How can I display the value of a variable, without dialogs?

[rupes]

Finally got around to giving LiveCode a look (unfortunately 21 days after installing the demo, so only 9 days left for testing), and cannot seem to find anyway to display the value of a variable. For example, if I had a variable called "currentUser" and wanted to have its value (the name of the currently logged in user or "None") displayed at the top right of the main stack, and updated whenever its value changes ....

Also, really disappointed in the documentation available for LiveCode .. first two of their introductory vids are missing from their YouTube uploads (probably the only vids that would have shown some of the actual features of the language too) ... even the RunDev UserGuide doesn't use hyperlinks or have a useful (hyperlinked) index.

[bn]

Hi Rupes,

welcome to the forum.

You probably would want to use a field for that.

Code: Select all

put myVariable into field "myField"

How to update the field is another matter. It all depends how a user logs in. That should trigger something that in turn updates the field.
If you want to do the check periodically then you would have to query the state of a user/users being logged in or nobody being logged in.

You could do that with a 'send in time' command.

code could look like this in a button.

Code: Select all

-- declare a script local variable which stays
-- with the current script and is accessible from every handler in
-- this script
local sWatchForUsers = false

on mouseUp
   if sWatchForUsers is false then
      put true into sWatchForUsers
      send watchThem to me in 10 milliseconds -- start the timer
   else
      put false into sWatchForUsers
   end if
end mouseUP

on watchThem
   if sWatchForUsers = true then
      -- here pseudocode since I dont know how you know if there is someone logged in, suppose have to query that
      -- code for query here
      -- and suppose the local variable tmyquery_for_someone_logged_in would true or false
      -- and the nameOfUser contains the name of the user
      if tmyquery_for_someone_logged_in is true then
         put nameOfUser into field "myField"
      else
         put "none" into field "myField"
      end if
      send watchThem to me in 5 seconds -- this goes on until you click again and sWatchForUsers is false then the message will not be send
   end if
   -- here sWatchFolder is not true and no watchThem is send to me -> end of timer
end watchThem

this is a simple way to do a recurrent task

Is it something like this you are after?

Kind regards

Bernd

[rupes]

Thanks for the reply, but a field would not be appropriate as the user would never actually be entering any text, text would simply be displayed. I'm sure it is possible to replicate what I'm requesting using the field 'button', but that would be a very clumsy way to do what I'm asking about and would seeming require a lot of additional coding for such a simple function.

I can't believe that I haven't been able to find a way to do this, screen output is a basic function of all application languages, I must be overlooking something.

[kray]

Thanks for the reply, but a field would not be appropriate as the user would never actually be entering any text, text would simply be displayed. I'm sure it is possible to replicate what I'm requesting using the field 'button', but that would be a very clumsy way to do what I'm asking about and would seeming require a lot of additional coding for such a simple function.

I can't believe that I haven't been able to find a way to do this, screen output is a basic function of all application languages, I must be overlooking something.

I think you're thinking that fields must be enterable; quite the contrary - the "label" object that you pick from the LiveCode tool palette is actually a field with some properties set differently than those for enterable fields (lockText is true, showBorder is false, opaque is false, etc.).

Simply put a label field in the corner of your window and remove the default contents from it so it's empty. Give it a name (like "UserName") and then when you want to show something to the user, just execute:

Code: Select all

put currentUser into field "UserName"

Can't get much easier than that...

[rupes]

Thanks for the reply, but a field would not be appropriate as the user would never actually be entering any text, text would simply be displayed. I'm sure it is possible to replicate what I'm requesting using the field 'button', but that would be a very clumsy way to do what I'm asking about and would seeming require a lot of additional coding for such a simple function.

I can't believe that I haven't been able to find a way to do this, screen output is a basic function of all application languages, I must be overlooking something.

I think you're thinking that fields must be enterable; quite the contrary - the "label" object that you pick from the LiveCode tool palette is actually a field with some properties set differently than those for enterable fields (lockText is true, showBorder is false, opaque is false, etc.).

Simply put a label field in the corner of your window and remove the default contents from it so it's empty. Give it a name (like "UserName") and then when you want to show something to the user, just execute:

Code: Select all

put currentUser into field "UserName"

Can't get much easier than that...

Yup, having some background with other programming languages and database work, "field" always equated to "an object that allows the user to enter data". They probably should have changed the name to avoid confusion. Of course better documentation would also help. Is there a post or table that lists common tasks done in other languages and their LiveCode equivalent? I'm willing to do a little research but with only 8 days left on my trial, I may just end up abandoning this software due to poor documentation .. if I hadn't found this forum with google, I'd still be hunting for the answer to the above

[rupes]

Also, I have to wonder just how bloated the resulting code for a LiveCode app is. How does it deal with all those other options available in the field object inspector, options that would never be needed for the simple display of the value of a variable on screen?

[paul_gr]

Also, I have to wonder just how bloated the resulting code for a LiveCode app is.

I see you are coming from Java.
An app written with Livecode will have considerably less lines of code than an equivalent Java app...

Paul

[doc]

I'm willing to do a little research but with only 8 days left on my trial, I may just end up abandoning this software due to poor documentation

Well, one thing that isn't lacking with LiveCode is documentation... if anything, there is too much available.

Beside the built-in dictionary and 380+ page user guide (pdf format) included with your trial, you might want to have a look at some of these:

http://lessons.runrev.com/
http://www.runrev.com/developers/lesson ... tutorials/
http://www.runrev.com/developers/lesson ... nferences/
http://www.runrev.com/developers/lesson ... -livecode/
http://www.runrev.com/developers/lesson ... -and-java/

Good luck,
-Doc-

[kray]

Yup, having some background with other programming languages and database work, "field" always equated to "an object that allows the user to enter data". They probably should have changed the name to avoid confusion. Of course better documentation would also help.

You'll find that in LiveCode there are several "base" objects, and that various properties/styles define look and behavior. For example, radio buttons, checkboxes, and push buttons are all "button" objects; sliders, scrollbars, and progressbars are all "scrollbar" objects, etc. In fact, if you open up the LiveCode Dictionary (last button on the toolbar), and then toggle open the "Objects" tree, you'll see all of these "base" objects listed there. The RunRev crew has just broken them out on the tool palette into separate "pseudo-objects" because it is more common to have each one of those forms as their own object, and it aids in transition from other languages (theoretically).

Is there a post or table that lists common tasks done in other languages and their LiveCode equivalent? I'm willing to do a little research but with only 8 days left on my trial, I may just end up abandoning this software due to poor documentation .. if I hadn't found this forum with google, I'd still be hunting for the answer to the above

There is a smattering of comparisons here and there - there was a full document written comparing Revolution (what LiveCode used to be called) with RealBasic and Visual Basic - kind of a "head-to-head" along with sample code, etc.; for other languages not so much.

[jsburnett]

Try using:
set the label of this stack to whatEverVariable
then the name of the stack will be the variable you want.

[rupes]

Try using:
set the label of this stack to whatEverVariable
then the name of the stack will be the variable you want.

Stack? I thought a stack was more like a window. I guess I better try reading that manual again, from the very beginning.

[kray]

A stack is more like a window, but he's suggesting to set the label of the stack to a value will change the window title in the titlebar. This is the same as setting the "title" property of the stack.

[rupes]

A stack is more like a window, but he's suggesting to set the label of the stack to a value will change the window title in the titlebar. This is the same as setting the "title" property of the stack.

Ah, ok thanks for clearing that up. I think I'm finally getting a better idea of how LiveCode approaches things .. a bit more like true OOP