Window Types

Description

The BASIC interpreter provides four window types: Window, Graphics, Dialog, and Text.

Basic features of Window Types:

Window	Most used and most useful window type. Can contain all controls. TAB key can be used to move focus from one control to the next.
Graphics	Suitable for displaying graphics and graphical sprites. Not intended to contain other controls. Most controls will not work properly if placed in this window type.
Dialog	Can contain all controls, but not menus. Best suited for getting information from a user. TAB key can be used to move focus from one control to the next. Can contain a default button activated by user hitting ENTER key. May display as "modal", meaning window must be closed before user can activate any other window. Will be closed by pressing ESC key (unless you prevent it in trapclose). Keyboard events in Graphicbox do not work in Dialog window.
Text	Limited in functionality. Can not contain other controls. Useful for text display and editing. Always has a menu bar with a File and Edit menu.

Syntax

1. open "window title" for type as #handle
2. open "window title" for type_suffix as #handle

Hints

Table of window features and attributes

		Style Suffixes							Features
Type		_fs	_nf	_nsb	_ins	_modal	_popup		Sizing frame		Menus		Scroll bars		Can contain other controls
Window			X				X		Def/Opt		Opt		No		Yes
Graphics		X	X	X					Def/Opt		Opt		Def/Opt		Not intended to contain controls
Dialog		X	X			X	X		No		No		No		Yes
Text		X		X	X				Def/Opt		Def		Def/Opt		No

Notes

Style Suffixes

_fs		window is sized to fill screen
_nf		window has no sizing frame and cannot be resized by user
_nsb		window doesn't contain scroll bars
_ins		window contains inset text editor
_modal		window must be closed before another window can gain focus
_popup		window has no title-bar and sizing frame

Features

Def		Default appearance at window opening
Opt		Optional - can be disabled
No		feature NOT available for this window type
Yes		feature IS available for this window type

Combined Style Suffix Cases

Graphics	Text	Window	Dialog
graphics	text	window	dialog
graphics_fs	text_fs	window_nf	dialog_modal
graphics_nsb	text_nsb	window_popup	dialog_nf
graphics_fs_nsb	text_nsb_ins		dialog_nf_modal
graphics_nf_nsb			dialog_fs
			dialog_nf_fs
			dialog_popup

Example

' Run this program to see an example of the four window types.
nomainwin
UpperLeftX=DisplayWidth/2-300
UpperLeftY=DisplayHeight/2-200
WindowWidth=300
WindowHeight=200
menu #1, "Stuff"
open "Window" for window as #1
#1 "trapclose [quit]"

UpperLeftX=DisplayWidth/2
UpperLeftY=DisplayHeight/2-200
WindowWidth=300
WindowHeight=200
menu #2, "Stuff"
open "Graphic Window" for graphics as #2
#2 "trapclose [quit]"

UpperLeftX=DisplayWidth/2-300
UpperLeftY=DisplayHeight/2
WindowWidth=300
WindowHeight=200
menu #3, "Stuff"
open "Dialog Window" for dialog as #3
#3 "trapclose [quit]"

UpperLeftX=DisplayWidth/2
UpperLeftY=DisplayHeight/2
WindowWidth=300
WindowHeight=200
menu #4, "Stuff"
open "Text Window" for text as #4
#4 "!trapclose [quit]"

wait

[quit]
close #1
close #2
close #3
close #4
end

Useful Procedures

' Place a useful function using this keyword here