DIALOG
Generates a dialog of the specified type
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Example
DIALOG "WARNING","Reactor Meltdown Imminent",Btn;SET ("BACKGROUND":2)
DIALOG "STRING","Enter your Operator ID:";RETURN ("VALUE":Resp$),TIMEOUT 10
DIM Speeds$(0:2)[20]
Speeds$(1)="Slow"
DIALOG "LIST","Pick your speed:",Btn;SET ("WIDTH":250,"HEIGHT":80,"ITEMS":Speeds$(*)), RETURN (SELECTION":Resp)
Syntax
DIALOG dialog_type, prompt_str, selected_btn [; { SET (set_atr_list ) | RETURN ( ret_atr_list) | TIMEOUT timeout_val ] [, ...]
set_atr_list = { sstr_exp: { num_exp | str_exp } | mstr_exp:{num_ary | str_ary} | atr_ary(*):{num_ary | str_ary}(*) } [, ...]
ret_atr_list = { sstr_exp: { num_exp | str_exp } | mstr_exp:{num_ary | str_ary} | atr_ary(*):{num_ary | str_ary}(*) } [, ...]
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Item
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Description
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Range *depends on
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atr_ary
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single-valued array attributes: accompanying
num_ary or str_ary must have identical dimensions
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*widget
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num_ary
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numeric array of attribute values
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*attribute(s)
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num_exp
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numeric expression attribute value
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*attribute
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sstr_exp
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single-valued string expression attribute
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*widget
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str_ary
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string array of attribute values
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*attribute(s)
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str_exp
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string expression containing attribute value
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*attribute
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mstr_exp
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multi-valued string expression of attribute values
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*widget
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w_hndl
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widget handle name (string expression)
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any valid name
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w_type
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widget type string expression
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Description
You create a DIALOG from a PANEL widget that contains a prompt string, a single widget, and some button widgets.
Types of Dialogs
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Dialog
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Description
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Used to enter a string from either an existing list or a string entry field
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Use to display an error message and halt program execution until the operator acknowledges the error
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Prompts the operator to select a file name from a list of file names
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Used to display a piece of information and halt program execution until the operator acknowledges the information
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Used to enter numbers from a keypad
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Prompts the operator to select an item or set of items from a list of items
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Prompts the operator to enter a number into a panel
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Used to prompt the operator with a question and halt program execution until the operator answers the question
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Used to prompt the operator for information that the programmer needs to use within the BASIC program
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Used to display a warning message and halt program execution until the operator acknowledges the warning
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DIALOG Buttons
Use the DIALOG BUTTONS attribute to create the buttons in the dialog. These buttons appear in a single row at the bottom of the dialog, in the same order (left to right on the screen) in which they appear in the attribute array. Use the DEFAULT BUTTON attribute to specify one of these buttons as the default button,. Both DIALOG BUTTONS and DEFAULT BUTTON have different default values, depending on the type of dialog created.
Selected button Option
If you specify the optional variable for selected button, the DIALOG will return theindex number of the button pressed or -1 to indicate a timeout occurred. The DIALOG BUTTONS array is always treated as base 0 regardless of how it was dimensioned.
SET Option
The SET option specifies the initial values for the attributes and the initial values to be displayed by the contained widget (for example, the contents of the STRING widget in the STRING dialog).
RETURN Option
The RETURN option includes the variables that will receive the final values of the dialog attributes just before the dialog is destroyed. These variables are used primarily to communicate the state of the contained widget back to the program when the user terminates the dialog. For example, you can find out what the user typed into a STRING dialog from the RETURN VALUE attribute to a string variable in your program.
Specifying the same variable for the same attribute in both the SET and RETURN attribute lists is a common practice when the dialog's purpose is to allow the user to modify an existing quantity. If you use the same variable in the RETURN attribute list, the user's modification will change the program variable.
TIMEOUT Option
TIMEOUT will wait the specified number of seconds for user input before continuing. If the user does not push a button in the dialog within the allotted time, the DIALOG statement will: copy the current state of the dialog attributes (and -1 for the selected button) into the variables specified in return attribute list, and then dismiss (destroy) the dialog.
