Changing the layout of widgets

You can use either of the following two methods to change the layout of widgets in XUI files:

Using the context menu to change the layout of widgets

The context menu displays when you right-click the XUI editor area.

As shown in Figure 1, the Combine function in the context menu enables you to merge placeholders. If you want to merge placeholders, press Shift and select the placeholders that you want to merge. Right-click the selected placeholders, and then click Combine.
Figure 1. Using the Combine function to merge placeholders
Using the Combine function to merge placeholders.
The Split function in the context menu enables you to split a placeholder. If you want to split a placeholder, right-click the placeholder that you want to split, and then click Split.
Figure 2. Splitting a placeholder.
Splitting a placeholder.

When you copy or cut and paste a widget, all the properties of the widget are also copied or cut and pasted. Note that a widget can be pasted only to a placeholder; it cannot be pasted outside a placeholder.

You can copy or cut and paste more than one widget at a time; however, if more than one widget is copy or cut, they can be pasted only to placeholders with the same structure. For example, as shown in Figure 3, if you want to copy and paste two widgets that are adjacent to each other, you can paste the two widgets only to placeholders that are also adjacent to each other.
Figure 3. Copying and pasting more than one widget.
Copying and pasting more than one widget.

If you want to delete a widget or placeholder element, right-click the element and then click Delete. To delete more than one widget or placeholder element at a time, press Shift and select the elements that you want to delete. Right-click the selected elements, and then click Delete.

To delete an entire row or column, use the Delete row or the Delete column function in the context menu as shown in Figure 4. Note that when you click Delete row or Delete column, both cells that contain widgets and empty placeholders are deleted in the row or column.
Figure 4. Deleting a row by using the context menu

Using the Outline view to change the layout of widgets

As shown in Figure 5, you can use the context menu in the Outline view to delete widgets, and to copy, cut, and paste widgets to placeholders.

You can also change the position of widgets in an XUI file by dragging and dropping widgets to placeholders as shown in Figure 6.

To use a keyboard shortcut to copy and paste widgets, select the widget that you want to copy and press Ctrl+C, and then select the placeholder that you want to paste the widget to and press Ctrl+V.

Note: If you are using the Outline view to copy, cut, and paste widgets, the widgets can be pasted only to empty placeholders.
Figure 5. Copying, cutting, and pasting widgets to placeholders by using the context menu in the Outline view.
Copying, cutting, and pasting widgets to placeholders by using the context menu in the Outline view.
Figure 6. Dragging and dropping widgets to placeholders in the Outline view.
Dragging and dropping widgets to placeholders in the Outline view.