understanding dialog handler

[JoshRula]

I have been reading with vectorscript documentation and some examples from the the forum, I can't seem to grasp how to correctly build the dialog handler and pass my collected data to variables outside it. 

 

this is what I put together for the uid, but all of my attempts at writing my own dialog handler or modifying others I have found have borne no fruit.  I would like help with the code, but more importantly I would like to understand it. Teach a man to fish and all... 

 

{CABINET BUILDER V0.1}

PROCEDURE CabinetBuilderDialogBox;

VAR
builderDialog:LONGINT;
result:LONGINT;

BEGIN
builderDialog:=CreateLayout('Cabient Builder',false,'Build','Exit');

CreateStaticText( builderDialog ,1,'CABINET BUILDER V0.1',-1);
SetFirstLayoutItem( builderDialog , 1);

{ **********  TAB CONTROL ********** }

{ Tab Group 1}
CreateGroupBox(builderDialog , 5 , 'Cabinet Specs' , FALSE);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 6, 'WIDTH',8);
SetFirstGroupItem(builderDialog ,5,6);

CreateEditReal(builderDialog, 7, 1, 0, 4);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 6,7,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 8, 'HEIGHT',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 6,8,0,0);

CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 9, 1, 0, 4);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 8,9,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 10, 'DEPTH',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 8,10,0,0);

CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 11, 1, 0, 4);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 10,11,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 12, 'KICK',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 10,12,0,0);

CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 13, 1, 0, 4);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 12,13,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 14, 'DOOR(S)',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 12 ,14,0,0);

CreateEditInteger( builderDialog , 15, 2, 3);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 14,15,0,0);

{Tab Group 2}

CreateGroupBox(builderDialog , 16 , 'Material Specs' , FALSE);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 17, 'Material Thickness',8);
SetFirstGroupItem(builderDialog ,16,17);

CreateEditReal(builderDialog, 18, 3, 19mm, 8);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 17,18,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 19, 'Laminate Thickness',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 17,19,0,0);

CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 20, 3, 0.039in, 8);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 19,20,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 21, 'Kick Set Back',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 19,21,0,0);

CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 22, 3, 4in, 8);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 21,22,0,0);

CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 23, 'Door Gap',8);
SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 21,23,0,0);

CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 24, 3, 0.125, 8);
SetRightItem(builderDialog , 23,24,0,0);

{ Create tab control }
CreateTabControl( builderDialog , 100);
SetBelowItem( builderDialog , 1, 100, 0, 0);

{ Add the tab panes }
CreateTabPane( builderDialog , 100, 5);
CreateTabPane( builderDialog , 100, 16);

result:=RunLayoutDialog(builderDialog,NIL);
END;
RUN(CabinetBuilderDialogBox);

 

[Vlado]

@JoshRula Here is your code, modified, working to show how to get two values out from the dialog on OK:

 

{CABINET BUILDER V0.1}
PROCEDURE CabinetBuilder;
CONST 
	kRealType = 1;
	kDimType = 3;
VAR
	dialogID : LONGINT;
	width, height : REAL; {dialog data}
	
	FUNCTION CreateDialog : LONGINT;
	VAR
		builderDialog:LONGINT;

	BEGIN
		builderDialog:=CreateLayout('Cabient Builder',false,'Build','Exit');


		CreateStaticText( builderDialog ,1,'CABINET BUILDER V0.1',-1);
		SetFirstLayoutItem( builderDialog , 1);


		{ **********  TAB CONTROL ********** }

		{ Tab Group 1}
		CreateGroupBox(builderDialog , 5 , 'Cabinet Specs' , FALSE);


		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 6, 'WIDTH',8);
		SetFirstGroupItem(builderDialog ,5,6);

		CreateEditReal(builderDialog, 7, kRealType, 0, 4);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 6,7,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 8, 'HEIGHT',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 6,8,0,0);

		CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 9, kRealType, 0, 4);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 8,9,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 10, 'DEPTH',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 8,10,0,0);

		CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 11, 1, 0, 4);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 10,11,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 12, 'KICK',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 10,12,0,0);

		CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 13, 1, 0, 4);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 12,13,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 14, 'DOOR(S)',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 12 ,14,0,0);

		CreateEditInteger( builderDialog , 15, 2, 3);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 14,15,0,0);


		{Tab Group 2}

		CreateGroupBox(builderDialog , 16 , 'Material Specs' , FALSE);


		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 17, 'Material Thickness',8);
		SetFirstGroupItem(builderDialog ,16,17);

		CreateEditReal(builderDialog, 18, 3, 19mm, 8);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 17,18,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 19, 'Laminate Thickness',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 17,19,0,0);

		CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 20, 3, 0.039", 8);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 19,20,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 21, 'Kick Set Back',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 19,21,0,0);

		CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 22, 3, 4", 8);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 21,22,0,0);

		CreateStaticText(builderDialog , 23, 'Door Gap',8);
		SetBelowItem(builderDialog , 21,23,0,0);

		CreateEditReal( builderDialog , 24, 3, 0.125, 8);
		SetRightItem(builderDialog , 23,24,0,0);


		{ Create tab control }
		CreateTabControl( builderDialog , 100);
		SetBelowItem( builderDialog , 1, 100, 0, 0);

		{ Add the tab panes }
		CreateTabPane( builderDialog , 100, 5);
		CreateTabPane( builderDialog , 100, 16);

		CreateDialog := builderDialog;
	END;


	PROCEDURE HandleDialog(VAR item : LONGINT; data :LONGINT);
	VAR ok : BOOLEAN;
	BEGIN
		IF item = 1 {OK button} THEN BEGIN 
			ok := GetEditReal( dialogID, 7, kRealType, width );
			ok := GetEditReal( dialogID, 9, kRealType, height );
		END;
	END;
	
BEGIN
	dialogID := CreateDialog;
	IF RunLayoutDialog(dialogID,HandleDialog) = 1 {OK} THEN BEGIN
		{ the dialog was closed with ok}
		AlrtDialog( Concat( 'Width=', width, ' Height=', height ) );
	END;
END;
RUN(CabinetBuilder);

 

[Vlado]

Some explanations:
First, a Layout Manager dialog in Vectorworks is composed of two parts:

1. Creation -- code that creates the controls and their layout by defining what lies below or to the right;

2. Handling -- code that defines what the dialog does, i.e. receives messages from the controls

 

So typically, you'll have two functions for the two parts, and typically you'll have constants for the variables so you can follow the two parts easier. You can see, the example above catches the event from the OK button (which has always index of 1) and retrieves the values from the controls.

Note, here you used Real control, but maybe it would be better to use a 'dimension' control, which is aware of units. Notice how the edit control has a type of what the real value actually is: https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/VS:CreateEditReal

 

Also see here for another example:

https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/VS:RunLayoutDialog

[Vlado]

Also you might be better off using Python as a language instead of Pascal. It's just more modern syntax and it has the exact same functions available anyway.

 

Also, it might be easier to use the Dialog Builder to create the Layout (#1 above) as it gives you a way to test and fine tune the layout, especially when it becomes more comples:

https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/SDK:Dialog_Builder

 

Here is some basic information on the dialog builder:

https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/SDK:Dialog_Builder_Samples