Getting shape to show up on a form during runtime [closed] - delphi

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Closed 10 years ago.
I have a button and when clicked, i would like for a TMachine (aka TShape) to show up on the form. Currenty i get no errors, but it never shows up on the form.
Code for button click
procedure TfDeptLayout.bAddMachineClick(Sender: TObject);
var
machine: TMachine;
shapeAsset,
shapeShape,
shapeNumber,
shapeName: string;
begin
if not OkToAdd() then
begin
ShowMessage('Please fill out form correctly!');
Exit;
end;
ShapeAsset := Edit2.text;
ShapeShape := Combobox1.Text;
ShapeNumber := Edit3.Text;
ShapeName := Edit1.Text;
if sub = false then
begin
machine := TMachine.Create(self);
machine.Parent := Self;
machine.PlaceShape(0, FDB.GetWW(ShapeShape), FDB.GethW(ShapeShape),
'20', '20', ShapeName, ShapeNumber, ShapeAsset)
//show save button
//lockout add machine button
//let user place machine top / left.
//save all locations
//save top and left for each tmachine to database
//lockout save button
//show add machine button
end;
if sub then
ShowMessage('auto save form');
ShowMessage('congrats you added a machine');
end;
if needed i can show the TMachine unit?..
type
TMachine = class(TShape)
private
FOnMouseEnter: TNotifyEvent;
procedure CMMouseEnter(var Message: TMessage); message CM_MOUSEENTER;
protected
procedure DoMouseEnter; virtual;
published
property OnMouseEnter: TNotifyEvent Read FOnMouseEnter write FOnMouseEnter;
public
mnName: string;
mnAsset: string;
mnNumber: string;
mnIsPanel: string;
mnBasicName: string;
mnLShape: string;
procedure PlaceShape(AM, sizeW, sizeH: Integer; ptop, pleft, name, order,
asset: string);
end;
implementation
uses
deptlayout;
procedure TMachine.CMMouseEnter(var Message: TMessage);
begin
DoMouseEnter;
inherited;
end;
procedure TMachine.DoMouseEnter;
begin
if Assigned(FOnMouseEnter) then
FOnMouseEnter(Self);
end;
procedure TMachine.PlaceShape(AM, sizeW, sizeH: Integer; ptop, pleft, name,
order, asset: string);
var
myLabel: TLabel;
begin
if ptop = '0' then
Top := 136
else
Top := StrToInt(ptop);
Width := sizeW;
Height := sizeH;
if pleft = '0' then
Left := MyDataModule.fDB.LastX + 2 //set left
else
Left := StrToInt(pleft);
MyDataModule.fDB.lastx := Left + sizeW;
if AM = 1 then //if in edit mode..
begin
//create label put inside the shape.
myLabel := TLabel.Create(FDeptLayout);
mylabel.Parent := FDeptLayout;
mylabel.Left := Left;
mylabel.Top := Top + 8;
mylabel.Caption := '#' + mnNumber;
end;
end;
end.

Answer 1

Of course it doesn't work!
The code that adds the machine is inside if not OkToAdd() then, so it will only run if not OkToAdd. BUT! Even if this is the case, you Exit before you run the code! Hence, the code will never run!
Probably you mean it to be like this:
if not OkToAdd then
begin
ShowMessage('Please fill out form correctly!');
Exit;
end; //END!!!!!!

Answer 2

To summarise my comments above:
Change the refer to fDeptLayout to Self, as you have done in your edit:
procedure TfDeptLayout.bAddMachineClick(Sender: TObject);
var
machine : TMachine;
shapeAsset,
shapeShape,
shapeNumber,
shapeName : string;
begin
if not OkToAdd() then
begin
showmessage('Please fill out form correctly!');
Exit;
End;
shapeAsset := edit2.text;
ShapeShape := Combobox1.Text;
ShapeNumber := Edit3.Text;
ShapeName := Edit1.Text;
if sub = false then
begin
machine := TMachine.Create(self);
machine.Parent := Self;
machine.PlaceShape(0,FDB.GetWW(ShapeShape),FDB.GethW(ShapeShape),'20','20',ShapeName,ShapeNumber,ShapeAsset)
//show save button
//lockout add machine button
//let user place machine top / left.
//save all locations
//save top and left for each tmachine to database
//lockout save button
//show add machine button
end;
if sub then
showmessage('auto save form');
showmessage('congrats you added a machine');
end;
To avoid confusion in future, delete the global form variables that the Delphi IDE creates for all but the main form, and any other autocreated forms - they are rarely if ever needed, and "pollute the namespace"

Answer 3

Unknown why this solved it, but after trying to find the parent for Machine by putting
showmessage('Machine Parent: '+Machine.parent.name);
it was giving access errors.
Deleted
Machine.parent := self;
Compile, build. Then reaadded
Machine.parent := self;
and everything worked.