JPPack

A collection of VCL/LCL components for Delphi 2009 - 11.0 Alexandria and Lazarus

• JPPack
  • Overview
    • Cindy Components
    • PngComponents
  • AnchoredControls
  • TagExt
  • Components
    • TJppPanel
    • TJppBasicPanel
    • TJppSimplePanel
    • TJppFlipPanel
    • TJppStdPanel
    • TJppPngButton
    • TJppBasicPngButton
    • TJppBasicPngButtonEx
    • TJppBasicSpeedButton
    • TJppComboBox
    • TJppComboBoxEx
    • TJppFlatComboBox
    • TJppColorComboBox
    • TJppColorListBox
    • TJppColorSwatch, TJppColorSwatchEx
    • TJppProgressBar
    • TJppHtmlHint
    • TJppLabel
    • TJppShadowLabel
    • TJppLinkLabel
    • TJppDoubleLineLabel
    • TJppDoubleLabel
    • TJppEdit
    • TJppEditEx
    • TJppMemo
    • TJppMemoEx
    • TJppCheckBox
    • TJppRadioButton
    • TJppDateTimePicker
    • TJppGPHatchStyleComboBox
    • TJppBrushStyleComboBox
    • TJppPenStyleComboBox
    • TJppTimer
    • TJppPngCollection
    • TJppStorageCtrl
    • TJppStringStorageCtrl
  • Installation
    • Delphi
    • Lazarus
    • CodeTyphon
  • License

Overview

JPPack is a small collection of VCL components for Delphi and LCL components for Lazarus and CodeTyphon.

Supported Delphi versions: 2009, 2010, XE, XE2, XE3, XE4, XE5, XE6, XE7, XE8, 10.0 Seattle, 10.1 Berlin, 10.2 Tokyo, 10.3 Rio, 10.4 Sydney, 11.0 Alexandria.
Lazarus: Required FPC version 3.0.4 3.2.0 or newer (tested on Lazarus 2.0.10 + FPC 3.2.0, Lazarus 2.2.0 + FPC 3.2.2 and Lazarus 2.2.2 + FPC 3.2.2). CodeTyphon: Tested on CodeTyphon 7.7 r2202141933 with FPC 3.3.1 r2202141933

These components were created within a few years, they were repeatedly modified, improved, and extended with the functions needed in the implementation of specific projects. Generally, there is a small chaos, but I think everything works OK (I hope!).

I am no expert on writing VCL components and helped myself by analyzing the source codes (and using fragments) of various free Delphi components, especially Cindy Components and PngComponents.

Cindy Components

Some of the functions and procedures related to graphics processing were taken from the Cindy Components. The gradient related routines were almost entirely taken from this package (VCL.cyGraphics.pas file).

The author of the Cindy Components is Júlio Maurício Antunes Piao. The sources are available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/tcycomponents/ In the source files in which I use functions written by Júlio, I have added relevant information with a link to his page.

PngComponents

After long and fierce battles with various buttons from different packages of components for Delphi (commercial and free), I finally found ones that displays the PNG files correctly - TPngBitBtn and TPngSpeedButton from the PngComponents package. I have never had problems with them, unlike many, many others. For this reason, in the implementation of my buttons I decided to rely on the code from this package.

The original author of the PngComponents package is Martijn Saly (www.thany.org). The project is currently maintained by Uwe Raabe. Sources are available at https://github.com/UweRaabe/PngComponents

In the folder 3rd-party you can find the ZIP file with the PngComponents ver. 1.4.1. This is the latest version of the PngComponents available when writing this document and it works fine with the JPPack.
2020.08.31 - Version from GitHub works well too.

AnchoredControls

Each visual component in the JPPack package supports anchoring of external components using the AnchoredControls property.
You can anchor external components to any edge. When you change the size or position of the main component, the position of the anchored components will be automatically updated.

TagExt

Most components in the JPPack package has the TagExt property. Here you can store one integer value (IntValue), string (StrValue), float number (RealValue), pointer (PointerValue) and date (DateValue). The first three values are available from the Object Inspector and in the code, the last two - only in the code.

Default values:

Components

TJppPanel

A highly customizable panel. TCustomPanel descendant. It was written on the basis of one of the panels included in the Cindy Components package (but I do not remember exactly which one).

The panel is divided into two parts - upper and lower. For each of them you can define colors (gradient or solid) separately.

All panel borders are configured separately. You can set different color, thickness, style, visibility for each border.

The panel has a built-in support for the unlimited collection of captions. Each caption has its own property Font: TFont, and can be centered or positioned relative to the corners of the panel.

Moreover, the TJppPanel has a built-in support for the unlimited collection of horizontal lines, vertical lines and horizontal bars.

More info...

TJppBasicPanel

A truncated version of the TJppPanel. It does not have built-in collections of captions, vertical lines, horizontal lines, and horizontal bars.

TJppSimplePanel

A truncated version of the TJppBasicPanel. It has only one gradient, all borders have the same color (Appearance.BorderColor), but each border can be hidden/shown (Appearance: DrawTopBorder, DrawBottomBorder, DrawLeftBorder, DrawRightBorder).

This panel is great for creating a basic UI layout.

TJppFlipPanel

Highly customizable collapsible panel based on the TJvRollOut panel from the JVCL package https://github.com/project-jedi/jvcl/blob/master/jvcl/run/JvRollOut.pas

Original license: MPL 1.1
My modifications: public domain

You can put top-aligned panels on the ScrollBox to simulate CategoryPanelGroup from Delphi.

TJppStdPanel

TCustomPanel descendant

Standard panel with component anchoring support.

TJppPngButton

Currently only for Delphi.
TJppPngButton is an extended TPngBitBtn button from the PngComponents package.

The button can be in one of five states: normal, hot, down (pressed), focused and disabled. For each state you can set a whole range of display parameters: upper and bottom gradient/solid color (similarly to TJppPanel), border color, style and width, font parameters (color, name, size, style).

If you want the button to be displayed in system colors, set property Appearance.DefaultDrawing to True (all custom colors defined in the Appearance.<STATES> will then be ignored).

The number of all colors for all button states is really big, so I decided to make it easier to manage the displayed colors using ready-to-use color schemes (color maps).

I have created 36 different color schemes for TJppPngButton. To change the active color scheme, select one of the schemes available in the ColorMapType property in the Object Inspector.

Color schemes can be edited with the TJppPngButton Color Maps Designer program, which is located in the repository in the demos directory.

More info...

TJppBasicPngButton

Currently only for Delphi.
This button is a slightly truncated version of the TJppPngButton. It has only one gradient for each button state and does not support color schemes.

TJppBasicPngButtonEx

Currently only for Delphi.
Similar to TJppBasicPngButton but with support for subcaption.

TJppBasicSpeedButton

This button is very similar to TJppBasicPngButton, but it is based on TGraphicControl, so it does not take the focus (it has no focused state).

TJppComboBox

TCustomComboBox descendant.

Additional properties:

• AnchoredControls
• BoundLabel - Internal label.
• Flash - Flashing options. To turn on flashing, call the FlashBackground method in the code.
• ShowLabel - Show / hide bound label.
• TagExt

TJppComboBoxEx

TCustomComboBoxEx descendant.

Fixed item height bug in older Delphi versions.

Additional properties:

• AnchoredControls
• BoundLabel - Internal label.
• Flash - Flashing options. To turn on flashing, call the FlashBackground method in the code.
• ShowLabel - Show / hide bound label.
• TagExt
• published ItemIndex

TJppFlatComboBox

Currently only for Delphi.

Highly customizable ComboBox based on the TFlatComboBox
https://github.com/jackdp/FlatStyle/blob/master/Source/TFlatComboBoxUnit.pas

TJppColorComboBox

A highly customizable ComboBox displaying a list of predefined and/or user-defined colors.

The TJppColorComboBox has 4 built-in components: one label and 3 buttons to change, copy and paste color.

Colors can be displayed in three formats: RGB Int (eg. 051,102,255), RGB Hex (eg. #3366FF), and BGR Hex (eg. $00FF6633). If you need to display the color in a different format, you can do this in the OnGetColorStrValue event handler.

In addition to standard items (displaying color) you can also add separators and ChangeColor items.

Each color selected by the user, but not yet in the color list, can be automatically added to the end or top of the list. Thanks to this the user of your application has access to the history of previously selected colors.

More info...

TJppColorListBox

A highly customizable ListBox displaying a list of predefined and/or user-defined colors.

It is very similar to TJppColorComboBox, but it has no built-in components.

TJppColorSwatch, TJppColorSwatchEx

TJppColorSwatch is a component displaying the color and its value (code) in two formats.

It consists of three parts: a rectangle displaying the color (on the left) and two rectangles with the codes of the selected color. Each part can be hidden, so you can, for example, display only a rectangle with a color or only the color code in the selected format.

Available color formats:

If you want to display the color code in some other format, you can do it in the OnGetTopColorStrValue event handler (for the upper color code) and OnGetBottomColorStrValue (for the bottom).

TJppColorSwatchEx is an extended version of the TJppColorSwatch. It has a built-in label (BoundLabel) and three buttons: ButtonChangeColor, ButtonCopyColor and ButtonPasteColor.

BoundLabel is a standard label (TCustomLabel descendant) and can be displayed on the left, right, above or below the component. The buttons are inherited from the TJppBasicSpeedButton class, so you can freely set the colors for all button states (normal, hot, down, disabled) and the PNG icon.

TJppProgressBar

A highly customizable progress bar based on JvSpecialProgress from JVCL package, but with many of my modifications. https://github.com/project-jedi/jvcl/blob/master/jvcl/run/JvSpecialProgress.pas

My modifications:

• Appearance
  Here you can modify many parameters related to the appearance of the control: background and progress bar color (solid or gradient), border color and size, fonts (for normal and disabled state), text alignment (top-left, top-center, top-right, left, center...), prefix and postfix, text shadow and more. Unlike the standard progress bar, TJppProgressBar also allows you to set the colors displayed when the component is disabled.
  EndMarker - A rectangle drawn at the end of the progress bar.
  TextDisplayMode - position, percentage, position in pixels, caption or none.
  Stages: Middle and Final - You can make color corrections here.
  ProgressBarVisible - Here you can block the progress bar from showing and only display the text.

• AnchoredControls
  You can pin one external control (e.g. TButton, TEdit) to each edge of a component.

• BoundLabel - Internal label

• UpdatePositionIfDisabled - Here you can decide whether to update the progress bar when the component is disabled.

• OnProgressChanged
  Triggered when the current position changes. You can perform some additional actions here.

• TagExt

TJppHtmlHint

Currently only for Delphi.
A lightweight HTML hint component for Delphi (in Lazarus it compiles but doesn't work).

This component was created by combining two Pascal units:

1. TFlatHintUnit.pas from the FlatStyle package
   https://github.com/jackdp/FlatStyle/blob/master/Source/TFlatHintUnit.pas
   License: Free (no additional information)

2. HtHint.pas from the JVCL package https://github.com/project-jedi/jvcl/blob/master/jvcl/install/JVCLInstall/Helpers/HtHint.pas
   License: MPL 1.1

License for my modifications: no license (public domain)

TJppHtmlHint is not a full-featured HTML component. This is a lightweight and very simple component with support for just a few HTML tags, in addition, with a slightly unusual syntax.

Supported tags:

B - <b>bold text</b>
I - <i>italic</i>
U - <u>underline</u>
S - <s>strike out</s>

C:color - text color, eg: <c:clRed>text</cl>, <cl:Red>text</c>, <c:#FF0000>text</c>, <c:255,0,0>RGB color</c>
BG:color - background color, eg. <bg:clYellow>yellow background</bg>

IND:x - indentation from current position. eg. <ind:10>
AIND:x - absolute indentation, eg. <aind:20>

FS:x - font size, eg. <fs:12>some text</fs>, <fs:+4>text</fs>
FN:name - font name, eg. <fn:Verdana>text</fn>, <fn:Courier New>text</fn>, <fn:default>restore default font</fn>

Metacolors (or mode-colors): Colors taken from the Appearance.DarkModeColors or Appearance.LightModeColors palette
Example: <c:mclDarkBlue><bg:mclLightGray>dark blue text on light gray background</bg></c>

HTML entities: see function ReplaceHtmlEntities in the JPP.HtmlHint.pas file.

TJppLabel

TCustomLabel descendant.
Additional properties: AnchoredControls, TagExt.

TJppShadowLabel

Based on TJppLabel.
Additional properties: shadow for enabled and disabled state, disabled caption color, border (color, size, style), padding.

TJppLinkLabel

TCustomLabel descendant.
Label with additional fonts (TFont) for 5 states: normal, visited-normal, hot, visited-hot and disabled.
After clicking, it can open the URL in the default browser, execute file with ShellExecute or perform an action from TActionList.

More info...

TJppDoubleLineLabel

A label component composed of 3 parts:

1. Left caption (property Caption)
2. Right caption (property RightCaption)
3. Line drawn between the captions.

Based on TPegtopLineLabel from Pegtop Common Components written by Jens Gruschel (http://www.pegtop.net/delphi/components/common/index.htm).

My modifications:

• TPegtopLineLabel renamed to TJppDoubleLineLabel
• Annex renamed to RightCaption
• AnchoredControls
• AutoHeight
• DisabledLineColor
• LinePosDeltaY
• LineSizeDeltaX1
• LineSizeDeltaX2
• RightCaptionFont
• RightCaptionColor
• RightCaptionDisabledColor
• RightCaptionBorderColor
• RightCaptionDisabledBorderColor
• RightCaptionDisabledTextColor
• RightCaptionPosDeltaY
• TagExt
• Added prefixes Jpp

The RightCaption has its own font, background and border color. The RightCaption can be positioned vertically by RightCaptionPosDeltaY. The line can be positioned vertically by LinePosDeltaY. The length of the line can be modified by LineSizeDeltaX1 and LineSizeDeltaX2. If AutoHeight = True, the height of the component will be calculated and applied automatically.

TJppDoubleLabel

A simple label component composed of 2 captions: left (property Caption) and right (property RightCaption).

The space between captions can be modified using the Spacing property. Based on TJppDoubleLineLabel.

TJppEdit

An edit component derived from TCustomEdit.

Additional properties:

• AnchoredControls
• Appearance - Here you can set the background and font color for four states: Normal, Hot, Focused, Disabled.
• BoundLabel - Internal label
• Flash - FlashColor, FlashCount, FlashInterval. To turn on flashing, call the FlashBackground method. This function can be used to indicate the user of an incorrect value.
• ShowLabel - Show / hide bound label.
• TagExt - Extended tag.

TJppEditEx

Currently only for Delphi.
Similar to TJppEdit, but also has the ability to define border colors.
Border drawing methods based on TFlatEdit from the FlatStyle package https://sourceforge.net/projects/flatstyle/

TJppMemo

TCustomMemo descendant.

Additional properties:

• AnchoredControls
• Appearance - Here you can set the background and font color for four states: Normal, Hot, Focused, Disabled.
• BoundLabel - Internal label
• Flash - FlashColor, FlashCount, FlashInterval. To turn on flashing, call the FlashBackground method. This function can be used to indicate the user of an incorrect value.
• ShowLabel - Show / hide bound label.
• Text - Easy access to Lines.Text
• TagExt - Extended tag.

TJppMemoEx

Similar to TJppMemo, but also has the ability to define border colors.
Border drawing methods based on TFlatMemo from the FlatStyle package https://sourceforge.net/projects/flatstyle/

TJppCheckBox

A standard TCheckBox with the TagExt and AnchoredControls support.

TJppRadioButton

A standard TRadioButton with the TagExt and AnchoredControls support.

TJppDateTimePicker

A standard TDateTimePicker with the BoundLabel, TagExt and AnchoredControls support.

TJppGPHatchStyleComboBox

Windows only
Lazarus and Delphi X2 or newer.

Highly customizable GDI+ hatch style selector with BoundLabel and AnchoredControls.

TJppBrushStyleComboBox

A highly customizable combo box with a list of brush styles.

Current style can be read/set using the Selected property.

The brush style display name can be changed in the OnGetDisplayName event handler.

The TJppBrushStyleComboBox has a built-in label (BoundLabel).

TJppPenStyleComboBox

A highly customizable combo box with a list of pen styles.

Current style can be read/set using the Selected property.

The pen style display name can be changed in the OnGetDisplayName event handler.

The TJppPenStyleComboBox has a built-in label (BoundLabel).

TJppTimer

A standard TTimer component with a few additional properties and methods:

1. RepeatCountLimit property. Here you can set how many times the time interval specified in the Interval property can be reached. The value 0 means no limit.
2. Counter property. Each time the time interval specified in the Interval property expires, the Counter property is incremented by 1. When the Counter reaches the value of RepeatCountLimit, the timer is stopped and the OnRepeatCountLimitReached event handler is triggered (if assigned).
3. ClearCounterOnStart property. If is set to True, then the Start method resets the Counter.
4. Start method. Sets Enabled to True. If ClearCounterOnStart is set to True then the Start sets the Counter property to 0.
5. Stop method. Sets the Enabled to False.
6. OnRepeatCountLimitReached event - fired when the Counter reaches the value of RepeatCountLimit.

Example: Displaying the counter every one second. Display the message after 10 seconds and switch off of the Timer.

procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  JppTimer1.Interval := 1000;
  JppTimer1.RepeatCountLimit := 10; //JppTimer1 will stop automatically after 10 seconds.
  JppTimer1.Start;
end;

procedure TForm1.JppTimer1Timer(Sender: TObject);
begin
  Label1.Caption := JppTimer1.Counter.ToString;
end;

procedure TForm1.JppTimer1RepeatCountLimitReached(Sender: TObject);
begin
  ShowMessage('10 seconds elapsed!');
end;

TJppPngCollection

A non-visual component that can store any number of PNG images. Can be associated with an external TImage component.
Unlike TImageList, each image can have a different size. Images are stored internally as PNG, not bitmaps, which reduces the size of the DFM file. Of course, assuming that PNG images are compressed.

PNG images can be added in the Object Inspector or in the code using AddPngImage, AddImageFromFile or Items.Insert methods:

...
var
  Png: TPngImage;
begin
  Png := TPngImage.Create;
  try
    Png.LoadFromFile('C:\image.png');
    JppPngCollection.AddPngImage(Png);
    // OR
    // JppPngCollection.AddPngImageFromFile('C:\image.png');
  finally
    Png.Free;
  end;
end;

The AddPngImage method adds a copy of the PNG image, so you are responsible for freeing the Png object in the above example.

To retrieve a PNG image from a collection, you can use the methods: GetPngImage, GetPngImageByName or Items[Index].PngImage.

There are additional properties associated with each PNG image in the collection:

  Name: string;
  Description: string;
  Tag: integer;
  Enabled: Boolean

And read only properties:

  Width: integer;
  Height: integer;

Important! The TPngImage objects are created automatically when creating collection items. If you want to check if any item of the collection has a PNG image assigned, you can not do it by comparing with nil. You must use the TPngImage.Empty method:

  // Improperly
  if JppPngCollection.Items[0].PngImage <> nil then ... // <-- Always returns True

  // Properly
  if not JppPngCollection.Items[0].PngImage.Empty then ... // OK, image assigned

TJppStorageCtrl

TJppStorageCtrl is a non-visual component that allows you to store information of different types in the collection. Each item of the collection stores the following data:

• 4 String values,
• 2 Integer values,
• 2 Int64 values,
• 2 float values (Double),
• 2 Boolean values,
• 2 TColor values,
• 2 Byte values,
• 2 Pointer values.

Items are accesible from the Object Inspector using StorageCollection property. The values of each item of the collection, except pointers, can also be set in the Object Inspector. Pointer values can only be set in the code and they are initialized by default to nil.

To acces the collection items in the code you can use the Items property, eg:

JppStorageCtrl.Items[0].IntValue1 := 1;
JppStorageCtrl.Items[0].PointerValue1 := SomePointer;

But, since Items is set as the default property, you can write it simply:

JppStorageCtrl[0].IntValue1 := 1;
JppStorageCtrl[0].PointerValue1 := SomePointer;

This component can be useful if you want to have access to some global data, and you do not want to create global variables.

I sometimes use this component in the early stages of writing applications. In later stages, a definitely better way to store and manage data is to design specialized records, classes, arrays, generic/pointer containers, etc.

TJppStringStorageCtrl

A non-visual component that allows you to store collection of strings with additional data. Each item of the collection has the following properties:

  ItemName: string;
  Value: string;
  Enabled: Boolean;
  Tag: integer;

Installation

Delphi

Before installing the JPPack package, you must first install the following packages:

1. JPLib from https://github.com/jackdp/JPLib
2. PngComponents from https://github.com/UweRaabe/PngComponents
   You can use PngComponents ver. 1.4.1 package from the 3rd-party folder. I tested JPPack with this version and it looks like everything works OK.
   2020.08.31 - Version from GitHub works well too.
3. For Delphi XE2 - Sydney: IGDIPlusMod from https://github.com/jackdp/IGDIPlusMod

If you have installed the PNG Components using the GetIt Package Manager, you will probably have to change the name PngComponents to PngComponentsD in the JPPack.dpk file.

In the packages folder you can find installation packages for all Delphi versions from Delphi 2009 to 10.4 Sydney. Go to the subfolder with the name of your Delphi version (eg Delphi_XE7 for XE7 version) and open the file JPPack.dproj or JPPack.dpk. In the Project Manager, right-click the JPPack.bpl file, then select Install in the popup menu. After a short time, a message should appear displaying information about the correct installation of the package and with the list of newly installed components. All components you can find ont the JPPack page in the Tool Palette.

You can also compile package for Win64 target.

After installing the package, it is best to add the source folder to the library path:

1. Select menu Tools --> Options.
2. In the tree view on the left, go to Environment Options --> Delphi Options --> Library.
3. In the Library path combo box (on the right), add ; (semicolon) and the path to the source directory.

Lazarus

First, install the JPLib package from https://github.com/jackdp/JPLib
On Windows, also install the IGDIPlusMod from https://github.com/jackdp/IGDIPlusMod

Open package file (packages\Lazarus\jppacklcl.lpk) in the Lazarus IDE. Click button Compile then Use->Install and rebuild IDE. All components you can find ont the JPPackLCL page in the Component Palette.

CodeTyphon

Install the JPLib package from https://github.com/jackdp/JPLib
On Windows, also install the IGDIPlusMod from https://github.com/jackdp/IGDIPlusMod

Open package file (packages\CodeTyphon\jppacklcl.ctpkg) in the Typhon IDE. Click button Compile package (2-nd button on the toolbar) then click the 3-rd button, select Install and rebuild IDE. All components you can find ont the JPPackLCL page in the Component Palette.

License

The license for my work: Public domain. You can do with my code whatever you want without any limitations.

But, in some units I use code from other open source projects, so you should look at the PAS source files and license of the authors of these projects for more information.