LiveCode Forums.

Thanks again to the responders.

To answer the question from dunbarx, my original question was not just to solve one instance of a problem. In fact, being a newcomer to LiveCode, I am more likely than not to ask the wrong question the first time out.

In this case, I'm exploring how to display large chunks of somewhat structured text. Coming from a HyperCard background, a scrolling field was the first thing that came to mind. But, as was pointed out by Richard Gaskin, I should also be looking at a browser component.

This kind of exploration is reminiscent of learning a new class hierarchy. Sometimes a class does not have a method for what I want, and my first tendency is to create one. But a little more study reveals a superclass that already has exactly what I need.

When I posted the original question, I was wearing "scrolling field" blinders. Now I'm not.

@PlaidFlannel.

That certainly sound like an issue with the forum permissions. Let me log out and try what you did. Watch this space.

Craig

Well, I see the image whether I log in or not. Anyone else see what PlaodFlannel does?

Craig

The scrollbar behavior preference being discussed goes back quite a ways.

Here are images of the "General" system preference panel from 10.6 (Snow Leopard), Tiger (10.4), and Jaguar (10.2). [I've also put the images on a web page at https://share.plaidflannel.com/lc ]

Regarding my inability to see images while logged in: I understand that newcomers to this forum have some strict permission limitations until they have posted seven times. For example, such new users are not allowed to have posts that include numbers with decimal points. (That one bit me on my second post.) Nor are they allowed to put a URL in a post if it includes the period character. (I had to work around that one by using the bullet character "•" instead of a period, such as in "livecode•com".)

PlaidFlannel wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 4:58 pm In this case, I'm exploring how to display large chunks of somewhat structured text. Coming from a HyperCard background, a scrolling field was the first thing that came to mind. But, as was pointed out by Richard Gaskin, I should also be looking at a browser component.

To be clear, I didn't recommend using a browser widget just to get normal scrolling behavior.

Browsers are complex programs, massive and RAM-hungry. If you're doing something that absolutely requires embedding an entire browser app inside of your app, then of course you would have no choice. Displaying web pages would be such a case.

But for simply scrolling a field, my suggestion was to file a bug report so LC's scrollbars can be updated to meet current user expectations.

But for simply scrolling a field, my suggestion was to file a bug report so LC's scrollbars can be updated to meet current user expectations.

What Richard said.

But I would not wait too long for the team to implement the behavior you mentioned.

I nave not heard back whether you thought rolling your own was a solution. It would take an hour to implement, and we are here to help, if in fact you actually need such help. The finished gadget will do exactly what you want.

Craig

To dunbarx:

It's too soon to commit to an implementation until I have a more complete requirements specification and the results of some design prototyping.

For example, some of my data will be coming from an SQL database, so a table may be better than a field. Some of my data has "pages" that might be defined by the semantics of the text, rather than just the number of lines. So a control other than a scrollbar may be better for selecting which page to display. And a browser object is still a possibility.

As a LiveCode beginner, I'm still exploring the capabilities of various LiveCode objects.

As a LiveCode beginner, I'm still exploring the capabilities of various LiveCode objects.

As you should. And by the way, you are doing just fine.

My first love is building kludges, which is why I keep bringing it up. So let me know if you decide you need help doing that.

Craig

A bug report has been filed: https://quality.livecode.com/show_bug.cgi?id=22939