I have been thinking about a new object to be inserted onto a form.  I have not seen this in any other database program.  I think it would be high value to us and a unique marketing feature for the program.

What is this new object?  A Table of elements.  Allows easy spacing/positioning of many elements

1.  Make an element with desired default properties including a "core" name.
2.  Select Insert Table
3.  Enter number of Rows
4.  Enter number of Columns
5.  Enter space between Rows
6.  Enter space between Columns
7.  Table is drawn on screen using the element definition above
8.  Operator positions Table where desired.
9.  All elements are of default values as defined in step1.
10. Check box to make all Table elements the same type and properties or change.
11. Operator steps thru each Table Element changing names/properties as desired.
12. Some default names could be provided based on the "core" name

This may sound like a lot of steps, but it will save a lot of time for positioning elements.  I know we have the Align Top/Bottom and Align/Left/Right tools,but this can be time consuming and awkward with many elements in close proximity.

Just a thought, I am sure it could be done differently, but just looking for an easy way to group a range of elements and alignmore easily.  Maybe that is the too instead.....rubberband some elements and select Table Alignment.  They would already need to be set up left to right and top to bottom, but spacing could be crude because the Table Alignment tool would  fix it.

Probably too much for 1.1.5, but maybe slip it into 2.0?
Thanks for listening.

Aha, that's the secret!  I have my grid set to the default of Invisible.
I'll bet when I figure out how to make it Visible that will make it easier. 

Grid snapping sounds good, but a Table of Elements would still be a useful feature. 

And I still think it would be a unique database design object.  Nothing like it anywhere.  It may be tough to do, but that's why Sesame is there, to make the tough become tender.

I want to avoid politics, but with all the recent discussion of "What is torture?", I need to suggest that waiting for 2.0 should definitely qualify as cruel treatment and torture...
OUCH, OOOH, AARGH...STOP IT! STOP!......OUCH!   

charliebrown wrote on Nov 27^th, 2006 at 9:52pm:


You turn that on with the "-poptart" startup switch.