Directives
MSGBOX Display PopUp Message Box
   
Format MSGBOX text$ [ ,title$ [ ,options$ [ ,selection$ ] ] ]
 
Where:
options$ Customized message box options. Optional string expressions, separated by commas if you include a list.
Supported options for MSGBOX buttons include:
  OK Ok only
  CANCEL Ok, Cancel
  RETRYCANCEL Retry, Cancel
  ABORT Abort, Retry, and Ignore.
  YESNO Yes, No
  YESNOCANCEL Yes, No, Cancel
  1 (or 2 or 3 ) Default button number
  TOP or ^ Always on top (forces foreground window)
  TIM=num Maximum time-out value in integer seconds. This allows message boxes to time-out and close automatically; i.e., if they have an Ok or Cancel button and support Esc to exit the message box. The returned value is "TIMEOUT".

Valid icons (in graphics mode only):
  STOP Stop sign
  INFO Lowercase 'i' in a circle. QUESTION or ? Question mark EXCLAMATION or ! Exclamation Mark Miscellaneous:
  BEEP Send associated sound

 

selection$ String variable to return the button selected by the user. Possible values are "ABORT", "CANCEL", "IGNORE", "NO", "OK", "RETRY", "YES", or "TIMEOUT".
text$ Text to appear in the message box. String expression.
title$ Title of the message box. String expression. (If you omit this field, the title will be "Error".)
   
Description Use the MSGBOX directive to display a window with a message in the middle of the screen. The text will be split into segments (lines) based on the system settings for screen width and centering characteristics. You can define multiple lines of text by using a SEP character between lines. Use the options string to identify the buttons and/or icons you want to include in the message box. The user's message box button selection is returned in a string variable.
   
Customizing the Message Box If the 'MX' system parameter is set, the system calls subprograms *ext/msgbox.gui (user-defined) or *ext/system/msgbox.gui (ProvideX-supplied) to process the request instead of the standard Windows message box. By default, ProvideX sets the 'MX' parameter to On when *ext/msgbox.gui is found to exist.

The msgbox.gui subprogram creates and displays a message box that is virtually identical to the standard Windows system message box but will use XP-style buttons if the '4D' mnemonic is enabled. In addition, it will use the currently-selected windows graphic font.



*Note* When 'MX' is set, MSGBOX commands entered in console mode or executed within an EXECUTE command cannot be followed by any other command (as MSGBOX will be executing a CALL without a return address).


  Several internal bitmap names for standard Windows bitmaps are available for displaying the embedded OS icons used by the normal message box API call:

!Sys_Stop, !Sys_Question, !Sys_Info, and !Sys_Exclamation.

The button text OK, YES, NO, CANCEL, ABORT, RETRY, CONTINUE, and IGNORE are included in the system message library file (i.e., *mlfile.en) to provide support for multi-lingual systems. The message numbers are defined as follows:  

MSG( ) Number String
160 "OK"
161 "OK,Cancel"
162 "&Retry,Cancel"
163 "&Abort,&Retry,&Ignore"
164 "&Yes,&No"
165 "&Yes,&No,&Cancel"

 

  Use the DEF MSG directive to temporarily override the message text associated with the MSG( ) number. This directive allows messages to be changed on the fly. For example, MSG(164) "&Yes,&No"can be changed to another language:

DEF MSG(164) = "&Oui,&Non"

Using Customized Messages with WindX

Use of this facility under WindX requires some additional effort by the developer; i.e., will the subprogram be running on the host or on the workstation. If the program runs on the host, it will transmit the screen drawing information to the workstation just like any other ProvideX program. If the program is to run on the workstation, the host will simply send the MSGBOX parameters to WindX, which in turn runs the program locally (assuming it is present).

The setup for WindX is described as follows:

  • To run the host’s msgbox.gui, set the 'MX' system parameter. No change is required for workstation software.
  • To run the workstation’s msgbox.gui, ensure that the program exists on the workstation, then execute [wdx]Set_param 'MX'to set the parameter locally.

This takes advantage of the fact that ProvideX automatically sets 'MX' based on the existence of a (user-defined) *ext/msgbox.gui. Simply copy the msgbox.gui from *ext/system to the *ext directory on the host, the system will use it and send screen drawing directives to the workstation. If it is copied (or installed) to *ext on the WindX workstation, the system will automatically use it, assuming it is not overridden by the host.

This customizable MSGBOX also takes advantage of the 'BEEP' mnemonic.

   
See Also 'MX' System Parameter
DEF MSG Define Temporary Message
   
Example 1000 MSGBOX "Remove the customer record",
1000: "Confirmation Please","?,YESNO",X$
1010 IF X$<>"YES" THEN RETURN
1020 REMOVE (1,KEY=K$)