Styling UI Controls

NeuroKernel UI controls can be styled programmatically using only the API. This is ensured by multiple way. Styling can be cached by the application at the client side and used repeatedly during the life time of the application run.

Properties are not stored in controls at so there are no getters, but only setters are available. If required, it is possible to extend the controls and store the properties and supply getter methods for them. We didn't want to over-engineer structure of control classes saving memory in the process. The Properties that can be set for each component are listed in NPropertyTypes class. The list of directly accessible properties is shown below. These properties may or may not be available to all controls. The other property types listed in the class NPropertyTypes are used for event based property actions that are explained in this guide later on.

Applications can manipulate display server native renderer for performance by directly setting rendering states of components. The below example shows how to accomplish this.

import com.neurokernel.client.*;
import com.neurokernel.client.constants.RenderingState;
 
public class RenderingStates extends NApplication {
      @Override
      public void main(int argc, String[] argv) {
          NButton button=new NButton(getMainFrame(),"Hello");
 
          NColor transparent=NColor.TRANSPARENT;
          button.setBorderRadius(3);
          button.setOuterBorder(NColor.BLACK);
          button.setInnerBorder(transparent);
          //set the properties one by one, this wont overwrite the previously set value
          button.setProperty(RenderingState.PRESSED, NProperty.setBackground(NColor.BLUE));
          button.setProperty(RenderingState.PRESSED, NProperty.setInnerTopBorder(transparent, transparent));
          button.setProperty(RenderingState.PRESSED, NProperty.setInnerBottomBorder(transparent, transparent));
          button.setProperty(RenderingState.PRESSED,NProperty.setForeground(NColor.WHITE));
          //or set them all at once
          button.setProperties(RenderingState.RELEASED, NProperty.setBackground(NColor.LIGHTGRAY),
                                                NProperty.setForeground(NColor.BLACK));
                                                NProperty.setInnerBottomBorder(transparent, transparent));
                                                NProperty.setInnerTopBorder(transparent, transparent));
 
          setVisible("Rendering State Example");
      }
}

Here are the rendering states that can be used. Each state needs a list of properties to use. Multiple properties can be set on each rendering state at once.

Some non-composite controls have parts that can be automatically defined as a sub component. These are simple components such a button, label or image view. These sub controls can be styled as well individually making them more manageable. For example, buttons of NSpinner component can be individually styled.

   import com.neurokernel.client.*;
   import com.neurokernel.client.constants.Order;
 
   public class MyApplication extends NApplication {
      @Override
      public void main(int argc, String[] argv) {
         NFrame mainFrame=getMainFrame();
         NGridLayout layout=mainFrame.getLayout();
         layout.setSize(2,1).setGaps(5,5);
 
         new NSpinner(mainFrame,"0");
         NSpinner  spinner=new NSpinner(mainFrame,"0");
         NButton button=spinner.getSideControl(Order.First);
         button=setBorder(new NRoundedBorder(NBorder.RAISED,3));
 
         setVisible("Spinner Example");
      }
  }