KOL-CE: what changed

Revision 2 to 3. Removed lines have a minus sign; added lines have a plus sign.

Old	New		Line
1	1		## Introduction
2	2
3	3		KOL-CE is Free Pascal/Lazarus port of KOL&MCK devloped by Vladimir Kladov ([website](http://f0460945.xsph.ru/rindex.htm)). KOL-CE is developed by Yury Sidorov and distributed under [wxWindows Library Licence](http://www.opensource.org/licenses/wxwindows.php).
4	4
5	5		KOL-CE allows to create very compact Win32/WinCE GUI applications (starting from ~40KB executable for project with empty form).
6	6
7	7		MCK is Lazarus package wich allows VISUAL development of KOL-CE projects in Lazarus IDE.
8	8
9	9		Initially KOL-CE was planned as KOL port for [[WinCE port\|WinCE]] only. But later it was decided to keep Win32 functionality and made it work with FPC smoothly. The original MCK can not be used with Lazarus at all. The more current versions of [[KOL]] also work very well with FPC and targets both 32 and 64 bit applications, but do not include an MCK for Lazarus yet: you can use MCK from KOL-CE and recompile against the newer kol.pas version with some thought, but requires patching some of the Lazarus MCK generated sourcecode to reflect kol's current status.
10	10
11	11		### Requirements
12	12
13	13		- Free Pascal compiler 2.2.0 or later for Win32.
14	14		- arm-wince cross compiler 2.2.0 or later for Win32 (for [[WinCE port\|WinCE]] development).
15	15		- Lazarus 0.9.26 or later for Win32.
16	16
17	17		### Supported targets
18	18
19	19		- All 32-bit Windows: from Windows 95 to Windows 8.1.
20	20		- [[WinCE port\|Windows CE]] based PocketPC and Smartphones.
21	21
22	22		## Download
23	23
24	24		Download the latest release of KOL-CE [here](http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=188451).
25	25
26	26		Also you can check out the freshest KOL-CE sources from svn using this link: <https://kol-ce.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/kol-ce/trunk>
27	27
28	28		## Installation
29	29
30	30		------------------------------------------------------------------------
31	31
32	32		Important: Since KOL-CE 2.80.2 `DisableFakeMethods` define is not needed anymore.
33	33
34	34		If you previously used KOL-CE 2.80.1 or older, you need to rebuild Lazarus without `DisableFakeMethods` define before installing MCK package. Otherwise event handlers will not work!
35	35
36	36		To do that:
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38	38		1. Run Lazarus.
39	39		2. Choose Tools \> Configure "Build Lazarus"... menu item.
40	40		3. Choose Clean Up + Build all on Quick Build Options page.
41	41		4. Open Advanced Build Options page and remove `-dDisableFakeMethods` from Options input field.
42	42		5. Click Build button to rebuild Lazarus.
43	43
44	44		------------------------------------------------------------------------
45	45
46	46		![](/wiki-images/2/2e/MirrorKOLPackage.png)
47	47
48	48		1. Download KOL-CE sources and put them on some folder on your filesystem.
49	49		2. Run Lazarus and choose Components \> Load package file menu item. Then navigate to MCK folder and choose `MirrorKOLPackage.lpk` file.
50	50		3. Package window will appear. Press Install button.
51	51		4. Lazarus will compile MCK package and IDE will be restarted.
52	52		5. After restart KOL tab will appear on components palette.
53	53
54	54		![](/wiki-images/d/d1/KOLComponents.png)
55	55
56	56		NOTE: If you can't see all KOL components on the palette, resize window with components palette vertically. You will see the second row of components on KOL tab (as on screenshot above).
57	57
58	58		MCK package upgrade is very simple as well. Just overwrite KOL-CE sources with new version, open MCK package and press Install button to recompile the package.
59	59
60	60		## Using MCK
61	61
62	62		### Creating MCK project
63	63
64	64		![](/wiki-images/0/04/MCKForm.png)
65	65
66	66		1. Start Lazarus and select File \> New... menu item.
67	67		2. Choose KOL Application under Project section and press OK button.
68	68		3. New project for KOL application will be created.
69	69		4. Save this project with desired name.
70	70		5. Play with your new KOL/MCK Project (adjust parameters, drop TKOL... components, compile, run, debug, etc.) Enjoy!
71	71
72	72		### Adding a form
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74	74		1. Select File \> New... menu item.
75	75		2. Choose KOL Form under File section and press OK button.
76	76		3. Save new form with desired name.
77	77
78	78		### Writing code
79	79
80	80		Do not use names from RTL/FCL/LCL, especially from SysUtils, Classes, Forms, etc. All what you need, you should find in KOL, Windows, Messages units. And may be, write by yourself (or copy from another sources). When you write code in mirror project - usually place it in event handlers. You also can add any code where you wish but avoid changing first section of your mirror LCL form class declaration. And do not change auto-generated inc-files. Always remember, that code, that you write in mirror project, must be accepted both by LCL and KOL. By LCL - at the stage of compiling mirror project (and this is necessary, because otherwise converting mirror project to reflected KOL project will not be possible). And by KOL - at the stage of compiling written code in KOL namespace.
81	81
82	82		### IMPORTANT
83	83
84	84		To resolve conflict between words `LCL.Self` and `KOL.@Self`, which are interpreted differently in KOL and LCL, special field is introduced - `Form`. In LCL, `Form` property of `TKOLForm` component "returns" `Self`, i.e. form object itself. And in KOL, `Form: PControl` is a field of object, containing resulting form object. Since this, it is correctly to change form's properties in following way:
85	85
86		-	~~`Form.Caption := 'Hello!'; `~~
	86	+	``` pascal
	87	+	Form.Caption := 'Hello!';
	88	+	```
87	89
88	90		(Though old-style operator Caption := 'Hello!'; is compiled normally while converting mirror project to KOL, it will be wrong in KOL environment). But discussed above word `Form` is only to access form's properties - not its child controls. You access child controls and form event handlers by usual way. e.g.:
89	91
90		-	~~`Button1.Caption := 'OK';`\~~
91		-	~~`Button1Click(Form);`~~
	92	+	``` pascal
	93	+	Button1.Caption := 'OK';
	94	+	Button1Click(Form);
	95	+	```
92	96
93	97		### Run-time form creation
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95	99		It is possible to create several instances of the same form at run-time. And at least, it is possible to make form not AutoCreate, and create it programmatically when needed. Use global function `NewForm1` (replacing Form1 with your mirror form name), for instance:
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97		-	~~`NewForm1( TempForm1, Applet );`~~
	101	+	```text
	102	+	NewForm1( TempForm1, Applet );
	103	+	```
98	104
99	105		To make this possible, NEVER access global variable created in the unit during conversation, unless You know why You are doing so. Refer to Form variable instead.
100	106
101	107		## WinCE
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103	109		#### Setup
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105	111		![arm-wince target](/wiki-images/5/5e/Arm-wince-target.png) You need to install arm-wince cross compiler for Win32 to compile WinCE executables. Get it [here](http://www.freepascal.org/download.var).
106	112
107	113		To compile for arm-wince target open compiler options of your project using Project \> Compiler options... menu item. Open Code tab and change target platform to arm-wince.
108	114
109	115		NOTE: You can receive the following error while compiling your KOL-CE project for WinCE:
110	116
111		-	~~`Compiling resource KOL-CE.rc`\~~
112		-	~~`arm-wince-windres.exe: no resources`\~~
113		-	~~`KOL.PAS(57901) Error: Error while linking`\~~
114		-	~~`KOL.PAS(57901) Fatal: There were 1 errors compiling module, stopping`~~
	117	+	```text
	118	+	Compiling resource KOL-CE.rc
	119	+	arm-wince-windres.exe: no resources
	120	+	KOL.PAS(57901) Error: Error while linking
	121	+	KOL.PAS(57901) Fatal: There were 1 errors compiling module, stopping
	122	+	```
115	123
116	124		In such case you need to edit Windows PATH environment variable and add path to folder where win32 fpc binaries are located.\
117	125		To find out which path to add, go to Environment options in Lazarus and see compiler path.\
118	126		Quit Lazarus before editing PATH.\
119	127		To edit PATH variable right click on My Computer icon go to Advanced tab and click Environment Variables button.
120	128
121	129		#### Hints and notes
122	130
123	131		- To make form fullscreen as most Pocket PC applications have, don't change the form position and size. If form size and/or position was changed the form will look like dialog with caption and close button. In MCK set defaultSize and defaultPosition of TKOLForm to True to make form fullscreen.
124	132
125	133		#### Known issues
126	134
127	135		- The following components are not supported: RichEdit.
128	136		- Transparency and double buffering are not supported.
129	137		- Only gsVertical, gsHorizontal gradient panel styles are supported.
130	138		- Horizontal text alignment does not work in single line edit control. Use memo if you need text alignment.
131	139		- Vertical text alignment does not work for panel and label.
132	140
133	141		## Documentation
134	142
135	143		- Visit official KOL&MCK website for documentation and information: <http://kolmck.ru>
136	144		- Read MCK documentation in KOLmirrorReadme.txt file inside MCK folder.
137	145
138	146		## KOL-CE in real-world applications
139	147
140	148		- [Password Manager XP Mobile](http://www.cp-lab.com/windows-mobile.html)
141	149		- [ChARMeD disassembler](http://blog.carolos.za.net/2007/05/charmed-for-pocket-pc-beta-030.html)
142	150		- [WMWifiRouter](http://www.jongma.org/WMWifiRouter/)
143	151
144	152		## See also
145	153
146	154		- [[KOL\|The wiki page for KOL]]
147	155		- [Official KOL&MCK website](http://f0460945.xsph.ru/rindex.htm)
148	156		- KOL-CE page at SourceForge <http://sourceforge.net/projects/kol-ce/>
149	157		- [[WinCE port\|WinCE port of Free Pascal]]
150	158		- [[Windows CE Interface]]
151	159		- [[Windows CE Development Notes]]
152	160
153	161		## Contacts
154	162
155	163		Report bugs, submit patches and ask questions at project's page at SourceForge: <http://sourceforge.net/projects/kol-ce/>
156	164
157	165		---
158	166		From the Free Pascal wiki, page "KOL-CE", as it stood on 2021-04-29 after a change by Seenkao, 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).

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