Applying transparent or opaque backstyles to controls

The backstyle governs whether the background of the control is transparent or opaque.

• The transparent backstyle allows you to see what is behind the control.

• The opaque backstyle covers what is behind the control. It also allows the fill color of the control to be seen.

For examples of backstyles, refer to the Formatting Documents chapter of the Document Creation Help.

You can set the backstyle on the following types of controls:

• Grid/Graph containers and title bars

  The backstyle applies to any part of the Grid/Graph object that the actual grid or graph does not cover. For example, the grid can be smaller than the Grid/Graph container.

• Panel stack containers, title bars, and panels

• Rectangles and rounded rectangles

• Selector containers and title bars

• Text fields

Prerequisite

This procedure assumes you have already created one of the controls listed above.

To change the backstyle

1. Open the document to be formatted in the Document Editor. How?

2. Select the control to be formatted.

   If you working with a panel stack, the backstyle is applied to the current panel only. To change the backstyle of a different panel, change the current panel before accessing the Format Objects dialog box.

3. From the Format menu, select Format. The Format Objects dialog box opens.

4. If you are formatting a Grid/Graph, panel stack, or selector, select either Container or Title in the object list on the left.

5. Click the Background tab.

6. Select one of the following options in Background style:

   • Transparent, to view what is behind the control

   • Opaque, to display the fill color of the control

7. Click OK to return to the document.

You can also change the backstyle using the Property List. You cannot change the backstyle settings of title bars using the Property List; you must use the Format Objects dialog box.