Welcome to MegaPanel Setup.

NOTE:
If you are uprading from a previous version please read the notes at the end of this file. Also make a copy of your MEGAPANL.INI file. The setup program will replace this file but you can restore you old copy if you wish. The format of the entries in the MEGAPANL.INI file has changed but MegaPanel can detect and update the entries automatically at design time. There is also a new option to save entries to this file without manual editing.

This file is README.TXT and will be installed in the Delphi DOC directory.

If you are installing a combined 16/32 Bit distribution (ie; NOT a Shareware edition from Compuserve) then please note that the Setup program will only allow you to choose a single installation directory. This means that you will need to run the Setup program TWICE to install MegaPanel for Both Delphi V1.0 and Delphi V2.0.

Setup will delete any existing MegaPanel DCU and DCR files in your Delphi LIB directory to help avoid Version Mismatch problems. Also the old *.16 and *.32 files will be deleted and replaced with MEGAPANL.R16 and/or MEGAPANL.R32 files. This change is due to our switch to Triplex (get a copy its great ! and free !!).

The installation sub-directories are selected automatically by the Setup Program, based on the Delphi standard sub-directories. These will be sub-directories of your selected installation directory as follows:
	Source (.PAS and .INC) files are copied to the LIB directory.
	Interface (.INT) files are copied to the DOC directory.
	Control (.DCU) files are copied to the LIB directory.
	Resource (.R16 or .R32) files are copied to the LIB directory.
	Sample files are copied to the DEMOS\MEGAPANL directory.
	Database files are copied to the DEMOS\DATA directory.
	The help Keyword (.KWF) file is copied to the HELP directory.
	For Delphi V1.0 the Help (.HLP) file is copied to the BIN directory.
	For Delphi V2.0 the Help (.HLP) file is copied to the HELP directory.
	The MegaPanel INI file is copied to the WINDOWS directory (SEE BELOW).
	This README.TXT file is copied to the Delphi DOC directory.

After the installation is complete you will need to add the MEGAPANL and MEGAPROP files to your Delphi Component Library.

MAKE A BACKUP
Before installing ANY new component in the Component Library, it is always prudent to make a backup copy of the Component Library file, just in case something goes wrong and you need to revert to the old version.

If you have previously installed any version of MegaPanel then you only need to do a Library rebuild.

Otherwise:

If you are using the Source Code Edition add MEGAPANL.PAS and MEGAPROP.PAS to your Component Library.

If you are using the Component Only Edition or you are evaluating the Shareware Edition, add MEGAPANL.DCU and MEGAPROP.DCU to your Component Library.

These files are located in the LIB sub-directory as mentioned above.

NOTES
1). You may not have all of the file groups mentioned above depending on the version you purchased. For example there are no Source Code files included with the Component Only Edition of MegaPanel.
2). The sample project assumes that you installed the Delphi Sample Database files when you installed Delphi. If you did not install the sample database files then you will need to use the Delphi Installer to add them to your system. The sample code assumes that the database Alias for the sample database files is DBDEMOS.
3). You may also integrate the MEGAPANL.HLP file into the Delphi Help system. See the Help file for more information.


Notes for Users Upgrading to Version 3.0
To support some of the new features we were forced to change some properties, Sorry. These are as follows:

Changed PictureTransparent from boolean to TPictureTransparent
Changed LabelFocusEffect.Use:boolean to LabeFocusEffect.Effect:TEffect 
Changed TAutoCenter to TAutoCent = (acControls, acLabels, acPanels); TAutoCenter = set of TAutoCent;
Changed CtlShadow.UseShadow:boolean to CtlShadow.Style:TColorStyle

Because of these changes you will get error messages if you load a form using the old values. You will need to edit any DFM file that uses these changed properties using the Delphi IDE, that is properties not at their default value. For example AutoCenter = acControls would need to be changed to AutoCenter = [acControls] or AutoCenter = acControlsAndLabels to AutoCenter = [acControls, acLabels]. Alternatively remove any references to the changed proerties in the DFM files by deleteing the line from the D

FM file and load your project. The values will then assume their defaults without any error messages. You can the use the Object Inspector to set the desired values and save the project.
Details of the declaration of all properties, including theses chamges, can be found in either the MEGAPANL.HLP file or the MEGAPANL.INT file which is installed automatically in the Delphi DOC directory.


Version 3 include the following improvements:
Speed improvements on loading and message handling
Major rework of PanelForm code with extensive new support and new properties
Major rework of Resizing for perfect infinite scaling of controls and fonts
Major rework of Child Control hooking and removal of child control window hook dependancy
Added mixed Panel/Control Labels allowed in any panel
Added new Picture Strip and Stretch Styles
Added new Picture X and Y Offset values
Added CaptionPicture (and associated properties) which can overlay normal panel Picture
Added Simple or Full transparency for both pictures
Added TPictureTransparent:(ptNone, ptSimple, ptFull) will require changes to DFM files as noted above
Added Live Mouse Over effect (a bit like internet explorer buttons)
Added Control Color Change focus effect
Added automatic button clicking for button Accelerators
Added PanelFormDesignView:TDesignView to allow runtime PanelForm emulation
Added PanelFormAlign:TAlign to allow placement of PanelForm just like a Panel control
Added Runtime Read/Write PanelForm property for direct access to PanelForm
Added Caption Area to Component Menu information lines
Added rcPictureOffsets to control resizing options
Added AutoCentering option to include/exclude Panel descendant controls
Added TColorStyle = (csOpaque, csDithered, csTransparent, csAND, csOR, csNAND, csNOR, csXOR); for color background special effects
Added Color Style for Panel Background Colors
Added Color Style for Caption Background Colors
Added Color Style for Label Background Colors
Added Color Style for Control Shadows
Added Color Style for Focus Effect Background Colors
Added ColorControlLabel to override label text color for lsInControl labels
Added ColorControlLabelBkgnd to override label text background color for lsInControl labels
Added LabelType for normal labels from Hint properties or Auto generated labels from Control Names
Added extra Classfixups for InControl and InPanel Label and FocusEffect overrides
Added checkbox to Class Fixup Editor for Auto Add Fixups at design time
Added checkbox to Class Fixup Editor for Cleanup of Fixups at design time
Added save default class fixups button to Class Fixups Editor
Added read only Scaling Factor properties
Added runtime reading and setting of Key fixups on a control by control basis
Added runtime reading and setting of Class Fixups on a control by control basis
Added ClipChildControls property to control use of WS_CLIPCHILDREN window style
Added automatic changing of WS_CLIPCHILDREN for transparent windows
Added support for PanelForm Active Control. It is automatically given the focus the first time the form is displayed
Added OnAutoCenter event
Added OnRescale event
Added OnPanelFormShow event
Added OnPanelFormHide event
Added OnPanelFormActivated event
Added OnPanelFormDeActivated event
Added OnPanelFormDestroying event
Improved Hot Key Handling, may use same hot keys in different MegaPanels eg; for Page Control Pages
Enhanced Hint Editor to allow for mixed Panel/Caption labels
Labels are now updated at design time when a control's Hint property is changed
Invisible controls are now ignored in AutoCenter calculations
Removal of most of the Windows 16/32Bit specific code, still some Delphi stuff
Changed the MEGAPANL.16 and MEGAPANL.32 files to MEGAPANL.R16 and MEGAPANL.R32 for compatibility with Triplex


The following Bugs have been fixed in Version 3:
Removal of artifact of lsInPanel labels caused under certain conditions
Fixed ParentFont property problem which caused fonts not to change when a new caption or label font was selected
Fixed Divider calculation to allow for clInsideFrame style captions
Enabled/Disabled Label color now tracks parent control status


Cheers and Happy Paneling, Steve Flynn
