Basic Script

User's Guide
EP-DSX756
R400
March 2010

Release 400
Honeywell
 Notices and Trademarks

Copyright 2010 Honeywell International Inc.

Release 400 March, 2010

While this information is presented in good faith and believed to be accurate, Honeywell disclaims
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In no event is Honeywell liable to anyone for any indirect, special or consequential damages. The
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Honeywell and TotalPlant are registered trademarks of Honeywell International Inc.

Other brand or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Honeywell Process Solutions

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Phoenix, AZ 85027 USA
1-800 822-7673

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 About This Document
This document describes how to,
• Record, edit, and debug scripts.
• Edit custom dialog boxes.

Release Information
Document Name Document ID Release Publication
Number Date

Basic Script User's Guide EP-DSX756 400 March 2010

Document Category

Configuration

R400 Basic Script User's Guide iii

March 2010 Honeywell
Support and Other Contacts

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 Support and Other Contacts

Korea
Contact: Honeywell Global TAC – Korea
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Support and Other Contacts

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 Symbol Definitions

Symbol Definitions
The following table lists those symbols used in this document to denote certain conditions.

Symbol Definition

ATTENTION: Identifies information that requires special

consideration.

TIP: Identifies advice or hints for the user, often in terms of

performing a task.

REFERENCE -EXTERNAL: Identifies an additional source of

information outside of the bookset.

REFERENCE - INTERNAL: Identifies an additional source of

information within the bookset.

CAUTION Indicates a situation which, if not avoided, may result in equipment

or work (data) on the system being damaged or lost, or may result in
the inability to properly operate the process.

CAUTION: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not

avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. It may also be used
to alert against unsafe practices.

CAUTION symbol on the equipment refers the user to the product

manual for additional information. The symbol appears next to
required information in the manual.

WARNING: Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which, if not

avoided, could result in serious injury or death.

WARNING symbol on the equipment refers the user to the product

manual for additional information. The symbol appears next to
required information in the manual.

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Symbol Definitions

Symbol Definition

WARNING, Risk of electrical shock: Potential shock hazard where

HAZARDOUS LIVE voltages greater than 30 Vrms, 42.4 Vpeak, or
60 VDC may be accessible.

ESD HAZARD: Danger of an electro-static discharge to which

equipment may be sensitive. Observe precautions for handling
electrostatic sensitive devices.

Protective Earth (PE) terminal: Provided for connection of the

protective earth (green or green/yellow) supply system conductor.

Functional earth terminal: Used for non-safety purposes such as

noise immunity improvement. NOTE: This connection shall be
bonded to Protective Earth at the source of supply in accordance
with national local electrical code requirements.

Earth Ground: Functional earth connection. NOTE: This

connection shall be bonded to Protective Earth at the source of
supply in accordance with national and local electrical code
requirements.

Chassis Ground: Identifies a connection to the chassis or frame of

the equipment shall be bonded to Protective Earth at the source of
supply in accordance with national and local electrical code
requirements.

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 Contents

1. EDITING AND DEBUGGING SCRIPTS .......................................15

1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 15
Contents...............................................................................................................................15
1.2 Script Editor Basics ...................................................................................... 15
Script Editor's Application Window .......................................................................................15
Toolbar .................................................................................................................................16
Keyboard Shortcuts..............................................................................................................18
General Shortcuts ................................................................................................................18
1.3 Using the Help System ................................................................................. 22
To get context-sensitive help using the Help pointer............................................................22
To get context-sensitive help using the keyboard ................................................................23
To search for help on a specific topic...................................................................................23
To use the Help system contents .........................................................................................24
1.4 Editing Your Scripts...................................................................................... 24
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................24
Navigating within a Script .....................................................................................................24
To move the insertion point with the mouse .........................................................................25
To move the insertion point to a specified line in your script ................................................25
1.5 Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor..................................... 27
Inserting Text .......................................................................................................................27
Selecting Text ......................................................................................................................28
To select text with the mouse...............................................................................................29
To select text with the keyboard...........................................................................................30
To select an entire line of text with the keyboard .................................................................30
Deleting Text ........................................................................................................................31
To delete text .......................................................................................................................31
To combine the current line with the following line ...............................................................31
Cutting and Copying Text.....................................................................................................31
To cut a selection .................................................................................................................32
To copy a selection ..............................................................................................................32
Pasting Text .........................................................................................................................32
To paste the contents of the Clipboard into your script ........................................................32
1.6 Undoing Editing Operations ........................................................................ 32
To undo an editing operation................................................................................................33
1.7 Adding Comments to Your Script ............................................................... 33
To add a full-line comment ...................................................................................................33
To add a comment at the end of a line of code ....................................................................33

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1.8 Breaking a BasicScript Statement across Multiple Lines .........................34

To break a BasicScript statement across multiple lines ...................................................... 34
1.9 Searching and Replacing..............................................................................35
To find specified text ........................................................................................................... 35
To replace specified text ..................................................................................................... 36
1.10 Checking the Syntax of a Script ...............................................................37
To perform a syntax check .................................................................................................. 37
1.11 Editing Dialog Box Templates ..................................................................38
To insert a new dialog box template into your script............................................................ 38
To edit an existing dialog box template in your script .......................................................... 38
1.12 Running Your Scripts ................................................................................39
To run your script ................................................................................................................ 39
To pause an executing script .............................................................................................. 39
To stop an executing script ................................................................................................. 39
1.13 Debugging Your Scripts ............................................................................40
Using the BasicScript Debugger.......................................................................................... 40
1.14 Tracing Script Execution...........................................................................41
To step through your script.................................................................................................. 41
To display the Calls dialog box............................................................................................ 42
To move the instruction pointer to another line within a subroutine..................................... 42
1.15 Setting and Removing Breakpoints .........................................................43
Setting Breakpoints ............................................................................................................. 43
To start debugging partway through a script ....................................................................... 43
To continue debugging at a line outside the current subroutine .......................................... 44
To debug selected portions of your script............................................................................ 45
To manually remove a single breakpoint............................................................................. 45
To remove all breakpoints manually.................................................................................... 46
1.16 Adding a Watch Variable ...........................................................................46
To add a watch variable ...................................................................................................... 46
Types of Variables You Can Watch..................................................................................... 48
1.17 Modifying or Deleting a Watch Variable ..................................................48
To select a watch variable ................................................................................................... 48
To modify the value of a variable on the watch variable list ................................................ 50
To delete a watch variable .................................................................................................. 52
1.18 Exiting From Script Editor.........................................................................52
To exit from Script Editor ..................................................................................................... 52
1.19 Menu Reference .........................................................................................53
File Menu ............................................................................................................................ 53
Edit Menu ............................................................................................................................ 53
Run Menu............................................................................................................................ 54
Debug Menu........................................................................................................................ 54
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 Contents

Help Menu............................................................................................................................55

2. EDITING CUSTOM DIALOG BOXES ..........................................57

2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 57
2.2 Contents......................................................................................................... 57
2.3 Overview ........................................................................................................ 57
Features of the Summit Dialog Editor ..................................................................................58
2.4 Using the Summit Dialog Editor .................................................................. 58
2.5 Dialog Editor's Application Window ........................................................... 59
Dialog Editor's Toolbar .........................................................................................................60
2.6 Keyboard Shortcuts for Dialog Editor ........................................................ 61
2.7 Using the Help System ................................................................................. 62
To display Help for the currently active window ...................................................................62
To pinpoint a specific topic in the Help system.....................................................................62
2.8 Creating a Custom Dialog Box .................................................................... 62
2.9 Types of Controls.......................................................................................... 63
2.10 Adding Controls to a Dialog Box ............................................................. 64
To add a control ...................................................................................................................64
2.11 Using the Grid to Help You Position Controls within a Dialog Box ..... 66
To display and adjust the grid ..............................................................................................66
2.12 Creating Controls Efficiently .................................................................... 68
2.13 Editing a Custom Dialog Box ................................................................... 69
2.14 Selecting Items .......................................................................................... 69
To select a control................................................................................................................69
To select the dialog box: ......................................................................................................70
2.15 Using the Information Dialog Box............................................................ 70
To display the Information dialog box for a dialog box .........................................................70
To display the Information dialog box for a control...............................................................71
Attributes That You Can Adjust with the Dialog Box Information Dialog Box .......................72
Attributes That You Can Adjust with the Information Dialog Box for a Control .....................73
2.16 Changing Position and Size ..................................................................... 74
Keeping Track of Position and Size .....................................................................................74
Changing the Position of an Item .........................................................................................74
To reposition an item with the mouse...................................................................................75
To reposition an item with the arrow keys ............................................................................75
To reposition a dialog box with the Dialog Box Information dialog box ................................76

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Contents

To reposition a control with the Information dialog box ....................................................... 76

Changing the Size of an Item .............................................................................................. 77
To resize an item with the mouse........................................................................................ 77
To resize an item with the Information dialog box ............................................................... 77
To resize selected controls automatically............................................................................ 78
2.17 Changing Titles and Labels ......................................................................79
To change a dialog box title or a control label ..................................................................... 79
2.18 Assigning Accelerator Keys .....................................................................80
To assign an accelerator key .............................................................................................. 80
2.19 Specifying Pictures....................................................................................82
To specify a picture from a file............................................................................................. 82
To specify a picture from a picture library............................................................................ 83
2.20 Creating or Modifying Picture Libraries under Windows ......................84
To create a picture library under Windows .......................................................................... 84
To modify an existing picture library .................................................................................... 85
2.21 Duplicating and Deleting Controls ...........................................................86
To duplicate a control .......................................................................................................... 86
To delete a single control .................................................................................................... 86
To delete all the controls in a dialog box ............................................................................. 87
Undoing Editing Operations ................................................................................................ 87
To undo an editing operation:.............................................................................................. 87
2.22 Editing an Existing Dialog Box.................................................................87
2.23 Pasting an Existing Dialog Box into Dialog Editor.................................88
To paste an existing dialog box into Dialog Editor............................................................... 88
To paste one or more controls from an existing dialog box into Dialog Editor..................... 89
2.24 Capturing a Dialog Box .............................................................................90
To capture an existing standard Windows dialog box ......................................................... 90
2.25 Opening a Dialog Box Template File........................................................91
To open a dialog box template file....................................................................................... 91
2.26 Testing an Edited Dialog Box ...................................................................91
To test your dialog box ........................................................................................................ 92
2.27 Incorporating a Dialog Box into Your Script ...........................................94
To incorporate a dialog box or control into your script......................................................... 94
2.28 Exiting from Dialog Editor.........................................................................94
To exit from Dialog Editor .................................................................................................... 94
2.29 Using a Custom Dialog Box in Your Script .............................................95
2.30 Creating a Dialog Record ..........................................................................95
2.31 Putting Information into the Dialog Box ..................................................96

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 Contents

Defining and Filling an Array ................................................................................................97

Setting Default Text in a Text Box........................................................................................97
Setting the Initial Focus and Controlling the Tabbing Order .................................................97
2.32 Displaying the Custom Dialog Box.......................................................... 97
Using the Dialog() Function..................................................................................................97
Using the Dialog Statement..................................................................................................98
2.33 Retrieving Values from the Custom Dialog Box..................................... 98
Sample .................................................................................................................................98
2.34 Using a Dynamic Dialog Box in Your Script ......................................... 100
2.35 Making a Dialog Box Dynamic ............................................................... 102
Using a Dialog Function .....................................................................................................102
Responding to User Actions...............................................................................................103
2.36 Menu/Tools Reference ............................................................................ 104
File Menu ...........................................................................................................................104
Edit Menu ...........................................................................................................................105
Controls Menu....................................................................................................................106
Help Menu..........................................................................................................................108

3. RECORDING SCRIPTS .............................................................109

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 109
3.2 Contents....................................................................................................... 109
3.3 Script Recorder Basics............................................................................... 109
3.4 Features of Script Recorder....................................................................... 110
3.5 Using Script Recorder ................................................................................ 110
3.6 Recording a Script ...................................................................................... 111
To record a script ...............................................................................................................112
3.7 Actions Recorded ....................................................................................... 112
3.8 Application Focus Switch .......................................................................... 113
3.9 Window Scrolling ........................................................................................ 113
3.10 Mouse Activity ......................................................................................... 113
3.11 Keyboard Activity .................................................................................... 114
3.12 Window Management.............................................................................. 114
3.13 Menu Commands..................................................................................... 115
3.14 Dialog Box Interaction ............................................................................ 115

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Contents

3.15 Examining and Adjusting Your Script's BasicScript Code..................116

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 1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.1 Introduction
This chapter explains how to use Script Editor, a tool that enables you to edit and debug
your BasicScript scripts. It begins with some general information about working with
Script Editor and then discusses editing your scripts, running your scripts to make sure
they work properly, debugging them if necessary, and exiting from Script Editor.

Contents
• Script Editor Basics
• Editing Your Scripts
• Running Your Scripts
• Debugging Your Scripts
• Exiting from Script Editor
• Menu Reference

1.2 Script Editor Basics

This section provides general information that will help you work most effectively with
Script Editor. It includes an overview of Script Editor's application window—the
interface you'll use to edit, run, and debug your BasicScript scripts—as well as lists of
keyboard shortcuts and information on using the Help system.

Script Editor's Application Window

Script Editor's application window contains the following elements:
• Toolbar: a collection of tools that you can use to provide instructions to Script
Editor, as discussed in the following subsection.
• Edit pane: a window containing the BasicScript code for the script you are currently
editing.
• Watch pane: a window that opens to display the watch variable list after you have
added one or more variables to that list.
• Pane separator: a divider that appears between the edit pane and the watch pane
when the watch pane is open.
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1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.2. Script Editor Basics

• Status bar: displays the current location of the insertion point within your script.

Toolbar
The following list briefly explains the purpose of each of the tools on Script Editor's
toolbar. These tools are discussed in more detail later in the chapter, in the context of the
procedures in which they are used.

Tool Function

Cut Removes the selected text from the script and places it
on the Clipboard.

Copy Copies the selected text, without removing it from the

script, and places it on the Clipboard

Paste Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the current

position of the insertion point

Undo Reverses the effect of the preceding editing change(s)

Start Begins execution of a script.

Break Suspends execution of an executing script and places

the instruction pointer on the next line to be executed.

End Stops execution of a script.

Toggle Breakpoint Adds or removes a breakpoint on a line of BasicScript

code.

Add Watch Displays the Add Watch dialog box, in which you can
specify the name of a BasicScript variable. That variable,
together with its value (if any), is then displayed in the
watch pane of Script Editor's application window.

Calls Displays the list of procedures called by the currently

executing BasicScript script. Available only during break
mode.

Single Step Executes the next line of a BasicScript script and then
suspends execution of the script. If the script calls
another BasicScript procedure, execution will continue
into each line of the called procedure.

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 1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.2. Script Editor Basics

Tool Function

Procedure Step Executes the next line of a BasicScript script and then
suspends execution of the script. If the script calls
another BasicScript procedure, BasicScript will run the
called procedure in its entirety.

TIP
If you forget the name of a toolbar tool, pass the pointer over the tool to
display its name

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1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.2. Script Editor Basics

Keyboard Shortcuts
The following lists present various types of keyboard shortcuts, including general
shortcuts, navigating shortcuts, editing shortcuts, and debugging shortcuts.

General Shortcuts

Key(s) Function

F1 Provides context-sensitive help for selected menu commands

and variables in the watch pane, for BasicScript terms in the
edit pane that have been selected or that contain the insertion
point, and for displayed dialog boxes.

Shift+F1 Toggles the Help pointer.

Ctrl+F Displays the Find dialog box, which allows you to specify text
for which you want to search.

F3 Searches for the next occurrence of previously specified text.

If you have not previously specified text for which you want to
search, displays the Find dialog box.

Ctrl+G Invokes the Goto Line dialog box.

Esc Deactivates the Help pointer if it is active. Otherwise,

compiles your script and returns you to the host application.

Navigating Shortcuts

Key(s) Function

Up arrow Moves the insertion point up one line.

Down arrow Moves the insertion point down one line.

Left arrow Moves the insertion point right by one character position.

Right arrow Moves the insertion point left by one character position.

PgUp Moves the insertion point up by one window.

PgDn Moves the insertion point down by one window.

Ctrl+PgUp Scrolls the insertion point left by one window.

Ctrl+PgDn Scrolls the insertion point right by one window.

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1.2. Script Editor Basics

Key(s) Function

Ctrl + Left arrow Moves the insertion point to the start of the next word to the
left.

Ctrl + Right arrow Moves the insertion point to the start of the next word to the
right.

Home Places the insertion point before the first character in the line.

End Places the insertion point after the last character in the line.

Ctrl+Home Places the insertion point before the first character in the
script.

End Places the insertion point after the last character in the line.

Ctrl+Home Places the insertion point before the first character in the
script.

Ctrl+End Places the insertion point after the last character in the script.

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1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.2. Script Editor Basics

Editing Shortcuts
Key(s) Function

Del Removes the selected text or removes the character following

the insertion point without placing it on the Clipboard.

BkSp Removes the selected text or removes the character

preceding the insertion point without placing it on the
Clipboard.

Ctrl+A Selects all text in the script.

Ctrl+Y Deletes the entire line containing the insertion point without
placing it on the Clipboard.

Tab Inserts a tab character.

Enter Inserts a new line, breaking the current line.

Ctrl+C Copies the selected text, without removing it from the script,
and places it on the Clipboard.

Ctrl+X Removes the selected text from the script and places it on the
Clipboard.

Ctrl+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the location of the

insertion point.

Shift + any navigating Selects the text between the initial location of the insertion
shortcut point and the point to which the keyboard shortcut would
normally move the insertion point. (For example, pressing
Shift + Ctrl + Left arrow selects the word to the left of the
insertion point; pressing Shift+Ctrl+Home selects all the text
from the location of the insertion point to the start of your
script.)

Ctrl+Z Reverses the effect of the preceding editing change(s).

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 1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.2. Script Editor Basics

Debugging Shortcuts

Key(s) Function

Shift+F9 Displays the Add Watch dialog box, in which you can specify
the name of a BasicScript variable. Script Editor then displays
the value of that variable, if any, in the watch pane of its
application window.

Del Removes the selected watch variable from the watch pane.

Enter or F2 Displays the Modify Variable dialog box for the selected
watch variable, which enables you to modify the value of that
variable.

F5 Runs your script.

F6 If the watch pane is open, switches the insertion point

between the watch pane and the edit pane.

F8 Activates the Single Step command, which executes the next

line of a BasicScript script and then suspends execution of
the script. If the script calls another BasicScript procedure,
execution will continue into each line of the called procedure.

Shift+F8 Activates the Procedure Step command, which executes the

next line of a BasicScript script and then suspends execution
of the script. If the script calls another BasicScript procedure,
BasicScript will run the called procedure in its entirety.

Ctrl+Break Suspends execution of an executing script and places the

instruction pointer on the next line to be executed.

F9 Sets or removes a breakpoint on the line containing the

insertion point.

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1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.3. Using the Help System

1.3 Using the Help System

Script Editor's Help system provides context-sensitive help both on BasicScript keywords
and on how to use various features of Script Editor. The Help system also lets you
pinpoint information on key topics. This subsection describes several ways to get help.

To get context-sensitive help using the Help pointer

Here's how to activate the Help pointer and use it to get help on certain key features of
Script Editor, including the status bar, toolbar, menu commands, edit pane, watch pane,
and pane separator.

Step Action
1 When you pass the pointer over an area of Script Editor's application window on which you
can obtain help, a question mark appears beside the mouse pointer to indicate that the Help
pointer is active. To activate the Help pointer, press Shift+F1.

Note: You can use the Help pointer to obtain help on all toolbar tools and menu commands,
including those that are currently disabled.

2 Place the Help pointer on the item for which you want help and click the mouse button. Script
Editor's Help system displays information for the item on which you clicked.

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 1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.3. Using the Help System

To get context-sensitive help using the keyboard

Here's how to use the keyboard to get context-sensitive help on BasicScript terms, watch
variables, menu commands, and dialog boxes

Step Action
1 Select the BasicScript term on which you want help or place the insertion
point anywhere in the term or,

Select the watch variable or menu command on which you want help
(including commands that are currently disabled), or

Display the dialog box on which you want help.

2 Press F1.

Script Editor's Help system displays information on the BasicScript term, watch variable,
menu command, or dialog box.

To search for help on a specific topic

Here's how to access the Help system and pinpoint specific information within it.

Step Action
1 From the Help menu, choose the Search for Help on command.

The Search dialog box appears.

2 Either enter the desired topic or select it from the following scrollable list.
3 Click the Show Topics button or press Enter.

The topic you selected is displayed in the second scrollable list, together with
closely related Help topics, if any.
4 Click the Go To button or press Enter.

Help is displayed for the topic you selected.

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1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.4. Editing Your Scripts

To use the Help system contents

Here's how to display the Help system contents and use it to find information on selected
topics.

Step Action
1 From the Help menu, choose Contents.

A list of major topics in Script Editor's Help system appears.

2 Select the topic on which you want help.

The Help system either displays information on the selected topic or presents a list of
more specific subtopics from which you can choose to obtain the desired information.

1.4 Editing Your Scripts

Introduction
This section explains how to use Script Editor to edit BasicScript code. Although, in
some respects, editing code with Script Editor is like editing regular text with a word-
processing program, Script Editor also has certain capabilities specifically designed to
help you edit BasicScript code.
You'll learn how to move around within your script, select and edit text, add comments to
your script, break long BasicScript statements across multiple lines, search for and
replace selected text, and perform a syntax check of your script. The section ends with a
brief discussion of editing dialog box templates, which is explained in much more detail
in Chapter 3.

Navigating within a Script

The lists of keyboard shortcuts in the preceding section contain a group of navigating
shortcuts, which you can use to move the insertion point around within your script. When
you move the insertion point with a keyboard shortcut, Script Editor scrolls the new
location of the insertion point into view if it is not already displayed.
You can also reposition the insertion point with the mouse and the Goto Line command,
as explained below.
Script Editor differs from most word-processing programs in that it allows you to place
the insertion point anywhere within your script, including in "empty spaces." (Empty
spaces are areas within the script that do not contain text, such as a tab's expanded space
or the area beyond the last character on a line.)

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1.4. Editing Your Scripts

To move the insertion point with the mouse

Here's how to use the mouse to reposition the insertion point. This approach is especially
fast if the area of the screen to which you want to move the insertion point is currently
visible.

Step Action
1 Use the scroll bars at the right and bottom of the display to scroll the target
area of the script into view if it is not already visible.
2 Place the mouse pointer where you want to position the insertion point.
3 Click the left mouse button.

The insertion point is repositioned.

ATTENTION
When you scroll the display with the mouse, the insertion point remains in its
original position until you reposition it with a mouse click. If you attempt to
perform an editing operation when the insertion point is not in view, Script
Editor automatically scrolls the insertion point into view before performing the
operation.

To move the insertion point to a specified line in your script

Here's how to jump directly to a specified line in your script. This approach is especially
fast if the area of the screen to which you want to move the insertion point is not
currently visible but you know the number of the target line.

Step Action
1 Press F4.

Script Editor displays the Goto Line dialog box.

2 Enter the number of the line in your script to which you want to move the
insertion point.

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1.4. Editing Your Scripts

Step Action
3 Click the OK button or press Enter.

The insertion point is positioned at the start of the line you specified. If that
line was not already displayed, Script Editor scrolls it into view.

ATTENTION
The insertion point cannot be moved so far below the end of a script as to
scroll the script entirely off the display. When the last line of your script
becomes the first line on your screen, the script will stop scrolling, and you
will be unable to move the insertion point below the bottom of that screen.

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 1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.5. Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor

1.5 Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor

This subsection provides an overview of the editing operations you can perform with
Script Editor—including inserting, selecting, deleting, cutting, copying, and pasting
material—and explains how to undo, or reverse, the most recent editing operations. You
may wish to refer to the lists of keyboard shortcuts in the preceding section, which
contain a group of editing shortcuts that can be used to perform many of the operations
discussed here.

Inserting Text
In Script Editor, inserting text and other characters such as tabs and line breaks works
about the same way as it does in a word-processing program: you position the insertion
point at the desired location in the script and start typing.
However, as noted in the preceding subsection, Script Editor lets you position the
insertion point in "empty spaces," which means that you can also insert text into empty
spaces—a feature that comes in handy when you want to insert a comment in the space
beyond the end of a line in your script. (Adding comments to your script is discussed
later in this section.) When you insert characters beyond the end of a line, the space
between the insertion point and the last character on the line is backfilled with tab
characters.
Another way in which Script Editor differs from word-processing programs is that in
Script Editor, text does not wrap. If you keep entering text on a given line, eventually you
will reach a point at which you can enter no more text on that line. Therefore, you control
the line breaks by pressing Enter when you want to insert a new line in your script. The
effect of pressing Enter depends on where the insertion point is located at the time:
• If you press Enter with the insertion point at or beyond the end of a line, a new line
is inserted after the current line.
• If you press Enter with the insertion point at the start of a line, a new line is inserted
before the current line.
• If you press Enter with the insertion point within a line, the current line is broken
into two lines at that location.
If you press Tab, a tab character is inserted at the location of the insertion point, which
causes text after the tab to be moved to the next tab position. If you insert new text within
a tab's expanded space, the text that originally appeared on that line is moved to the next
tab position each time the new text that you are entering reaches the start of another tab
position.

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1.5. Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor

When you enter certain types of text in Script Editor, the text automatically appears in a
distinctive color. The default colors, which you can change, are as follows:
• When you type keywords, they appear in blue.
• When you type identifier text, it appears in black.
• When you type comments (beginning with either an apostrophe or "REM"), they
appear in green.

Selecting Text
You can use either the mouse or the keyboard to select text and other characters in your
script. Regardless of which method you use, you should be aware that in Script Editor,
you can select either a portion of one line or a series of whole lines, but you cannot select
a portion of one line plus one or more whole lines. When you are selecting multiple lines
and start or end your selection partway through a line, Script Editor automatically
extends the selection to include the entire starting and ending lines.

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1.5. Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor

To select text with the mouse

Step Action
1 Place the mouse pointer where you want your selection to begin.
2 While pressing the left mouse button, drag the mouse until you reach the end
of your selection, and release the mouse button or

While pressing Shift, place the mouse pointer where you want your selection
to end and click the left mouse button.

The selected text is highlighted on your display.

Another way to select one or more whole lines with the mouse is to start by placing the
mouse pointer in the left margin beside the first line you want to select. The pointer
becomes a reverse arrow, which points toward the line of text. Click the left mouse
button to select a single line; press the left mouse button and drag up or down to select
multiple lines.

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1.5. Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor

To select text with the keyboard

Here's how to use keyboard shortcuts to select text in your script.

Step Action
1 Place the insertion point where you want your selection to begin.
2 While pressing Shift, use one of the navigating keyboard shortcuts to extend
the selection to the desired ending point.

The selected text is highlighted on your display.

ATTENTION
When you intend to select an entire single line of text in your script, it is
important to remember to extend your selection far enough to include the
hidden end-of-line character, which is the character that inserts a new line in
your script.

To select an entire line of text with the keyboard

Step Action
1 Place the insertion point at the beginning of the line you want to select.
2 Press Shift + Down arrow.

The entire line, including the end-of-line character, is selected.

3 To extend your selection to include additional whole lines of text, repeat step
2.

Once you have selected text within your script, you can perform a variety of other editing
operations on it, including deleting the text, placing it on the Clipboard (either by cutting
the text or copying it), and pasting it.

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1.5. Performing Editing Operations with Script Editor

Deleting Text
When you delete material, it is removed from your script without being placed on the
Clipboard.

To delete text
Here's how to remove one or more characters, selected text, or entire lines from your
script.
• To remove a single character to the left of the insertion point, press BkSp once; to
remove a single character to the right of the insertion point, press Del once. To
remove multiple characters, hold down BkSp or Del.
-Or-
• To remove text that you have selected, press BkSp or Del.
-Or-
• To remove an entire line, place the insertion point in that line and press Ctrl+Y.

To combine the current line with the following line

Step Action
1 Place the insertion point after the last character on the current line.
2 Press Del once to delete the hidden end-of-line character.

The current line and the following line are combined.

ATTENTION
If any spaces were entered at the end of the current line, you may have to
press Del one or more additional times to remove these hidden characters
first before you can delete the end-of-line character.

Pressing BkSp with the insertion point at the start of a line has no effect—that
is, it will not combine the current line with the preceding line.

Cutting and Copying Text

You can place material from your script on the Clipboard by either cutting it or copying
it.
Here's how to place on the Clipboard text that you have cut from your script.

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1.6. Undoing Editing Operations

To cut a selection
• Press Ctrl+X.
The selection is removed from your script and placed on the Clipboard.

To copy a selection
Here's how to place on the Clipboard text that you have copied from your script.
• Press Ctrl+C.
The selection remains in your script, and a copy of it is placed on the Clipboard.

Pasting Text
Once you have cut or copied material to the Clipboard, here’s how to paste it into your
script at another location.

To paste the contents of the Clipboard into your script

Step Action
1 Position the insertion point where you want to place the contents of the
Clipboard.
2 Press Ctrl+V.

The contents of the Clipboard appear at the location of the insertion point.
If you wish to delete a block of text and insert the contents of the Clipboard in its place,
you can combine the two operations by first selecting the text you want to remove and
then pressing Ctrl+V to replace it with the contents of the Clipboard.

1.6 Undoing Editing Operations

You can undo editing operations that produce a change in your script, including:
• The insertion of a series of characters
• The insertion of a block of text from the Clipboard
• The deletion of a series of characters
• The deletion or cutting of a block of text
You cannot undo operations that don't produce any change in your script, such as moving
the insertion point, selecting text, and copying material to the Clipboard.

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1.7. Adding Comments to Your Script

To undo an editing operation

To reverse the effect of the preceding editing operation
• Press Ctrl+Z.
Your script is restored to the way it looked before you performed the editing operation.

1.7 Adding Comments to Your Script

You can add comments to your script to remind yourself or others of how your code
works. Comments are ignored when your script is executed.
In BasicScript, the apostrophe symbol ( ' ) is used to indicate that the text from the
apostrophe to the end of the line is a comment.

To add a full-line comment

Step Action
1 Type an apostrophe ( ' ) at the start of the line.
2 Type your comment following the apostrophe.

When your script is run, the presence of the apostrophe at the start of the line will cause
the entire line to be ignored.
Here's how to designate the last part of a line as a comment.

To add a comment at the end of a line of code

Step Action
1 Position the insertion point in the empty space beyond the end of the line of
code.
2 Type an apostrophe ( ' ).
3 Type your comment following the apostrophe.

ATTENTION
When your script is run, the code on the first portion of the line will be
executed, but the presence of the apostrophe at the start of the comment will
cause the remainder of the line to be ignored.

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1.8. Breaking a BasicScript Statement across Multiple Lines

Although you can place a comment at the end of a line containing executable code, you
cannot place executable code at the end of a line containing a comment because the
presence of the apostrophe at the start of the comment will cause the balance of the line
(including the code) to be ignored.

1.8 Breaking a BasicScript Statement across Multiple

Lines
By default, in Script Editor, a single BasicScript statement can extend only as far as the
right margin, and each line break represents a new statement. However, you can override
this default if you want to break a long statement across two or more lines.
Here's how to indicate that two or more lines of BasicScript code should be treated as a
single statement when your script is run.

To break a BasicScript statement across multiple lines

Step Action

1 Type the BasicScript statement on multiple lines, exactly the way you want it
to appear.

2 Place the insertion point at the end of the first line in the series.

3 Press the spacebar once to insert a single space.

4 Type an underscore ( _ ).

NOTE: the underscore is the line continuation character, which indicates that
the BasicScript statement continues on the following line.

5 Repeat steps 2–4 to place a line-continuation character at the end of each

line in the series except the last.

ATTENTION
When you run your script, the code on this series of lines will be executed as
a single BasicScript statement, just as if you had typed the entire statement
on the same line.

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1.9. Searching and Replacing

1.9 Searching and Replacing

Script Editor makes it easy to search for specified text in your script and automatically
replace instances of specified text.

To find specified text

Step Action
1 Move the insertion point to where you want to start your search. (To start at
the beginning of your script, press Ctrl+Home.)
2 Press Ctrl+F. Script Editor displays the Find dialog box

3 In the Find What field, specify the text you want to find.
4 Select the Match Case check box if you want the search to be case-sensitive.
Otherwise, the search will be case-insensitive.
5 Click the Find Next button or press Enter.

The Find dialog box remains displayed, and Script Editor either highlights the
first instance of the specified text or indicates that it cannot be found.
6 If the specified text has been found, repeat step 5 to search for the next
instance of it.

ATTENTION
If the Find dialog box blocks your view of an instance of the specified text,
you can move the dialog box out of your way and continue with your search.
You can also click the Cancel button, which removes the Find dialog box
while maintaining the established search criteria, and then press F3 to find
successive occurrences of the specified text. (If you press F3 when you have
not previously specified text for which you want to search, Script Editor
displays the Find dialog box so you can specify the desired text.).

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1.9. Searching and Replacing

To replace specified text

Step Action
1 Move the insertion point to where you want to start the replacement
operation. (To start at the beginning of your script, press Ctrl+Home.)
2 Choose the Replace command from the Search menu.

Script Editor displays the Replace dialog box:

3 In the Find What field, specify the text you want to replace.
4 In the Replace With field, specify the replacement text.
5 Select the Match Case check box if you want the replacement operation to be
case-sensitive. Otherwise, it will be case-insensitive.
6 To replace all instances of the specified text, click the Replace All button.

Script Editor either replaces the specified text throughout your script or
indicates the number of occurrences it has changed, or it indicates that the
specified text cannot be found.
7 To replace selected instances of the specified text, click the Find Next button.

Script Editor either highlights the first instance of the specified text or
indicates that it cannot be found.
8 If the specified text has been found, either click the Replace button to replace
that instance of it or click the Find Next button to highlight the next instance (if
any).

Each time you click the Replace button; Script Editor replaces that instance of the
specified text and automatically highlights the next instance.

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1.10. Checking the Syntax of a Script

1.10 Checking the Syntax of a Script

When you try to run or debug a script whose syntax hasn't been checked, Script Editor
first performs a syntax check automatically.

To perform a syntax check

Step Action
1 From the Run menu, choose the Syntax Check command.

Script Editor either indicates that no errors have been found or displays an
error message that specifies the first line in your script where an error has
been found and briefly describes the nature of that error.
2 Click the OK button or press Enter.

If Script Editor has found a syntax error, the line containing the error is
highlighted on your display.
3 Correct the syntax error.
4 Repeat steps 1–3 until you have found and corrected all syntax errors.

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1.11. Editing Dialog Box Templates

1.11 Editing Dialog Box Templates

The Insert New Dialog and Edit Dialog commands appear in the Edit menu. These
commands allow you to use the features of Dialog Editor to create a new dialog box
template and insert it into your script or edit an existing dialog box template contained in
your script.

To insert a new dialog box template into your script

Step Action
1 Place the insertion point where you want the new dialog box template to
appear in your script.
2 From the Edit menu, choose the Insert New Dialog command.

Script Editor's application window is temporarily disabled, and Dialog Editor

appears, displaying a new dialog box in its application window.
3 Use Dialog Editor to create your dialog box.
4 Exit from Dialog Editor and return to Script Editor.

Script Editor automatically places the new dialog box template generated by
Dialog Editor in your script at the location of the insertion point.

To edit an existing dialog box template in your script

Step Action
1 Select the BasicScript code for the entire dialog box template.
2 From the Edit menu, choose the Edit Dialog command.

Script Editor's application window is temporarily disabled, and Dialog Editor

appears, displaying in its application window a dialog box created from the
code you selected.
3 Use Dialog Editor to modify your dialog box.
4 Exit from Dialog Editor and return to Script Editor. Script Editor automatically
replaces the dialog box template you originally selected with the revised
template generated by Dialog Editor.

Refer to “Recording Scripts” for a detailed discussion of how to use Dialog Editor to
create and edit dialog box templates.

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1.12. Running Your Scripts

1.12 Running Your Scripts

Once you have finished editing your script, you will want to run it to make sure it
performs the way you intended. You can also pause or stop an executing script.
Here's how to compile your script, if necessary, and then execute it.

To run your script

Click the Start tool on the toolbar.
-Or-
Press F5.
The script is compiled (if it has not already been compiled), the focus is switched to the
parent window, and the script is executed.

ATTENTION
During script execution, Script Editor's application window is available only in
a limited manner. Some of the menu commands may be disabled, and the
toolbar tools may be inoperative.

To pause an executing script

• Press Ctrl+Break.
Execution of the script is suspended, and the instruction pointer (a gray highlight)
appears on the line of code where the script stopped executing.

ATTENTION
The instruction pointer designates the line of code that will be executed next if
you resume running your script.

To stop an executing script

• Click the End tool on the toolbar.

ATTENTION
Many of the functions of Script Editor's application window may be
unavailable while you are running a script. If you want to stop your script but
find that the toolbar is currently inoperative, press Ctrl+Break to pause your
script, then click the End tool.

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1.13. Debugging Your Scripts

1.13 Debugging Your Scripts

This section presents some general information that will help you work most effectively
with Script Editor's debugging capabilities and then explains how to trace the execution
of your script, how to set and remove breakpoints, and how to add watch variables and
modify their value.

Using the BasicScript Debugger

While debugging, you are actually executing the code in your script line by line.
Therefore, to prevent any modifications to your script while it is being run, the edit pane
is read-only during the debugging process. You are free to move the insertion point
throughout the script, select text and copy it to the Clipboard as necessary, set
breakpoints, and add and remove watch variables, but you cannot make any changes to
the script until you stop running it.
To let you follow and control the debugging process, Script Editor displays an
instruction pointer on the line of code that is about to be executed—that is, the line that
will be executed next if you either proceed with the debugging process or run your script
at full speed. When the instruction pointer is on a line of code, the text on that line
appears in black on a gray background that spans the width of the entire line. The
following illustration shows the difference between the instruction pointer and the
selection highlight (discussed in the preceding section), in which the text appears in
white on a black background that spans only the width of the selected text.

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1.14. Tracing Script Execution

1.14 Tracing Script Execution

Script Editor gives you two ways to trace script execution—single step and procedure
step—both of which involve stepping through your script code line by line. The
distinction between the two is that the single step process traces into calls to user-defined
functions and subroutines, whereas the procedure step process does not trace into these
calls (although it does execute them).

To step through your script

Here's how to trace the execution of your script with either the single step or procedure
step method.

TIP
When you initiate execution of your script with any of these methods, the
script will first be compiled, if necessary. Therefore, there may be a slight
pause before execution actually begins. If your script contains any compile
errors, it will not be executed. To debug your script, first correct any compile
errors, and then initiate execution again.

Step Action
1 Click the Single Step or Procedure Step tool on the toolbar or

Press F8 (Single Step) or Shift+F8 (Procedure Step).

Script Editor places the instruction pointer on the Sub Main line of your script.
2 To continue tracing the execution of your script line by line, repeat step 1.

Each time you repeat step 1, Script Editor executes the line containing the
instruction pointer and moves the instruction pointer to the next line to be
executed.
3 When you finish tracing the execution of your script, either click the Start tool
on the toolbar (or press F5) to run the balance of the script at full speed or
click the End tool to halt execution of the script.

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1.14. Tracing Script Execution

To display the Calls dialog box

When you are stepping through a subroutine, you may need to determine the procedure
calls by which you arrived at that point in your script. Here's how to use the Calls dialog
box to obtain this information.

Step Action Result

1 Click the Calls tool on the toolbar. Script Editor displays the Calls
dialog box, which lists the procedure
calls made by your script in the
course of arriving at the present
subroutine.
2 From the Calls dialog box, select the
name of the procedure you wish to
view.
3 Click the Show button. Script Editor highlights the currently
executing line in the procedure you
selected, scrolling that line into view
if necessary. (During this process,
the instruction pointer remains in its
original location in the subroutine.

To move the instruction pointer to another line within a subroutine

When you are stepping through a subroutine, you may want to repeat or skip execution of
a section of code. Here's how to use the Set Next Statement command to move the
instruction pointer to another line within that subroutine.

Step Action
1 Place the insertion point in the line where you want to resume stepping
through the script.
2 From the Debug menu, choose the Set Next Statement command. The
instruction pointer moves to the line you selected, and you can resume
stepping through your script from there.

TIP
You can only use the Set Next Statement command to move the instruction
pointer within the same subroutine. If you place the insertion point on a line
that is not in the same subroutine, the Set Next Statement command will be
disabled in the Debug menu.

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1.15. Setting and Removing Breakpoints

1.15 Setting and Removing Breakpoints

If you want to start the debugging process at the first line of your script and then step
through your code line by line until you reach the end of the code that you need to debug,
the method described in the preceding subsection works fine. But if you only need to
debug one or more portions of a long script, that method can be pretty cumbersome.
An alternate strategy is to set one or more breakpoints at selected lines in your script.
Script Editor suspends execution of your script just before it reaches a line containing a
breakpoint, thereby allowing you to begin or resume stepping through the script from that
point.

Setting Breakpoints
You can set breakpoints to begin the debugging process partway through your script, to
continue debugging at a line outside the current subroutine, and to debug only selected
portions of your script.
Valid breakpoints can only be set on lines in your script that contain code, including lines
in functions and subroutines. Although you can set a breakpoint anywhere within a script
prior to execution, when you compile and run the script, invalid breakpoints (that is,
breakpoints on lines that don't contain code) are automatically removed. While you are
debugging your script, Script Editor will beep if you try to set a breakpoint on a line that
does not contain code.

To start debugging partway through a script

Step Action Result

1 Place the insertion point in the line
where you want to start debugging.
2 To set a breakpoint on that line, click
the Toggle Breakpoint tool on the
toolbar.

Or

Press F9.

The line on which you set the

breakpoint now appears in
contrasting type.

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1.15. Setting and Removing Breakpoints

Step Action Result

3 Click the Start tool on the toolbar Script Editor runs your script at full
speed from the beginning and then
Or pauses prior to executing the line
containing the breakpoint. It places
Press F5.
the instruction pointer on that line to
designate it as the line that will be
executed next when you either
proceed with debugging or resume
running the script.

If you want to continue debugging at another line in your script, you can use the Set Next
Statement command in the Debug menu to move the instruction pointer to the desired
line—provided the line is within the same subroutine.

To continue debugging at a line outside the current subroutine

If you want to continue debugging at a line that isn't within the same subroutine, here's
how to move the instruction pointer to that line.

Step Action Result

1 Place the insertion point in the line
where you want to continue
debugging.
2 To set a breakpoint on that line,
press F9.
3 To run your script, click the Start tool The script executes at full speed
on the toolbar or press F5. until it reaches the line containing
the breakpoint and then pauses with
the instruction pointer on that line.
You can now resume stepping
through your script from that point.

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1.15. Setting and Removing Breakpoints

To debug selected portions of your script

If you only need to debug parts of your script, here's how to facilitate the task by using
breakpoints.

Step Action
1 Place a breakpoint at the start of each portion of your script that you want to
debug.

Note: Up to 255 lines in your script can contain breakpoints.

2 To run the script, click the Start tool on the toolbar or press F5.

The script executes at full speed until it reaches the line containing the first
breakpoint and then pauses with the instruction pointer on that line.
3 Step through as much of the code as you need to.
4 To resume running your script, click the Start tool on the toolbar or press F5.

The script executes at full speed until it reaches the line containing the
second breakpoint and then pauses with the instruction pointer on that line.
5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have finished debugging the selected portions
of your script.

To manually remove a single breakpoint

Step Action Result

1 Place the insertion point on the line
containing the breakpoint that you
want to remove.
2 Click the Toggle Breakpoint tool on The breakpoint is removed, and the
the toolbar. line no longer appears in contrasting
type.
Or

Press F9.

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1.16. Adding a Watch Variable

To remove all breakpoints manually

• Select the Clear All Breakpoints command from the Debug menu.
Script Editor removes all breakpoints from your script.
Breakpoints are removed automatically under the following circumstances: (1) As
mentioned earlier, when your script is compiled and executed, breakpoints are removed
from lines that don't contain code. (2) When you exit from Script Editor, all breakpoints
are cleared.

1.16 Adding a Watch Variable

As you debug your script, you can use Script Editor's watch pane to monitor selected
variables. For each of the variables on this watch variable list, Script Editor displays its
context, name, and value. The values of the variables on the watch list are updated each
time you enter break mode.

To add a watch variable

Step Action Result

1 Click the Add Watch tool on the toolbar. Script Editor displays the Add Watch
dialog box.
Or

Press Shift+F9

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1.16. Adding a Watch Variable

Step Action Result

2 In the Variable box, type or select the
name of the variable you want to add to
the watch variable list.

If you are executing the script, you can

click the arrow in the Variable box to
display the names of all variables that are
"in scope," or defined within the current
function or subroutine. You can then
select the variable you want from the
open list.

3 In the Procedure box, type or select the

name of the procedure containing the
variable you want to watch. If the variable
you want to watch is a private or public
variable, then type or select “(All
Procedures)”.
4 In the Script box, type or select the name
of the script containing the variable you
want to watch. If the variable you want to
watch is a public variable, then type or
select “(All Scripts)”.
5 Click OK to add the variable to the watch Script Editor displays the context, name,
variable list. and value of the variable in a three-
column list in the watch pane. If you have
previously added other watch variables,
Script Editor will display these as well.

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1.17. Modifying or Deleting a Watch Variable

Types of Variables You Can Watch

Script Editor permits you to monitor only variables of fundamental data types, such as
Integer, Long, Variant, and so on; you cannot watch complex variables, such as
structures or arrays, or expressions using arithmetic operators. You can, however, watch
individual elements of arrays or structure members using the following syntax:

[variable [(index,...)] [.member [(index,...)]]...]

where variable is the name of the structure or array variable, index is a literal number,
and member is the name of a structure member.
For example, the following are valid watch expressions:

Watch Variable Description

a(1) Element 1 of array a

person.age Member age of structure person

company(10,23).person.age Member age of structure person that is at

element 10,23 within the array of
structures called company

1.17 Modifying or Deleting a Watch Variable

In order to modify the value of a variable or remove the variable from the watch pane,
you must first select the desired variable. Here's how to select a variable on the list.

To select a watch variable

Place the mouse pointer on the variable you want to select and click the left mouse
button.
-Or-
If one of the variables on the watch list is already selected, use the arrow keys to move
the selection highlight to the desired variable.
-Or-

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1.17. Modifying or Deleting a Watch Variable

If the insertion point is in the edit pane, press F6 to highlight the most recently selected
variable on the watch list and then use the arrow keys to move the selection highlight to
the desired variable.

ATTENTION
Pressing F6 again returns the insertion point to its previous position in the
edit pane.

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1.17. Modifying or Deleting a Watch Variable

To modify the value of a variable on the watch variable list

When the debugger has control, you can modify the value of any of the variables on
Script Editor's watch variable list. Here's how to change the value of a selected watch
variable.

Step Action Result

1 Place the mouse pointer on the Script Editor displays the Modify Variable
name of the variable whose value dialog box.
you want to modify and double-
click the left mouse button.

Or

Select the name of the variable

whose value you want to modify
and press Enter or F2.

Note: The name of the variable you

selected on the watch variable list
appears in the Name field. If you
want to change another variable,
you can either enter a different
variable in the Name field or select
a different variable from the
Variables list box, which shows the
names of the variables that are
defined within the current function
or subroutine.

When you use the Modify Variable

dialog box to change the value of a
variable, you don’t have to specify
the context. Script Editor first
searches locally for the definition of
that variable, then privately, then
publicly.
2 Enter the new value for your
variable in the Value field.
3 Click the OK button. The new value of your variable appears
on the watch variable list.

When changing the value of a variable, Script Editor will, if necessary, convert the value
you entered to match the type of the variable. For example, if you change the value of an

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1.17. Modifying or Deleting a Watch Variable

Integer variable to 1.7, Script Editor converts this value from a floating-point number to
an Integer is performed, assigning the value 2 to the variable.
When modifying a Variant variable, Script Editor needs to determine both the type and
value of the data. Script Editor uses the following logic in performing this assignment (in
this order):

If the new value is Then

Null The Variant variable is assigned Null (VarType 1).

Empty The Variant variable is assigned Empty (VarType 0)

True The Variant variable is assigned True (VarType 11).

False The Variant variable is assigned False (VarType 11).

number The Variant variable is assigned the value of number. The type
of the variant is the smallest data type that fully represents that
number.

You can force the data type of the variable by using a type-
declaration letter following number, such as %, #, &, !, or @.

date The Variant variable is assigned the value of the new date
(VarType 7).

Anything else The Variant variable is assigned a String (VarType 8)

ATTENTION
Script Editor will not assign a new value if it cannot be converted to the same
type as the specified variable.

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1.18. Exiting From Script Editor

To delete a watch variable

Step Action Result

1 Select the variable on the watch list.
2 Press Del. The selected variable is removed
from the watch list.

1.18 Exiting From Script Editor

Here's how to get out of Script Editor. What happens when you exit depends on (1)
whether you have made changes to your script and (2) whether your script contains
errors.

To exit from Script Editor

• Choose the Exit and Return command from the File menu.
If you have made changes to your script, Script Editor displays a dialog box asking
whether you want to save the script. If you either click the No button or click the Yes
button and your script contains no errors, you exit from Script Editor immediately. If you
click the Yes button and your script contains errors, Script Editor highlights the line
containing the first error and displays a dialog box asking whether you want to exit
anyway. If you click the Yes button, Script Editor saves your script, errors and all, and
then you exit from Script Editor.
If you haven't made any changes to your script, you exit from Script Editor immediately,
regardless of whether the script contains errors from a previous editing session.

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 1. Editing and Debugging Scripts
1.19. Menu Reference

1.19 Menu Reference

File Menu

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Exit and Esc Compiles your script and returns you to the host
Return application.

Edit Menu

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Undo Ctrl+Z Reverses the effect of the preceding editing change(s).

Cut Ctrl+X Removes the selected text from the script and places it
on the Clipboard.

Copy Ctrl+C Copies the selected text, without removing it from the
script, and places it on the Clipboard.

Paste Ctrl+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the current

position of the insertion point.

Delete Del or BkSp Removes the selected text from the script without
placing it on the Clipboard.

Insert New Invokes the Summit Dialog Editor, which you can use to
Dialog... create a new dialog box for insertion into your script

Edit Dialog... Invokes the Summit Dialog Editor, which you can use to
edit the selected dialog box template. (This command is
only enabled if a dialog box template is currently
selected.)

Find... Ctrl+F Displays the Find dialog box, which allows you to specify
text for which you want to search.

Find Next F3 Searches for the next occurrence of previously specified

text. If you have not previously specified text for which
you want to search, displays the Find dialog box.

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1.19. Menu Reference

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Replace... Displays the Replace dialog box, which allows you to

substitute replacement text for instances of specified
text.

Goto Line... Ctrl+G Presents the Goto Line dialog box, which allows you to
move the insertion point to the start of a specified line
number in your script.

TIP
The Insert New Dialog and Edit Dialog commands only appear in the Edit
menu if you are running the BasicScript 2.2 on a platform that supports Dialog
Editor

Run Menu

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Start F5 Begins execution of script.

End Stops execution of script

Syntax Check Verifies the syntax of the statements in your script by

compiling it.

Debug Menu

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Add Watch... Shift+F9 Displays the Add Watch dialog box, in which you can specify
the name of a BasicScript variable. That variable, together with
its value (if any), is then displayed in the watch pane of Script
Editor's application window.

Delete Watch Del Deletes a selected variable from the watch variable list.

Modify... Enter or F2 Displays the Modify Variable dialog box for a selected variable,
which enables you to modify the value of that variable.

Single Step F8 Steps through the script code line by line, tracing into called
procedures

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1.19. Menu Reference

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Procedure Shift+F8 Steps through the script code line by line without tracing into
Step called procedures.

Toggle F9 Toggles a breakpoint on the line containing the insertion point

Breakpoint

Clear All Removes all breakpoints previously set with the Toggle
Breakpoints Breakpoint command.

Set Next Enables you to place the instruction pointer on another line
Statement within the current procedure and resume script execution from
that point.

Help Menu

Command Keyboard Function

Shortcut

Contents Displays a list of major topics on which you can obtain help

Search for Displays the Search dialog box, which allows you to search for
Help on… Help topics containing specific keyword.

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1.19. Menu Reference

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 2. Editing Custom Dialog Boxes
2.1 Introduction
Dialog Editor is a tool that enables you to create and modify custom dialog boxes for use
in your BasicScript scripts. Although the BasicScript statements used to display a dialog
box and respond to the choices made by a user of the dialog box may seem complicated,
Dialog Editor makes it easy to generate the BasicScript statements needed for your
custom dialog boxes.

2.2 Contents
• Overview
• Using the Summit Dialog Editor
• Creating a Custom Dialog Box
• Editing a Custom Dialog Box
• Editing an Existing Dialog Box
• Testing an Edited Dialog Box
• Incorporating a Dialog Box Template into Your Script
• Exiting from Dialog Editor
• Using a Custom Dialog Box in Your Script
• Using a Dynamic Dialog Box in Your Script
• Menu Reference

2.3 Overview
Sometimes your script will need to obtain information from the user. In many cases, you
can obtain this information by using one of BasicScript's predefined dialog boxes in your
script. When you must go beyond the information-gathering capabilities provided by
predefined dialog boxes, you can use Dialog Editor to create a custom dialog box for use
in your script.

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2.4. Using the Summit Dialog Editor

Dialog Editor is a tool that allows you to generate a dialog box template in BasicScript
simply by editing an on-screen dialog box layout. You can then incorporate the template
that Dialog Editor generates into your script. The balance of this section provides general
information that you'll need in order to work with Dialog Editor, including:
• Features that Dialog Editor supports
• An introduction to Dialog Editor's application window
• A list of keyboard shortcuts
• How to use the Help system
Then, in the following sections, you'll learn how to use Dialog Editor to create and edit
custom dialog boxes and to edit dialog boxes captured from other applications. You'll
also learn how to test an edited dialog box and incorporate the dialog box template
generated by Dialog Editor into your script. And finally, you'll learn how to exit from
Dialog Editor.

Features of the Summit Dialog Editor

Dialog Editor supports the following features:
• Visual editing of a dialog box template in BasicScript
• The creation of dynamic dialog boxes

2.4 Using the Summit Dialog Editor

This section presents general information that will help you work most effectively with
Dialog Editor. It includes an overview of Dialog Editor's application window—the
interface you'll use to create and edit dialog box templates in BasicScript—as well as a
list of keyboard shortcuts and information on using the Help system.

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2.5. Dialog Editor's Application Window

2.5 Dialog Editor's Application Window

Before you begin creating a new custom dialog box, Dialog Editor's application window
looks like this:

The application window contains the following elements:

• Toolbar: a collection of tools that you can use to provide instructions to Dialog
Editor, as discussed in the following subsection
• Dialog box: the visual layout of the dialog box that you are currently creating or
editing
• Status bar: provides key information about the operation you are currently
performing, including the name of the currently selected control or dialog box,
together with its position on the display and its dimensions; the name of a control
you are about to add to the dialog box with the mouse pointer, together with the
pointer's position on the display; the function of the currently selected menu
command; and the activation of Dialog Editor's testing or capturing functions

ATTENTION
Dialog boxes created with Dialog Editor normally appear in an 8 point
Helvetica font, both in Dialog Editor's application window and when the
corresponding BasicScript code is run.

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2.5. Dialog Editor's Application Window

Dialog Editor's Toolbar

The following list briefly explains the purpose of each of the tools on Dialog Editor's
toolbar, which you can use to crate and test dialogs.

Icon Tool Function

Run Runs the dialog box for testing purposes.

Information Displays information for the selected control.

Cut Removes the selected control from the dialog box.

Copy Copies the selected control to the clipboard.

Paste Inserts the clipboard into the active dialog box.

Undo Reverses the effect of the preceding editing change(s).

Pick Lets you select, move, and resize items and control the
insertion point.

OK Button Adds an OK button to your dialog box.

Cancel Button Adds a Cancel button to your dialog box.

Help Button Adds a Help button to your dialog box.

Push Button Adds a push button to your dialog box.

Option Button Adds an option button to your dialog box.

Check Box Adds a check box to your dialog box.

Group Box Adds a group box to your dialog box.

Text Adds a text control to your dialog box.

Text Box Adds a text box to your dialog box.

List Box Adds a list box to your dialog box.

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2.6. Keyboard Shortcuts for Dialog Editor

Icon Tool Function

Combo Box Adds a combo box to your dialog box.

Drop List Box Adds a drop list box to your dialog box.

Picture Adds a picture to your dialog box.

Picture Button Adds a picture button to your dialog box.

2.6 Keyboard Shortcuts for Dialog Editor

The following keyboard shortcuts can be used for some of the operations you will
perform most frequently in Dialog Editor.

Key(s) Function

Alt+F4 Closes Dialog Editor's application window.

Ctrl+C Copies the selected dialog box or control, without removing it

from Dialog Editor's application window, and places it on the
Clipboard.

Ctrl+D Creates a duplicate copy of the selected control.

Ctrl+G Displays the Grid dialog box.

Ctrl+I Displays the Information dialog box for the selected dialog box
or control.

Ctrl+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard into Dialog Editor. If the
Clipboard contains BasicScript statements describing one or
more controls, then Dialog Editor adds those controls to the
current dialog box. If the Clipboard contains the BasicScript
template for an entire dialog box, then Dialog Editor creates a
new dialog box from the statements in the template.

Ctrl+X Removes the selected dialog box or control from Dialog

Editor's application window and places it on the Clipboard.

Ctrl+ Undoes the preceding operation.

Del Removes the selected dialog box or control from Dialog

Editor's application window without placing it on the Clipboard.

F1 Displays Help for the currently active window.

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2.7. Using the Help System

Key(s) Function

F2 Sizes certain controls to fit the text they contain.

F5 Runs the dialog box for testing purposes.

Shift+F1 Toggles the Help pointer.

2.7 Using the Help System

Dialog Editor provides several ways to obtain on-line help.

To display Help for the currently active window

• Press F1.
If Dialog Editor's application window was active, the Help system contents appear. If a
dialog box was active, Help for that dialog box appears

To pinpoint a specific topic in the Help system

Step Action Result

1 From the Help menu, choose the A scrollable list of Help topics
Search for Help on command. appears.
2 Select the desired topic from the list. The topic you selected is displayed
in a second scrollable list, together
with closely related Help topics, if
any
3 If the desired topic is not already Help is displayed for the topic you
highlighted on the second list, select selected.
it and press Enter.

2.8 Creating a Custom Dialog Box

This section describes the types of controls that Dialog Editor supports. It also explains
how to create controls and initially position them within your dialog box, and offers some
pointers on creating controls efficiently.
In the next section, "Editing a Custom Dialog Box," you'll learn how to make various
types of changes to the controls that you've created—moving and resizing them,
assigning labels and accelerator keys, and so forth.

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2.9. Types of Controls

2.9 Types of Controls

Dialog Editor supports the following types of standard Windows controls:
• Push button a command button. The OK, Cancel, and Help buttons are special types
of push buttons.
• Option button: one of a group of two or more linked buttons that let users select
only one from a group of mutually exclusive choices. A group of option buttons
works the same way as the buttons on a car radio: because the buttons operate
together as a group, clicking an unselected button in the group selects that button and
automatically deselects the previously selected button in that group.
• Check box: a box that users can check or clear to indicate their preference regarding
the alternative specified on the check box label.
• Group box: a rectangular design element used to enclose a group of related controls.
You can use the optional group box label to display a title for the controls in the box.
• Text: a field containing text that you want to display for the users' information. The
text in this field wraps, and the field can contain a maximum of 255 characters. Text
controls can either display stand-alone text or be used as labels for text boxes, list
boxes, combo boxes, drop list boxes, pictures, and picture buttons. You can choose
the font in which the text appears.
• Text box: a field into which users can enter text (potentially, as much as 32K). By
default, this field holds a single line of nonwrapping text. If you choose the Multiline
setting in the Text Box Information dialog box, this field will hold multiple lines of
wrapping text.
• List box: a displayed, scrollable list from which users can select one item. The
currently selected item is highlighted on the list.
• Combo box: a text field with a displayed, scrollable list beneath it. Users can either
select an item from the list or enter the name of the desired item in the text field. The
currently selected item is displayed in the text field. If the item was selected from the
scrolling list, it is highlighted there as well.
• Drop list box: a field that displays the currently selected item, followed by a
downward-pointing arrow, which users can click to temporarily display a scrolling
list of items. Once they select an item from the list, the list disappears and the newly
selected item is displayed in the field.
• Picture: a field used to display a Windows bitmap or metafile.

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2.10. Adding Controls to a Dialog Box

• Picture button: a special type of push, or command, button on which a Windows

bitmap or metafile appears.

TIP
Group boxes, text controls, and pictures are passive elements in a dialog
box, inasmuch as they are used purely for decorative or informative
purposes. Users cannot act upon these controls, and when they tab through
the dialog box, the focus skips over these controls.

You can obtain a Windows bitmap or metafile from a file or from a specified
library.

2.10 Adding Controls to a Dialog Box

In this subsection, you'll learn how to create controls and determine approximately where
they first appear within your dialog box. In the following subsection, you'll learn how to
determine the positioning of controls more precisely.

To add a control
Here's how to add one or more controls to your dialog box using simple mouse and
keyboard methods.

Step Action Result

1 From the toolbar, choose the tool When you pass the mouse pointer
corresponding to the type of control over an area of the display where a
you want to add. control can be placed, the pointer
becomes an image of the selected
control with crosshairs (for
positioning purposes) to its upper
left. The name and position of the
selected control appear on the status
bar. When you pass the pointer over
an area of the display where a
control cannot be placed, the pointer
changes into a circle with a slash
through it (the "prohibited" symbol).

Note: You can only insert a control

within the borders of the dialog box
you are creating. You cannot insert a
control on the dialog box's title bar or
outside its borders.

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2.10. Adding Controls to a Dialog Box

Step Action Result

2 Place the pointer where you want The control you just created appears
the control to be positioned and click at the specified location. (To be
the mouse button. more specific, the upper left corner
of the control will correspond to the
position of the pointer's crosshairs at
the moment you clicked the mouse
button.) The control is surrounded by
a thick frame, which means that it is
selected, and it may also have a
default label.

After the new control has appeared, the mouse pointer becomes an arrow, to indicate that
the Pick tool is active and you can once again select any of the controls in your dialog
box.
To add another control of the same type as the one you just added,
• Press Ctrl+D.
A duplicate copy of the control appears.
To add a different type of control,
• Repeat steps 1 and 2 above.

To reactivate the Pick tool,

• Click the arrow-shaped tool on the toolbar.
-Or-
• Place the mouse pointer on the title bar of the dialog box or outside the borders of
the dialog box (that is, on any area where the mouse pointer turns into the
"prohibited" symbol) and click the mouse button.
As you plan your dialog box, keep in mind that a single dialog box can contain no more
than 255 controls and that a dialog box will not operate properly unless it contains either
an OK button, a Cancel button, a push button, or a picture button. (When you create a
new custom dialog box, an OK button and a Cancel button are provided for you by
default.)
Later in the chapter, you'll learn more about selecting controls, and you'll learn how to
assign labels.

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2.11. Using the Grid to Help You Position Controls within a Dialog Box

2.11 Using the Grid to Help You Position Controls within a

Dialog Box
The preceding subsection explained how to determine approximately where a newly
created control will materialize in your dialog box. Here, you'll learn how to use Dialog
Editor's grid to help you fine-tune the initial placement of controls.
The area of your dialog box in which controls can be placed (that is, the portion of the
dialog box below the title bar) can be thought of as a grid, with the X (horizontal) axis
and the Y (vertical) axis intersecting in the upper left corner (the 0, 0 coordinates). The
position of controls can be expressed in terms of X units with respect to the left border of
this area and in terms of Y units with respect to the top border. (In fact, the position of
controls is expressed in this manner within the dialog box template that you produce by
working with Dialog Editor.)

To display and adjust the grid

Here's how to display the grid and adjust its X and Y settings, which can help you
position controls more precisely within your dialog box.

Step Action Result

1 Press Ctrl+G. Dialog Editor displays the following dialog
box

2 To display the grid in your dialog box,

select the Show grid check box.

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2.11. Using the Grid to Help You Position Controls within a Dialog Box

Step Action Result

3 To change the current X and Y settings,
enter new values in the X and Y fields.

Note; The values of X and Y in the Grid

dialog box determine the grid's spacing.
Assigning smaller X and Y values
produces a more closely spaced grid,
which enables you to move the mouse
pointer in smaller horizontal and vertical
increments as you position controls.
Assigning larger X and Y values
produces the opposite effect on both the
grid's spacing and the movement of the
mouse pointer. The X and Y settings
entered in the Grid dialog box remain in
effect regardless of whether you choose
to display the grid.
4 Click the OK button or press Enter. Dialog Editor displays the grid with the
settings you specified. With the grid
displayed, you can line up the crosshairs
on the mouse pointer with the dots on the
grid to position controls precisely and
align them with respect to other controls.

As you move the mouse pointer over the dialog box after you have chosen a control tool
from the toolbar, the status bar displays the name of the type of control you have selected
and continually updates the position of the mouse pointer in X and Y units. (This
information disappears if you move the mouse pointer over an area of the screen where a
control cannot be placed.) After you click the mouse button to add a control, that control
remains selected, and the status bar displays the control's width and height in dialog units
as well as its name and position, as shown in the preceding illustration, in which the push
button is selected.

ATTENTION
Dialog units represent increments of the font in which Dialog Editor creates
dialog boxes (namely, 8 point Helvetica). Each X unit represents an
increment equal to 1/4 of that font, and each Y unit represents an increment
equal to 1/8 of that font.

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2.12. Creating Controls Efficiently

2.12 Creating Controls Efficiently

Creating dialog box controls in random order might seem like the fastest approach.
However, the order in which you create controls has some important implications, so a
little advance planning can save you a lot of work in the long run.
Here are several points about creating controls that you should keep in mind.
• Tabbing order: Users can select dialog box controls by tabbing, as explained in the
next subsection. The order in which you create the controls is what determines the
tabbing order. That is, as users tab through the dialog box, the focus is changed from
one control to the next in the order in which you created the controls (regardless of
the order in which you position the controls in the dialog box). The closer you can
come to creating controls in the order in which you want them to receive the tabbing
focus, the fewer tabbing-order adjustments you'll have to make later on.
• Option button grouping: If you want a series of option buttons to work together as
a mutually exclusive group, you must create all the buttons in that group one right
after the other, in an unbroken sequence. If you get sidetracked and create a different
type of control before you have finished creating all the option buttons in your
group, you'll split the buttons into two (or more) separate groups. (Let's say you want
to create an option button group with five buttons. You create three of the buttons
and then create a list box, after which you finish creating the last two buttons. When
you test your dialog box, you'll find that all five of these option buttons don't work
together as a mutually exclusive group. Instead, the first three buttons will form one
mutually exclusive group, and the last two buttons will form another mutually
exclusive group.)
• Accelerator keys: As explained later in the chapter, you can provide easy access to
a text box, list box, combo box, or drop list box by assigning an accelerator key to an
associated text control, and you can provide easy access to the controls in a group
box by assigning an accelerator key to the group box label. To do this, you must
create the text control or group box first, followed immediately by the controls that
you want to associate with it. If the controls are not created in the correct order, they
will not be associated in your dialog box template and any accelerator key you
assign to the text control or group box label will not work properly.
If you don't create controls in the most efficient order, the resulting problems with
tabbing order, option button grouping, and accelerator keys usually won't become
apparent until you test your dialog box. Although you can still fix these problems at that
point, as explained later in the chapter, it will definitely be more cumbersome. In short,
it's easier to prevent (or at least minimize) problems of this sort than to fix them after the
fact.

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2.13. Editing a Custom Dialog Box

2.13 Editing a Custom Dialog Box

In the preceding section, you learned how to create controls and determine where they
initially appear within your dialog box. In this section, you'll learn how to make various
types of changes to both the dialog box and the controls in it. The following topics are
included:
• Selecting items so that you can work with them
• Using the Information dialog box to check and/or change various attributes of items
• Changing the position and size of items
• Changing titles and labels
• Assigning accelerator keys
• Specifying pictures
• Creating or modifying picture libraries under Windows
• Duplicating and deleting controls
• Undoing editing operations

2.14 Selecting Items

In order to edit a dialog box or a control, you must first select it. When you select an
item, it becomes surrounded by a thick frame, as you saw in the preceding section.

To select a control
• With the Pick tool active, place the mouse pointer on the desired control and click
the mouse button.
-Or-
With the Pick tool active, press the Tab key repeatedly until the focus moves to the
desired control.
The control is now surrounded by a thick frame to indicate that it is selected and you can
edit it.

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2.15. Using the Information Dialog Box

To select the dialog box:

• With the Pick tool active, place the mouse pointer on the title bar of the dialog box
or on an empty area within the borders of the dialog box (that is, on an area where
there are no controls) and click the mouse button.
-Or-
With the Pick tool active, press the Tab key repeatedly until the focus moves to the
dialog box.
The dialog box is now surrounded by a thick frame to indicate that it is selected and you
can edit it.

2.15 Using the Information Dialog Box

The Information dialog box enables you to check and adjust various attributes of controls
and dialog boxes. This subsection explains how to display the Information dialog box
and provides an overview of the attributes with which it lets you work. In the following
subsections, you'll learn more about how to use the Information dialog box to make
changes to your dialog box and its controls.

To display the Information dialog box for a dialog box

Here's how to use the Dialog Box Information dialog box to check and adjust attributes
that pertain to the dialog box as a whole.
• With the Pick tool active, place the mouse pointer on an area of the dialog box where
there are no controls and double-click the mouse button.
-Or-
With the Pick tool active, select the dialog box and either click the Information tool on
the toolbar, press Enter, or press Ctrl+I.
Dialog Editor displays the Dialog Box Information dialog box.

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2.15. Using the Information Dialog Box

To display the Information dialog box for a control

Here's how to use the Information dialog box for a control to check and adjust attributes
that pertain to that particular control.
• With the Pick tool active, place the mouse pointer on the desired control and double-
click the mouse button.
-Or-
With the Pick tool active, select the control and either click the Information tool on the
toolbar, press Enter, or press Ctrl+I.
Dialog Editor displays an Information dialog box corresponding to the control you
selected. Here is an example:

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2.15. Using the Information Dialog Box

The following lists show the attributes that you can change with the Dialog Box
Information dialog box and the Information dialog boxes for the various controls. In
some cases (specified below), it's mandatory to fill in the fields in which the attributes are
specified—that is, you must either leave the default information in these fields or replace
it with more meaningful information, but you can't leave the fields empty. In other cases,
filling in these fields is optional—that is, you can either leave the default information in
the fields, replace it with more meaningful information, or leave the fields entirely
empty.

TIP
A quick way to determine whether it's mandatory to fill in a particular
Information dialog box field is to see whether the OK button becomes grayed
out when you delete the information in that field. If it does, then you must fill
in that field.

In many cases, you could simply leave the generic-sounding default information in the
Information dialog box fields and worry about replacing it with more meaningful
information after you paste the dialog box template into your script. However, if you take
a few moments to replace the default information with something specific when you first
create your dialog box, not only will you save yourself some work later on but you may
also find that your changes make the BasicScript code produced by Dialog Editor more
readily comprehensible and hence easier to work with.

Attributes That You Can Adjust with the Dialog Box Information Dialog Box
The Dialog Box Information dialog box can be used to check and adjust the following
attributes, which pertain to the dialog box as a whole.

Mandatory/ Attribute
Optional

Optional Position: X and Y coordinates on the display, in dialog units.

Mandatory Size: width and height of the dialog box, in dialog units.

Optional Style: options that allow you to determine whether the close box and
title bar are displayed.

Optional Text$: text displayed on the title bar of the dialog box.

Mandatory Name: name by which you refer to this dialog box template in your
BasicScript code.

Optional .Function: name of a BasicScript function in your dialog box.

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Mandatory/ Attribute
Optional

Optional Picture Library: picture library from which one or more pictures in
the dialog box are obtained.

Attributes That You Can Adjust with the Information Dialog Box for a Control
The Information dialog box for a control can be used to check and adjust the following
attributes. The second column of the list indicates the control(s) to which each attribute
pertains.

Mandatory/ Control(s) Affected Attribute

Optional

Mandatory All controls Position: X and Y coordinates within the

dialog box, in dialog units.

Mandatory All controls Size: width and height of the control, in

dialog units.

Optional Push button, option Text$: text displayed on a control.

button, check box, group
box, and text

Optional Help button FileName$: name of the help file invoked

when the user clicks this button.

Optional T ext Font: font in which text is displayed.

Optional T ext box Multiline: option that allows you to

determine whether users can enter a
single line of text or multiple lines.

Optional OK button, Cancel button, .Identifier: name by which you refer to a

push button, option control in your BasicScript code.
button, group box, text,
picture, and picture button

Mandatory Check box, text box, list .Identifier: name by which you refer to a
box, combo box, drop list control in your BasicScript code; also
box, and help button contains the result of the control after the
dialog box has been processed.

Optional Picture, picture button .Identifier: name of the file containing a

picture that you want to display or the
name of a picture that you want to display
from a specified picture library.

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Mandatory/ Control(s) Affected Attribute

Optional

Optional Picture Frame: option that allows you to display

a 3-D frame.

Mandatory List box, combo box, and Array$: name of an array variable in your
drop list box BasicScript code

Mandatory Option button .Option Group: name by which you refer

to a group of option buttons in your
BasicScript code.

2.16 Changing Position and Size

This subsection explains how Dialog Editor helps you keep track of the location and
dimensions of dialog boxes and controls, and presents several ways to move and resize
these items.

Keeping Track of Position and Size

Dialog Editor's display can be thought of as a grid, in which the X (horizontal) axis and
the Y (vertical) axis intersect in the upper left corner of the display (the 0, 0 coordinates).
The position of the dialog box you are creating can be expressed in terms of X units with
respect to the left border of the parent window and in terms of Y units with respect to the
top border.
As explained in the preceding section, the portion of your dialog box below the title bar
can also be thought of as a grid, with the X and Y axes intersecting in the upper left
corner of this area. The position of controls within the dialog box can be expressed in
terms of X units with respect to the left border of this area and in terms of Y units with
respect to the top border.
When you select a dialog box or control, the status bar displays its position in X and Y
units as well as its width and height in dialog units. Each time you move or resize an
item, the corresponding information on the status bar is updated. You can use this
information to position and size items more precisely.

Changing the Position of an Item

Dialog Editor provides several ways to reposition dialog boxes and controls.

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To reposition an item with the mouse

Step Action
1 With the Pick tool active, place the mouse pointer on an empty area of the
dialog box or on a control.
2 Depress the mouse button and drag the dialog box or control to the desired
location.

ATTENTION
The increments by which you can move a control with the mouse are
governed by the grid setting. For example, if the grid's X setting is 4 and its Y
setting is 6, you'll be able to move the control horizontally only in increments
of 4 X units and vertically only in increments of 6 Y units. This feature is
handy if you're trying to align controls in your dialog box. If you want to move
controls in smaller or larger increments, press Ctrl+G to display the Grid
dialog box and adjust the X and Y settings

To reposition an item with the arrow keys

Step Action
1 Select the dialog box or control that you want to move
2 Press an arrow key once to move the item by 1 X or Y unit in the desired
direction.

Or

Depress an arrow key to "nudge" the item steadily along in the desired
direction.

ATTENTION
When you reposition an item with the arrow keys, a faint, partial afterimage of
the item may remain visible in the item's original position. These afterimages
are rare and will disappear once you test your dialog box

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2.16. Changing Position and Size

To reposition a dialog box with the Dialog Box Information dialog box

Step Action
1 Display the Dialog Box Information dialog box.
2 Change the X and Y coordinates in the Position group box.

Or

Leave the X and/or Y coordinates blank

3 Click the OK button or press Enter

If you specified X and Y coordinates, the dialog box moves to that position. If you left
the X coordinate blank, the dialog box will be centered horizontally relative to the parent
window of the dialog box when the dialog box is run. If you left the Y coordinate blank,
the dialog box will be centered vertically relative to the parent window of the dialog box
when the dialog box is run.

To reposition a control with the Information dialog box

Here's how to move a selected control by changing its coordinates in the Information
dialog box for that control.

Step Action
1 Display the Information dialog box for the control that you want to move.
2 Change the X and Y coordinates in the Position group box.
3 Click the OK button or press Enter.

The control moves to the specified position.

TIP
When you move a dialog box or control with the arrow keys or with the
Information dialog box, the item's movement is not restricted to the
increments specified in the grid setting.

When you attempt to test a dialog box containing hidden controls (i.e.,
controls positioned entirely outside the current borders of your dialog box),
Dialog Editor displays a message advising you that there are controls outside
the dialog box's borders and asks whether you wish to proceed with the test.
If you proceed, the hidden controls will be disabled for testing purposes.
(Testing dialog boxes is discussed later in the chapter.).

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Changing the Size of an Item

Dialog boxes and controls can be resized either by directly manipulating them with the
mouse or by using the Information dialog box. Certain controls can also be resized
automatically to fit the text displayed on them.

To resize an item with the mouse

Here's how to change the size of a selected dialog box or control by dragging its borders
or corners with the mouse.

Step Action
1 With the Pick tool active, select the dialog box or control that you want to
resize.
2 Place the mouse pointer over a border or corner of the item.
3 Depress the mouse button and drag the border or corner until the item
reaches the desired size.

To resize an item with the Information dialog box

Here's how to change the size of a selected dialog box or control by changing its Width
and/or Height settings in the Information dialog box.

Step Action
1 Display the Information dialog box for the dialog box or control that you want
to resize.
2 Change the Width and Height settings in the Size group box.
3 Click the OK button or press Enter.

The dialog box or control is resized to the dimensions you specified.

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To resize selected controls automatically

Here's how to adjust the borders of certain controls automatically to fit the text displayed
on them.

Step Action
1 With the Pick tool active, select the option button, text control, push button,
check box, or text box that you want to resize
2 Press F5.

The borders of the control will expand or contract to fit the text displayed on it

ATTENTION
Windows metafiles always expand or contract proportionally to fit within the
picture control or picture button control containing them. In contrast, Windows
bitmaps are of a fixed size. If you place a bitmap in a control that is smaller
than the bitmap, the bitmap is clipped off on the right and bottom. If you place
a bitmap in a control that is larger than the bitmap, the bitmap is centered
within the borders of the control. Picture controls and picture button controls
must be resized manually.

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2.17. Changing Titles and Labels

2.17 Changing Titles and Labels

By default, when you begin creating a dialog box, its title reads "Untitled," and when you
first create group boxes, option buttons, push buttons, text controls, and check boxes,
they have generic-sounding default labels, such as "Group Box" and "Option Button."

To change a dialog box title or a control label

Here's how to change the title of your dialog box as well as the labels of group boxes,
option buttons, push buttons, text controls, and check boxes.

Step Action Result

1 Display the Information dialog box
for the dialog box whose title you
want to change or for the control
whose label you want to change.
2 Enter the new title or label in the
Text$ field.

Note: Dialog box titles and control

labels are optional. Therefore, you
can leave the Text$ field blank.
3 If the information in the Text$ field
should be interpreted as a variable
name rather than a literal string,
select the Variable Name check box.
4 Click the OK button or press Enter. The new title or label is now
displayed on the title bar or on the
control.

Although OK and Cancel buttons also have labels, you cannot change them. The
remaining controls (text boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, drop list boxes, pictures, and
picture buttons) don't have their own labels, but you can position a text control above or
beside these controls to serve as a de facto label for them

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2.18. Assigning Accelerator Keys

2.18 Assigning Accelerator Keys

Accelerator keys enable users to access dialog box controls simply by pressing Alt + a
specified letter. Users can employ accelerator keys to choose a push button or an option
button; toggle a check box on or off; and move the insertion point into a text box or
group box or to the currently selected item in a list box, combo box, or drop list box.
An accelerator key is essentially a single letter that you designate for this purpose from a
control's label. You can assign an accelerator key directly to controls that have their own
label (option buttons, push buttons, check boxes, and group boxes). (You can't assign an
accelerator key to OK and Cancel buttons because, as noted above, their labels can't be
edited.) You can create a de facto accelerator key for certain controls that don't have their
own labels (text boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, and drop list boxes) by assigning an
accelerator key to an associated text control.

To assign an accelerator key

Here's how to designate a letter from a control's label to serve as the accelerator key for
that control.

Step Action Result

1 Display the Information dialog box
for the control to which you want to
assign an accelerator key.
2 In the Text$ field, type an
ampersand (&) before the letter you
want to designate as the accelerator
key.
3 Click the OK button or press Enter. The letter you designated is now
underlined on the control's label, and
users will be able to access the
control by pressing Alt + the
underlined letter.

ATTENTION
Accelerator key assignments must be unique within a particular dialog box. If
you attempt to assign the same accelerator key to more than one control,
Dialog Editor displays a reminder that letter has already been assigned.

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2.18. Assigning Accelerator Keys

If, for example, you have a push button whose label reads Apply, you can designate A as
the accelerator key by displaying the Push Button Information dialog box and typing
&Apply in the Text$ field. When you press Enter, the button label looks like the
following illustration, and users will be able to choose the button by typing Alt+A.

As another example, let's say you have a list box that is immediately preceded in the
dialog box template by a text control whose label reads 1994 Project Files. By using the
method described above, you can designate F as the accelerator key. When you click OK
or press Enter, the text control label looks like the following illustration, and users will be
able to move the insertion point to the currently selected item in the list box by typing
Alt+F.

TIP
In order for such a de facto accelerator key to work properly, the text control
or group box label to which you assign the accelerator key must be
associated with the control(s) to which you want to provide user access—that
is, in the dialog box template, the description of the text control or group box
must immediately precede the description of the control(s) that you want
associated with it. The simplest way to establish such an association is to
create the text control or group box first, followed immediately by the
associated control(s).

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2.19. Specifying Pictures

2.19 Specifying Pictures

In the preceding section, you learned how to add picture controls and picture button
controls to your dialog box. But these controls are nothing more than empty outlines until
you specify the pictures that you want them to display.
A picture control or picture button control can display a Windows bitmap or metafile,
which you can obtain from a file or from a specified library. (Refer to the following
subsection for information on creating or modifying picture libraries under Windows.).

To specify a picture from a file

Here's how to display a Windows bitmap or metafile from a file on a picture control or
picture button control by using the control's Information dialog box to indicate the file in
which the picture is contained.

Step Action Result

1 Display the Information dialog box
for the picture control or picture
button control whose picture you
want to specify.
2 In the Picture source option button
group, select File.
3 In the Name$ field, enter the name
of the file containing the picture you
want to display in the picture control
or picture button control.

Note: By clicking the Browse button,

you can display the Select a Picture
File dialog box and use it to find the
file.
4 Click the OK button or press Enter. The picture control or picture button
control now displays the picture you
specified.

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To specify a picture from a picture library

Here's how to display a Windows bitmap or metafile from a library on a picture control
or picture button control by first using the Dialog Box Information dialog box to specify
the library and then using the control's Information dialog box to indicate the name of the
picture.

Step Action Result

1 Display the Dialog Box Information
dialog box.
2 In the Picture Library field, specify
the name of the picture library that
contains the picture(s) you want to
display in your dialog box.

Note: By clicking the Browse button,

you can display the Select a Picture
Library dialog box and use it to find
the library.

If you specify a picture library in the

Dialog Box Information dialog box,
all the pictures in your dialog box
must come from this library.
3 Click the OK button or press Enter.
4 Display the Information dialog box
for the picture control or picture
button control whose picture you
want to specify.
5 In the Picture source option button
group, select Library.
6 In the Name$ field, enter the name
of the picture you want to display on
the picture control or picture button
control. (This picture must be from
the library that you specified in step
2.).
7 Click the OK button or press Enter. The picture control or picture button
control now displays the picture you
specified.

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2.20. Creating or Modifying Picture Libraries under Windows

2.20 Creating or Modifying Picture Libraries under

Windows
The Picture statement in BasicScript allows images to be specified as individual picture
files or as members of a picture library, which is a DLL that contains a collection of
pictures. Currently, both Windows bitmaps and metafiles are supported. You can obtain a
picture library either by creating a new one or by modifying an existing one, as described
below.
Each image is placed into the DLL as a resource identified by its unique resource
identifier. This identifier is the name used in the Picture statement to specify the image.
The following resource types are supported in picture libraries:

Resource Type Description

2 Bitmap. This is defined in windows.h as RT_BITMAP.

256 Metafile. Since there is no resource type for metafiles, 256 is

used.

To create a picture library under Windows

Here's how to create a new picture library to contain the Windows bitmaps or metafiles
that you want to display on picture controls or picture button controls in your dialog box.

Step Action
1 Create a C file containing the minimal code required to establish a DLL. The
following code can be used:

#include <windows.h>

int CALLBACK LibMain(

HINST ANCE hInstance,

W ORD wDataSeg,

WORD wHeapSz,

LPSTR lpCmdLine) {

Unlock Data(0);

return 1;}

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2.20. Creating or Modifying Picture Libraries under Windows

Step Action
2 Use the following code to create a DEF file for your picture library:

LIBRARY

DESCRIPTION "My Picture Library"

EXETYPE WINDOWS

CODE LOADONCALL MOVABLE DISCARDABLE

DATA PRELOAD MOVABLE SINGLE

HEAPSIZE 1024
3 Create a resource file containing your images. The following example shows
a resource file using a bitmap called sample.bmp and a metafile called
usa.wmf.

#define METAFILE 256

USA METAFILE "usa.wmf"

MySample BITMAP "sample.bmp"

4 Create a make file that compiles your C module, creates the resource file,
and links everything together.

To modify an existing picture library

Here's how to modify an existing picture library to contain the Windows bitmaps or
metafiles that you want to display on picture controls or picture button controls in your
dialog box.

Step Action
1 Make a copy of the picture library you want to modify.
2 Modify the copy by adding images using a resource editor such as Borland's
Resource Workshop or Microsoft's App Studio.

TIP
When you use a resource editor, you need to create a new resource type for
metafiles (with the value 256).

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2.21. Duplicating and Deleting Controls

2.21 Duplicating and Deleting Controls

To duplicate a control
Here's how to use Dialog Editor's duplicating feature, which saves you the work of
creating additional controls individually if you need one or more copies of a particular
control.

Step Action Result

1 Select the control that you want to
duplicate
2 Press Ctrl+D A duplicate copy of the selected
control appears in your dialog box
3 Repeat step 2 as many times as
necessary to create the desired
number of duplicate controls

Duplicating is a particularly efficient approach if you need to create a group of controls,

such as a series of option buttons or check boxes. Simply create the first control in the
group and then, while the newly created control remains selected, repeatedly press
Ctrl+D until you have created the necessary number of copies
Dialog Editor also enables you to delete single controls or even clear the entire dialog
box.

To delete a single control

Step Action
1 Select the control you want to delete.
2 Press Del.

The selected control is removed from your dialog box.

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2.22. Editing an Existing Dialog Box

To delete all the controls in a dialog box

Step Action Result

1 Select the dialog box.
2 Press Del.
3 If the dialog box contains more than All the controls disappear, but the
one control, Dialog Editor prompts dialog box's title bar and close box (if
you to confirm that you want to displayed) remain unchanged.
delete all controls. Click the Yes
button or press Enter.

Undoing Editing Operations

You can undo editing operations that produce a change in your dialog box, including:
• The addition of a control
• The insertion of one or more controls from the Clipboard
• The deletion of a control
• Changes made to a control or dialog box, either with the mouse or with the
Information dialog box
You cannot undo operations that don't produce any change in your dialog box, such as
selecting controls or dialog boxes and copying material to the Clipboard.

To undo an editing operation:

• Press Ctrl+Z.
Your dialog box is restored to the way it was before you performed the editing operation.

2.22 Editing an Existing Dialog Box

There are three ways to edit an existing dialog box: (1) You can copy the BasicScript
template of the dialog box you want to edit from a script to the Clipboard and paste it
into Dialog Editor. (2) You can use the capture feature to "grab" an existing dialog box
from another application and insert a copy of it into Dialog Editor. (3) You can open a
dialog box template file that has been saved on a disk. Once you have the dialog box
displayed in Dialog Editor's application window, you can edit it using the methods
described earlier in the chapter.

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2.23. Pasting an Existing Dialog Box into Dialog Editor

2.23 Pasting an Existing Dialog Box into Dialog Editor

You can use Dialog Editor to modify the BasicScript statements in your script that
correspond to an entire dialog box or to one or more dialog box controls.

To paste an existing dialog box into Dialog Editor

If you want to modify a BasicScript dialog box template contained in your script, here's
how to select the template and paste it into Dialog Editor for editing.

Step Action Result

1 Copy the entire BasicScript dialog
box template (from the Begin Dialog
instruction to the End Dialog
instruction) from your script to the
Clipboard.
2 Open Dialog Editor.
3 Press Ctrl+V.
4 When Dialog Editor asks whether Dialog Editor creates a new dialog
you want to replace the existing box corresponding to the template
dialog box, click the Yes button. contained on the Clipboard.

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2.23. Pasting an Existing Dialog Box into Dialog Editor

To paste one or more controls from an existing dialog box into Dialog Editor
If you want to modify the BasicScript statements in your script that correspond to one or
more dialog box controls, here's how to select the statements and paste them into Dialog
Editor for editing.

Step Action Result

1 Copy the BasicScript description of
the control(s) from your script to the
Clipboard
2 Open Dialog Editor
3 Press Ctrl+V Dialog Editor adds to your current
dialog box one or more controls
corresponding to the description
contained on the Clipboard

ATTENTION
When you paste a dialog box template into Dialog Editor, the tabbing order of
the controls is determined by the order in which the controls are described in
the template. When you paste one or more controls into Dialog Editor, they
will come last in the tabbing order, following the controls that are already
present in the current dialog box.

If there are any errors in the BasicScript statements that describe the dialog
box or controls, the Dialog Translation Errors dialog box will appear when you
attempt to paste these statements into Dialog Editor. This dialog box shows
the lines of code containing the errors and provides a brief description of the
nature of each error.

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2.24. Capturing a Dialog Box

2.24 Capturing a Dialog Box

Here's how to capture the standard Windows controls from any standard Windows dialog
box in another application and insert those controls into Dialog Editor for editing.

To capture an existing standard Windows dialog box

Step Action Result

1 Display the dialog box you want to
capture.
2 Open Dialog Editor.
3 Choose the Capture Dialog Dialog Editor displays a dialog box
command from the File menu. that lists all open dialog boxes that it
is able to capture.

4 Select the dialog box you want to Dialog Editor now displays the
capture, and then click OK. standard Windows controls from the
target dialog box.

ATTENTION
Dialog Editor only supports standard Windows controls and standard
Windows dialog boxes. Therefore, if the target dialog box contains both
standard Windows controls and custom controls, only the standard Windows
controls will appear in Dialog Editor's application window. If the target dialog
box is not a standard Windows dialog box, you will be unable to capture the
dialog box or any of its controls

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2.25. Opening a Dialog Box Template File

2.25 Opening a Dialog Box Template File

Here's how to open any dialog box template file that has been saved on a disk so you can
edit the template in Dialog Editor.

To open a dialog box template file

Step Action Result

1 Choose Open from the File menu. The Open Dialog File dialog box
appears.
2 Select the file containing the dialog Dialog Editor creates a dialog box
box template that you want to edit from the statements in the template
and click the OK button. and displays it in the application
window.

ATTENTION
If there are any errors in the BasicScript statements that describe the dialog
box, the Dialog Translation Errors dialog box will appear when you attempt to
load the file into Dialog Editor. This dialog box shows the lines of code
containing the errors and provides a brief description of the nature of each
error.

2.26 Testing an Edited Dialog Box

Dialog Editor lets you run your edited dialog box for testing purposes. When you click
the Test tool, your dialog box comes alive, which gives you an opportunity to make sure
it functions properly and fix any problems before you incorporate the dialog box template
into your script.
Before you run your dialog box, take a moment to look it over for basic problems such as
the following:
• Does the dialog box contain a command button—that is, a default OK or Cancel
button, a push button, or a picture button?
• Does the dialog box contain all the necessary push buttons?
• Does the dialog box contain a Help button if one is needed?
• Are the controls aligned and sized properly?
• If there is a text control, is its font set properly?

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• Are the close box and title bar displayed (or hidden) as you intended?
• Are the control labels and dialog box title spelled and capitalized correctly?
• Do all the controls fit within the borders of the dialog box?
• Could you improve the design of the dialog box by adding one or more group boxes
to set off groups of related controls?
• Could you clarify the purpose of any unlabeled control (such as a text box, list box,
combo box, drop list box, picture, or picture button) by adding a text control to serve
as a de facto label for it?
• Have you made all the necessary accelerator key assignments?
After you've fixed any elementary problems, you're ready to run your dialog box so you
can check for problems that don't become apparent until a dialog box is activated.
Testing your dialog box is an iterative process that involves running the dialog box to see
how well it works, identifying problems, stopping the test and fixing those problems,
then running the dialog box again to make sure the problems are fixed and to identify any
additional problems, and so forth—until the dialog box functions the way you intend.

To test your dialog box

Step Action
1 Click the Run tool on the toolbar

Or

Press F5

The dialog box becomes operational, and you can check how it functions.
2 To stop the test, click the Run tool, press F5, or double-click the dialog box's
close box (if it has one).
3 Make any necessary adjustments to the dialog box.
4 Repeat steps 1–3 as many times as you need in order to get the dialog box
working properly.

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2.26. Testing an Edited Dialog Box

When testing a dialog box, you can check for operational problems such as the following:
• Tabbing order: When you press the Tab key, does the focus move through the
controls in a logical order? (Remember, the focus skips over items that users cannot
act upon, including group boxes, text controls, and pictures.)
When you paste controls into your dialog box, Dialog Editor places their descriptions at
the end of your dialog box template, in the order in which you paste them in. Therefore,
you can use a simple cut-and-paste technique to adjust the tabbing order. First, click the
Run tool to end the test and then, proceeding in the order in which you want the controls
to receive the focus, select each control, cut it from the dialog box (by pressing Ctrl+X),
and immediately paste it back in again (by pressing Ctrl+V). The controls will now
appear in the desired order in your template and will receive the tabbing focus in that
order.
• Option button grouping: Are the option buttons grouped correctly? Does selecting
an unselected button in a group automatically deselect the previously selected button
in that group?
To merge two groups of option buttons into a single group, click the Run tool to end the
test and then use the Option Button Information dialog box to assign the same .Option
Group name for all the buttons that you want included in that group.
• Text box functioning: Can you enter only a single line of nonwrapping text, or can
you enter multiple lines of wrapping text?
If the text box doesn't behave the way you intended, click the Run tool to end the test;
then display the Text Box Information dialog box and select or clear the Multiline check
box.
• Accelerator keys: If you have assigned an accelerator key to a text control or group
box in order to provide user access to a text box, list box, combo box, drop list box,
or group box, do the accelerator keys work properly? That is, if you press Alt + the
designated accelerator key, does the insertion point move into the text box or group
box or to the currently selected item in the list box, combo box, or drop list box?
If the accelerator key doesn't work properly, it means that the text box, list box, combo
box, drop list box, or group box is not associated with the text control or group box to
which you assigned the accelerator key—that is, in your dialog box template, the
description of the text control or group box does not immediately precede the description
of the control(s) that should be associated with it. As with tabbing-order problems
(discussed above), you can fix this problem by using a simple cut-and-paste technique to
adjust the order of the control descriptions in your template. First, click the Run tool to
end the test; then cut the text control or group box from the dialog box and immediately
paste it back in again; and finally, do the same with each of the controls that should be

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2.27. Incorporating a Dialog Box into Your Script

associated with the text control or group box. The controls will now appear in the desired
order in your template, and the accelerator keys will work properly.

2.27 Incorporating a Dialog Box into Your Script

Dialog boxes and dialog box controls are communicated between Dialog Editor and your
script via the Clipboard, where they are represented as BasicScript statements. Here's
how to copy a dialog box or control and paste it into your script.

To incorporate a dialog box or control into your script

Step Action Result

1 Select the dialog box or control that
you want to incorporate into your
script.
2 Press Ctrl+C.
3 Open your script and paste in the The dialog box template or control is
contents of the Clipboard at the now described in BasicScript
desired point. statements in your script.

2.28 Exiting from Dialog Editor

Here's how to get out of Dialog Editor. When you exit, you can save your dialog box
template (that is, the BasicScript description of the dialog box) as a text file.

To exit from Dialog Editor

Step Action Result

1 Press Alt+F4. If you have made changes to your
dialog box template, Dialog Editor
asks whether you want to save those
changes.
2 If you want to save your changes to Dialog Editor displays the Save
a text file, click the Yes button. Dialog File dialog box, which you
can use to specify the file to which
you want to save your template.

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2.29. Using a Custom Dialog Box in Your Script

2.29 Using a Custom Dialog Box in Your Script

After using Dialog Editor to insert a custom dialog box template into your script, you'll
need to make the following modifications to your script.

Step Action
1 Create a dialog record by using a Dim statement.
2 Put information into the dialog box by assigning values to its controls.
3 Display the dialog box by using either the Dialog() function or the Dialog
statement.
4 Retrieve values from the dialog box after the user closes it.

2.30 Creating a Dialog Record

To store the values retrieved from a custom dialog box, you create a dialog record with a
Dim statement, using the following syntax:

Dim DialogRecord As DialogVariable

Here are some examples of how to create dialog records:
Dim b As UserDialog 'Define a dialog record "b".
Dim PlayCD As CDDialog 'Define a dialog record
'"PlayCD".
Here is a sample script, which can be found on your disk under the name dialog1.ebs,
that illustrates how to create a dialog record named b within a dialog box template named
UserDialog. Notice that the order of the statements within the script is as follows: the
dialog box template precedes the statement that creates the dialog record, and the Dialog
statement follows both of them.
Sub Main()
Dim ListBox1$() 'Initialize list box array.
'Define the dialog box template.
Begin Dialog UserDialog ,,163,94,"Grocery Order"
Text 13,6,32,8,"&Quantity:",.Text1
TextBox 48,4,28,12,.TextBox1
ListBox 12,28,68,32,ListBox1$,.ListBox1
OKButton 112,8,40,14
CancelButton 112,28,40,14
End Dialog

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Dim b As UserDialog 'Create the dialog record.

Dialog b 'Display the dialog box.
End Sub

2.31 Putting Information into the Dialog Box

If you open and run the sample script shown in the preceding subsection, you'll see a
dialog box that resembles the following (this dialog box is from BasicScript for Win32
running under Windows 95, so the dialog box you see may be slightly different).

As you can see, this custom dialog box isn't very useful. For one thing, the user doesn't
see any items in the list box along the left side of the dialog box. To put information into
this dialog box, you assign values to its controls by modifying the statements in your
script that are responsible for displaying those controls to the user. The following table
lists the dialog box controls to which you can assign values and the types of information
you can control.

Control(s) Types of Information

List box, drop list box, and combo box. Items

Text box. Default text

Check box Values

In the following subsections, you'll learn how to define and fill an array, set the default
text in a text box, and set the initial focus and tab order for the controls in your custom
dialog box.

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Defining and Filling an Array

You can store items in the list box shown in the example above by creating an array and
then assigning values to the elements of the array. For example, you could include the
following lines to initialize an array with three elements and assign the names of three
common fruits to these elements of your array:
Dim ListBox1$(3) 'Initialize list box array.
ListBox1$(0) = "Apples"
ListBox1$(1) = "Oranges"
ListBox1$(2) = "Pears"
Setting Default Text in a Text Box
You can set the default value of the text box in your script to 12 with the following
statement, which must follow the statement that defines the dialog record but precede the
statement or function that displays the custom dialog box:
b.TextBox1 = "12"

Setting the Initial Focus and Controlling the Tabbing Order

You can determine which control has the focus when your custom dialog box is first
displayed as well as the tabbing order between controls by understanding two rules that
BasicScript follows. First, the focus in a custom dialog box is always set initially to the
first control to appear in the dialog box template. Second, the order in which subsequent
controls appear within the dialog box template determines the tabbing order. That is,
pressing the Tab key will change the focus from the first control to the second one,
pressing the Tab key again will change the focus to the third control, and so on.

2.32 Displaying the Custom Dialog Box

To display a custom dialog box, you can use either a Dialog() function or a Dialog
statement.

Using the Dialog() Function

You can use a Dialog() function to determine how the user closed your custom dialog
box. For example, the following statement will return a value when the user clicks an OK
button or a Cancel button or takes another action:
response% = Dialog(b)

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2.33. Retrieving Values from the Custom Dialog Box

The Dialog() function returns any of the following values:

Value Returned If

–1 The user clicked the OK button.

0 The user clicked the Cancel button.

>0 The user clicked a push button. The returned number

represents which button was clicked based on its order in the
dialog box template (1 is the first push button, 2 is the second
push button, and so on).

Using the Dialog Statement

You can use the Dialog statement when you don't need to determine how the user closed
your dialog box. You'll still be able to retrieve other information from the dialog box
record, such as the value of a list box or other dialog box control. The following is an
example of the correct use of the Dialog statement:
Dialog b

2.33 Retrieving Values from the Custom Dialog Box

After displaying a custom dialog box for your user, your script must retrieve the values
of the dialog controls. You retrieve these values by referencing the appropriate identifiers
in the dialog record.
You'll find an example of how to retrieve values from a custom dialog box in the
following subsection.

Sample
In the following sample script, a version of which can be found on your disk under the
name dialog2.ebs, several of the techniques described earlier in this section have been
used.
In this script, the array named ListBox1 is filled with three elements ("Apples",
"Oranges", and "Pears"). The default value of TextBox1 is set to 12. A variable named
response is used to store information about how the custom dialog box was closed. An
identifier named ListBox1 is used to determine whether the user chose "Apples",
"Oranges", or "Pears" in the list box named ListBox$. Finally, a Select Case...End Select
statement is used to display a message box appropriate to the manner in which the user
dismissed the dialog box.

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Sub Main()
Dim ListBox1$(2) ’Initialize list box array.
Dim response%
ListBox1$(0) = "Apples"
ListBox1$(1) = "Oranges"
ListBox1$(2) = "Pears"
Begin Dialog UserDialog ,,163,94,"Grocery Order"
Text 13,6,32,8,"&Quantity:",.Text1 'First
control
'in the
'template gets
’focus.
TextBox 48,4,28,12,.TextBox1
ListBox 12,28,68,32,ListBox1$,.ListBox1
OKButton 112,8,40,14
CancelButton 112,28,40,14
End Dialog
Dim b As UserDialog 'Create the dialog record.
b.TextBox1 = "12" 'Set default value of the
'text box to 1 dozen.
response = Dialog(b) 'Display the dialog box.
Select Case response%
Case -1
Fruit$ = ListBox1$(b.ListBox1)
MsgBox "Thank you for ordering " + _
b.TextBox1 + " " + Fruit$ + "."
Case 0
MsgBox "Your order has been canceled."
End Select
End Sub

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2.34. Using a Dynamic Dialog Box in Your Script

2.34 Using a Dynamic Dialog Box in Your Script

The preceding section explained how you can use a custom dialog box in your script. As
you learned, you can retrieve the values from dialog box controls after the user dismisses
the dialog box by referencing the identifiers in the dialog record.
You can also retrieve values from a custom dialog box while the dialog box is displayed,
using a feature of BasicScript called dynamic dialog boxes.
The following script, named dialog3.ebs on your disk, illustrates the most important
concepts you'll need to understand in order to create a dynamic dialog box in your script:
'Dim "Fruits" and "Vegetables" arrays here to make them
'accessible to all procedures.
Dim Fruits(2) As String
Dim Vegetables(2) As String
'Dialog procedure--must precede the procedure that defines 'the
custom dialog box.
Function DialogControl(ctrl$, action%, suppvalue%) As Integer
Select Case action%
Case 1
DlgListBoxArray "ListBox1", fruits 'Fill list
box
'with items
'before dialog
'box
is visible.
DlgValue "ListBox1", 0 'Set default value to
'first item in list box.
Case 2
'Fill the list box with names of fruits or
'vegetables when the user selects an option button.
If ctrl$ = "OptionButton1" Then
DlgListBoxArray "ListBox1", fruits
DlgValue "ListBox1", 0
ElseIf ctrl$ = "OptionButton2" Then
DlgListBoxArray "ListBox1", vegetables
DlgValue "ListBox1", 0
End If
End Select
End Function
Sub Main()

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Dim ListBox1$() 'Initialize array for use by

'ListBox statement in template.
Dim Produce$
'Assign values to elements in the "Fruits" and
'"Vegetables" arrays.
Fruits(0) = "Apples"
Fruits(1) = "Oranges"
Fruits(2) = "Pears"
Vegetables(0) = "Carrots"
Vegetables(1) = "Peas"
Vegetables(2) = "Lettuce"
'Define the dialog box template.
Begin Dialog UserDialog ,,163,94,"Grocery Order", _
.DialogControl
Text 13,6,32,8,"&Quantity:",.Text1 'First
control
'in template
'gets the focus.
TextBox 48,4,28,12,.TextBox1
ListBox 12,28,68,32,ListBox1$,.ListBox1
OptionGroup .OptionGroup1
OptionButton 12,68,48,8,"&Fruit",.OptionButton1
OptionButton 12,80,48,8,"&Vegetables",.OptionButton2
OKButton 112,8,40,14
CancelButton 112,28,40,14
End Dialog
Dim b As UserDialog 'Create the dialog record.
b.TextBox1 = "12" 'Set the default value of the
'text box to 1 dozen.
response% = Dialog(b) 'Display the dialog box.
Select Case response%
Case -1
If b.OptionGroup1 = 0 Then
produce$ = fruits(b.ListBox1)
Else
produce$ = vegetables(b.ListBox1)
End If
MsgBox "Thank you for ordering " & _
b.TextBox1 & " " & produce$ & "."
Case 0

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MsgBox "Your order has been canceled."

End Select
End Sub

2.35 Making a Dialog Box Dynamic

The first thing to notice about the preceding script, which is a more complex variation of
the dialog2.ebs script described earlier in this chapter, is that an identifier named
.DialogControl has been added to the Begin Dialog statement. As you will learn in the
following subsection, this parameter to the Begin Dialog statement tells BasicScript to
pass control to a function procedure named DialogControl.

Using a Dialog Function

Before BasicScript displays a custom dialog box by executing a Dialog statement or
Dialog() function, it must first initialize the dialog box. During this initialization process,
BasicScript checks to see whether you've defined a dialog function as part of your dialog
box template. If so, BasicScript will give control to your dialog function, allowing your
script to carry out certain actions, such as hiding or disabling dialog box controls.
After completing its initialization process, BasicScript displays your custom dialog box.
When the user selects an item in a list box, clears a check box, or carries out certain other
actions within the dialog box, BasicScript will again call your dialog function.
In fact, BasicScript also calls your dialog function repeatedly even while the user is not
interacting with the dialog box. You can use this fact to update a dialog box
continuously, as with the stwatch.ebs sample on your disk.

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Responding to User Actions

A BasicScript dialog function can respond to six types of user actions:

Action Description

1 This action is sent immediately before the dialog box is shown for the first time.

2 This action is sent when:

• A button is clicked, such as OK, Cancel, or a push button.
• A check box's state has been modified.
• An option button is selected. In this case, ControlName$ contains the name
of the option button that was clicked, and SuppValue contains the index of
the option button within the option button group (0 is the first option button,
1 is the second, and so on).
• The current selection is changed in a list box, drop list box, or combo box.
In this case, ControlName$ contains the name of the list box, combo box, or
drop list box, and SuppValue contains the index of the new item (0 is the
first item, 1 is the second, and so on).

3 This action is sent when the content of a text box or combo box has been
changed and that control loses focus.

4 This action is sent when a control gains the focus.

5 This action is sent continuously when the dialog box is idle.

6 This action is sent when the dialog box is moved.

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2.36. Menu/Tools Reference

2.36 Menu/Tools Reference

File Menu

Menu Keyboard Function

Shortcut
Command

New Ctrl+N Creates a new dialog box. Dialog Editor prompts you
before discarding any changes you have made to your
current dialog box.

Open... Ctrl+O Displays the Open Dialog File dialog box, which you can
use to open an existing dialog box template. Dialog Editor
prompts you before discarding any changes you have
made to your current dialog box.

Save Ctrl+S If you have already created a file for the current dialog
box template, saves the template to that file.

If you have not yet created a file for the current dialog box
template, displays the Save Dialog File dialog box, which
you can use to specify the file to which you want to save
the current template.

Save As... Displays the Save Dialog File dialog box, which you can
use to save the current dialog box template in a file under
a new name.

Test Dialog F5 Toggles between the run mode (in which the dialog box
"comes alive" for testing purposes) and the edit mode (in
which you can make changes to the dialog box).

Capture Captures the standard Windows controls from a standard

Dialog Windows dialog box in another Windows application.

Exit & Return Alt+F4 Closes Dialog Editor and returns you to the host
application. Dialog Editor prompts you before discarding
any changes you have made to your current dialog box.

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Edit Menu

Menu Keyboard Function

Shortcut
Command

Undo Ctrl+Z Allows you to undo up to 10 preceding operations. The

Undo command continually indicates the next
operation you can undo by selecting it and grays out
when there are no more operations that can be
undone.

Cut Ctrl+X Removes the selected dialog box or control from

Dialog Editor's application window and places it on the
Clipboard.

Copy Ctrl+C Copies the selected dialog box or control, without

removing it from Dialog Editor's application window,
and places it on the Clipboard.

Paste Ctrl+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard into Dialog Editor.

If the Clipboard contains BasicScript statements

describing one or more controls, then those controls
are added to the current dialog box. If the Clipboard
contains the BasicScript template for an entire dialog
box, then Dialog Editor creates a new dialog box from
the statements in the template.

If the BasicScript statements contain errors, Dialog

Editor displays the Dialog Translation Errors dialog
box, which helps you pinpoint the location and nature
of the errors.

Clear Del Removes the selected dialog box or control from

Dialog Editor's application window without placing it on
the Clipboard. If you have selected the dialog box and
it contains more than one control, Dialog Editor
prompts you before removing all the controls from it.

Duplicate Ctrl+D Creates a duplicate copy of the selected control.

Size to Text F2 Adjusts the borders of certain controls to fit the text
displayed on them.

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2.36. Menu/Tools Reference

Menu Keyboard Function

Shortcut
Command

Info... Ctrl+I Displays the Information dialog box for the selected
dialog box or control. You can use this dialog box to
check and adjust various attributes of controls and
dialog boxes.

Grid... Ctrl+G Displays the Grid dialog box, which you can use to
display or turn off the grid and adjust the grid's spacing.

Controls Menu

Menu Toolbar Tool Function

Command

OK button Adds a default OK button to your dialog box. An OK

button is a special type of push, or command, button.

Cancel Adds a default Cancel button to your dialog box. A Cancel

button button is a special type of push, or command, button

Help button Adds a Help button to your dialog box. A Help button is a
special type of push, or command, button.

Push button Adds a push, or command, button to your dialog box.

Option Adds an option button to your dialog box. An option

button button is one of a group of two or more linked buttons that
let users select only one from a group of mutually
exclusive choices.

Check box Adds a check box to your dialog box. Users can check or
clear a check box to indicate their preference regarding
the alternative specified on the check box label.

Group box Adds a group box to your dialog box. A group box is a
rectangular design element used to enclose a group of
related controls. You can use the optional group box label
to display a title for the controls in the box.

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Menu Toolbar Tool Function

Command

Text Adds a text control to your dialog box. A text control is a

field containing text that you want to display for the users'
information. The text in this field wraps, and the field can
contain a maximum of 255 characters. Text controls can
either display stand-alone text or be used as labels for
text boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, drop list boxes,
pictures, and picture buttons. You can choose the font in
which the text appears.

Text box Adds a text box to your dialog box. A text box is a field
into which users can enter text (potentially, as much as
32K). By default, this field holds a single line of
nonwrapping text. If you choose the Multiline setting in
the Text Box Information dialog box, this field will hold
multiple lines of wrapping text.

List box Adds a list box to your dialog box. A list box is a
displayed, scrollable list from which users can select one
item. The currently selected item is highlighted on the list.

Combo box Adds a combo box to your dialog box. A combo box
consists of a text field with a displayed, scrollable list
beneath it. Users can either select an item from the list or
enter the name of the desired item in the text field. The
currently selected item is displayed in the text field. If the
item was selected from the scrolling list, it is highlighted
there as well.

Drop list box Adds a drop list box to your dialog box. A drop list box
consists of a field that displays the currently selected
item, followed by a downward-pointing arrow, which users
can click to temporarily display a scrolling list of items.
Once they select an item from the list, the list disappears
and the newly selected item is displayed in the field.

Picture Adds a picture to your dialog box. A picture is a field used

to display a Windows bitmap or metafile.

Picture Adds a picture button to your dialog box. A picture button

button is a special type of push, or command, button on which a
Windows bitmap or metafile appears.

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Help Menu

Menu Keyboard Function

Command Shortcut

Contents F1 Presents a list of major topics in the Help system. By

clicking a topic on the list, you can display the available
Help information about that topic.

Search for Displays a dialog box that allows users to search for Help
Help On... topics containing specific keywords.

About Dialog Displays the About Dialog Editor dialog box, which
Editor... indicates application name, version number, copyright
statement, and icon, as well as additional information
such as amount of available memory and disk space.

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 3. Recording Scripts
3.1 Introduction
Script Recorder is a utility that you can use to record actions you perform with Microsoft
Windows applications for later playback. Script Recorder watches the actions you
perform and translates them into BasicScript code, which you can add to a BasicScript
script. Once you have recorded a task using Script Recorder, you can perform the same
task at a later time by playing back the script that was created.

3.2 Contents
• Script Recorder Basics
• Using Script Recorder
• Recording a Script
• Actions Recorded
• Examining and Adjusting Your Script's BasicScript Code

3.3 Script Recorder Basics

When you invoke Script Recorder, it watches your interaction with Windows
applications and translates the keystrokes you press and the mouse actions you perform
into a script consisting of BasicScript statements. Since recording occurs at the system
level, the resulting script is not tied to any particular application and thus can include
actions involving a number of applications.
When it is active, Script Recorder watches events as they are passed to various windows
and records those events into an event buffer. If directed to do so, the Recorder removes
and collapses certain events into high-level statements. (For example, a mouse action can
be removed from the event buffer and replaced with a mouse click. Similarly, two mouse
clicks can be removed from the event buffer and replaced with a mouse double click.).
After you stop recording, Script Recorder's event buffer is reduced via a series of steps,
each of which results in the replacement of certain event sequences with a single higher-
level event. After reduction in this manner, the event buffer is converted into BasicScript
statements in the text buffer. Depending on the implementation, you may be able to save
the resulting text buffer to a file or return it to the host application.
In the following sections, you'll learn the purpose of the controls on Script Recorder's
control panel, how to record a script, and what actions the Recorder records and what

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3.4. Features of Script Recorder

BasicScript statements it outputs as a result. The chapter ends with some suggestions for
adjustments you might want to make to the BasicScript code generated by Script
Recorder.

3.4 Features of Script Recorder

Script Recorder supports the following features:
• The Recorder runs under Windows 3.1.
• The Recorder recognizes most standard Windows actions and converts them into
BasicScript statements. (The "Actions Recorded" section of the chapter explains the
types of Windows actions the Recorder recognizes and lists the BasicScript
statements that it outputs for each type of action.)
• The number of events that you can record with Script Recorder is limited by the size
of the Recorder's internal event buffer. (The size of the event buffer is 64K, which
means you can record about 7,280 events.)
• The text buffer used to convert events into BasicScript code is also limited to 64K in
size.
• Since Script Recorder does not record timing information, you can play your
recorded script back at full speed regardless of any delays that may have occurred
while you were recording it.

3.5 Using Script Recorder

Script Recorder's application interface consists of the following VCR-style three-button
control panel:

• Record button: When you first invoke Script Recorder, you won't need to click the
Record button because it will already be in a "pushed," or disabled, state to indicate
that the Recorder is now recording. If you pause the Recorder, clicking the Record
button will resume your recording session.

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• Pause button: If you need to take a break in your recording session, clicking the
Pause button will suspend recording. Script Recorder won't record any actions you
perform while the Pause button is pushed.
• End button: Clicking the End button will stop Script Recorder and end your
recording session.
Script Recorder doesn't record anything you do to its control panel, so you can stop, start,
or suspend recording as often as you wish and move the panel to different areas of your
screen as you proceed with your recording session.

3.6 Recording a Script

Once Script Recorder has recorded a series of actions and translated them into
BasicScript statements, you will probably want to examine the code in that script and
make some adjustments and improvements, add comments, and so forth, as discussed
later in the chapter.
However, if you do a bit of advance planning before you invoke Script Recorder, you can
produce a script that will run better and require fewer adjustments. Simply keep in mind
that Script Recorder records all the actions you take while the Recorder is running
(including mistakes and unnecessarily cumbersome ways of doing things) and translates
those actions into BasicScript code. You should therefore plan to carry out the tasks you
are recording as expeditiously as possible.
Depending on the implementation, the following recording options may be available
when you use Script Recorder.
• Literal recording: Prevents high-level event reduction. Only literal mouse and
keyboard activity will be recorded.
• Mouse moves: Records mouse movement when the mouse button is pressed.
• Unpressed mouse moves: Records mouse movement when the mouse button is not
pressed.
• Relative: Records mouse positions relative to the active window.
• Comments: Adds a comment at the end of each recorded BasicScript statement.
• Menu command: Records only a single menu command, then stops recording.
• Keyboard: Enables keyboard recording.
• Mouse: Enables mouse recording.

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3.7. Actions Recorded

To record a script

Step Action Result

1 Invoke Script Recorder. Script Recorder's three-button
control panel appears.

Note: The first time the control panel

appears, you won't need to click the
Record button because it will already
be in a "pushed," or disabled, state
to indicate that the Recorder is now
recording.
2 Perform the series of events that you
want to record, clicking the Pause
and Record buttons to suspend and
restart the recording session as
often as necessary.
3 To stop the recording session, click Depending on the implementation,
the End button. when you finish recording, you may
be able to save your BasicScript
script to a file, copy it to the
Clipboard, or return it to the host
application.

3.7 Actions Recorded

Script Recorder recognizes the following types of Windows actions:
• Application focus switch
• Window scrolling
• Mouse activity
• Keyboard activity
• Window management
• Menu commands
• Dialog box interaction

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3.8. Application Focus Switch

3.8 Application Focus Switch

Script Recorder recognizes when an application receives the focus and records this as an
AppActivate statement. The focus can be shifted by using any of the standard Windows
application-switching methods, such as pressing Alt+Tab or Ctrl+Esc, clicking the mouse
on another application, or selecting the Switch To command from an application's
Control menu.
Script Recorder also records window focus shifts to ensure that subsequent actions occur
(and are synchronized) within the appropriate window.

Statements

AppActivat W inActivat

3.9 Window Scrolling

Script Recorder records interactions with windows that respond to scrolling messages
(for example, windows that have built-in Windows scroll bars, such as Notepad and
Write).

Statements

VLine HLin e

VPage HPag e

VScroll HScroll

3.10 Mouse Activity

Script Recorder compresses mouse down/up actions into high-level forms, and it
completely compresses out mouse activity that leads to a recognizable result, such as
resizing a window.

Statements

QueMouseClick QueMous eMove

QueMouseDblClk QueMous eDblDn

QueMouseDn QueMouseUp

QueSetRelativeWindow QueF lush

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3.11. Keyboard Activity

3.11 Keyboard Activity

Script Recorder converts keyboard press/release actions, and it converts complex key
combinations, such as Ctrl+Esc or Alt+Shift+C, into a readable form following Visual
Basic SendKeys () syntax. It completely compresses out keyboard activity that results in
a higher-level command, such as the following keystroke sequence, which results in a
window reposition: Alt+Space, M, Right arrow, Right arrow, Right arrow, Enter.
Script Recorder also records keyboard activity that modifies mouse events, such as
pressing Shift while clicking the left mouse button.

Statements

QueKeyDn QueKe yUp

QueKeys DoKeys

SendKeys() QueF lush

3.12 Window Management

Script Recorder recognizes high-level interactions with windows, such as moving, sizing,
activating, minimizing, maximizing, and restoring. The Recorder differentiates between
interactions with applications, pop-up windows, and child MDI windows.

Statements

AppMaximize W inMaximize

AppMinimize WinMinim ize

AppMove W inMove

AppSize W inSize

AppRestore W inRestore

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3.13. Menu Commands

3.13 Menu Commands

Script Recorder watches for interactions with an application's built-in menus and records
the results of those interactions. It does not record any intermediate keyboard and mouse
events used to select a menu command.

Statement

Menu

3.14 Dialog Box Interaction

Script Recorder recognizes interactions with standard Windows controls (that is, text
boxes, push buttons, check boxes, option buttons, list boxes, combo boxes, and drop list
boxes). It also recognizes interactions with standard controls of certain other applications,
such as Borland's custom controls and the controls in Visual Basic. When recording
interactions with dialog boxes containing standard controls, Script Recorder records the
results of interactions with the controls rather than the mouse/keyboard actions that
produced those results.
The Recorder also recognizes mixed dialog boxes—that is, dialog boxes containing both
standard controls and custom controls. Many applications—such as Control Panel, Corel
Draw, and Ami Pro—employ mixed dialog boxes. When recording interactions with
mixed dialog boxes, Script Recorder records interactions with standard controls normally
(that is, it records the results of those interactions), and it records interactions with
custom controls using high-level mouse and keyboard statements.

Statements

ActivateControl SetCheckB ox

SelectComboBoxItem SetEditT ext

SelectButton SetOption

SelectListBoxItem

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3.15. Examining and Adjusting Your Script's BasicScript Code

3.15 Examining and Adjusting Your Script's BasicScript

Code
Once you have used Script Recorder to record a series of actions and translate them into
a BasicScript script, you could simply save the script as is for future use. However, in
order to ensure that your script functions optimally, you'll probably want to examine the
BasicScript statements generated by Script Recorder and make the following types of
minor adjustments:
• You should make sure that the events recorded by Script Recorder are those that you
really intended to be in your script and that the script does what you want it to do
when it is played back.
• You may want to make improvements to your script.
• If you plan to incorporate the recording into a script you are creating, you will need
to integrate it into that script.
• If Script Recorder has trouble recording a nonstandard action, it may record a series
of mouse and keyboard events rather than reducing them into a single higher-level
event. You should therefore check your code to make sure it contains no extraneous
mouse or keyboard events.
• When your script is played back, errors may be generated if the system's
configuration differs from the conditions under which you recorded the script. You'll
therefore need to build in provisions to enable the script to respond to such errors.
• You may want to add comments to your code right after you record the script, while
your rationale for doing things a certain way is still fresh in your mind.
• Since Script Recorder does not record timing information, your script normally plays
back at full speed. If you do not want it to do so, you can intersperse artificial delays
into the recorded output to slow the playback of the statements.

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