Gray out a disabled button

[danh]

How do I make a disabled button look disabled? I am using the command; topparent:btnNotes.disable() to disable it, and it works, but it doesn't change the way it looks. I would like it to look grayed out. What's the trick?

Thanks, Dan

[Doug Page]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Look in the help index for "Button" and under the list for "Properties". Or...

http://support.alphasoftware.com/alp...Properties.htm

There you will find all the different ways you can affect a button.

[danh]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

I've looked at all that. So I take it there is no easy "trick" to it... I'm going to have to roll up my sleeves and go to work if that is what I want. I was just hoping there was something simple that I was missing. I am surprised thats not built-in. I could do it 15 years ago in Access:)!! Come on Alpha!

Dan

[Doug Page]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

The nice thing about doing it this way is that you can make it look any way you want. Some want it different colors and some just "hide" it so that it appears to be gone. Plain and boring we can leave to Access. I like the ability to have it my way!

:formname.controlname.object.enabled = .F. <-- You have this already
:formname.controlname.font.color = "Gray-25" <-- You have to add this

Doesn't seem too difficult!

[MikeC]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Might be something to ask for in the Wishlist forum--to have an option to check that would automatically create a default "gray-out" of a disabled field/button/etc.. That way we can have it both ways! Simple(r) and Custom.

[danh]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

:formname.controlname.font.color = "Gray-25"

Doug, that would be great if it was just that simple. But what do you do about fly-over affects? We need a simple way to temporarily disable those so the button stays looking disabled even when the mouse is moved over it. Maybe I am missing something.

[gmeredith17]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Dan - I agree with you but with a little work you can get the effect you want.

You can put something like the code below in the onflyover and onflyoverleave events. Obviously it is down to you decide on the colours you want to use.

DIM SHARED button_mode AS C
button_mode = parentform:Button1.object.enabled

if button_mode="T" then 
	this.border.color = "-L10System-ThreeDShadow"	  
	this.fill.color = "-L5System-ButtonFace"	.
	this.fill.accent_color = "+L5System-ButtonHighlight"	

	else
	
	this.border.color = "-L10System-ThreeDShadow"	
	this.fill.color = "gray-25"	'
	this.fill.accent_color = "+L5System-ButtonHighlight"

end if

[MikeC]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

If you are to do this for many buttons/fields/etc., I would suggest creating a UDF of this script so that if changed you only have to change the function that is called and not every script. Much, MUCH less maintenance!! And if you want different colors for various buttons/fields....well that could be incorporated into the function as an argument .

[gmeredith17]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Good idea Mike.

I've attached my attempt at this and would welcome others opinions, improvements or methods for achieving this as I'm sure it is a common enough requirement.

I've only tested it with buttons so the functions may need tweaking with other objects.

[MikeC]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Hi Geoff,
Got back to this finally and took a few minutes to add to your functions...actually just made it into one function (ob_enable() )with an additional addin_help() function that if run prior will usually bring up the color picker for making choices....the addin_help() function can be placed in an autoexec or the addin folder as well.

I only used it for a button on the sample form as well so more testing would be necessary as you stated for other objects.

EDIT LATER:I made everything except for the first argument, which is for the object name, default to ".T." for enabling and "" for color. That way a value does not have to be placed in any argument but the first if so desired.

[gmeredith17]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Thanks Mike - very much appreciated.

additional addin_help() function that if run prior will usually bring up the color picker for making choices....the addin_help() function can be placed in an autoexec or the addin folder as well.

I can't seem to get this to work and seem to be having a bad 'help file' day. Any tips or guides to getting it to work? I haven't created aex files or addins before so starting from ground zero.

I made everything except for the first argument, which is for the object name, default to ".T." for enabling and "" for color. That way a value does not have to be placed in any argument but the first if so desired.

Thanks for that I wondered how it was done.

[MikeC]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Geoff,
I got a bit tied up so just got on the board now...

The easiest way I get the addin.function_argument_help() functions to work is to make them into a function themselves as I did with the addin_help() UDF I made and then placing this function into the autoexec of the database I am using--that way the addin.function_argument_help() functions run on startup. Or have had decent luck creating an AEX from a database with an empty Code tab so that the only functions in the AEX are these help functions...this AEX then in placed in the "addins_installed" folder of your Alpha install folder (has been relocated in some versions so have to find it!! :) ). The AEX files in this folder are also run on startup.

Until you are used to it, it can be a PITA to do....but especially in this function it is nice to have the dropdown color-picker as you can then choose or even make your own color choices instead of doing so elsewhere and then typing it into the function.

[gmeredith17]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Thanks Mike.

[Bob Whitaker]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

Another approach is to put the buttons inside a conditional object.

It would be great if there was a disable option in a buttons properties that automatically greyed it out.

Perhaps you should add it to the wish list !

Bob

[danh]

Re: Gray out a disabled button

In the examples, the flyover affects still change the look of the button, even after it's disabled. I tried a similar approach and got the fly-over effects disabled, but ran into problems when using topparent.new_record() (unrelated function). It wouldn't go to the new record. Not sure why, didn't dig into it very far, but...

Here's another approach... see attached, far right buttons.

Essentially, it's putting another button on top (or underneath) of the button you want to disable, and setting the colors to the look you want, un-checking the fly-over effects, and then hiding one and showing the other. It takes another object, but very little coding.

Again, this works for buttons, not sure about other objects.

I agree this should be built-in, and would have thought it would have been addressed long ago. I would suggest another check box under fly-over affects in properties to check and then select the look you want when it's disabled.

Dan