Yet more first base questions

LiveCode is the premier environment for creating multi-platform solutions for all major operating systems - Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, the Web, Server environments and Mobile platforms. Brand new to LiveCode? Welcome!

Moderators: FourthWorld, heatherlaine, Klaus, kevinmiller, robinmiller

Post Reply
gyroscope
Livecode Opensource Backer
Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 404
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:44 pm
Contact:

Yet more first base questions

Post by gyroscope » Sat May 03, 2008 11:43 pm

Hallo, a few more first base questions please:

• If I wanted to put just a controller for users to play audio tracks only (I don't at the moment for any of my existing projects but might one day...) how is that done? If I try to resize a player object, the smallest height is 22 pxls, I seem to remember, and that still shows a bit of the screen area. Any smaller, and the controller disappears altogether. (For interest, I have a similar problem in Apple iWeb)

• Curiousity this one: with an OSX app where the window shadows are on, would I have to script that the shadow property be off for a PC app, or would this aspect just be ignored (i.e dealt with automatically in the PC build)?

• This one may seem naive or just plain silly but here goes all the same: in Look and Feel, Windows Emulated doesn't look much like windows screenshots I've seen, or remember from the last time I saw a PC screen (a few years ago now: I think you can tell by now I'm a Mac user...). The buttons turn into a vertical line and a horizontal line only, as do fields. I'm guessing that this isn't a real emulation of Windows, but a rough guide, and that any apps created for a PC from a Mac will look "proper" with the default beige colours, etc and 3D properties, etc?

• The Variable Watcher: is there a way to set the VW so that it a) shows local variables as well as global; and b) is live? (what I mean is, at the moment, if a variable changes in a running script, the only way to see this is to close VW and open it again. Not much of a variable watcher at the moment, more of a variable glancer! And c) is there away to get rid of all of the rev system globals and just show personal stack globals? (for instance, not show gRevScriptShortCut, etc. It even shows itself as far as I can see...gRevTargetStack which points to itself as stack "revVariableWatcher".) I have a vague memory that if Revolution UI elements is not checked, then these system elements aren't meant to show, or perhaps I've misunderstood that...

• The Message Watcher: in Lingo, there was a similar thing (musn't mention Lingo too much or I'll get a smack on the wrist... :wink: ) and this showed each line of the script as it was executed, including outcome of multiplication, addition, etc as well as actual variable number/string at that moment shown; very useful. But all I can get it to show is whether my mouse is down or up, or a host of Rev engine messages. For me, its pretty much useless the way it is, unfortunately...

Any comments/answers to the above gratefully received, thank you!

:)

BvG
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
VIP Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 1239
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:10 pm
Contact:

Post by BvG » Sun May 04, 2008 9:49 am

You can make your own controls for playing audio, by using the relevant commands:
start command
currentTime property
paused property
stop command
movie property
etc.

From the shadow property entry of the docu:
The shadow of a stack window is drawn by the operating system. On Mac OS, Unix, and Windows systems, the setting of a stack's shadow property has no effect.
Did you ever try the other two look and feel settings? These are all more like strange skins (of which you can't make your own) than anything related to reality. Rev tries to use the default look's on all platforms, and it's pretty convincing most of the time.

I never used the watchers often, but the variable watcher is best used while actually in the process of debugging a script. at that point it will show all your variables (and noe of the rev ones), with their content (not sure about arrays though).

The message watcher is probably only useful when you're trying to find out what message triggers a specific behaviour in a project you didn't make. You can specify it to not show certain messages, and if you want to use it, i suggest to exclude mousemove and mouseenter/mouseleave there.

If I want to see the actual result of some code I wrote, I always use "put" (without into). That's why I never debug, or use the watchers. It's just easier to output the currently resulting var to the message box, and look at it to see any problem. Basically this is like a manual formal check, or static code check. This way, whenever I have solved a sub-problem, I'll know that it does what I want (unfortunately that's not always what's needed ;-) ).
Various teststacks and stuff:
http://bjoernke.com

Chat with other RunRev developers:
chat.freenode.net:6666 #livecode

gyroscope
Livecode Opensource Backer
Livecode Opensource Backer
Posts: 404
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:44 pm
Contact:

Post by gyroscope » Sun May 04, 2008 9:32 pm

Hi BvG

Thank you for your answers, they are much appreciated!

:)

Post Reply