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Build a command toolbar

Expose frequent commands and report their result in a StatusBar.

1 Form / control designs1 complete BASIC filesGuided sample project

Toolbar items are commands, not separate Forms. Keep labels, enabled states and the selected item consistent. A status bar is useful for nonblocking confirmation; do not use it as the only indication of an error that prevents an operation.

Step 1Prepare a safe practice project#

Extract the archive into a new writable folder, separate from your own application. Open ToolBar.mcbproj in McBasic™. Keep every declared source, layout, resource and migration file together.

To reconstruct it yourself, create a DesktopApp project and add the files declared below. In the complete project, follow these steps as a guided rebuild: replace each named source file once and Check after all its procedures are present.

Exact project configuration
project.mcproj
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "projectId": "d8cb2c8c-79cc-4c7b-a7e8-0f1d0f8e30d2",
  "name": "ToolBarSample",
  "kind": "DesktopApp",
  "ai": {
    "storeChatsInProject": false
  },
  "language": {
    "dialect": "McBasic1",
    "requireExplicit": true,
    "compare": "Binary",
    "defaultArrayBase": 0
  },
  "application": {
    "bundleIdentifier": "com.mcbasic.samples.toolbar",
    "version": "0.1.0",
    "buildNumber": "1",
    "startupFormId": "form-main",
    "shutdownMode": "OnStartupFormClosed"
  },
  "forms": [
    {
      "id": "form-main",
      "typeName": "frmMain",
      "layout": "Forms/frmMain.form.json",
      "code": "Forms/frmMain.bas"
    }
  ],
  "modules": [],
  "classes": [],
  "tests": [],
  "references": [],
  "resources": [],
  "targets": [
    "osx-arm64"
  ],
  "capabilities": []
}

Step 2Build the Form and set its properties#

frmMain

Select the Form first and set its properties. Add containers before their children. These are initial Designer values, not statements to paste into a procedure.

Form propertyValue
Caption"ToolBar — McBasic"
Width600
Height360
MinWidth480
MinHeight280
TypeNameParent
ToolBartbMainForm
StatusBarstaMainForm
CommandButtoncmdCloseForm
tbMain · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top42
Width504
Height38
Items"New\nOpen\nSave"
ClickedIndex-1
TabIndex0
Anchor edgesLeft, Right, Top
staMain · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top292
Width504
Height26
Text"Ready"
TabIndex1
Anchor edgesLeft, Right, Bottom
cmdClose · exact Inspector values
PropertyValue
Left48
Top120
Width120
Height36
Caption"Close"
TabIndex2
Anchor edgesLeft, Top

Step 3Connect the events explicitly#

frmMain

ObjectEventProcedureParameters
tbMainClicktbMain_ClickClick()
cmdCloseClickcmdClose_ClickClick()
FormLoadForm_Load()

Step 4Enter the complete behavior#

Open the named source file. Enter declarations first, then every procedure. Expand a procedure for its full body, or copy the complete file. Helpers are required: do not stop after entering the first Click handler.

Forms/frmMain.bas

Enter these declarations at file scope, before the procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · declarations
Option Explicit
Private Sub Form_Load()

Initialize state before enabling dependent actions. Keep the shared declarations and startup dependencies with this procedure.

Forms/frmMain.bas · Form_Load
Private Sub Form_Load()
    staMain.Text = "Ready"
End Sub
Private Sub tbMain_Click()

Enter the complete action, including its input checks and calls to helper procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · tbMain_Click
Private Sub tbMain_Click()
    staMain.Text = "Toolbar item " & CStr(tbMain.ClickedIndex + 1) & " clicked."
End Sub
Private Sub cmdClose_Click()

Enter the complete action, including its input checks and calls to helper procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas · cmdClose_Click
Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub
Copy the complete Forms/frmMain.bas file

Replace the file once; do not append duplicate procedures.

Forms/frmMain.bas
Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()
    staMain.Text = "Ready"
End Sub

Private Sub tbMain_Click()
    staMain.Text = "Toolbar item " & CStr(tbMain.ClickedIndex + 1) & " clicked."
End Sub

Private Sub cmdClose_Click()
    Unload Me
End Sub

Step 5Keep resources and storage reproducible#

No external resource or migration files are declared. Any inline migration, seed data or local JSON is present in the code above. Runtime application data and private preferences are not included in the archive.

Step 6Check, run and test the result#

Save all files and run Check. Resolve diagnostics before Run. Developer CLI users can work from the extracted folder:

Developer CLI
mcbasic check ToolBar.mcbproj
mcbasic run ToolBar.mcbproj

Acceptance checklist

  • Activate each configured toolbar command.
  • Check the status bar response.
  • Navigate the toolbar using the keyboard where supported.

Step 7Make one change and repeat the tests#

Disable a command when its precondition is false and verify it cannot run.

Save a working Git checkpoint first. Change one behavior, Check again and repeat the acceptance checklist. Compare with the downloaded solution if a regression appears.

Source baseline 20f4bfed6b · Build manifest