Help with Dialog ComboBox

[gchichester]

I'm trying to use this new MSComboBox feature in one of my dialog box but can't find any info in the help file or on the forum.
object MSComboBox1: tMSComboBox
I need to know what the ListText limits are?
I seems like there's a 11 item limit!
If this is the case is there a work around?
I have 11 fields in my dialog box that would have more then 11 items in them.
Please point me in the right direction

Gil

[JRL]

Hi Gil

Below is a combobox sample I wrote a while back intending to submit it as a sample script. The list only contains a few items. To test your 11 item limit theory I copied and pasted the items over and over until there were a couple of hundred in the list and the combobox seemed to display them all. I didn't actually count them but there were certainly more than 11.

Let us know if this helps.
Dick

Code: Select all

//List of values to display in Combo Box separated by carriage return / line feed
Let>CBList=eggs%crlf%bread%crlf%milk%crlf%carrots%crlf%apples%crlf%

//Combo Box property "Text" is set to
//the initial Combo Box display text
Dialog>Dialog1
object Dialog1: TForm
  Left = 277
  Top = 243
  HelpContext = 5000
  BorderIcons = [biSystemMenu]
  Caption = 'CustomDialog'
  ClientHeight = 173
  ClientWidth = 267
  Color = clBtnFace
  Font.Charset = DEFAULT_CHARSET
  Font.Color = clWindowText
  Font.Height = -11
  Font.Name = 'MS Sans Serif'
  Font.Style = []
  OldCreateOrder = True
  Position = poMainFormCenter
  ShowHint = True
  OnTaskBar = False
  PixelsPerInch = 96
  TextHeight = 13
  object MSComboBox1: tMSComboBox
    Left = 60
    Top = 22
    Width = 145
    Height = 21
    ItemHeight = 13
    TabOrder = 0
    Text = 'Make a Selection'
  end
  object MSButton1: tMSButton
    Left = 87
    Top = 108
    Width = 75
    Height = 25
    Caption = 'Ok'
    DoubleBuffered = True
    ParentDoubleBuffered = False
    TabOrder = 1
    DoBrowse = False
    BrowseStyle = fbOpen
  end
end
EndDialog>Dialog1

//If the Dialog is closed quit the script
AddDialogHandler>Dialog1,,Onclose,Quit

//If the "Ok" button is picked, procees the combo box selection
AddDialogHandler>Dialog1,msButton1,Onclick,Process

//Set the combo box list text
SetDialogProperty>Dialog1,mscombobox1,listtext,CBlist

//Subroutine to end script
SRT>Quit
  Exit>0
END>Quit

//Display the dialog
Show>dialog1,res1

//Subroutine to Process combo box selection
SRT>Process
  GetDialogProperty>Dialog1,msComboBox1,text,value
  MDL>value
  CloseDialog>Dialog1
END>Process

[jpuziano]

I did the same thing, taking up the CBList variable to 50 or 60 items and they all displayed fine.

Hmmm... I wonder if there is an absolute limit to how many values you can have and if so, what it might be...

In any case, thanks for the example script JRL.

[JRL]

Hmmm... I wonder if there is an absolute limit to how many values you can have and if so, what it might be...

Ok... There's always a limit... But the combo box will display every file on my hard drive. All 82,916 of them.

On my computer, this ran about 5 minutes before the dialog displayed. If you run this be patient.

Code: Select all

Message>Making a really long list%CRLF%This will take several minutes%CRLF%Please Wait...
Let>RP_WAIT=1
Let>RP_WINDOWMODE=0
Run>CMD /c dir c:\*.* /a-d /b /s > %temp_dir%CdriveFileList.txt
ReadFile>%temp_dir%CdriveFileList.txt,CBList
Message>Finished prosessing the file%CRLF%Now waiting for the combo box to populate so the dialog can display...
//DeleteFile>%temp_dir%CdriveFileList.txt

//List of values to display in Combo Box separated by carriage return / line feed
//Let>CBList=eggs%crlf%bread%crlf%milk%crlf%carrots%crlf%apples%crlf%

//Combo Box property "Text" is set to
//the initial Combo Box display text
Dialog>Dialog1
object Dialog1: TForm
  Left = 277
  Top = 186
  HelpContext = 5000
  BorderIcons = [biSystemMenu]
  Caption = 'CustomDialog'
  ClientHeight = 115
  ClientWidth = 926
  Color = clBtnFace
  Font.Charset = DEFAULT_CHARSET
  Font.Color = clWindowText
  Font.Height = -11
  Font.Name = 'MS Sans Serif'
  Font.Style = []
  OldCreateOrder = True
  Position = poMainFormCenter
  ShowHint = True
  OnTaskBar = False
  PixelsPerInch = 96
  TextHeight = 13
  object Label1: TLabel
    Left = 8
    Top = 16
    Width = 54
    Height = 13
    Caption = 'Files on C:\'
  end
  object MSComboBox1: tMSComboBox
    Left = 8
    Top = 38
    Width = 905
    Height = 21
    ItemHeight = 13
    TabOrder = 0
    Text = 'Make a Selection'
  end
  object MSButton1: tMSButton
    Left = 839
    Top = 76
    Width = 75
    Height = 25
    Caption = 'Ok'
    DoubleBuffered = True
    ParentDoubleBuffered = False
    TabOrder = 1
    DoBrowse = False
    BrowseStyle = fbOpen
  end
end
EndDialog>Dialog1

//If the Dialog is closed quit the script
AddDialogHandler>Dialog1,,Onclose,Quit

//If the "Ok" button is picked, procees the combo box selection
AddDialogHandler>Dialog1,msButton1,Onclick,Process

//Set the combo box list text
SetDialogProperty>Dialog1,mscombobox1,listtext,CBlist

//Subroutine to end script
SRT>Quit
  Exit>0
END>Quit

CloseWindow>Macro Scheduler Message

//Display the dialog
Show>dialog1,res1

//Subroutine to Process combo box selection
SRT>Process
  GetDialogProperty>Dialog1,msComboBox1,text,value
  MDL>value
  CloseDialog>Dialog1
END>Process

[gchichester]

Thanks for your responses guys!
I was using the Property for MSComboBox1 >
"ListText" > MulitiLine Edit popup to add items to my ComboBox list.
This is where I hit the 11 item limit.
I can't seem to find any real documentation on what all the properties options do, I assumed
this was where the list of items would go.
I tried add to both lists (Items.String) and (ListText) manually but received error messages

Thanks for your help
Gil

Code: Select all

object MSComboBox1: tMSComboBox
    Left = 131
    Top = 497
    Width = 145
    Height = 23
    ItemHeight = 15
    TabOrder = 39
    Text = 'MSComboBox1'
    Items.Strings = (
      'BARNES INDIAN RIVER TRADIN COMPANY'
      'CAUSEY FERN, INC.'
      'CELSUS EXPORT LLC.'
      'DIVERSIFIED CITRUS MARKETING INC.'
      'DLF INTERNATIONAL, INC.'
      'DNE SALES INTERNATIONAL'
      'DOLE-JAPAN'
      'DUDA FARM FRESH FOODS, INC.'
      'FERNCO'
      'GOLDEN RIVER FRUIT COMPANY'
      'GOLDSPAN LTD.'
      'GOO')
    ListText = 
      'BARNES INDIAN RIVER TRADIN COMPANY'#13#10'CAUSEY FERN, INC.'#13#10'CELSUS EX' +
      'PORT LLC.'#13#10'DIVERSIFIED CITRUS MARKETING INC.'#13#10'DLF INTERNATIONAL,' +
      ' INC.'#13#10'DNE SALES INTERNATIONAL'#13#10'DOLE-JAPAN'#13#10'DUDA FARM FRESH FOOD' +
      'S, INC.'#13#10'FERNCO'#13#10'GOLDEN RIVER FRUIT COMPANY'#13#10'GOLDSPAN LTD.'#13#10'GOO'#13 +
      #10
  end
end
EndDialog>BoLDialog

[gchichester]

Since I've had no other replies in week, should I assume that 11 is the limit
when adding item to a ComboBox using the MulitiLine Edit Box?

Regards
Gil

[Marcus Tettmar]

There's no limit to how many items you can add to a combobox. However, I see what you mean - the multi-line edit window in the property editor at *design-time* does indeed appear to have a limit, which it shouldn't.

A number of workarounds

- edit the ListText property in the code of your dialog block

- Open up Notepad and type your list into notepad. Select-All and Copy to clipboard. Then in the dialog designer in the ordinary property field (not the multi-line edit one - just click into the property field - and paste the clipboard contents).

- Or do it dynamically with code. Here's a a quick way to maintain your list easily and add it on the fly to the dialog:

Code: Select all

LabelToVar>MyList,comboList
SetDialogProperty>Dialog1,MSComboBox1,ListText,comboList
..
Show>Dialog1,r

/*
MyList:
BARNES INDIAN RIVER TRADIN COMPANY
CAUSEY FERN, INC.
CELSUS EXPORT LLC.
DIVERSIFIED CITRUS MARKETING INC.
DLF INTERNATIONAL, INC.
DNE SALES INTERNATIONAL
DOLE-JAPAN
DUDA FARM FRESH FOODS, INC.
FERNCO
GOLDEN RIVER FRUIT COMPANY
GOLDSPAN LTD.
GOOD
ONE
YES
ANOTHER
OK
*/

And in the mean time we'll get that annoying limitation of the property editor fixed.

[jpuziano]

we'll get that annoying limitation of the property editor fixed.

Thanks Marcus...

[gchichester]

Yes! Thank you Marcus

I liked the idea of the dynamically maintaining the ComboBox list.
Because I will have 7 ComboBox's to maintain.

But as you might have guessed I have a few questions.

Can the ComboBox be renamed? Instead of using MSComboBox1.
What is the syntax for using the variable from the ComboBox.

The ComboBox list works greatbut I can’t seem to use the value as a variable.
As you can see I pausing the script to test the variable value but I keep getting %BoLDialog.ShpName% in the message box. When I step thru the code I can see
values in the other nonComboBox fields in the BolDialog.
Please shed some light on what I’m doing worng.

Here’s a sample of my sctipt

Code: Select all

  object ShpName: tMSComboBox
    Left = 127
    Top = 5
    Width = 144
    Height = 23
    ItemHeight = 15
    TabOrder = 35
  end

EndDialog>BoLDialog
SetDialogProperty>BoLDialog,ShpName,ListText,comboList
Show BoLDialog,r
/*
MyList:
BARNES
CAUSEY
CELSUS
DIVE
DLF
DNE
DUDA
GOLDEN
ONE
YES
ANOTHER
OK
*/
Include>F:\MS Sctipts\Europe\2_DialogAction.scp

Start of 2_DialogAction.scp

Label>ActionLoop
GetDialogAction>BoLDialog,r
Wait>4
message>%BoLDialog.ShpName% 

Wait>9000

If>{(%BoLDialog.ShpName% = "UNITED") AND (%BoLDialog.SLCode% = "OOLU")}
       Let>SrvContNum=AE095055
 EndIf

    Length>BoLDialog.DDate,vLen
    If>{(%vlen%=6)and(%UpdateFlag%=1)},Update
    If>r=1,Update
    If>r=2,Close
GoTo>ActionLoop

SRT>Update
  Let>UpdateFlag=0
  Let>BoLDialog.SrvContract=%SrvContNum%
  ResetDialogAction>BoLDialog
END>Update

Label>Close
  CloseDialog>BoLDialog 

Thanks again for your help
Gil

[Marcus Tettmar]

Yes, you can call a combo box what you like. Change the Name property in the property editor.

I think you are confusing legacy v11 code with v12. You never need to use GetDialogAction any more for new dialogs. Scrap it. Forget it exists. Don't use it (unless your dialog really is a v11 one, but yours is NOT). Instead use GetDialogProperty to get a specific property value.

To get the selected value of the combobox - i.e. to determine what the user selected look at the Text or ItemIndex properties:

GetDialogProperty>Dialog1,MSComboBox1,Text,selectedItemText
GetDialogProperty>Dialog1,MSComboBox1,ItemIndex,selectedItemIndex
MessageModal>You Selected: %selectedItemText% (item: %selectedItemIndex%)

Get rid of your action loop, get rid of getdialogaction, get rid of resetdialogaction - none of this is needed for a v12 dialog.

If you are coming from v11 and adjusting to the new (more powerful, much easier, faster) model you might want to read this:

A Crib Sheet for the New Dialog Structure:
http://www.mjtnet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6110

[gchichester]

Marcus,
Ok I think I understand how to use GetDialogProperty and SetDialogProperty.
Where I’m have diffuclity is with incorprationg my old logic into the new dialog.
Old logic:

Code: Select all

Step_Delay=200
Let>vWait=0.75
Let>SW=0.25
Let>UpdateFlag=1
Let>IGNORESPACES=1

Label>ActionLoop
GetDialogAction>BoLDialog,r

If>{(%BoLDialog.ShpName% = "SUNNY") AND (%BoLDialog.SLCode% = "MOLU")}
       Let>SrvContNum=8205852A10
 EndIf

If>{(%BoLDialog.ShpName% = "SUNNY") AND (%BoLDialog.SLCode% = "OOLU")}
       Let>SrvContNum=AE095052
 EndIf

If>{(%BoLDialog.ShpName% = "UNITED") AND (%BoLDialog.SLCode% = "OOLU")}
       Let>SrvContNum=AE095055
 EndIf

    Length>BoLDialog.DDate,vLen
    If>{(%vlen%=6)and(%UpdateFlag%=1)},Update
    If>r=1,Update
    If>r=2,Close
GoTo>ActionLoop

SRT>Update
  Let>UpdateFlag=0
  Let>BoLDialog.SrvContract=%SrvContNum%
  ResetDialogAction>BoLDialog
END>Update

Label>Close
  CloseDialog>BoLDialog

Sorry I don’t mean to insult your code reading skills, but in case I left some code out here’s a short description.

As you can see when a date is entered and Update Flag =1 the If statements are read and
If a match is found the SrvContNum is updated.
This is during input not after a button is clicked.

My attempts at new logic.

Code: Select all

 If>{(%ShpName% = "BARNES") AND (%SLCode% = "OOLU")}
       SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,AE095045
 EndIf

If>{(%ShpName% = "DIVE") AND (%SLCode% = "APLU")}
       SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,EXPIRED
 EndIf

Length>DDate,vLen
If>{(%vlen%=6)},SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,SrvContNum

I’m not sure if the Length statement is needed or is the a better way to test for data?
Are the If statemens correct ?
How do I test for data in a field and update another before I run GetDialogProperty for the complete dialog box?
I thought maybe the AddDialogHandler might work, but it appeared it’s used more for buttons events.

Thanks
Gil

[Marcus Tettmar]

To trigger something during input create an event handler for the input box's OnChange event. Use AddDialogHandler.

[gchichester]

Marcus left me wanting!
Can someone please [b]elaborate [/b]no may last post.
I've spent the last 4 hours on the forum trying to find examples of how to use AddDialogHandler
I don't know if it makes a difference or not but all my If Statements are in another script and
called with a Include.

[code]
Dialog>BoLDialog
object BoLDialog: TForm
Left = 251
Top = 104
HelpContext = 5000
BorderIcons = [biSystemMenu]
Caption = 'Bill of Lading Info'
ClientHeight = 529
ClientWidth = 592
Color = clBtnFace
Font.Charset = ANSI_CHARSET
Font.Color = clWindowText
Font.Height = -13
Font.Name = 'Times New Roman'
Font.Style = []
OldCreateOrder = True
ShowHint = True
OnTaskBar = False
PixelsPerInch = 96
TextHeight = 15
object msLabel1: TLabel
Left = 15
Top = 7
Width = 77
Height = 15
Caption = 'Shipper Name:'
end
Dialog code....
end
end
EndDialog>BoLDialog
AddDialogHandler>BoLDialog,SLCode,OnExit,GetContractNum
Show BoLDialog,r

If>r=2
GetDialogProperty>BolDialog,ShpName,Text,ShpName
GetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,SrvContract
GetDialogProperty>BolDialog,BkNum,Text,BkNum
EndIf
Include>F:\MS Sctipts\Europe\2_DialogAction.scp

SRT>GetContractNum
If>{(%ShpName% = "BARNES") AND (%SLCode% = "OOLU")}
SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,AE095045
EndIf

If>{(%ShpName% = "DIVE") AND (%SLCode% = "APLU")}
SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,EXPIRED
EndIf
END>GetContractNum
[/code]

After I exit the SLCode text box I get
"Subroutine/Label GetContractNum Not Found"
I also tried adding some of the include script to the BolDialog script and i get
"Syntax Error" and "Error Parsing Expression" on the first If Statement.

I [b]hate[/b] that I have to keep asking for help but in my experience there just it's
any good documentation on MS, and yes I'm a novice at scripting but how
can one get less dependent without ether better docs or some training videos.
Please don't get me wrong I like MS and have invested a lot of time and money in it(for a novice).
It's like taking one step forward and three back any time I want to tweak my scripts.
Sorry but I have to get that off my chest.

Gil





[/img]

[Marcus Tettmar]

If your GetContractNum subroutine is inside an include file then you will need to have your Include BEFORE your AddDialogHandler. This is because Include is not executed until execution reaches it. If you step through with the debugger what I am saying should become patently clear. Until the Include line is reached your subroutine doesn't exist, so asking AddDialogHandler to use it before you've included it will cause an error.

If you have an Include for your subroutines then put it at the top of your script.

Secondly, you'll want to get ShpName INSIDE your event handler. At present you're only getting it after the dialog is closed. Yet your handler routine will fire the moment you move focus away from the SLCode field. At that point ShpName doesn't exist yet because the dialog hasn't yet been closed. You don't want to get the value only after the dialog is closed, you want to retrieve it the moment the user exits the field (moves focus away) so in other words you want the event handler to always check the value of the field.

Looks to me like your event handler should be:

Code: Select all

SRT>GetContractNum
  GetDialogProperty>BolDialog,ShpName,Text,varShpName
  GetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SLCode,Text,varSLCode
  If>{(%varShpName% = "BARNES") AND (%varSLCode% = "OOLU")}
    SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,AE095045
  EndIf
  If>{(%varShpName% = "DIVE") AND (%varSLCode% = "APLU")}
    SetDialogProperty>BolDialog,SrvContract,Text,EXPIRED
  EndIf
END>GetContractNum

Note also that I have changed the name of the variables you are creating. You're asking for trouble by giving the exact same name as the objects. This would means subsequent calls to the subroutine may fail because ShpName would be something else and the object won't be found.

Note that you are using the OnExit event - so this would only fire when you leave the field - i.e. tab out of it or move focus out of it. Just checking that is what you want. You previously implied you wanted to fire the handler whenever it changed, which you could do with the OnChange event.

[Marcus Tettmar]

I hate that I have to keep asking for help but in my experience there just it's any good documentation on MS, and yes I'm a novice at scripting but how can one get less dependent without ether better docs or some training videos. Please don't get me wrong I like MS and have invested a lot of time and money in it(for a novice). It's like taking one step forward and three back any time I want to tweak my scripts. Sorry but I have to get that off my chest.

We try very hard, but I fear there will NEVER be enough documentation.

- The manual is over 200 pages long.
- There are 408 articles on the blog and I try to add more each week.
- 27965 articles in the forums.
- There's a section on dialogs in the help file and we made efforts to improve that greatly over the info that was there in v11.
- I made that crib sheet for people coming from v11.
- There are six dialog sample scripts demonstrating the new system (including event handlers) that come with version 12.
- There are some samples in the Scripts n Tips forum.

All that said I'd love to have more tutorials on dialogs. Frankly I'm not sure I'm the best person to make them. And I will happily bet my bottom dollar that there would still be questions from people and any contrived example beyond the 6 that already exist in the samples I can come up with will still not satisfy someone else's specific requirements.

If anyone out there has experience of creating educational material and understands the new dialog model then I'd be more than happy to talk.

There's also a point at which we go from helping people with Macro Scheduler to teaching people how to program. How far do we go?

I'm sorry you feel there isn't enough information. Actually though I know we offer far more help, assistance and documentation than ANY of our competitors.

But there can always be more, and in time there will be.