message box covered with objects of some kind

[mcelvain]

Help !

I am obviously a newbie, having been forcefully matriculated from SuperCard, gratis Mac Os upgrades.

Of course, I've just transitioned all my lousy SC habits to LC, and understand learning the basics is in my future.

At this point, my message box has become covered with a cyber version of barnacles.

Or icons of some kind.

What do I do ??

Signed,

"Newbie with a talent for missing the obvious"

[dunbarx]

Hmmm.

I would say even an experienced developer would take at least half an hour to reproduce this, and you did it easily.

Have you simply quit and restarted LC? Let us know what happens.

Otherwise, welcome to this forum. You have less of a learning curve that you think. I came from HC, and that, after just a few instances of letting go of some things and accepting others, took little effort, and it was a long time ago that I never looked back.

Craig

[FourthWorld]

I've never seen anything like that before. Very interesting.

What were you executing in the Message Box when that happened?

[stam]

if this problem persists after restart, you could try deleting the preferences file - that has sorted problems with odd icons in the msgBox for me previously... I've not had what you show, but I've had borked icons after causing serious screw ups with my code on a couple of occasions

To locate the file, I normally use

Code: Select all

put the filename of stack "revpreferences"

in the msgBox, but if your msgBox is completely borked create an button with the code in a mouseUp handler and replace 'put' with 'answer' or even better, 'set the clipboardData to' to copy the filepath.

Obviously if you're deleting the prefs file, close down LC first, delete the file on your filesystem and then re-open LC, it will create a fresh preferences file.

HTH
S.

[mcelvain]

Thanks, all for your responses!

I forgot to add that, when saving a stack, I’m getting a white rectangular alert box appearing with the text “something.”

I wonder if my “Cmd-S” is calling a menu named “Save” which lacks handlers.

LiveCode authors could be forgiven for assuming no one would be dumb enough to call an empty container.

I’m guessing that my Message Box’s sticker collection derives from those mysterious “something” boxes.

Although trashing preferences or reinstalling might fix the issue, I want to learn exactly what I did to cause the problem first.

I’ll see if I can cause it by calling empty menu containers and report back…

[richmond62]

I get that 'something' window from time to time on both Linux & Mac: at which point things tend to lock up and I have to send a KILL signal: hence my obsessive saving while working.

[FourthWorld]

Thanks, all for your responses!

I forgot to add that, when saving a stack, I’m getting a white rectangular alert box appearing with the text “something.”

I wonder if my “Cmd-S” is calling a menu named “Save” which lacks handlers.

LiveCode authors could be forgiven for assuming no one would be dumb enough to call an empty container.

I’m guessing that my Message Box’s sticker collection derives from those mysterious “something” boxes.

Although trashing preferences or reinstalling might fix the issue, I want to learn exactly what I did to cause the problem first.

I’ll see if I can cause it by calling empty menu containers and report back…

Very interesting indeed. Thank you for that background. Looking forward to more details as you learn them.

The "something" alert may be the key. I'll see if I can get some time later today to search the IDE code for "something".

[bobcole]

I remember a forum thread on the topic of these "something" boxes but the search function does not allow the use of common words.
Out of luck.
Bob

[mwieder]

Ah, the dreaded "something" dialog. That's been around for some 20 years with no one any the wiser as to its source.

As to your message box, try renaming the LC preference file, then launch LC. It will create a new preferences file for you and that way you can still save the old one in case that's the culprit. If so, do file a bug report and attach the errant file.

[FourthWorld]

Ah, the dreaded "something" dialog. That's been around for some 20 years with no one any the wiser as to its source.

Weird. Don't recall seeing that mentioned before.

Took a gander through the Message Box objects, nothing hidden looks like that. Don't have time right now to try to hunt down the origin further. Interesting anomaly, tho.

[mwieder]

Yeah... I've been all over the engine source and the IDE scripts grepping for it. Nada.

[mcelvain]

Thank-you for your attempts to solve the “dreaded ‘Something’ dialog’.”

Rebooting with temporarily removed “preferences” text file did not solve the issue.

I have a feeling I’m about to learn all about the wonderful world of “caching.”

[mwieder]

Hmmm... how about the View menu... is there a checkmark at Show Invisible Objects?

[FourthWorld]

Thank-you for your attempts to solve the “dreaded ‘Something’ dialog’.”

Rebooting with temporarily removed “preferences” text file did not solve the issue.

This is reproducible? So you have a recipe for reproducing that so I can see it here? Once I can see it the odds of finding a fix go way up.

[richmond62]

The 'something' window (which, superficially looks like an ask or answer palette,
but has no way to dismiss it) has a way of popping up (just like Mary Poppins) when you
least expect it, so how the fudge one reproduces it is . . .