TEXT Gadget
- Last UpdatedNov 10, 2025
- 3 minute read
Members
|
Name |
Type |
Purpose |
|---|---|---|
|
Val |
STRING Get/Set |
Set or get the contents of STRING type TEXT field. |
|
Val |
REAL Get/Set |
Set or get the contents of REAL type TEXT field. |
|
Val |
BOOLEAN Get/Set |
Set or get the contents of BOOLEAN type TEXT field. |
|
Val |
'AS DEFINED Get/Set |
Set or get the contents of the field according to you defined type. |
|
DataType |
STRING Get Only |
Get the type of the field. |
|
Echo |
BOOLEAN Get Only |
Get the Echo Status. No-echo means that typed characters will all appear as asterisks. |
|
Format |
STRING Get Only |
Get the name of the format object associated with the field. |
|
Scroll |
REAL Get Only |
Get the Scroll Width. |
|
ValidateCall |
STRING Get/Set |
Set/get user-defined validation callback. |
|
Editable |
BOOLEAN Get/Set |
Controls the ability to interactively edit the content of a text field. |
Methods
|
Name |
Result |
Purpose |
|---|---|---|
|
FullName() |
STRING |
Get the full gadget name, for example,'!!Form.gadget'. |
|
Name() |
STRING |
Get the gadget's name, for example, 'gadget'. |
|
Owner() |
FORM |
Get owning form. |
|
Clear() |
NO RESULT |
Clear gadget contents. |
|
SetEditable(BOOLEAN) |
NO RESULT |
Sets the editable status for the field. |
|
SetFocus() |
NO RESULT |
Move keyboard focus to this gadget. |
|
SetToolTip(STRING) |
NO RESULT |
Sets or edits the text of the TOOLTIP. |
|
Refresh() |
NO RESULT |
Refreshes the display of the gadget. |
|
SetValue(ANY value, BOOLEAN validate) |
NO RESULT |
Sets the value of the field, checking for valid type and format. If validate is TRUE, the validation callback will be executed. |
|
GetPickedPopup() |
MENU |
Returns the last picked popup menu for the gadget. |
|
Shown() |
BOOLEAN |
Get ‘shown’ status. |
|
Type() |
STRING |
Get the gadget type as a string that means, 'TEXT'. |
|
Seteditable( STRING attrib, REAL value) |
NO RESULT |
Specify value of named attribute. Currently the only attribute supported is HANDLEMODIFY which determines when the text MODIFIED events are fired. It has values: 0 MODIFIED events off (default). 1 Generate MODIFIED event for first user modification. 2 Generate MODIFIED event for all user modifications. |
Command
The TEXT command defines a text field gadget which supports data values of a given type.
The following can also be specified; Gadget position, tag, size, callback, anchor and tooltip; maximum length of the string that may be scrolled in the gadget; the name of a format object which says how a value is to appear as text or be interpreted; that text entered is not echoed as typed, but appears as asterisks (for example, for entering passwords); that the field contents can be seen but not edited.
You can define the TEXT object to be either PML-controlled, or core-code controlled using the gadget qualifier attribute control type, with values ‘PML" or "CORE".
.--------<-------------.
/ |
>-- TEXT gname --+-- <fgpos> -------------|
+-- CORE ----------------| Core managed gadget
+-- <fgtagw> ------------|
+-- <fganch> ------------|
+-- TOOLTIP text --------|
+-- CALLback text -------*
| .---------<---------.
| / |
‘--*-- WIDth integer ----|
+-- SCRoll integer ---|
+---NOEcho------------*
|
‘-- IS --+-- STRING --.
+-- REAL ----|
+-- BOOLEAN -|
‘-- word ----+- FORMAT gvarnm -.
‘-----------------+- TOOLTIP text -.
‘----------------‘-->
Figure 2:4. Syntax Graph -: Setting Up a TEXT Object
The IS word syntax allows for any user defined data type to be used, but this will only work satisfactorily if a suitable FORMAT object is supplied.
Notes: The maximum string length (SCROLL integer) is 256 characters, and the default if you do not specify a length is 132.
It is bad practice to place one gadget on top of another. This may lead to gadgets
being obscured.