Classes for creating text cursor tools

Standard cursor tool classes

TSimpleTextTool builds a tool that applies a command to a text selection. Typically, TSimpleTextTool represents a tool that an end user selects from a tool palette and uses to apply a command to the next selection created; each TSimpleTextTool encapsulates the command to issue. When the user activates the tool, the creates a TSimpleTextToolInteractor and passes the command to it.

TSimpleTextToolInteractor controls the interaction required to use a TSimpleTextTool. This interactor overrides MMouseEventHandler functions to implement the behavior users see when using the associated text cursor tool, providing feedback as the selection is created. TSimpleTextToolInteractor tracks the mouse and, when the mouse is released, issues the appropriate command against the final target. The interactor uses a TTextToolInteractionTarget to handle creating the target selection.

TTextToolInteractionTarget creates and extends the text selection during tool interaction, based on positional information passed by the tool interactor. The framework includes two concrete derived classes:

• Use TSimpleTextToolInteractionTarget for cursor tools that act on simple elements, or elements that use TSimpleTextView. This class can create only text selections. For tools that act on presenter state selections, use TDocumentTextToolInteractionTarget.
• Use TDocumentTextToolInteractionTarget for cursor tools that act on document components, or components that use TDocumentTextView.

THighlightTextTool implements a tool that highlights text by setting a background color on a text selection. THighlightTextTool provides a highlighter pen-shaped graphic as the cursor graphic. Override CreateCursorGraphic to provide your own cursor graphic.

THighlightTextToolInteractor controls the interaction required to use a THighlightTextTool.

To instantiate a highlighter tool, simply create a THighlightTextTool and specify the highlight color. Set the highlight color either in the constructor or with the SetHighlightColor function. For example, to create a green highlighting tool:

  TRGBColor* highlightColor = new TRGBColor( .5, 1, .5 );
  THighlightTextTool greenHighlighter = new THighlightTextTool( highlightColor );

NOTE When you select text that has a background color associated with it (for example, highlighted text) using the default selection color, the text does not change color to indicate the selected range. Set the selection color to black to make the selection easier to see.

Text selection I-beam