Action Scripting sequence

[russ Boehle]

I am playing aroung with action scripting in v5 beta build 1147. To go from one menu to another i am using the sequence:
close current form
open new formactivate
position

Aside from the fact that the position doesn't work, which I assume is not done, there is an awful lot of flicker. Does anyone have a way to do this without the flicker?

It seems like there should be a ui_freeze() in action scripting but I don't see it. Am I missing something? I know I can convert it to xbasic but then it's not action scripting anymore.

Russ

[Ken L Herrold]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Russ:

As One A4 guy to another I too, have seen and been concerned by the flickers you mention. I have noticed in each successive new beta version, however, the flicker seems less. In a previous message, one of the other testers suggested that a slow machine might show these more. I agree but am annoyed with the flicker at my processor speed PIII of 1 gig. Looking over my current clients hardware, it would be really hard to get some of them even into 4.5 because of the screen draw times.

We have to give up the 'snap' we're used to in DOS screen draws but other Windows DB apps don't 'flicker'. I'm sure that the developers are addressing this. Really Russ, its great that Alpha is even allowing us to watch the progress of each build.

What say?

Ken

[Steve Dentler]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Other than a few million minor facts, there's nothing I don't about forms that flicker; here are some things that will help you achieve a flicker-free lifestyle:

1. Solid objects flicker less - don't use the transparent background.

2. Buttons always have to be solid.

3. Disregard 1 above pursuant to frames on tabs - use a transparent background only on the frame.

4. Ui_freeze usually makes things worse.

5. Some buttons will bleed through tab pages. I would expect A5 to fix this before the release. If they don't, you can fix it by making your own icons (get a free download), converting the ico to a bitmap file format and put that bitmap on your button. It will repaint perfectly. Actually, I do this anyway, A5's bitmaps are, shall we say, a little parochial.

6. Tabbed objects are still your biggest concern. Experiment between transparent objects and solid objects. Solid "almost" always wins.

7. Now, see if you can A5 to get check boxes and combo boxes to accept event-handling, color equations, and stop flashing the form borders and I'll owe you.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Russ,

Apparently vers 5 will leave vers 4 custom toolbars and custom menus alone, until you ok conversion. While unconverted the vers 4 custom menus and toolbars must be translated before they're displayed. This takes time and creates flicker. Try converting them to see if it makes a difference. Be forewarned, once converted they're unintelligible to vers 4.

Depending on what build you have you can convert them by opening each in design mode and re-saving it with vers 5. The latest build will prompt you for conversion and handle it automatically, I believe.

I also think some of the flicker may perhaps be related to the speed of your system. On slower equipment these things are more noticeable.

-- tom

[whanigsberg]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

>>I also think some of the flicker may perhaps be related to the speed of your system. On slower equipment these things are more noticeable.

A good reason to develop, or at least test, with slower equipment. You can tinker with the parameters and see the difference easier.

As to the original sequence of events that started this thread, I wonder if it would make a difference if Russ opened the new form before closing the current one. I haven't experimented with this in 5.

Bill

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

A5V5 is slower opening and closing forms that v4.5. But, on a relatively fast computer (over 1 ghz), the difference is not really annoying. Tom is correct about menus and toolbars. The speed difference after conversion is very noticeable. If anything, flicker is improved from previous versions. I have an app in v4.5 with a number of buttons on a main menu. In v4.5 the screen repaints a number of times when opened, causing the buttons to flicker a number of times, and is very annoying. A5V5, opens slightly slower but the buttons do not flicker.

One way thing to try which seems to make slow opening less annoying is to use :form.load() instead of form.view() This has a different effect as the form is loaded before it shows.

Instead of

:Form.view("yourform")

use

frm = :Form.load("yourform")
frm.show()
frm.activate()

Jerry

[russ Boehle]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

All good ideas and I will probably do something like this. The point though is that having no time, I wouldlike to do trivial stuff like opening and closing forms with action scripting. There should be no reason to touch xbasic for this.
Perhaps there needs to be an action scripting script to close one form and open another that's optimized by Selwyn or Cian so these problems are minimized. I think we all probably spend a lot of time just switching forms on the screen so this would help.

Russ

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Russ,

Are you certain it's not there already. I note that one of the available options when using Action Scripting in Version to open a new form is to keep the called form hidden, to be opened by a subsequent action scripting command... Won't that suffice?

-- tom

[russ Boehle]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Sounds like that should do. I'll check it out.

Thanks

Russ

[russ Boehle]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

THis seems to eliminate all the flicker as far as I can tell. It would seem that the action script should do something like this??

ui_freeze(.t.)
parentform.close()
:Form.view("Menu_Personnel")
Menu_Personnel.maximize()
ui_freeze(.f.)


Russ

[whanigsberg]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

UI_Freeze sometimes has its own problems so use it with circumspection.

One thing would be to complete your application and then add in ui_freeze commands so you can easily test for undesired effects.

Bill

[russ Boehle]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Thanks Bill,
That sounds like a good idea. by the way what problems have you seen with ui_freeze?


Russ

[whanigsberg]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

It sometimes works tool well, freezing events from occuring which you would prefer to keep working. More than this I don't remember although I think a search would turn up the discussion.

But if you get everything working first before throwing it on at least if it blocks something you know to remove it without wasting a lot of time in diagnosis.

Bill

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: Action Scripting sequence

Jerry,

I don't believe v.5 is slower opening forms. That was true in some of the builds about two monts ago. Now, it seems to be the same speed as 4.5. There is a slight performance improvement when you open & save the form in v.5 vs. if you don't. Also converting toolbars & menus is a must (but that is automated now).

Peter