Theme browser window contains display of some theme built on the basis of the selected GDB component (or several components). In the title bar of the browser window the name of the browsed theme is indicated. Two different situations are possible here:
If the menu command Open was performed for a cataloged theme, the name of this theme should be indicated in the window title (the browsed theme coincides with the cataloged theme).
In all other cases the system builds the browsed theme on the basis of selected GDB component. If a map is selected, the browsed theme contains all the features of this map from all its layers and feature types. If a map or theme component is selected (layer or feature type), only the features belonging to this component will be displayed. In the title bar of the browser window <No name> and the name of the corresponding upper level component will be indicated (the name of a map, a theme or a GDB layer).
At figure 12-1 a browser window opened for cataloged theme “City Center” is shown and the main parts of such a window are displayed.
Figure 12-1. Map browser window
Title bar contains either the name of the browsed cataloged theme or indication <No name> and the name of the browsed upper level component.
Displaying pane occupies the main part of the window. Features located in the current displaying fragment are displayed in it.
Other window parts enable the user to perform different operations changing the features themselves or the method of their display, and also to receive different information about features.
Menu bar of the map browser window includes a set of commands for working with features and their display.
Map browser window contains two different toolbars which vary by their purpose and method of usage. They are called standard toolbar and the mode toolbar.
Standard toolbar contains graphic buttons calling the execution of most widely used commands.
Mode toolbar differs from the standard toolbar in the following thing: pushing a button does not lead to immediate execution of some operation, but to setting of the current mode. The mode determines which actions can be performed in displaying pane by using the mouse. Every mode has its specific characteristic cursor shape.
Information bar contains data about selected features (see chapter 13 “Feature selection”).
Status bar contains the current cursor coordinates in displaying pane, angle of display slope and its scale. In the right part of the status bar the name of the current mode is displayed.
Cursor coordinates are indicated in the map coordinate system, the scale – in map units per “logical centimeter” of the screen. The notion of logical centimeter is explained in documentation on Windows, in first approximation it can be compared to the usual centimeter.
For a map which contains many features, displaying a theme in the pane can take considerable time. The system updates the pane contents after processing every thousand of features, that is why map display “is developed” jerkily. All this time there is a message in the status bar “Wait. Drawing features in progress…”, and the cursor usually has the form of hourglass. On completing the theme drawing, the message disappears and the cursor takes the form of an arrow.
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