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wahorger · Joined: 13 Oct 2014 Posts: 928 Location: Morrison, CO, USA

I've been investigating using the "?" and "@" for help. I've run into a stumbling block. I know a way "around" the problem, but....

The issue is that the "@" does get the CURRENT data from the string provided when the winio@ is executed. Which is great. I'm using that. However, for a help string that needs to change contents dynamically when the user performs a specific action, a simple window_update@() for either the control or the string is ineffective. I have to redraw the whole window for the change to be recognized.

The code below illustrates this. Clicking on the rado button should force the displayed text (internally) to change, but the HELP when rolling over the control does not change.

I don't know if there is another facility that I am not aware of that would allow this to be dynamic.

PaulLaidler · Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:47 am Post subject:

Bill

The help string in your code can't be updated. The "standard string" is static.

You could use %th[ms_style] and change the text by calling set_tooltip_text@.

Alternatively I could possibly provide a new function that does the same thing when %th is not used.

wahorger · Joined: 13 Oct 2014 Posts: 928 Location: Morrison, CO, USA

Paul, thanks for the offer. I think what I will do is have a small icon that the user can click to display the information.

Having to add the code (and data) for %th linkage affects too many areas. That said, if I do need this for a smaller application, I will definitely keep it in mind!

John-Silver · Joined: 30 Jul 2013 Posts: 1475 Location: Aerospace Valley

Paul, I think your offer would be invaluable.

... for this and maybe other similar'static variable' uses whre they exist.
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PaulLaidler · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 8:43 pm Post subject:

I have already added a new function in response to Bill's enquiry. I will provide details when I have them to hand.

PaulLaidler · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:36 pm Post subject:

A new routine CHANGE_HELP_TEXT@ has been added. This is like SET_TOOLTIP_TEXT@ but is for help strings that are not ms_style tooltips. These occur when %th is used without [ms_style] or an option that implies [ms_style]. They also occur when a control is defined using the ? modifier (e.g. %?bt[OK]) and when neither %th nor %bh is present.

SUBROUTINE CHANGE_HELP_TEXT@(hWnd, Text)
INTEGER(7) hWnd
CHARACTER*(*) Text

This is available in the latest DLLs but in the absence of the required new cleawwin.ins and module you will need the interface...

C_EXTERNAL CHANGE_HELP_TEXT@ '__change_help_text'(VAL7,INSTRING)

John-Silver · Joined: 30 Jul 2013 Posts: 1475 Location: Aerospace Valley

Thanks Paul
Where you wrote:

wahorger · Joined: 13 Oct 2014 Posts: 928 Location: Morrison, CO, USA

Thanks, Paul! I'll give this a shot.

wahorger · Joined: 13 Oct 2014 Posts: 928 Location: Morrison, CO, USA

It does work! Very nice to have this.

One thing to note: If the new help text exceeds the longest help text present when the window was originally built, this new help text will be truncated.

I got around that by appending CHAR(160) to each element of the original help text character array (most of which is blank when the window is built) thereby preserving the character length "buffer size".

Thanks a bunch Paul. This will really help my users.

Bill