Text Controls (G Dataflow)

Which Text Control Should I Use?

Use	Control
Enter string data.	String Control
Display string data.	String Indicator
Enter the location of a file or directory.	Path Control
Display the location of a file or directory.	Path Indicator
Create free floating text that you can use as a label or annotation.	Text
Enter or display a URL hyperlink.	Hyperlink Control
Enter string data in masked display.	Masked Input Control Note   This control only masks the text visually. When you read the string data from the diagram, you read the actual data the user entered. Any mechanism that can examine the memory of the program can also read the actual data.

When Does My Entered Text Pass to the Diagram?

By default, new or changed text does not pass to the diagram until you terminate the edit session by clicking elsewhere on the panel or by pressing Ctrl-Enter.

You can change the behavior of the Enter key for a String control by clicking the control on the panel and selecting a new Enter key behavior in the Item tab.

Option	Behavior
Commits text	Pressing Enter terminates the edit session. You can also terminate the edit session by clicking elsewhere on the panel. Carriage returns are not allowed.
Enters new line (default)	Pressing Enter inserts a carriage return. You can terminate the edit session by clicking elsewhere on the panel or pressing Ctrl-Enter.

Should I Use an Absolute or Relative Path?

If possible, use a relative path. A relative path describes the location of a file or directory relative to an arbitrary location in the file system. By using a relative path, you avoid having to rework the paths if you build an application or run the code on a different computer.