uicontrol

Scilab Function
Last update : 25/04/2007

uicontrol - create a Graphic User Interface object

### Calling Sequence

  `h = uicontrol('PropertyName',PropertyValue,...) h = uicontrol(parent,'PropertyName',PropertyValue,...) h=uicontrol(uich)`

### Description

this routine creates an object in a figure. If the handle of the figure is given (as the first parameter), the uicontrol is created in this figure. If no handle is given, the uicontrol is created in the current figure ( which may be obtained with a call to gcf() ). If there is no current figure, then one is created before the creation of the uicontrol. Then when the control is created, the properties given as parameters are set with the coresponding values. It is equivalent to create the uicontrol, and then set its properties with the set() command. Nevertheless, it generally more efficient to set the properties in the call to uicontrol(). This is particularly true coincerning the 'style' field. Indeed, the default value for this property is 'pushbutton'. So if you do not set it at creation time, a button will be created, and will be transformed to another uicontrol when you call the get(h,'style', ... ) instruction. Scilab and all the graphic objects communicate through the property mechanism. Thus, to create adapted uicontrol, one has to know the use of the property fields.

h = uicontrol('PropertyName',PropertyValue,...) creates a uicontrol and assigns the specified properties and values to it. It assigns the default values to any properties you do not specify. The default uicontrol style is a pushbutton. The default parent is the current figure. See Properties for information about these and other properties.

h = uicontrol(parent,'PropertyName',PropertyValue,...) creates a uicontrol in the object specified by the handle, parent. If you also specify a different value for the Parent property, the value of the Parent property takes precedence. parent is the handle of a figure.

h=uicontrol(uich) gives focus to the uicontrol specified by the handle, uich.

Those are described under:

### Properties

  - BackgroundColor [1,3] real vector or string Background color of the uicontrol. A color is specified as Red, Green and Blue values. Those values are real in [ 0,1]. The color can be given as a real vector, ie [R,G,B] or a string where each value is separated by a |, ie "R|G|B"
  - callback string String evaluated by the scilab interpreter when an usicontrol is activated. (for example when you click on a button).
  - fontangle string : {'normal'} | italic | oblique For a control containing some text, this property sets the slant of the font.
  - fontsize real For a control containing some text, this property sets the size of the font in FontUnits.
  - fontunits string : {points} | pixels | normalized For a control containing some text, this property sets the units with which the fontsize is specified.
  - fontweight string : light | {normal} | demi | bold For a control containing some text, this property sets the weight of the used font
  - fontname string : used to choose the name of the font selected to display the text of the control.
  - ForegroundColor [1,3] real vector or string Foreground color of the uicontrol. A color is specified as Red, Green and Blue values. Those values are real in [ 0,1]. The color can be given as a real vector, ie [R,G,B] or a string where each value is separated by a |, ie "R|G|B"
  - Horizontalalignment string: left | {center} | right. Set text horizontal alignment in the uicontrol. This property can only be used with 'text', 'edit' and 'checkbox' styles.
  - ListboxTop integer For a ListBox, this property tells which item of the list appears on the first line of the visible area of the list.
  - Max scalar Specifies the largest value the 'value' property can be set to. It has however differnet meaning on each uicontrol:
  - o Check Boxes : Max is the value the 'value' property take when control is checked
  - o Silders : Maximinum value of the slider
  - o List boxes : if (Max-Min)>1 the list allows multiple selection, Otherwise not.
  - Min scalar Specifies the lowest value the 'value' property can be set to. It has however different meaning on each uicontrol:
  - o Check Boxes : Min is the value the 'value' property take when control is unchecked
  - o Silders : Mininum value of the slider
  - o List boxes : if (Max-Min)>1 the list allows multiple selection, Otherwise not.
  - Parent integer Handle of the control parent. Changing this property allows to move a control from a figure to another.
  - Path This property is read-only. It allows to get the TK path of the control as a string. (Useful when creating User Interfaces using uicontrols and TCL/TK scripts.)
  - Position [1,4] real vector or string. This property is used to set or get the geometrical configuration of a control. It is a real; vector : x y w h where the letters stand for the x location of the left bottom corner, the y location of the left bottom corner, the width and the height of the uicontrol. The unit is determined by the 'Unit' property.
  - SliderStep [1,2] real vector or string, [small big]. The small step represents the movement achieved when clicking on the slider trough or tapping on the keyboard arrows (when the slider has focus); the big step is the amount moved when using Ctrl-keyboard-arrows. If the big step is omitted, it is defaulted to 1/10 of the scale.
  - String string. Generally, this property represents the text appearing in a uicontrol. Its exact meaning sometimes depends on the uicontrol style:
  - o List Boxes, Popup Menu the value can be a vector of string or a string where the items are separated by a '|'.
  - Style string : {pushbutton} | radiobutton | checkbox | edit | text | slider | frame |listbox | popupmenu Style of the uicontrol. Here is a short description of each one:
  - o pushbutton A rectangular button generally used to run a callback.
  - o radiobutton A button whith to states : on or off.
  - o checkbox a small uicontrol that have to state : on or off
  - o edit an editable string control
  - o text a text control (generally static).
  - o slider a scale control, that is a scrollbar use to set values between in range with the mouse.
  - o frame a control representing a zone used to group of related controls.
  - o listbox a control representing a list of item that can be scrolled. The item can be selected with the mouse.
  - o popupmenu a button which make a menu appear when clicked.
  - Tag string this property is generally used to identify the control. It allows to give it a "name". Mainly used in conjontion with findobj().
  - Units string : {points} | pixels | normalized Set the units used to specify the 'position' property.
  - Userdata this can be used to associate some scilab objects (string,string matrix, matrix mxn) to an uicontrol.
  - Value Value of the uicontrol. The exact meaning depends on the style of the uicontrol.
  - o Check boxes, Radio buttons value is set to Max (see above) when on and Min when off.
  - o List Boxes, Popu Menu value is a vector of indexes corresponding to the index of the selected entry in the list. 1 is the first item of the list.
  - o Sliders value indicated by the slider bar.
  - Verticalalignment string: top | {middle} | bottom. Set text vertical alignment in the uicontrol. This property can only be used with 'text' and 'checkbox' styles.

### Examples

    f=figure();
    // create a figure
    h=uicontrol(f,'style','listbox', ...
     'position', [10 10 150 160]);
    // create a listbox
    set(h, 'string', "item 1|item 2|item3");
    // fill the list
    set(h, 'value', [1 3]);
    // select item 1 and 3 in the list
    close(f);
    // close the figure

### See Also

`figure` , `set` , `get` , `uimenu` ,

### Author

Bertrand Guiheneuf