You can create your own customized component catalogs to store the RAD components you use most frequently. These catalogs let you combine components from several catalogs into a single catalog file. Whenever you need to create a new layout, your customized catalog file can provide all the components you need.

To create a catalog, click the New Catalog button in the toolbar of the Component Catalog window. Alternatively, choose New from the File menu, click the File tab at the top of the New window, and then select Component Catalog File in the File view. You see the window shown in Figure 13.13.

Type a name for your new catalog file in the File name field.

The Location field displays the full path to the folder in which the catalog file is saved. To change the current path, type a new path directly into the field. Alternatively, click the Set button to the right of the field to display a dialog box. Use the dialog box controls to navigate to a location on your hard disk where you want to save the project.

When you finish typing a name for the catalog and choosing a location in which to save that catalog, click OK in the New window. The IDE displays the Component Catalog window and adds the new catalog to the Catalog Pane, as shown in Figure 13.14.

To add a component to your new catalog, follow these steps:

1. Select an existing catalog with the component you wish to add.

For example, if you want to add the Java AWT Button component to your catalog, select AWT Components in the Catalog pane.

2. Select the component you wish to add from the Component pane.

In the example, you would select the Button component.

3. Drag and release the selected component onto your catalog.

In the example, you would drag the Button component onto MyCatalog in the Catalog pane, as shown in Figure 13.15. After you release the Button component, it is added to MyCatalog.

You can also add components to your catalog using the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands in the Edit menu and the Layout editor contextual menu. To use these commands, perform the following steps:

1. Select an existing catalog with the component you wish to add.

2. Select the component you wish to add from the Component pane.

3. Choose the Cut or Copy command.

4. Select the catalog to which you want to add the component.

5. Choose the Paste command.