TABSTOPS Property

PLBCMP GUI Only

The TABSTOPS property defines tab locations within the DATALIST. The property uses the following format:

TABSTOPS={value}

Note the following:

TABSTOPS may be used in CREATE, SETPROP, or GETPROP statements of a DATALIST object.
{tabs} is a string variable or literal that contains a series of tab values separated by semi-colons.
The tab values are based on the current units within the bounds of the DATALIST. The minimum tab value is two (2) and each specified tab must be greater than the previous tab.
A single tab value of zero clears all tabs and eliminates all tabbing.
When a tab character (0x9) is found in an item in the DATALIST, the next character displayed is tabbed to the next tab position.
If a data field overruns the defined tab position, the tabbing occurs at the next tab position.
If a tab character is encountered after all tab positions, Windows defaults to a predetermined position based on eight (8) times the average character width for the font used in the DATALIST.
Tab positions are relative to the left margin of the DATALIST.
Setting new tabs completely replaces the old tab settings.
The tabs are returned if data is retrieved using GETITEM for an item that has tabs in it.
If {value} begins with a '@' character, it indicates the type of tab stop value calculations performed as follows:

Type	Identifies that the values supplied in the {value} string should be…
@	sent as the tab stop values unchanged. This means that the values being sent to Windows must be Dialog Units.

If the {value} does not start with '@', the runtime uses the tab stop values and performs a default calculation into Dialog Units using the following equation. The {avgCharWidth} is the average character width for the current font of the DATALIST.

{DU} = ( {pos} * 4 ) / {avgCharWidth}
The tab stop values supplied in {value} string can be specified as negative value by using a leading minus sign (-) before the tab stop value. When a negative value is specified, the data is right justified at the tab value position.
All tab stop values are processed and presented to Windows in an ascending absolute value order.