How To Create a Vertical Caption in Label Control (128973)

MORE INFORMATION

The text displayed in a label is presented horizontally by default, and the label control does not expose a vertical property that would allow you to vertically align a label. However, typing a CHR(13) in the caption of a label inserts a carriage return and the string is displayed vertically. For example, the following property assignment displays the word 'Test' vertically.

   label.Caption="T"+chr(13)+"e"+chr(13)+"s"+chr(13)+"t"
				

The following sample program displays a modal form that prompts the user to enter a caption. The text entered is then used in another form to display a vertical label. The same technique could be used to create a visual class that would implement a VERTICAL property. To run this example, copy and paste the code to a program (.PRG) file.

Sample Code

*:*************************************************************************
*: Code to instantiate the forms
*:*************************************************************************
*: VERTICAL
   cText=""
   oTxtLabel=CREATEOBJECT('formlabel')
   oTxtLabel.Show
   oMyform=CREATE('myform')
   oMyform.Show
   READ EVENTS

*:*************************************************************************
*: Class: FORMLABEL  BaseClass: FORM
*: Modal form to input the label caption
*:*************************************************************************
   DEFINE Class FORMLABEL AS Form
     WindowType=1
     Width=125
     AutoCenter=.T.
     ADD OBJECT lblCaption AS Label WITH ;
       Caption="Enter your caption", AutoSize=.T., BackStyle=0
     ADD OBJECT CMDQUIT AS CommandButton WITH Caption="Quit", Top =80
     ADD OBJECT txtLabelCaption AS TextBox WITH ;
       ControlSource='cText',Top=34,Left=3
     PROCEDURE CMDQUIT.Click
       RELEASE Thisform
     ENDPROC
   ENDDEFINE

*:*************************************************************************
*: Class: MYFORM
*: Form that displays the label. It contains the vertical label and a QUIT
*: command button.
*:*************************************************************************
   DEFINE Class MYFORM AS Form
     ADD OBJECT lblvertical AS VERTLABEL WITH Left=Thisform.Width/2
     Top=5
     Left=5
     Caption="See your Label"
     ADD OBJECT CMDQUIT AS CommandButton WITH Caption="Quit", Top =10, ;
        Height=20
     PROCEDURE CMDQUIT.Click
       RELEASE Thisform
       CLEAR EVENTS
     ENDPROC
   ENDDEFINE

*:*************************************************************************
*: Class: VERTLABEL  BaseClass: LABEL
*: Creates the vertical caption. Takes the caption as a parameter, and
*: processes the string to add a CHR(13) between each character.
*: Also adjusts the height of the label. The code in the Rotate method can
*: be modified to use in a visual class definition.
*:*************************************************************************
   DEFINE Class VERTLABEL AS Label
     BackStyle=0
     Alignment=2
     Width=FONTMETRIC(7)  &&Adjusts the Width of the Label to 1 character
     BackColor=rgb(255,0,0)
     PROCEDURE Init
       This.Caption=This.Rotate(CTEXT) &&Text entered in the previous form

     PROCEDURE Rotate
        PARAMETERS tCaption
        nNewheight=0    && Holds the new height
        cNewcaption=""  && Holds the new caption
        DO CASE
          CASE TYPE('tCaption')= "C"
            FOR I=1 TO LEN(tCaption)
              nNewheight=nNewheight+FONTMETRIC(1)
              cNewCaption=cNewCaption+SUBSTR(tCaption,I,1)+CHR(13)
            ENDFOR
               This.Height=nNewheight
               RETURN cNewcaption
            OTHERWISE
               =MESSAGEBOX('Caption of the label must be a character')
         ENDCASE
   ENDPROC
ENDDEFINE