line up with, after selecting all components to be aligned (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to line up with. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align bottom Aligns all selected components so that their bottom edges line up.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components line up with whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should line up with, after selecting all components to be aligned (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to line up with. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align width Resizes all selected components so that they are the same width.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components resize to whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should resize to, after selecting all components to be resized (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to resize to. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Align height Resizes all selected components so that they are the same height.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components resize to whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should resize to, after selecting all components to be resized (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to resize to. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Same size Resizes all selected components so that they are the same size.

This option is available only when multiple components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Components resize to whichever component has solid black squares for handles. To select the component which the other components should resize to, after selecting all components to be resized (by Ctrl-clicking them), click the one you want the others to resize to. The handles of this component should be solid black, and all others should be black-outlined handles.

Space horizontally Moves selected components so that they are evenly spaced within the horizontal boundaries. This option uses the left edge of the left-most component and the right edge of the right-most component as the horizontal boundaries. It moves only the inner components, leaving the outer two components where they are.

This option works only when three or more components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Space vertically Moves selected components so that they are evenly spaced within the vertical boundaries. This option uses the top edge of the top-most component and the bottom edge of the bottom-most component as the vertical boundaries. It moves only the inner components, leaving the outer two components where they are.

This option works only when three or more components are selected. To select multiple components, Ctrl-click the components you want to align.

Arrange vertically Arranges all selected components, stacking them vertically.
Arrange horizontally Arranges all selected components horizontally.
Bring to front Brings the selected components to the front, effectively placing them on top of other, overlapping components. This ensures that the selected components can be seen.
Send to back Sends the selected components to the back, effectively placing them underneath other, overlapping components. This means that all or part of the selected components might be hidden.
Tab order Allows you to set the tab order for the components on the form.

This option resets all components selected, starting with order number 0.

Tab order at Allows you to set the tab order for components from a selected component on.

This option resets only the components starting with the first one you select. The order of all components to that point does not change.

Undo Undoes the previous design action.

To undo multiple actions, click this button repeatedly.

Redo Repeats a design action that has been undone.

To redo multiple actions, click this button repeatedly.