Using Models

As previously explained, models access and distribute data to controls which then display that data. A simple example of how models and controls work together is populating a List Box with color choices. This is something you might do to let a user select the colors for a pie chart. You could add by hand to the List Box each of the standard SAS colors: Black, Blue, Brown, Cyan, Gray, Green, Magenta, Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow. Or you could associate a Color List model with the List Box, and have the List Box populated for you.

Just as people can only communicate through a common language, certain models only work with certain controls. The following table lists the controls and models that SAS/AF software provides, and which controls and models can be used together. Within each row of the table, any control on the left can be used with any model on the right.

For models and controls that are designed to work with each other, all you need to do is connect them and they automatically communicate with each other. To connect models and controls at build time, simply drag a model onto a control when you are designing the frame, and SAS/AF sets the connection for you. You can also connect a model and a control manually, by setting the control's model attribute in the Properties window.

The example later in this document uses the following models: Catalog Entry List, Library List, and the Variable Values List.