Primary Level Educational version

[richmond62]

Sorted out the CANCEL button so it actually does what it should . . .
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Screenshot 2023-12-20 at 12.53.46.png (163.1 KiB) Viewed 2087 times

[richmond62]

Now generates a new stack where it should:
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Screenshot 2023-12-20 at 20.44.14.png (152.69 KiB) Viewed 2080 times

[richmond62]

Frankly that "STACK" button was 'not much cop', so went for a new palette:
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SShot 2023-12-22 at 14.51.59.png (283.02 KiB) Viewed 2046 times

[OpenXTalkPaul]

I'm a sucker for brushed metal.

My Object/Resource extractor thing I'm working on might be helpful for working on IDE stacks like this.

I'm going to upload what I've got so far on that in a bit.

[richmond62]

It doesn't have to be brushed metal as far as I am concerned.

But I do feel a textured background is better in terms of making the 'handles' stand out, and stopping your eyes going funny with a solid colour.

My experience with about 100 programs for content development and reinforcement through 2 universities and my language school (using HyperCard, ToolBook, Metacard, and RR/LC) is 10-20% of the time on programming, and the rest on 'Look and Feel'. Something that is, in my opinion, overlooked in a large number of cases.

[richmond62]

So: some incremental improvements with the stack creation palette:
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Screenshot 2023-12-23 at 13.01.09.png (277.97 KiB) Viewed 2011 times

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Also takes into account if the user has not given the stack a name:
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Screenshot 2023-12-23 at 13.01.37.png (129.7 KiB) Viewed 2008 times

[richmond62]

Why not have a bit more fun? . . .
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Screenshot 2023-12-23 at 13.59.17.png (299.13 KiB) Viewed 2005 times

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Screenshot 2023-12-23 at 13.59.40.png (158.37 KiB) Viewed 2004 times

[richmond62]

Proper default settings for Stack palette & improved affordances on colour buttons:
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Screenshot 2023-12-24 at 11.53.08.png (284.14 KiB) Viewed 1991 times

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Screenshot 2023-12-24 at 11.52.44.png (130.29 KiB) Viewed 1990 times

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Default stack is now white and 300 x 300 pixels.

[richmond62]

I am a bit stuck:

My newTools stack contains a button with this script:

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   answer file "Select image:"
   if the result is not cancel then
      set the lockscreen to true
      put the short name of the topStack into STAKK
      import paint from file it to stack STAKK
      set the name of the last control to "XYZ"
   end if
end mouseUp

What ACTUALLY happens with this script is that my imported image ends up in the newTools stack, and NOT my target stack.
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Screenshot 2024-01-17 at 13.48.07.png (755.66 KiB) Viewed 1477 times

[tperry2x]

Is your target stack specified in a variable somewhere?
Otherwise, it's probably doing what it thinks is correct - the topstack is probably the newTools stack.
Perhaps if you can store the name of the new stack in a global variable, then use that in the target stack to import the image into.

[richmond62]

That doesn't seem to make sense if the button containing the script is on a palette.

[richmond62]

The redoubtable Bernd Niggeman in the LC Forums provided the help I needed:

Code: Select all

on mouseUp
   put the topStack into STAKK
   if (the short name of this stack) is STAKK or STAKK is empty then
      answer "activate the target stack first" with "Ok"
      exit mouseUp
   end if
   answer file "Select image:"
   if the result is not cancel then
      set the lockscreen to true
      set the defaultStack to STAKK
      import paint from file it 
      set the name of the last control to "XYZ"
   end if
end mouseUp

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Screenshot 2024-01-17 at 18.28.18.png (382.68 KiB) Viewed 1394 times

[tperry2x]

I guess that works, but it's a bit of a pain to be told to activate the target stack first. Surely it should just put it on the user's stack without prompting.

Judging by the window controls on the main stack (as they are greyed out), the main stack window is in the background, so is not the front stack.

You could just avoid all that with a variable that sets the default stack to whatever the main stack is called when it gets created.

Anyway, glad you are happy.

[richmond62]

Anyway, glad you are happy.

I wouldn't put things as simplistically as that.

This interface is very much a work in progress (3 steps forward, 2 steps back). After all, that button should NOT import an image: it should throw up a "image Import" palette with all sorts of options.

Such as:

SIZE

POSITIONING

[richmond62]

ALSO: every button on every palette should check whether "Sunny Jim" has made a stack on which to place buttons, fields, pictures, graphics, and so forth: otherwise things could get seriously screwed up.

[tperry2x]

ALSO: every button on every palette should check whether "Sunny Jim" has made a stack on which to place buttons, fields, pictures, graphics, and so forth: otherwise things could get seriously screwed up.

That's kind of what my idea would have done (probably rough sudo-code):

Code: Select all

global rSunnyJimsTargetStack

on mouseup
if not (there is a stack rSunnyJimsTargetStack) or rSunnyJimsTargetStack is empty then
-- no stack has been created
else
-- we now know the target stack for everything
create button "new button " & the seconds in stack rSunnyJimsTargetStack
end if
end mouseup

[richmond62]

ALL that should be necessary, as ALL the palettes in my newTools are palettes, is for each command to pick up the name of the topStack (after all, Sunny Jim could be farting around with 3 stacks) . . . so, no globals needed.
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glow_balls.jpg (7.48 KiB) Viewed 1366 times

[tperry2x]

Sunny Jim could be farting around with 3 stacks

Code: Select all

global rSunnyJimsTargetStack
on resumestack
put the name of this stack into rSunnyJimsTargetStack
end resumestack

easy?

[richmond62]

Easy, indeed: and one of several ways of doing things.

[richmond62]

And with this picture you should ken what I'm speiran for:
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Screenshot 2024-01-17 at 22.43.32.png (225.81 KiB) Viewed 1327 times