Ui_msg_box() Codes

[MoGrace]

I made a little spreadsheet that prints to a 1/2 sheet that fits in my manual so I can lookup up the numeric code value instead of using the UI labels. These numbers were listed in the v4.5 manual but not in the later versions. I liked using the numbers, and I thought others might too.

[martinwcole]

Mo, that is terrific. I have a copy from an early Alpha book Steve Workings made for me at the convention in I think 2001. I'm used to adding the numbers together, and my copy is quite faded - this will be a very handy utility - thanks a lot!!

for those not familiar with its use, you can say something like this:

response=ui_msg_box("Select","You are about to pack tables and permanently remove deleted records - Continue?",276)
if response=6
else
     end
end if 
'continue code here

276 is ui_yes_no with a stop symbol and makes the critical system sound, with 'No' as the default button, in case they just hit the ENTER key.
'6 is the response "yes"

[Mike Wilson]

Wouldn't it be nice

Robin,

Great reference, thank you! Gee, onebmight wonder why this isn't easily available documentation(I searched and nada). Send it to Ed at Alpha and ask him to make it available EASILY in the documentation.

Mike W

[MoGrace]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

I lost my own spreadsheet and was looking for this thread so I could reprint it. But in the the meantime was playing with a new spreadsheet and realized I could just make a table - and a function with an Xdialog. I haven't really progressed too far in 4 years...

But here is the table and function if any other oldies like me still like using the number values. I thought I'd put it in my code library.

Edit:
I should have line up those boxes better if I really knew what I was doing! ;)

[martinwcole]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Bill Parker already made one - see the code archive

[MoGrace]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Funny, I tried a search on "Bill Parker" in this archive and didn't find it. But here it is:

http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ight=p_msg_box

In the meantime I improved my spacing somewhat on the Xdialog.

[CALocklin]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

FWIW - I like using the numbers (faster to type) and pretty much have them memorized. However, I quit using them about a year or so ago. I'm afraid anyone who takes over my apps in the future will have no idea what they are.

My solution to the extra typing, again, is keyboard macros. If you write xbasic and aren't using a keyboard macro program then you are wasting a lot of your time. For my message box button/symbol macros, each button starts with "ui" and each symbol starts with "uis". I even have some combined "button/symbol" macros.

For example:
uisa = ui_attention_symbol
uiss = ui_stop_symbol
uisi = ui_information_symbol
uisq = ui_question_symbol
uiyn = ui_yes_no
uioc = ui_ok_cancel
uiqy = ui_question_symbol+ui_yes_no

Not only are the macros shorter to type but they are also easier to type because they don't include special characters and easier to remember than numbers because there is a logic to the naming.

And, just to give you a little more idea of what you can do with macros:

Here's the result of my standard "starting point" xdialog macro "dlgc" and when it's done it leaves the cursor between the quotes so I can type the title. The result is that I only need 4 characters to create something like 258 (don't forget to count the keystrokes to get back to the quotes). And, yes, I used the macro to 'type' it here also:

dlg_text = <<%dlg%
{ysize=.3}{units=F}{font=font_face,fsize,n}{sp};

{sp};
{justify=center}<*15OK> <15Cancel>
%dlg%
dlg_text = xd_set_fonts( dlg_text, "A", 9 )
DIM dlg_result as C
dlg_result = ui_dlg_box( "", dlg_text, <<%code%
%code%)

Another thing I do with a macro (in this case a hot key) is use it to make the field labels in my xdialogs bold. Typing in the font settings manually is way too labor intensive to bother. However, I really think they look better with bold labels and with a hot key it's just one keystroke per label. I can take this:
First Name: [.20,1fname];
to this:
{font=font_face,fsize,b}First Name: {font=font_face,fsize,n}[.20,1fname];
with one keystroke.

(In case you couldn't figure it out, I also use my "xd_set_fonts" UDF for setting the actual font so I can change them easily.)

One developer actually saw one of my xdialogs with lots of labels and basically said, "Holy Cow! Why do you waste so much time making all those labels bold?"

[MoGrace]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Cal you really need to give us a Jing video so we can understand what you are doing! For those of us without a keyboard macro program, the Code Library is a great tool too.

[CALocklin]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Sorry, no Jing video. Will a WMV do? It's probably longer to download (5 meg) but it's something I'm already familiar with.

http://www.aimsdc.net/keyboard_macro_demo.wmv

I'll be curious to hear some reactions - pro or con.

FYI: I referred at one point to using my xd_set_fonts() function in the demo then forgot to identify it. At one time I was changing fonts a lot in xdialogs because users were complaining about the size being too small. So, I decided to set up my font definitions as:
{font=font_face,fsize,n}
Then, since the xdialog definition is just a text string, create a function to actually set the font using stritran(). So, to get a font of Arial, 9 as in the demo I would just use:
dlg_text = xd_set_fonts( dlg_text, "A", 9 )

I did not include the bold, italic, or normal in that because those settings can change within the dialog text string many times.

If I decide that I want something a bit different, say Times Roman 14, I simply change the one command and it changes every font definition in the xdialog:
dlg_text = xd_set_fonts( dlg_text, "TR", 14 )

And if I want to use a "non-standard" font such as Garabaldi I just have to spell it out completely. My "standard" fonts are Arial, Courier New, Times Roman, Verdana, MS Sans Serif, Helvetica, and Tahoma.

EDIT: I also just realized I didn't show the use of the ui_msg_box() buttons but I think you will get the idea. After watching the video it should be clear what I can do with it:

jjmsg gives this:

msg = "
ui_msg_box( "", msg )

and I'm ready to type the title then press the Up arrow and type the message.

msg = "This is the message. I like to put it on a separate "
msg = msg + "line because it can get terribly long sometimes."
ui_msg_box( "TITLE", msg )

Then jjuiqy adds the buttons and question symbol at the end:

msg = "This is the message. I like to put it on a separate "
msg = msg + "line because it can get terribly long sometimes."
ui_msg_box( "TITLE", msg, ui_question_symbol+ui_yes_no )

Note: The part in blue is a hot key - Ctl_Shift-M. I use it so often that I did it here out of habit before even realizing what I was doing.

[MoGrace]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Just taking a break from washing my car and saw your video - Wow! So often with XD especially, it seems that once I have got something going, I forget what I was doing when I want to do it again. Can you make groups / sub directories for these macros as well in the program you are using?

I know you have mentioned this program before - how about a link?

btw - nice voice...

[CALocklin]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

I'll be danged! As long as I've been using it I never noticed that you can, indeed, save the macros under various categories. However, I think all categories would be accessible at the same time but ...

It's also easy to save a group of macros as one file then create another group as another file and switch back and forth between them. For example, you could have one file that you use for Alpha and another for word processing and another for HTML. I've never bothered with more than one but it is possible. (I bet you could even create a macro to do the switch for you!)

And you can specify whether any given macro should play in all windows or only a specific window.

I think the only advantages to multiple files would be (1) you could use the same macro keystrokes to do different things in different apps (but wouldn't that be confusing?) and (2) you wouldn't have to worry about specifying which window a macro should work in. However, since all my macros are for Alpha -after all it's the only thing I do that's repetitive enough to warrant macros - neither of those things means much to me.

The program I use is Macro Express. I think mine is the regular (not Pro) version. And, no, I wouldn't recommend their Keyboard Express or HotKeys programs. I'm sure they work fine but Macro Express has both keyboard shortkeys and hotkeys and I use both so why buy two separate programs and pay more?

One last thing. You gotta see this! I was looking at their site and saw something I've never seen before. It's truly amazing. Someone created a macro that draws - it doesn't play; it draws - a Tetris game. Watch their "You did what!?" link. About 3/4 of the way through they give you some idea of what they did.

[johnkoh]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Cal,

Is it possible to get the font style for Ui_msg_box()?

msg = "This is the message. I like to put it on a separate "
msg2 = msg + "line because it can get terribly long sometimes."
msg3 = "line because it can get terribly long sometimes."
ui_msg_box( "TITLE", msg+crlf()+msg3 )

vmsg = <<%text%
"This is the message. I like to put it on a separate "

and control the font
%text%
vmsg = ut(vmsg)
ui_msg_box( "font", vmsg )

vNotice =Ui_dlg_box("Notice",<<%dlg%
{wrap=40}
{font= arial, 12, b }
Alpha Five contains a powerful programming language called Xbasic. Xdialog is an
extension of Xbasic that allows you to create dialog boxes.;
%dlg%)

vResult = ui_msg_box("Msg box",vNotice)

[CALocklin]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Nope - not as far as I know. The only possibility might be to set the default font somewhere in the "View / Settings" area but I've never tested it. I know there is at least one font setting somewhere in there but if I've ever used it, it was only out of curiosity when I first found out about the feature and that would have been a longgggg time ago.

There is another possibility - write your own replacement for ui_msg_box() using xdialog.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Take a look at this thread. I believe you will find what you need there.

http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al..._msg_box%28%29

[MikeC]

Re: Ui_msg_box() Codes

Another example, but not as complete as what the thread MikeW linked to, is one by Ira Perlow I gleaned from the message board a while back (have the one from the linked thread also). It may have some additional value.

An example of a UI_MSG_BOX() replacement code looks like this. This is a very limited version, I'm sure it can be enhanced to be more compatible.

Code:

'Date Created: 01-Aug-2008 10:47:19 AM
'Last Updated: 01-Aug-2008 12:37:23 PM
'Created By : Ira J. Perlow
'Updated By : Ira J. Perlow
FUNCTION ui_msg_box AS N (title="" as c,message="" as c,box_style=0 as n,modeless=.f. as L)

' Supported box_styles
dim UI_OK as n=0
dim UI_OK_CANCEL as n=1

'ui_msg_box(title,message,box_style)
dim dlgevt as c
dlgevt=<<%code%
dim buttxtu as c
buttxtu=UPPER(ALLTRIM(a_dlg_button))
a_dlg_button=""

if (buttxtu=="CANCEL").or.(buttxtu=="CLOSE")
a_dlg_button="2"
IF ui_modeless_dlg_exist(title)
ui_modeless_dlg_close(title)
END IF
else if (buttxtu=="OK")
a_dlg_button="1"
IF ui_modeless_dlg_exist(title)
ui_modeless_dlg_close(title)
END IF
else if (buttxtu=="TIMER")
' For demonstration, show the time in the statusbar
statusbar.set_text(time())
else if (buttxtu=="INIT")
' Other init code here
end if
end
%code%

dim dlgbdy as c
dlgbdy=<<%dlg%
{startup=init}
{can_exit=close}
{timer=timer}
{interval=1}
;;;
%dlg%

dlgbdy=dlgbdy+message+<<%dlg%
;;;;;;;;;
{justify=center}{initial_focus}<13OK!OK>%dlg%

' If UI_OK_CANCEL, add the button
IF (box_style .and. 1)=1
dlgbdy=dlgbdy+<<%dlg%
{sp=1.1}<13Cancel!CANCEL>%dlg%
END IF

' trailing space
dlgbdy=dlgbdy+";;;"

' OK, Yes, No
dim tmpn as n
IF modeless
ui_modeless_dlg_box(title,dlgbdy,dlgevt)
tmpn=0
ELSE
tmpn=ui_dlg_box(title,dlgbdy,dlgevt)
' if it was closed by the X, we need to modify the value
IF tmpn=0
IF (box_style .and. 1)
tmpn=2
ELSE
tmpn=1
END IF
END IF
END IF

' Return the value
ui_msg_box=tmpn

END FUNCTION

__________________

Regards,

Ira J. Perlow