Instantiate a control using macros

All controls can be build via their constructors, but also via some specialized macros that are meant to ease setting up a controller. The general format is as follows: controller!("<parameter_list>"), where the controller! is a specialized macro (for example button!) and the parameter_list is a json-like/python-like format, form out of:

• positional parameters - for example in this case: "10,20,30" has three positional parameters 10, 20 and 30
• named parameters - are parameters described using a name and a value. The usual format is name:value but name=value is also supported.

All parameters are separated one from onether using , or ;. The overall format of a parameter list is:

PostionalParam-1, ... PostionalParam-n, NamedParam-1,  ... NamedParam-m

Both positional parameters and named parameters are optionally. Their order however it is not. Positional parameters (if used) should always be placed before named parameters.

Values

The values used as parameters can be:

• regula word (ex: align:center)
• numerical values (ex: x=10or y=-2)
• percentages (ex: width:10% or height=25%)
• strings - a string can be separated between douple quotes or single quotes and can contain new lines (ex: "..." or '...'). If both a single quote and a double quote has to be used in a string, three consecuitev double or single quotes can be used (ex: """...""" or '''...''')
• list of values - obtained using [ and ] characters. The general format is [value-1, value-2, ... value-n] - ex: [10,20,30] is a list with three values 10,20 and 30.
• another parameter list - obtained using [ and ] characters. The general format is {parameter list} - for example the following syntax point={x:10,y:20} translates into parameter point being defined as a set of two parameters x with value 10 and y with value 20.
• flags - flags are a meta interpretation for the previously described parameters. It can be a regular word / string or a list of values. If using a word you can separate flags using one of the following characters: | and +. Aditionally when using a strings, spaces, , and ; cand also be used as a separator. When using a list of values, each one of the values is a separate flag. For example the following declarations are equivalent:
  • flags=[flag1,flag2]
  • flags=flag1+flag2
  • flags=flag1|flag2
  • flags="flags1,flags2"
  • flags="flags1;flags2"
  • flags="flags1 flags2"

Common parameters

All controls have a set of common parameters that are required for layout or to change some of their states (such as visibility or if a control is enabled - can receive input).