I'm a new owner just getting into design and programming and am having a heck of a time tying buttons to frames (like device icons on the left margin as in many system CCFs). I've read the FAQ and think I am doing the process correctly, but the buttons will not stick to the frame.

Even some of the posted CCFs seem to have this problem. For example, in Marcs_gallery, the "2 Tab 1a" and 1b work fine. You can drag the frame from the gallery and the buttons attached. However, the "@ TAB 2 A" and 2B don't, when you drag the frame, the buttons disappear.

Is there a trick to making this work?

put a delay or something on your vannishing tabs , also make sure you save it befor downloading it.
Kevin

also make sure your frames are behind your buttons .
move frame to back , move button to front.

One more thing that is sometimes easy to screw up: when you "click" somewhere on a panel, you may or may not become what I call "current" on something. When you click on an open panel, or double click on one in the tree, the possibilities are...

...you are current on a button, or
...you are current on a frame, or
...you are not current on anything in the panel (this is the default when you double click from the tree).

"Where" you click in the open panel will determine your "currency." You can tell what you are currently "current" on (in PE2.0 anyway) by looking in the lower right corner of PE, where it will indicate either BUTTON, or FRAME, or nothing. And if you are current on something the entire "something" is framed with a highlighting line, even if it is behind something else. Click around on an open panel and note how that indicator changes.

It is important to know where you are before attempting to add a new button, because...

1) you must be "current" on a frame in order to add a new button to that frame,
2) you cannot "drag" a button which is a "Child" of a frame outside that frame,
3) you cannot drag a button which is outside your current frame into that frame,
4) the best way to add a new button to a frame is to add it from scratch (or to COPY it (ctrl-C) from somewhere else, then become current on the frame, then paste it (ctrl-V) into the frame).

I hope that makes sense. It'll make more sense as you play around in PE a little. Experts feel free to correct or clarify!

This message was edited by Doug on 08/06/01 17:55.43.

FYI - If you have trouble clicking and selecting a frame (or button) in a panel, just hit Esc on your keyboard. This will unselect whatever was selected (like a frame that is as wide and tall as the entire panel area) and allow you to select your frame. Once your frame is selected, it should be easy to add buttons to it.....Just be sure your frame is selected as you add buttons to it. If you think you have selected a frame, but there are no horizontal and vertical lines surrounding your frame, then you have NOT selected it. Just hit Esc and try selecting it again.

Doug, the terminology you are looking for is "selected".

i.e. you must have a frame selected in order to add a new button to that frame

Thanks, Peter. That would have been a better way to put it!