Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

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TerryL
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Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by TerryL »

@ Paul
Menu Builder. I made some bug fixes and improvements to Menu Builder. I emailed it to you for evaluation.

Answer/Ask Dialogs. In Windows (Linux?) there's a flash of "Answer Dialog" or "Ask Dialog" in the title area. I don't think it's a problem in Mac. This bug has been fixed in LC 9.6.7. If you have access, email me a copy of revAnswerDialog and I'll take a look at it.

Ask Password. This seems to have encrypted the user response in the past, but was changed to be the same as ask password clear (at least in win10). The dictionary does mention this, but could be clearer that there is no difference between the two forms. There is also an example using mcEncrypt which should be removed, as it is no longer usable. Most people would assume that ask password would encrypt too, so is there a way to do that, with dictionary example? Terry
TerryL
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by TerryL »

@ Paul. Fixed a mistake I made and added some menuPick examples to .txt. I emailed updated Menu Builder & .txt to you. Terry
TerryL
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by TerryL »

Still working on Menu Builder. I finished answer & ask dialog updates, just waiting on windows title flash fix from 9.6.7+. Private message me if anyone can send a copy of revanswerdialog so I can add the fix. Terry
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OpenXTalkPaul
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by OpenXTalkPaul »

Oh great! I'll check for that mail later tonight.

Sorry, I haven't been on here lately, been very busy with lots of different things, real-life issues and still trying to get together a first release. I actually put a beta (RC3) for a Linux .AppImage version on the GitHub Release page this morning, still needs lots of work, but I tested this .AppImage on several Linux distros over the weekend and it ran fairly well, even on Elementary OS on a 2016/17-ish ASUS netbook-style with low-power DualCore Celeron and 2GB-ram.

One thing I'm looking into now is that the FluidSynth library isn't loading from the AppImage version (it works fine on the original unpacked .AppDir version), which also makes me want to add some fall-back options for Linux in the OXT General Music Lib. The OXT GMLib does the converting of xTalk 'playSentence' to MIDI data and then it sends that data to an available player (it does other things too). So now I want it to check for available CLI tools like RT-MIDI, (ALSA) APlayMIDI, FluidSynth CLI, etc. and the first one it finds for playback if the OXT FluidSynth isn't loaded. On macOS it uses AVMIDIPlayer as a default (can use FluidSynth as well), Windows version use OXT FluidSynth Lib too, but could use ancient MCI script as a fall-back to I suppose.

I've also decided that I should try to help the helloSystem OS project however I can (Elementary OS is Mac-ish but not so Mac-like under the hood), so far that's meant working icons (which could help with OXT) but I'd REALLY like something like that to have a nice xTalk scripting for automation and inter-app communications. helloSystem being built by the same guy that created AppImage (Simon Peter).
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OpenXTalkPaul
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by OpenXTalkPaul »

TerryL wrote: Sun Nov 27, 2022 9:39 pm @ Paul
Ask Password. This seems to have encrypted the user response in the past, but was changed to be the same as ask password clear (at least in win10). The dictionary does mention this, but could be clearer that there is no difference between the two forms. There is also an example using mcEncrypt which should be removed, as it is no longer usable. Most people would assume that ask password would encrypt too, so is there a way to do that, with dictionary example? Terry
I just saw that (mcEncrypt) in the scripts of Ask/Answer, it's commented out, I'll have to go back and read the comments,

I'm sure we could find something to encrypt a password in-memory, but until its fixed there should be a note in the dictionary.

I've edited both Ask/Answer so that they look correct in 'darkMode' so would need to merge any new changes.

I also made a 3 & 4 button, square-shaped dialog 'Answer', trying to create a match for the macOS BigSur+ version of those standard dialogs, but thats not ready for prime-time.
TerryL
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by TerryL »

@ Paul. I emailed you a final Menu Builder & Answer/Ask update. Menu Builder still has issues but it's the best I can do. Maybe someone else can carry forward. Terry
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OpenXTalkPaul
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by OpenXTalkPaul »

OK I'll Diff it against 9.6.3 and what I have and check it out for merging, as soon as I can. Thanks!

I wasn't aware of issues with menu builder because when I need to make a menu tend to just copy an existing menu button from something else as a template and then modify that, or I write script that builds menu "on the fly" on mouseDown.
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OpenXTalkPaul
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by OpenXTalkPaul »

Thanks again, some interesting points raised in your text. I'm not sure I agree with all of those "Not A Bug" responses. If it's awkward to use, that IS a bug IMO. I've added that whole folder to the IDE Repo (really guys GitHub and its kind can be very useful for collaborative efforts, and there are GUIs that make it easier to use). I'm going to do a deep-dive into OXT menu building stack / scripts, and see what I can see. That orange line IS a bit wonky isn't it? And disclosure triangle only displays AFTER I've clicked a menu item that has a sub-menu, not good.

I think we work with what we have (had since MetaCard IDE, apparently) but eventually an entirely new and better Menu Builder stack could/should be created, something more graphical perhaps (in line with other GUI design tools do it), with keyboard symbols such as the CommandKey flower logo, also would be nice to add 'Fn' function keys, media keys, and maybe a mobile menu builder too (and Googles GPL freindly 'material' design SVG symbols for menuKey, backKey, etc.).
The tricky bit is sticking to the 'write-once' thing, being able to use the same scripts on all platforms, while also supporting a platforms unique features if possible.
I may be able to get some of those 'free functionality' (native) view/window/help menu items working on macOS. If you're running on newer macOS versions then may have seen these OS generated menus occasionally temporarily NOT get hidden by the IDE. By 'free functionality' I'm referring to the document window tabbing (show/hide tabs), macOS native Fullscreen 'Fn'F (OXT Mac Tools extension already support this feature, without the key-combo), and native Help/Search which could be setup to be much more useful (beyond being able to find items in our Apps Menu, searching the Dictionary from there would be great). These features are handle by macOS and as far as I can tell they do already work as expected with our xTalk Engine (when they aren't being hidden by the IDE). Figure out how to get those items 'unhidden' and then they can be added as options in this new menu building tool as well.
TerryL
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Re: Menu Builder & Answer Dialog

Post by TerryL »

I have one more Menu Builder item to update.
22) Script of fld "Item Name", changed four answer dialogs: removed"Revolution" reference, removed choice of deleting with "OK".
answer warning "As the Quit menu item is moved to the Application menu on Mac OS X, this menu item must be a divider, and removes it on Mac OS X." with "OK" titled "Menu Builder"
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