create a window as a variable?

[ernie]

I am writing a program that will have many windows. I want all of them to have the same menu. Is there a way to do this so I don't have to write separate menu code for each window? This might be something like:

#page$ = "#page1"

[menuMaker]
    menu #page$, " File", "Open", [menuOpen], "Save", [menuSave], "Save As", [menuSaveAs], "Generate Report", [menuReport]
    menu #page$, "Report", "Narrative Report", [menuNarrative], "Bullet Report", [menuBullet]
    menu #page$, "Help", "Psych-Writer Help", [menuHelp]
    menu #page$, "About", "About", [menuAbout]
    return

thanks in advance..

[Rod]

When it feels difficult to do you should be thinking why? Why is it difficult to have the same menu across fifteen windows. The answer? Perhaps you should not have fifteen windows.


So you have one window, what are the fifteen things you want to do in it?

[ernie]

collecting data from 18-page questionnaire
over 1,200 variables
too much for one page

[sarossell]

Perhaps tabs in a single window might serve better?

[ernie]

Is there anyone here that can answer the question that I asked?

[Rod]

Ok, so to define the question a little more. You want a gui window system that will take a scripted eighteen page document that contains 1200 variables and will have a single menu system.

While a single window will allow a single menu it will involve paging in the eighteen pages of scripted variable input.

If I was tackling that I would probably re-statictext, reposition, show and hide, a utility set of textboxes. Each page I would clear up, re statictext, hide unwanted textboxes and allow page up or page down and or save where we are. So a few buttons as well.

If they move forwards grab what they have input and save it away. I would build an array of saved responses till we have a complete set.

There are examples of changing static text and showing and hiding textboxes. They can actually be moved on screen as well but to make the task simpler I would allow plenty room for static text and keep the textboxes in a semi rigid matrix.

So the page changes when they move page. The statictext changes to the new input prompts and the textboxes clkear to allow new new data. The user answers the questions then presses the move on or save button or indeed step back button.

All doable.

When I get a little time I will code a demo of what I mean.

[Chris Iverson]

In native LB code? No.

You can write generator code to spit out multiple copies of the menu code with the matching window handle attached, but the MENU command does not accept window handle variables, so you cannot use the same code on multiple windows, unless each window has the same handle, which is going to make your logic flow very complex, to figure out which "window" you intend to be using. Possible, but complicated.

You could also do it using API commands to build the menu, but the problem with that is then you have to restructure your entire program to be able to use DLL calls and window messages, learn the win32 menu API, and learn how to use WMLiberty to response to menu "clicks", since you can't use branch labels to respond to API-generated menus.


Here's an example of generator code that you can modify to output the handle you need:
page$ = "#page1"

print "[menuMaker]"
print "  menu " + page$ + ", "+ chr$(34) +"File" + chr$(34) + ", "+ chr$(34) +"Open" + chr$(34) + ", [menuOpen], "+ chr$(34) +"Save" + chr$(34) + ", [menuSave], " + chr$(34) +"Save As" + chr$(34) + ", [menuSaveAs], " + chr$(34) + "Generate Report" + chr$(34) + ", [menuReport]"
print "  menu " + page$ + ", "+ chr$(34) +"Report" + chr$(34) + ", "+ chr$(34) +"Narrative Report" + chr$(34) + ", [menuNarrative], "+ chr$(34) +"Bullet Report" + chr$(34) + ", [menuBullet]"
print "  menu " + page$ + ", "+ chr$(34) +"Help" + chr$(34) + ", "+ chr$(34) +"Psych-Writer Help" + chr$(34) + ", [menuHelp]"
print "  menu " + page$ + ", "+ chr$(34) +"About" + chr$(34) + ", "+ chr$(34) +"About" + chr$(34) + ", [menuAbout]"
print "  return"


The reason the others were suggesting alternatives is because of how complicated this kind of thing can be across multiple windows.

[Rod]

For such a large questionnaire you are going to need some sort of input template check. You will have utility textboxes that just take data but you will need to have some form of template checking routine that only allows desired data through. There have been examples in the past. A date format, a numeric format in a specific range, etc. You will probably need some utility comboboxes that you can show and hide as well to allow fixed list input.

[Rod]

The gist of changing the contents of a window. Can be much more complex as you can show and hide textbox/combobox in the same location etc, limitless possibilities.

dim answers$(1200)
nomainwin
statictext #t.1, "Answer this question about your age",20,20,260,25
textbox #t.tx1, 20, 50, 260, 25
statictext #t.2, "Answer this question about your father",20,80,260,25
textbox #t.tx2, 20, 110, 260, 25
statictext #t.3, "Answer this question about your mother",20,140,260,25
textbox #t.tx3, 20, 170, 260, 25
button #t.bt1,"Move On",[move],UL,20,200,260,25

WindowWidth = 350 : WindowHeight = 290
open "Simple paging" for window as #t
#t "trapclose [quit]"
page=0
answer=1
wait

[move]
'get the answers
#t.tx1 "!contents? a$"
answer$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tx1 ""
#t.tx2 "!contents? a$"
answer$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tx2 ""
#t.tx3 "!contents? a$"
answer$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tx3 ""
page=page+1
select case page
   case 1
   #t.1, "Answer this question about your wife"
   #t.2, "Answer this question about your father in law"
   #t.3, "Answer this question about your mother in law"
end select
wait

[quit]
close #t
end


[sarossell]

Perhaps it would be possible to maphandle the page names instead. That way, the menu could be coded once but the page contents could be managed with names for each window. That and/or hiding and showing elements might do the trick.

Another idea might be to create one very long window with one menu that scrolls the pages.

More than one way to skin a cat.

:@)

[Rod]

You could also sit a small menu window on top and other windows come and go below it. However my solution uses one window, one menu and perhaps ten or so reusable text boxes. Can’t get fewer controls than that. The exercise then becomes a an eighteen page scripting exercise. Just keep the static text content in an array, keep the answered there too. So one array holds all the script and eventually all the answers. Pretty slick strategy imho

So I don’t recommend any form of multiple menu.

[Rod]

Slightly tidier example. If I was adding more it would be another page array that controlled the formatting show hide text/combo etc etc. But I would need to know a little more about the formatting that might happen.

I know we did not immediately answer your initial question, I hope you can see why.


nomainwin
menu #t, " File", "Open", [menuOpen], "Save", [menuSave], "Save As", [menuSaveAs], "Generate Report", [menuReport]
menu #t, "Report", "Narrative Report", [menuNarrative], "Bullet Report", [menuBullet]
menu #t, "Help", "Psych-Writer Help", [menuHelp]
menu #t, "About", "About", [menuAbout]
dim a$(1200)'1200 questions
dim q$(1200)'1200 answers
dim p(120)'120 page starting points
q$(1)="Answer this question about your age"
q$(2)="Answer this question about your father"
q$(3)="Answer this question about your mother"
q$(4)="Answer this question about your wife"
q$(5)="Answer this question about your father in law"
q$(6)="Answer this question about your mother in law"
q$(7)="What are your ambitions in life?"
q$(8)="What indeed"
q$(9)="the last question"
p(1)=1
p(2)=4
p(3)=7
page=1

button #t.bp,"Previous",[previous],UL,20,10,260,20
statictext #t.1,q$(1) ,20,35,260,20
textbox #t.tb1, 20, 60, 260, 20
statictext #t.2, q$(2),20,85,260,20
textbox #t.tb2, 20, 110, 260, 20
statictext #t.3, q$(3),20,140,260,20
textbox #t.tb3, 20, 170, 260, 20
button #t.bn,"Save / Next",[move],UL,20,200,260,20

WindowWidth = 350 : WindowHeight = 290
open "Simple paging" for window as #t
#t "trapclose [quit]"
wait

[move]
'save away current answers
answer=p(page)
#t.tb1 "!contents? a$" : a$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tb2 "!contents? a$" : a$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tb3 "!contents? a$" : a$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
'increase page to limit and show new questions
page=page+(page<3)
answer=p(page)
#t.1, q$(answer) : #t.tb1 a$(answer) : answer=answer+1
#t.2, q$(answer) : #t.tb2 a$(answer) : answer=answer+1
#t.3, q$(answer) : #t.tb3 a$(answer)
wait

[previous]
'save away current answers
answer=p(page)
#t.tb1 "!contents? a$" : a$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tb2 "!contents? a$" : a$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
#t.tb3 "!contents? a$" : a$(answer)=a$ : answer=answer+1
'decrease page to limit and show new questions
page=page-(page>1)
answer=p(page)
#t.1, q$(answer) : #t.tb1 a$(answer) : answer=answer+1
#t.2, q$(answer) : #t.tb2 a$(answer) : answer=answer+1
#t.3, q$(answer) : #t.tb3 a$(answer)
wait


[quit]
close #t
end



[honkytonk]

You don't say if you ask the questions one by one.
In this case, only one window
A question file and an answer file
A button to scroll through the questions
A button to save the answers in the order of the questions
A comparison of the two files to recover questions-> answers.

[metro]

never had to use MAPHANDLE so just for "kicks & giggles" I thought I'd have a play
could get messy with 1200 variables and multiple windows
better solutions already posted.....
nomainwin
   GLOBAL x
   winName$ = "first second third"
   for x = 1 to 3
   call createWindow word$(winName$, x)
   next x
   wait

sub createWindow title$

WindowWidth = 350
WindowHeight = 400
SELECT CASE x
case 1
   UpperLeftX = 10
   UpperLeftY = 100
case 2
   UpperLeftX =360
   UpperLeftY = 100
case 3
UpperLeftX =710
   UpperLeftY = 100
END SELECT
menu #1, " File", "Open", [menuOpen], "Save", [menuSave], "Save As", [menuSaveAs], "Generate Report", [menuReport]
menu #1, "Report", "Narrative Report", [menuNarrative], "Bullet Report", [menuBullet]
menu #1, "Help", "Psych-Writer Help", [menuHelp]
menu #1, "About", "About", [menuAbout]
graphicbox #1.gbox, 10, 1, 70, 20
graphicbox #1.gbox2, 82, 1, 70, 20
Button #1.btn , "Add Text", AddText, UL, 240, 210
texteditor #1.te, 10, 30, 200, 200
open "text "+title$ for window as #1
CALL SetGB
CALL SetGB2
#1.te "this is the "+title$+" window"
#1 "trapclose aboutToClose"
handle$ = "#"+title$
maphandle #1, handle$
end sub

SUB AddText handle$

SELECT CASE handle$

CASE  "#first.btn"
   #first.te,"HERE @ First Window"
CASE "#second.btn"
   #second.te,"HERE at TWO"
CASE  "#third.btn"
   #third.te,"HERE at Third"
END SELECT

END SUB

[popupMenu]
popupMenu "Reports", [Report1], "Search", [Search], "Calc", [Calc]
WAIT

[Report1]
Notice " reports in progress"
WAIT

[Search]
NOTICE "To Be Coded"
WAIT

[Calc]
   notice "Calculate work in progress"
WAIT


[popupMenu2]
popupMenu "More", [Report2], "Search", [Search2], "Calc", [Calc2]
WAIT
[Report2]
Notice " MORE reports in progress"
WAIT
[Search2]
NOTICE "To Be Coded"
WAIT

[Calc2]
   notice "Calculate work in progress"

WAIT

SUB SetGB
 #1.gbox, "home" 'center the pen
   #1.gbox,  "goto 10 12"
   #1.gbox, "down" 'ready to draw
   #1.gbox, "backcolor buttonface" 'fill the graphics area red
   #1.gbox, "fill buttonface"
   #1.gbox, "color black "
   #1.gbox, "\Reports"
   #1.gbox, "flush" 'make the graphics stick
 ' #1.gbox, "when rightButtonUp [popupMenu]"
   #1.gbox, "when leftButtonUp [popupMenu]"
END SUB


SUB SetGB2
 #1.gbox2, "home" 'center the pen
   #1.gbox2,  "goto 10 12"
   #1.gbox2, "down" 'ready to draw
   #1.gbox2, "backcolor buttonface" 'fill the graphics area red
   #1.gbox2, "fill buttonface"
   #1.gbox2, "color black "
   #1.gbox2, "\Extra's"
   #1.gbox2, "flush" 'make the graphics stick
   #1.gbox2, "when leftButtonUp [popupMenu2]"
   END SUB
sub aboutToClose handle$
Notice "closing    "; #handle$
  close #handle$
end sub


[menuMaker]
   menu #1, " File", "Open", [menuOpen], "Save", [menuSave], "Save As", [menuSaveAs], "Generate Report", [menuReport]
   menu #1, "Report", "Narrative Report", [menuNarrative], "Bullet Report", [menuBullet]
   menu #1, "Help", "Psych-Writer Help", [menuHelp]
   menu #1, "About", "About", [menuAbout]
   return