Ui

Table of Contents MRI's UI Window Controls Menu File New Output Rename Diff Tools Sort A-z Abbreviated Show Labels Code Configuration... Targets Desktop ServiceManager Services Structs Configuration Frames Mode Macros Window Help MRI Help What's This?

MRI's UI

MRI's User Interface (UI) window has a number of controls.

Window Controls

(Organized from top to bottom, & left to right)

MRI main window

You can open multiple, resizeable and repositionable, MRI windows. Use Menu - Tools - Configuration to change the initial position and size.

Menu bar

(See below.)

Object Type text box

This indicates the type of the target object. (This value is taken from com.sun.star.reflection.CoreReflection service.)

IDL Ref. button

Get context sensitive line item information for the selected Property, Method, Interface or Service. Opens the IDL (Interface Definition Language) Reference manual web page. The Default shortcut key is ^R (Ctrl-R) and you will probably use this a lot as you are learning UNO. First select a line by clicking once on it to position the cursor on that line, then hit ^R to get your browser to display the selected manual page. Note that the web page returned is for the line item itself, not the line's item's contents. For example, first try getting the manual page for a simple type property, like a long or an integer. If the line item is a Pseud Property, the manual reference will be for the underlying set or get method used to simulate this Property. If a Property or Method begins a dot ("."), MRI assumes the prefix is "com.sun.star". (See Menu - Tools - Configuration to adjust where the root web page for the document tree is located.)

History listbox and button

The History List is updated when you call a property and when a method returns an object. You can also manually change the target within the history list using the history listbox (pull down selector). If you click the "-" button you get the history tree window.

History Go Back button

Undo one history step, i.e. go backward in time.

History Go Forward button

Redo one history step, i.e. go forward in time (assuming you stepped back before this).

"index" button

This button provides a shortcut to call the getByIndex method, but only if the current target supports the com.sun.star.container.XIndexAccess interface.

"name" button

This button provides a shortcut to call the getByName method, but only if the current target supports the com.sun.star.container.XNameAccess interface.

Information Category Selector: Properties | Methods | Interfaces | Services

Select the desired information category. (Note: if Tools - Configuration - Use Tab is checked, use a Tab above the main line items to select a category, otherwise use the selection box to the upper left.)

Line-item Information of the Target (Name, value/type, etc.)

This is the main body of the MRI window. When you double click an object property MRI selects that object as it's new target. When you double click a non-object property you can view and possibly set it's value (See Menu - Mode). If you double click a method you will be asked for any input parameters, and the method is executed with the, and then it's return value is displayed. Font type and size can be changed with Menu - Tools - Configuration. Also see Shortcut Keys section below.

Code-Edit sub-Window

This sub-window is closed by default. Context dependent sample code in the language of your choice can be generated in this sub-window. See Code-Edit window splitter below, and Menu - Tools - Code.

Information label

MRI shows information here. ??Where is this, and what is this

Target Implementation

The target's implementation is located in a box at the bottom of this window.

Search text box and "S" Start search button

Allows searching the currently selected information panel. In the lower right corner of the MRI window enter your search text in the box and then click the "S" button to begin your search. Searching begins at the current cursor position in the information panel.

Code-Edit (Code Generator/Editor) window splitter

Note, this sub-window is closed by default. To show or hide the code-edit sub-window either:

• double-right-click in the lower right corner of the MRI window in the small square box,
• hit Ctrl-H when the cursor is on any Properties, Methods, Interfaces or Services line item, or
• starting at the bottom of the MRI window you can move up a little, then use the mouse to drag the window up and open.

Menu

File

New

Creates a new document and its model object is opened as a target for MRI.

Output

Writes the current target's information out into a Calc (spreadsheet) or HTML document.

Rename

Edits this MRI window's title bar.

Diff

(This appears to have been moved to Menu - Macros). Compares property values from two objects.

Tools

The state of these options are saved. (See Configuration.)

Sort A-z

When Sort A-z is checked, line items are sorted by A-Z, a-z order.

Abbreviated

When Abbreviated is checked, "com.sun.star." is replaced with "." (dot). For example, "com.sun.star.lang.XComponent" is shown as ".lang.XComponent".

Show Labels

When Show Labels is checked, column titles are displayed for line items.

Code

Code generation options. See Code for details.

Configuration...

Opens the Configuration dialog (see Configuration) to set

• The URL pointing to the appropriate IDL (Interface Description Language) Reference manual (used by the IDL Ref. button)
• Your preferred local browser's name and/or path
• Your preferred displayed font name and size
• The initial position and size of your MRI windows
• Whether the state of "Tools" options should be saved (persistence)
• Grid layout mode, to use a grid layout rather than text styled columns
• Tab enabled mode, to use tab styled selectors for Properites, Methods, Interfaces, and Services (or if disabled a selection box)
• Shortcut keys
• Macros directory path

Targets

Shortcuts to quickly open services to: Desktop & ServiceManager, and any user specified new Service, Structure, and/or Configuration, and frames attached to the Desktop.

Desktop

Create a new instance of the com.sun.star.frame.Desktop service, and set it as the current MRI target.

ServiceManager

Set the com.sun.star.lang.XMultiComponentFactory interface as the current target.

Services

Input a service name to instantiate as a target (starting with com.sun.star.).

Structs

Input a structure name instantiate as a target (starting with com.sun.star.).

Configuration

Input a hierarchical name of a configuration node, e.g. /org.openoffice.

Frames

These entries are updated automatically when you select the Targets menu.

When you select a frame from these menu entries, if it exists MRI sets it as a target.

If you select a name from this list, MRI gets the frame object from the Desktop.

General application frames are listed, (using the append method of the com.sun.star.frame.XFrames interface, accessed through the getFrames method of the com.sun.star.frame.XFramesSupplier interface, and supported by the com.sun.star.frame.Desktop service.)

A child's frame is accessed through its parent's frame container. MRI can access frames attached to the Desktop frames container, but it can't access frames not appended to it.

After you select a frame object, the target is com.sun.star.frame.XFrame interface.

If you want to see its model object, choose Controller property and next Model property of its controller (or use getController method and getModel method).

Mode

Sets mode for properties. In "Get" mode, property values are returned from the target and displayed normally. In "Set" mode you can set any boolean, numerical, or string property values.

Macros

Browse and run installed MRI macros.

Window

A Window selector. (Similar to the Window selector in OpenOffice.org document windows.)

Help

MRI Help

Open this help file. Tip: install "LibreOffice Help for Offline Use".

What's This?

Show an extended tool tip by pointing at a location (a control) in the MRI window.