DateControls Package for Lazarus: what changed

Revision 1 to 2. Removed lines have a minus sign; added lines have a plus sign.

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1	1		> Note: These controls are now obsolete. The controls in [[DateTimeCtrls Package]] have improved functionality and completely cover the functionality of these!
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3	3		## Author
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6	6		Zoran Vučenović
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8	8		## Introduction
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10	10		DateControls package contains two controls:
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12	12		![](/wiki-images/1/18/TDatePicker.PNG) TDatePicker and ![](/wiki-images/e/e8/TDBDatePicker.PNG)TDBDatePicker
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14	14		These controls are now obsolete. The controls in [[DateTimeCtrls Package]] have improved functionality and completely cover the functionality of these!
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16	16		Delphi's VCL has a control named [TDateTimePicker](http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/VCL/en/ComCtrls.TDateTimePicker), which I find very useful for editing dates. LCL, however, does not have this control. Instead, for editing dates LCL has a control named [TDateEdit](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/lcl/editbtn/tdateedit.html), but I prefer the VCL's TDateTimePicker.
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18	18		Therefore, I tried to create a cross-platform Lazarus control which would resemble VCL's TDateTimePicker as much as possible.
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20	20		The TDatePicker control does not use [native Win control](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.datetimepicker.aspx). It descends from LCL-s TCustomControl to be cross-platform. It has been written and initially tested on Windows XP with Win widgetset, but then tested on Ubuntu Linux 9.10 with gtk2 widgetset, where additional adjustments had been made.
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22	22		Thanks to Željko Rikalo, its tested on qt and adjusted to be fully functional to qt users.
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24	24		Note that the TDatePicker control does not descend from TEdit, so it does not have unnecessary caret. The VCL's control doesn't have caret either.
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26	26		Unlike VCL's control, this control has no time editing feature. It can be used for date editing only. That's why it is named TDatePicker, not TDateTimePicker.
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28	28		## Downloading and installing
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30	30		Lazarus package DateControls.lpk can be downloaded [from here](http://datepicker.000space.com), packed in zip format.
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32	32		After downloaded, unzip the package.
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34	34		To install the package in Lazarus IDE follow these steps:
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36	36		1. Open the package in Package Editor (in Lazarus' main menu click Package, then Open package file... locate the file datecontrols.lpk and click Open).
37	37		2. Compile the package (click Compile in Package Editor's tool bar).
38	38		3. Install the package in the IDE (click Install – you will be asked if you want to rebuild Lazarus, click Yes. Wait until Lazarus rebuilds and restarts itself. The new tab DateControls appears on the component palette with TDatePicker and TDBDatePicker controls.
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40	40		## TDatePicker ![](/wiki-images/1/18/TDatePicker.PNG)
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42	42		### properties
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44	44		I'll explain some properties of TDatePicker control:
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46	46		#### TheDate: TDateTime
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49	49		The date displayed on the control. This property is named TheDate, not Date, to avoid name conflict with [Date function](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/rtl/sysutils/date.html).
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51	51		#### MinDate: TDateTime
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54	54		The minimal date user can enter.
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56	56		#### MaxDate: TDateTime
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59	59		The maximal date user can enter.
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61	61		#### NullInputAllowed: Boolean
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64	64		When True, the user can set the date to NullDate constant by pressing N key.
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66	66		#### CenturyFrom: Word
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69	69		When user enters the year in two-digit format, then the CenturyFrom property is used to determine which century the year belongs to. The default is 1941, which means that when two digit years is entered, it falls in interval 1941 – 2040. Note that MinDate and MaxDate properties can also have influence on the decision – for example, if the CenturyFrom is set to 1941 and MaxDate to 31. 12. 2010, if user enters year 23, it will be set to 1923, because it can’t be 2033, due to MaxDate limit.
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71	71		#### ShowCalendar: Boolean
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74	74		When set to True, there is a button on the right side of the control. When user clicks the button, [the calendar control](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/lcl/calendar/tcalendar.html) is shown, allowing the user to pick the date.
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76		-	~~<figure>~~
77		-	~~<img src="ShowCalendar.PNG" title="ShowCalendar.PNG" />~~
78		-	~~<figcaption>ShowCalendar.PNG</figcaption>~~
79		-	~~</figure>~~
	76	+	![](/wiki-images/2/27/ShowCalendar.PNG)
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81	78		#### ShowCheckBox: Boolean
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84	81		When set, there is a check box on the left side of the control. When unchecked, the display appears grayed and user interaction with the date is not possible. (The control is still enabled, though, only in sense that the check box remains enabled).
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86		-	~~<figure>~~
87		-	~~<img src="ShowCheckBox.PNG" title="ShowCheckBox.PNG" />~~
88		-	~~<figcaption>ShowCheckBox.PNG</figcaption>~~
89		-	~~</figure>~~
	83	+	![](/wiki-images/6/63/ShowCheckBox.PNG)
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91	85		#### Checked: Boolean
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94	88		If ShowCheckBox is set to True, this property determines whether the check box is checked or not. If ShowCheckBox is False, this property has no purpose and is automatically set to True.
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96	90		#### DateDisplayOrder: TDateDisplayOrder
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99	93		type TDateDisplayOrder = (ddoDMY, ddoMDY, ddoYMD, ddoTryDefault);
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102	96		Defines the order for displaying day, month and year part of the date. When ddoTryDefault is set, then the controls tries to determine the order from [ShortDateFormat global variable](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/rtl/sysutils/shortdateformat.html).
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104	98		This is similar to DateEdit's [DateOrder](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/lcl/editbtn/tdateedit.dateorder.html) property.
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106	100		#### TheDateSeparator: UTF8String
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109	103		Defines the string used to separate date, month and year date parts. Setting this property automatically sets the UseDefaultDateSeparator property to False. This property is named TheDateSeparator, not DateSeparator, to avoid name conflict with [DateSeparator global variable](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/rtl/sysutils/dateseparator.html).
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111	105		#### UseDefaultDateSeparator: Boolean
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114	108		When UseDefaultDateSeparator is set to True, TheDateSeparator property is set to [DateSeparator global variable](http://lazarus-ccr.sourceforge.net/docs/rtl/sysutils/dateseparator.html).
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116	110		#### TrailingSeparator: Boolean
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119	113		When set to True, then TheDateSeparator is shown once more, after the last date part. This property exists because in some languages the correct format is 31. 1. 2010. including the last point, after the year.
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121	115		#### LeadingZeros: Boolean
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124	118		Determines whether the date parts are displayed with or without leading zeros.
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126	120		#### TextForNullDate: UTF8String
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129	123		Text which appears when the null date is set and control does not have focus. When control is focused, the text changes to defined format, but displaying zeros, which is appropriate to user input. User can set the date to NullDate by pressing N key, provided NullInputAllowed property is True.
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131	125		## TDBDatePicker ![](/wiki-images/1/18/TDatePicker.PNG)
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134	128		TDBDatePicker is a data-aware version of TDatePicker, with nice way of handling null database values.
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136	130		### Handling of null values
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138	132		#### Displaying null values
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141	135		When the underlying DB field has null value, then:
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145	139		If the control is not focused, then it displays the text defined in TextForNullDate property. The default is "NULL".
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149	143		When the control gets focus, the text changes to defined format, but displaying zeros (for example "00/00/0000"), which is appropriate to user input.
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151	145		#### Setting the field value to null
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155	149		If NullInputAllowed property is True, the user can set the date to null, by pressing N key.
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157	151		## See also
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159	153		- [[DateTimeCtrls Package]] Please use this package instead as DateControls is obsolete.
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161	155		---
162	156		From the Free Pascal wiki, page "DateControls Package for Lazarus", as it stood on 2020-08-08 after a change by Trev, out of the wiki's dump of 2024-05-26. Copyright stays with the author who wrote it, according to the old wiki's [[Licensing]] page. If you have concerns about this material, [message the admin](/wiki-contact).
163	157		Category: Components
164	158		Category: Lazarus

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