New Subclasses Wizard - Select Classes to be Created
This page allows you to select which classes will be created, how they will be named, and how they will be grouped in the class palette.
Select Classes from the Following Sources
This allows you to select which superclasses will be used as your base for creating new classes. Each time you make a change, the classes displayed in the list below will change.
System Classes
Select this checkbox if you wish to create new classes based on the system classes. You could use this option if:
- You want to create a layer of workspace classes based on the system classes. You could then directly use these classes in your workspace.
- You are building a library of classes and want those classes to be based on the system classes. This library of classes may then be used by other workspaces that include this library. If you are building a library of classes, you should be running the workspace from the library’s workspace and not from the workspace that will be using this library.
Library Classes
Select this checkbox if you wish to create new classes based on a library. You could use this option if:
- You want to create a layer of classes based on classes defined in one of the libraries used by this workspace. In such a case, you may have already run this wizard from within the library’s workspace to create the library set of classes (which were based on the system classes).
- You want to build a library of classes and base this library on another library. While this is supported, this may not be widely used, as the organization of nested libraries can get complicated.
Workspace Classes
Select this checkbox if you wish to create classes based on classes already defined directly in the current workspace.
While you can select any or all of these class locations, you will most often find that you want to select your classes from a single source.
Select Classes
A list of all superclasses is provided. This list excludes obsolete and abstract classes.
Each row will contain the superclass name, the new class name, the new class group name, and a Create checkbox, which determines if a new class should be created.
The name of the new class is determined by the prefix and suffix settings you defined in the previous wizard page. The name can be edited here.
The group name is determined by the setting you defined in the previous wizard page and may also be edited here.
If you are not happy with the default choices for class and group names, you may go back to the previous tab page and make changes.
Clicking on any column will sort the classes by that column. Click a second time, and the sort order is reversed.
Buttons are provided to make the selection process easier.
Select All
This selects all classes.
Clear All
This clears all classes.
Toggle by Group Name
Often you will find that you want to select or deselect an entire group of classes. To do this, select a row in the grid and then press this button.
Of Special Note
- This page was designed to make it very easy to select and deselect classes. Make your choices carefully and avoid the temptation to subclass everything. These wizards will rarely be run and will usually only be run when you create a new workspace. It is worth spending a little extra time and getting things right.
- This wizard is not meant to be used as the primary method for creating new classes. The New Class option in the Create New Class tab page is better suited for this task. It is expected that the creation of new classes will be a very common occurrence and that classes will most often be created as needed. This wizard is not the best choice for that type of operation.