Main window of the system

Main window of ObjectLand is created when the system is started and closed only after working session is finished. The window serves for navigation by GDB components, that is, browsing GDB structure, selecting one or several structure components and performing operations with GDB and their components. Besides, the window permits working with shared style library and their components.

The view and purpose of the main window are in many aspects similar to the window of the well-known program “Windows Explorer” but works only within ObjectLand.

ObjectLand allows opening and when necessary closing an arbitrary number of additional navigation windows. It gives a possibility to examine several components of the system simultaneously.

The main window differs from other navigation windows in contents of GDB menu. In the main window GDB menu commands permit selecting one of available GDBs for work (or creating a new GDB), performing some operations with GDB as a whole and also working with a list of GDB users. In other navigation windows GDB menu contains only printing commands.

In other aspects any additional navigation window provides the user with the same possibilities as the main window.

Window title

The title contains a name and number of version of the system and also a name of current GDB (if any), name of the current user (if there is a list of GDB users) and a short name of GDB open mode (if there is the current GDB).

Hierarchical pane

The pane is located in the left part of the window. It contains a tree of structure of the current GDB and also a structure tree of shared style library.

List pane

This pane is located in the right part of the window. It displays a list of elements of structure of component selected in the hierarchical pane. Contents and structure of data in the list pane depends on the component chosen in the tree. It is possible to choose one or several elements in the list pane, for multiple selection the keys Shift and Ctrl are used.

In every moment either the hierarchical pane or the list pane is active in the main window. One of components in the hierarchical pane is always selected. If the hierarchical pane is active, selected component is highlighted by blue color, if the list pane is active, the component selected in the hierarchical pane is highlighted by gray color. One, several or no components can be selected in the list pane. Elements selected in the list pane are highlighted by blue color only if this pane is active.

Lines in the list pane are sorted by values of one of the columns of the list. To display the columns themselves it is necessary to perform the menu command View+Details. The current sorting order is shown in the column caption by the character “+”, “–“ or in some cases by “=” (ascending, descending or a different order), and in the status bar it is explained by words. Changing the sorting order is performed using one or several mouse clicks on the caption of the corresponding column.

Menu bar

The menu bar is located in the upper part of the window and contains basic groups of operations which can be performed in the main window. Contents of menu commands and meaning of the operations corresponding to them depend on the type of component selected in the active pane.

Toolbar

The toolbar contains graphic buttons causing execution of most frequently used commands. In the left part of the toolbar there is a drop-down list of component types used for speeding up navigation.

Status bar

It is located in the lower part of the window. It contains total number of elements in the list pane, number of selected elements and also sorting order used in the list pane.

All window elements except for menu bar and list pane can be hidden using commands of the menu View.

Menu GDB

Open	Permits selecting GDB and making it the current one.
Close	Stops work with the current GDB.
Merge	Allows merging all or a part of components of two different GDBs.
Properties	Permits viewing information about sizes of files of the current GDB, permissions of the current user to GDB, the mode in which the GDB is opened, usage of page cache in the main memory.
Create	Allows creating a new GDB.
Rename	Permits specifying a new name for GDB.
Reorganize	Performs the operation of GDB reorganization.
Update	Transforms GDB in the format of current ObjectLand version.
Check Integrity	Executes check of GDB or shared library integrity.
Repair	Permits the user to make an attempt to restore GDB or shared library integrity of which was broken.
Consolidate	Transfers all recorded changes from the change file to the main GDB files.
User	Serves for changing the current GDB user.
Print structure	Performs printing structure of GDB component selected in the hierarchical pane (when the hierarchical pane is active).
Print	Performs printing contents of GDB components selected in the list pane (when the list pane is active).
Settings	Allows specifying different parameters of system settings.
History list	Serves for opening one of the GDBs which was recently opened and names of which are saved in the list.
Exit	Stops working session with ObjectLand.

Menu View

Hierarchy Toolbar Status Bar	Serve for turning on/turning off display of the hierarchical pane, toolbar and status bar accordingly.
Large Buttons	Permit switching between larger and smaller display of buttons in toolbars.
Large Icons, Small Icons, List, Details	Allow selecting one of the four variants of data representation in the list pane.
Gridlines	Serves for turning on/turning off display of thin lines dividing rows and columns in detailed representation of the list pane.
Setting Columns	Serves for selecting displayed columns in detailed representation of the list pane and specifying column width in printing.
Adjust Columns	Serves for automatic adjusting width of columns in accordance with the current width of the list pane.
Update	Causes update of window contents taking into account changes of GDB and shared library which were made by other users in shared access mode.

Menu Window

New Window	Permits opening a new navigation window which initially contains the same data as the list pane of the current navigation window.
Menu items with window titles	Allow activating any of eleven opened windows of ObjectLand.
Others	Permits activating opened windows of ObjectLand if their total number is more than eleven.

Menu Help

Toolbar

	Passing one level up the hierarchical tree
	Command GDB+Open (only for the main window)
	Command Edit+Open for selected component
	Commands GDB+Print structure, GDB+Print
	Command Edit+Properties for selected component
	Command Window+New Window

Help Topics	Opens the window “GIS ObjectLand help” containing reference information about ObjectLand.
About ObjectLand	Opens a dialog box with brief information about the program and its developers (only for the main window).