TApplication.Hint Property

Specifies the text string that appears in the Help Hint box.

Pascal

property Hint: string;

C++

__property AnsiString Hint;

Description

TApplication's Hint property is assigned the Hint value of the control or menu item that the mouse is currently moving over. It can also be assigned a string value that informs the user of some action, error, or other type of information. Therefore, use Hint either to:

Transfer hints from controls to another area of display, such as a status bar, using the OnHint event handler. This reads the Hint property.

Indicate the status of the application while it is processing some action. This sets the Hint property.

Help Hints appear when the OnHint event occurs. Therefore, if TApplication's Hint property is assigned to the status bar's caption, for example, the caption of the status bar control displays the current string value of the Hint property during an OnHint event.

There are two parts to the Hint string: short and long. Short hints are used by pop-up tool tips. Long hints are used by the status bar, separated by the | character. Use the global functions GetShortHint and GetLongHint, from the Controls unit to extract the long and short hints from a hint string.

Note: When setting Hint to a message informing the user of an event occurring in the application, remember that, by default, the Hint string is reset to a control's Hint when the mouse cursor moves over a control.

C++ Examples:

Copy Code

/*
This example uses an edit box and a list box on a form.  
Items are added to the list box and a Help Hint is assigned 
to both controls. The last statement enables the Help Hints
for the entire application.
*/
void __fastcall TForm1::FormCreate(TObject *Sender)
{
  Edit1->Hint = "Enter your name";
  Edit1->ShowHint = true;

  char string[10];
  char index[3];
  for(int i = 1; i <= 10; i++)
  {
    strcpy(string, "Item");
    itoa(i, index, 10);
    strcat(string, index);
    ListBox1->Items->Add(string);
  }
  ListBox1->Hint = "Select an item";
  ListBox1->ShowHint = true;
  Application->ShowHint = true;
}
/*
Note: To see an example that displays the hints of controls
in some place other than in a Help Hint box, see the OnHint
example.
*/

Copy Code

/*
Note:   It is not actually necessary to write an OnHint
event handler to display hints on the status bar. This can
be accomplished more simply by setting the status bar’s
AutoHint property and SimplePanel property.
This shows how the OnHint event handler is declared as a
public method of the form.
*/

/*
Here is the code to add to the unit file.  It provides the
implementation of the DisplayHint method and assigns it to
the Application in the form’s OnCreate event handler.
Note:   It is not actually necessary to write an OnHint event
handler to display hints on the status bar. This can be
accomplished more simply by setting the status bar’s AutoHint
property.
*/
void __fastcall TForm1::DisplayHint(TObject *Sender)
{
  StatusBar1->SimpleText = GetLongHint(Application->Hint);
}

// Here is the form’s OnCreate event handler.
// It assigns the application’s OnHint event handler at
// runtime because the Application is not available in the
// Object Inspector
void __fastcall TForm1::FormCreate(TObject *Sender)
{
  Application->OnHint = DisplayHint;
}

Delphi Examples:

Copy Code

{
This example uses an edit box and a list box on a form.  
Items are added to the list box and a Help Hint is assigned 
to both controls. The last statement enables the Help Hints
for the entire application.
} 
procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
  I: Integer;
begin
  Edit1.Hint := 'Enter your name';
  Edit1.ShowHint := True;
  with ListBox1 do
  begin
    for I := 1 to 10 do
      Items.Add('Item ' + IntToStr(I));
    Hint := 'Select an item';
    ShowHint := True;
  end;
  Application.ShowHint := True;
end;
{
Note: To see an example that displays the hints of controls
in some place other than in a Help Hint box, see the OnHint
example.
}

Copy Code

{
Note:   It is not actually necessary to write an OnHint
event handler to display hints on the status bar. This can
be accomplished more simply by setting the status bar’s
AutoHint property and SimplePanel property.
This shows how the OnHint event handler is declared as a
public method of the form.
}
type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    Button1: TButton;
    StatusBar1: TStatusBar;
    Edit1: TEdit;
    procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    procedure DisplayHint(Sender: TObject);
  end;
var
  Form1: TForm1;
implementation
{$R *.dfm}

{ Here is the implementation of the OnHint event handler }
{ It displays the application’s current hint in the status bar }
procedure TForm1.DisplayHint(Sender: TObject);
begin
  StatusBar1.SimpleText := GetLongHint(Application.Hint);
end;
{ Here is the form’s OnCreate event handler. }
{ It assign’s the application’s OnHint event handler at runtime }
{ because the Application is not available in the Object Inspector }
{ at design time }
procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  Application.OnHint := DisplayHint;
end;