Input control problem

[tammelinn]

I have a simple script, with an input control where the user can type commands.

Func SetupMainOutputWindow()
; Open the main output window in its initial position 
    
; Change to OnEvent mode
    Opt("GUIOnEventMode", 1)  
; Open the window 
    $mainoutputhandle = GUICreate( ($scriptname & " v" & $scriptversion), ($mainwindowwidth), ($mainwindowheight-50), 0, 0)
    GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)
; Set the window to be closeable
    GUISetOnEvent($GUI_EVENT_CLOSE, "CLOSEClicked")
; Create black box of white text to show the script's output
    $mainoutputtext = GUICtrlCreateEdit ("", 0, 0, ($mainwindowwidth-200), ($mainwindowheight-120), $ES_READONLY)
    GUICtrlSetColor($mainoutputtext, 0xFFFFFF)
    GUICtrlSetBkColor($mainoutputtext, 0x000000)
    [color="#008000"]; Create a smaller box for the user to type commands
    $userinputlabel = GUICtrlCreateLabel ("Command entry", 10, ($mainwindowheight-110), ($mainwindowwidth-220), 20, $ES_READONLY)
    $userinputbox = GUICtrlCreateInput ("", 10, ($mainwindowheight-90), ($mainwindowwidth-220), 20)
    GUICtrlSetOnEvent($userinputbox, "ParseInput")[/color]
    
; Show the time
    $display[1][1] = GUICtrlCreateInput ( _DateTimeFormat( _NowCalc(),2), ($mainwindowwidth - 200 + 20), 0, 70, 20, $ES_READONLY)
    $display[1][2] = GUICtrlCreateLabel ( "Date", ($mainwindowwidth - 200 + 20), 20, 70, 15, $ES_READONLY)
    $display[2][1] = GUICtrlCreateInput ( _DateTimeFormat( _NowCalc(),5), ($mainwindowwidth - 200 + 100), 0, 70, 20, $ES_READONLY)
    $display[2][2] = GUICtrlCreateLabel ( "Time", ($mainwindowwidth - 200 + 100), 20, 70, 15, $ES_READONLY)

End Func

Every 5 seconds or so, the main loop updates the time:

Func UpdateDisplay()
; Updates the time

    GUICtrlSetData ($display[1][1], _DateTimeFormat( _NowCalc(),2))
    GUICtrlSetData ($display[2][1], _DateTimeFormat( _NowCalc(),5))

EndFunc

I'd like the function ParseInput() to respond to what the user types, whenever the user presses their <enter> key.

Func ParseInput()
; Deal with user input to the command box

    Local $inputtext
    
; Set $inputtext to what was typed in the box
    $inputtext = GuiCtrlRead($userinputbox)
    
    MsgBox("box received " & $inputtext)

EndFunc

Here is my problem. Whenever the date is updated by UpdateDisplay() - it happens every five seconds - ParseInput() is also called. This is very inconvenient when the user hasn't finished typing their command.

Instead of receiving the command "newtask", ParseInput() receives something useless like "newt" or "new".

Could anyone suggest a way I can stop this from happening?

Edited November 11, 2007 by tammelinn

[Nahuel]

Your problem, is that your calling a function by an event in an inputbox. So, it will be called when you press enter, when you type something and then click outside the window, when another control steals focus and there's new text entered, etc...

So, an idea would be to create a hidden button with the style $BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON. This way, the button will be pressed when you hit enter calling ParseInput(). Here's an example:

#include <GUIConstants.au3>

$Form1 = GUICreate("", 412, 74, 193, 135)
$command = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 50, 32, 307, 21)
$Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Type command", 50, 12, 77, 17)
$Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("", 374, 28, 29, 29, $BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_HIDE)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)


While 1
    $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
    Switch $nMsg
        Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
            Exit
        Case $Button1
            MsgBox(0,"Command is:",GUICtrlRead($command))
            ControlFocus($Form1,"",$command);This isn't really necessary, but just in case...
    EndSwitch
WEnd

I was trying to do it on yours but it has many undeclared variables and I'm feeling kinda lazy today...

Edited November 11, 2007 by Nahuel

[tammelinn]

Many thanks for your excellent explanation.

Your code uses a loop that repeats every 100ms. I have a problem, because my script's main loop repeats after a minimum of 5 seconds, and sometimes much longer.

My script already has a pause mode, so I thought it would be sensible to tell the user to pause the script before typing a command. In that way, I can use your 100ms loop.

I tried to integrate your code into my script but I couldn't make it work. I suspect that my hidden button is in the wrong place; I don't understand the documentation on $BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON.

Am I doing something obviously wrong? Here's a reproduction script.

expandcollapse popup

#include <GUIConstants.au3>
#include <Date.au3>
#include <GuiEdit.au3>

; Pause the script with this hotkey
HotKeySet("{F1}", "PauseScript")

; Declare variables
; -----------------

; The main output window's format
Const $mainwindowwidth = 700
Const $mainwindowheight = 450
; The handle of the GUI window
Global $mainoutputhandle
; The name of the edit control where messages will appear
Global $mainoutputtext
; The name of the input control where user can type commands
Global $userinputlabel, $userinputbox
; The hidden button used in conjunction with this edit control
Global $hiddenbutton

; Minimum period between each loop of the script in milliseconds
Const $loopdelay = 5000

; Keep track of the time
Global $timestamp
; Allow the script to be paused
Global $pausedflag

; Local variables
Local $count

; Create the window
; -----------------

; Open the main output window in its initial position of top-left corner
    
; Change to OnEvent mode
Opt("GUIOnEventMode", 1)  

; Open the window 
$mainoutputhandle = GUICreate("Test script", ($mainwindowwidth), ($mainwindowheight-50), 0, 0)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW)

; Create black box of white text in the window
$mainoutputtext = GUICtrlCreateEdit ("", 0, 0, ($mainwindowwidth-200), ($mainwindowheight-120), $ES_READONLY)
GUICtrlSetColor($mainoutputtext, 0xFFFFFF)
GUICtrlSetBkColor($mainoutputtext, 0x000000)

; Create a smaller box for the user to type commands
$userinputlabel = GUICtrlCreateLabel ("Pause the script with F1 before typing a command.", 10, ($mainwindowheight-110), ($mainwindowwidth-220), 20, $ES_READONLY)
$userinputbox = GUICtrlCreateInput ("", 10, ($mainwindowheight-90), ($mainwindowwidth-220), 20)
$hiddenbutton = GUICtrlCreateButton("", 374, 28, 29, 29, $BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON)
GUICtrlSetState(-1, $GUI_HIDE)

; Main loop
; ---------

; Set the timer
$timestamp = TimerInit()

; Every second, write a line of text to edit control

Do
    Sleep($loopdelay)
    
; Write a line of text in the edit control
    GUICtrlSetData ($mainoutputtext, "Test line " & TimerDiff($timestamp) & @CRLF & GUICtrlRead ($mainoutputtext), "")
        
Until TimerDiff($timestamp) >= 30000

; Terminate the script after 30 seconds
Exit 0

; Pause script function
; ---------------------

Func PauseScript()
; Pause the script, halting everything until the same hotkey is pressed,
; thereby allowing the user to type commands

    Local $nMsg
    
; Pause or unpause the script
    $pausedflag = NOT $pausedflag
    
; Write a line of text in the edit control
    If $pausedflag Then     
        GUICtrlSetData ($mainoutputtext, "Script paused." & @CRLF & GUICtrlRead ($mainoutputtext), "")
        GUICtrlSetData ($userinputlabel, "Enter a command.")
    Else
        GUICtrlSetData ($mainoutputtext, "Script unpaused." & @CRLF & GUICtrlRead ($mainoutputtext), "")
        GUICtrlSetData ($userinputlabel, "Pause the script with F1 before typing a command.")
    EndIf
    
    While $pausedflag 
    ; Allow the user to type information into the command box when the script is paused,
    ; and when the user presses return, call ParseInput()
        $nMsg = GUIGetMsg()
        Switch $nMsg
            Case $hiddenbutton
                ParseInput()
            Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE
                Exit
        EndSwitch
        
        Sleep(100)
    WEnd

EndFunc ; PauseScript

Func ParseInput()
; For this demonstration, the function simply writes the typed command onto the black screen

    Local $text
    
    $text = GUICtrlRead($userinputbox)
    GUICtrlSetData ($mainoutputtext, $text & @CRLF & GUICtrlRead ($mainoutputtext), "")

EndFunc ; ParseInput

[Nahuel]

*cough*Guioneventmodestillthere*cough*

[tammelinn]

Aha!

And, what's more, Nahuel's line...

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