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Scripting error when calling _ExtMsgBox with a numeric first parameter


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I have a script that calls _ExtMsgBox() from time to time to show progress through the test script by displaying the current line number and I'm getting a subscripting error.  My script makes this call:

_ExtMsgBox($MB_ICONINFORMATION, "OK", "Test", @ScriptLineNumber)

The error was:

"C:\Andy\AutoIT-src\myLib\_ExtMsgBox.au3" (787) : ==> Subscript used on non-accessible variable.:
_ExtMsgBoxSet(0, 0, -1, -1, 10, "Courier New", $aRet[2] + 70)
_ExtMsgBoxSet(0, 0, -1, -1, 10, "Courier New", $aRet^ ERROR

I traced it to a problem in _StringSize() where it returns an error if the first parameter is not a string.  The code in _ExtMsgBox() does not check for an error and assumes that _StringSize() returns an array.  However, it returns a 0, causing the subssript error.

The problem is that because AutoIT has non-typed variables, a text string of all digits and a numeric value both fail the IsString() test.  For example, both of these calls fail:

Quote

_StringSize(123456, ...)
_StringSize("123456",...)

So there really are 2 issues here:

1) The _ExtMsgBox() code does not check for an error return from _StringSize()

2) _StringSize() fails when a string containing all digits is passed as the first parameter.

I commented out the "if not isString" test and it all worked OK.   I don't know why this check is there as a call with a number as the first parameter just displays the number as a string of digits.

 

Edited by AndyS01
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Sorry, I forgot to say that I was calling a wrapper function that calls _ExtMsgBox().  This function parses the string and passes a "$iWidth" parameter adjusted for a fixed width font.  This is in response to this issue. Here is the function:
 

; #FUNCTION# ====================================================================================================================
; Name ..........: _ExtMsgBoxFWFromStr
; Description ...: Calls _ExtMsgBox() to display a @CRLF separated string in a fixed font gui
; Syntax ........: _ExtMsgBoxFromFWStr($vIcon, $vButton, $sTitle, Byref $ar)
; Parameters ....: $vIcon   - Icon to use
;                  $vButton - Button text separated with "|" character. " " = no buttons.
;                  $sTitle  - The title of the message box.
;                  $ar      - [in/out] An array text strings.
;                  $iTimeOut - See _ExtMsgBox() for details about this parameter
;                  $hWin     - See _ExtMsgBox() for details about this parameter
;                  $iVPo     - See _ExtMsgBox() for details about this parameter
;                  $bMai     - See _ExtMsgBox() for details about this parameter
; Return values .: None
; Author ........: Andy Scharmer
; Modified ......:
; Remarks .......: See _ExtMsgBox.au3 for details about the calling parameters.
; Related .......:
; Link ..........:
; Example .......: No
; $vIcon, $vButton, $sTitle, $sText, $iTimeOut = 0, $hWin = "", $iVPos = 0, $bMain = True
; ===============================================================================================================================
Func _ExtMsgBoxFromFWStr($vIcon, $vButton, $sTitle, $sString, $iTimeOut = 0, $hWin = "", $iVPos = 0, $bMain = True, $lnum = @ScriptLineNumber)
    #forceref $lnum
    Local $aRet

    ; Size the string
    $aRet = _StringSize($sString, 10, Default, Default, "Courier New")
    If ($aRet == 0) Then
        Local $err = @error
        Local $ext = @extended
        _DebugOut("+++:" & $lnum & ": [" & "_ExtMsgBoxFromFWStr" & "] @error = " & $err & ", @extended = " & $ext)
        ;;;debugging;;;Exit;;;debugging;;;
    EndIf

    ; Now set the ExtMsgBox to a width which will accommodate the widest line
    _ExtMsgBoxSet(0, 0, -1, -1, 10, "Courier New", $aRet[2] + 70) ; 70 = 50 for the icon + 2 borders of 10

    ; And it fits!!!
    _ExtMsgBox($vIcon, $vButton, $sTitle, $sString, $iTimeOut, $hWin, $iVPos, $bMain)
EndFunc   ;==>_ExtMsgBoxFromFWStr

I made the $aRet return check after getting subscripting errors.  So the only issue is with _StringSize returning an error if the first parameter is numeric

Edited by AndyS01
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AndyS01,

Quote

_StringSize() fails when a string containing all digits is passed as the first parameter.

No, _StringSize fails when passed a numeric value as the first parameter - and it fails gracefully by setting @error to 1 (and even @extended to 1 to indicate which parameter is erroneous):

#include "StringSize.au3"

_StringSize(1234567)

ConsoleWrite(@error & " - " & @extended & @CRLF)

You have created a wrapper function which relies on _StringSize returning an array - that is your mistake not that of the UDF (and myself as the author).

Quote

The _ExtMsgBox() code does not check for an error return from _StringSize()

It most certainly does! You will see that _ExtMsgBox itself returns an error when you pass it a digit instead of a string:

#include "ExtMsgBox.au3"

$sString = 1234567890

_ExtMsgBox(0, "Test", "Title", $sString)

ConsoleWrite(@error & @CRLF)

And if you look at the error messages for the UDF you see:

Failure:    Returns -1 and sets @error as follows:
;[...]
;                               6 - StringSize error

So if you want to write a wrapper function using my UDFs, it is up to you to check the error messages that might be returned and deal with them as appropriate. Or force the required value into string format so that it will work - although you should still check for errors as a matter of course.

Ball very firmly returned.

M23

Edited by Melba23
Added a few more comments

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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AndyS01,

Quote

 wondering why _StringSize() calls a string that's all digits an error

Because what you keep calling a "string of digits" is actually a numeric value - you need surrounding quotes to make it into a literal string as far as AutoIt is concerned.

As you can see from this snippet, when you pass a numeric value (no quotes) you get an error returned - when you pass a string (with quotes) you get no error and the ExtMsgBox displays:

#include "ExtMsgBox.au3"

_StringSize(1234567)

ConsoleWrite("Numeric value: " & @error & " - " & @extended & @CRLF)

_StringSize("1234567")

ConsoleWrite("Literal string: " & @error & " - " & @extended & @CRLF)

$sString = 1234567890

_ExtMsgBox(0, "Test", "Title", $sString)

ConsoleWrite("Numeric value: " & @error & @CRLF)

$sString = "1234567890"

_ExtMsgBox(0, "Test", "Title", $sString)

ConsoleWrite("Literal string: " & @error & @CRLF)

And StringSize returns an error when passed a numeric value because I coded it that way. The clue is in the name (StringSize) - it is designed to size strings, not numeric values. The function header clearly states:

; $sText   - String to display

so it is up to the user to pass a string when using the function. In my opinion it is not up to UDF authors to cope with every possible parameter datatype - it is up to the user to force the correct datatype if necessary.  In this case I do at least offer a specific @error/@extended return to indicate that there is a problem with that parameter if a string is not passed.

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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AndyS01,

I would have done this:

_ExtMsgBox($MB_ICONINFORMATION, "OK", "Test", String(@ScriptLineNumber))

and ensured the correct datatype rather than trying to fool the interpreter into thinking it is a string.

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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AndyS01,

10 hours ago, Melba23 said:

StringSize returns an error when passed a numeric value because I coded it that way

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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AndyS01,

I did not "randomly" decide that the UDF would error on a numeric parameter - it was a conscious design decision on my part given that the rationale behind the UDF was to size a string. The code must check that the passed parameter is a datatype that would be accepted by the GetTextExtentPoint32W DLL call (i.e. not an array, an object, etc), so it seemed simplest to have just a single check and only accept strings, rather than carry out multiple checks to (hopefully) weed out all the other multiple possibilities that would fail. The fact that AutoIt internally converts a number to a string because of the code that is inside the UDF is not documented and so cannot be relied upon - any future release may not act in the same manner and so cause the UDF to fail without the current @error return that I have kindly provided.

And I am becoming a little irritated by the tone you have adopted throughout this thread. This UDF is one of my personal include files which I make freely available to other forum users and as such I am perfectly at liberty to make it behave in any way I wish. Your continual assertions that I have somehow coded it "wrong" have absolutely no justification and have frankly become tiresome. If you wish to modify the StringSize code to make it conform to your requirements then feel free to do so, but do not expect any support from me when it starts misbehaving.

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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