Using the Step Property for Multi-Page AutoPilot Dialogs

A multi-page dialog can display different sets of controls in the same dialog. Each set of controls is sometimes referred to as a "page." OpenOffice.org frequently refers to multi-page dialogs as AutoPilot dialogs because they are frequently used to guide you through some process. At each step in the process, a different set of controls is displayed in the same dialog. For example, OOo comes with an ImportWizard macro library. The Main() subroutine in the Main module opens a dialog that assists in converting multiple documents. The first page (or step) allows you to select what document types will be imported. The second page (or step) allows you to select the directory that contains the documents to import.

The dialog model contains the Step property, which tells the dialog the current step in the process. If the dialog's Step property is set to zero, the default value, then the dialog displays every control. The model for every control that the dialog contains, also supports the Step property. In a control, the Step property is used to determine at which step the control is displayed. If a control's Step property is zero, the control is displayed for every step. A Cancel button is likely to be displayed at every step, for example.