Seek advise on the best way to handle multiple tab applications

If you're using MDL, then take advantage of MDL dialog items.  You can define an item once, and use it many times.  You can re-use MicroStation dialog items in your own MDL dialogs, too.

Hi, Jon,

Thanks for your reply. I am using MDL. Can you advise further on "re-use MicroStation dialog items"?  

According to my understanding, you can only use a UI item it the item represents the same data item. For example, a colour selector can only  used for selection MicroStation colour.

In my situation, items on each tab of my application represents one data items of a one data object. I am not sure how to reuse them on different tabs.

Regards,

Ken

Unknown said:

According to my understanding, you can only use a UI item it the item represents the same data item

You can re-use a dialog item if it displays the same type of data.  For example, you can use the same text item many times.

Unknown said:

For example, a colour selector can only  used for selection MicroStation colour

Yes — but that could show MicroStation's active colour or a colour that is stored in your application variable. 

Unknown said:

I am not sure how to reuse them on different tabs

Just copy the item instance data (in your .r file).  It's as simple as that!

 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | 
 | Dialog definition contains item instances 
 | 
 +----------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 DialogBoxRsc DIALOGID_Ken =
 {
 DIALOGATTR_NORIGHTICONS | DIALOGATTR_AUTOUNLOADAPP |
 DIALOGATTR_DEFAULT,
 50 * XC, GENY(17) + 0,
 NOHELP, MHELP,
 NOHOOK,
 NOPARENTID,
 "Ken's Dialog",
 {
 {{ 3*XC, GENY(1), 13*XC, 0}, OptionButton, OPTIONBUTTONID_1, ON, 0, "", ""},
 {{ 3*XC, GENY(2), 13*XC, 0}, OptionButton, OPTIONBUTTONID_2, ON, 0, "", ""},
  // Re-use OPTIONBUTTONID_1
 {{ 3*XC, GENY(3), 13*XC, 0}, OptionButton, OPTIONBUTTONID_1, ON, 0, "", ""},
 }
 };

 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------+
 | 
 | Option Button Item Resources 
 | 
 +----------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 DItem_OptionButtonRsc OPTIONBUTTONID_1 =
 {
 NOSYNONYM,
 NOHELP,
 LHELP,
 HOOKITEMID_oBtn_1,
 OPTNBTNATTR_NEWSTYLE,
 "", /* TXT_oBtn_List, */
 "g_kensGlobalVars.var1",
 {
 /* option button is filled dynamically by dialog hook */
 }
 };

 DItem_OptionButtonRsc OPTIONBUTTONID_2 =
 {
 NOSYNONYM,
 NOHELP,
 LHELP,
 HOOKITEMID_oBtn_2,
 OPTNBTNATTR_NEWSTYLE,
 "", /* TXT_oBtn_2, */
 "g_kensGlobalVars.var2",
 {
 /* option button is filled dynamically by dialog hook */
 }
 };