The LAYOUT command specifies how many columns property controls are laid out into in a dialog, and how the titles (or labels) of the control is positioned (to the left of the control or over it), and so on.
Using the LAYOUT command is optional. If you do not use it, System Architect uses the default layout scheme: it puts all controls in one column, with the name (or label) of each control to the left of the control (the ALIGN command).
You can specify a LAYOUT command in a CHAPTER (which corresponds to a tab in the ensuing dialog) and a GROUP of a diagram, symbol, or definition specification. The LAYOUT command has the following effects in a CHAPTER and GROUP:
•Within a Chapter: You can specify a unique LAYOUT command for each Chapter of a Diagram, Symbol, or Definition specification. All property controls, including entire groups, are laid out according to the LAYOUT command of the Chapter. If you specify more than one LAYOUT command in a Chapter, all LAYOUT commands in that Chapter are ignored and the default layout is used instead.
•Within a GROUP: You can specify a LAYOUT command in a Group, so that properties in the Group are laid out according to the group's LAYOUT specification.If you specify more than one LAYOUT command in a Group, all LAYOUT commands in that Group are ignored and the default layout is used instead.
Example of using LAYOUT commands
DIAGRAM (or SYMBOL or DEFINITION)
CHAPTER 1
LAYOUT 1
PROPERTY - laid out (in chapter) according to LAYOUT 1 PROPERTY - laid out (in chapter) according to LAYOUT 1 GROUP - laid out (in chapter) according to LAYOUT 1
LAYOUT 2
PROPERTY - laid out (in group) according to LAYOUT 2
PROPERTY - laid out (in group) according to LAYOUT 2
GROUP - laid out (in chapter) according to LAYOUT 1
LAYOUT 3
PROPERTY - laid out (in group) according to LAYOUT 3
PROPERTY - laid out (in group) according to LAYOUT 3
CHAPTER 2
LAYOUT 4
PROPERTY - laid out (in chapter) according to LAYOUT 4
CHAPTER 3
LAYOUT 5
PROPERTY - laid out by default scheme because of 2 LAYOUT commands (5 and 6) in this Chapter
LAYOUT 6
Layout of the “Introduction” tab
The first Chapter of a diagram, symbol, or definition dialog, which includes the Description property, is always laid out by the default layout scheme, which is a one-column layout and the “Description” label is to the left of the text box.
Default layout behavior
If a property control is too wide to fit in the specified column structure of a LAYOUT command, that control is laid out by one column so that it fits in the dialog or Group; the other controls that are of sufficient width to be laid out according to the LAYOUT command are laid out accordingly.
For example, if you have specified a 4-column layout for a Group that itself is itself in a Chapter (tab) that has a two-column layout specified, and one of the properties in the group is too wide to fit in the space available but the others are small enough to fit in a 4-column layout, the property that is too wide is laid out by itself, and the other properties are laid out to conform to the 4-column layout in the Group.