The AutoLisp Tutorial

Dialog Control Language - Controls

    Let's take a look at the different controls you can put on the dialog box.  You've seen a few of them in the overview portion but let's go over the majority of them now.   I will only show the most used properties for each control.

LAYOUT CONTROLS:

: column {
  label = "My Column";
}

 

   Column

  You can omit the label.

 
: boxed_column {
  label = "My Column";
}

 

   Boxed Column

  You can omit the label.

 
: row {
  label = "My Row";
}

 

   Row

  You can omit the label.

 
: boxed_row {
  label = "My Row";
}

 

   Boxed Row

  You can omit the label.

 
: spacer {
  width = 10;
  height = 15;
}

 

  A normal spacer to help align other controls.  You can omit the width and height properties.

 

 
: spacer_0;

 

 

   A spacer that usually has no width.  It simply means, if you have to stretch something in this row to make things fit, stretch this spacer instead of the other items..

 
: spacer_1;   The smallest spacer that's visually noticable.

   BUTTON

 

: button {
  key = "button1;
  label = "Okay";
  is_tab_stop = true;
  is_cancel = false;
  is_default = true;
  width = 15;
  height = 10;
  mnemonic = "B";
}

 

 key = The name you assign to the button.

label = The text displayed on the button.

is_cancel = Determines if this is the cancel button.  One control must be assigned to be the cancel action.

is_default = Determines if this button activates when the user presses the enter key.

mnemonic = Determines if you can press ALT+B to move to this action key.  You assign the letter and DCL will underscore the letter on the dialog box to let the user know it is ALT-able.  If that is a word!

DCL_OKAY.JPG (2034 bytes)

BOXED RADIO COLUMN, RADIO COLUMN, & RADIO BUTTON

: radio_column {
  label = "Choices";
  key = "choices";		 // Use boxed_radio_column if a box is required.
// Label for the column or boxed_column
// Action key for the radio column

DCL_RCOL.JPG (3943 bytes)
  : radio_button {
    label = "Choice 1";
    key = "choice1";
  }		 // First radio button

 
  : radio_button {
    label = "Choice 2";
    key = "choice2";
  }		 // Second radio button

 
  : radio_button {
    label = "Choice 3";
    key = "choice3";
  }		 // Third radio button

 
  : radio_button {
    label = "Choice 4";
    key = "choice4";
  }		 // Fourth radio button

 
} // Close the radio_column

 

BOXED RADIO ROW, RADIO ROW, & RADIO BUTTON

: radio_row {
  label = "Choices";
  key = "choices";		 // Use boxed_radio_row for box.
// Label for the row or boxed_row
// Action key for the radio row

DCL_RROW.JPG (2599 bytes)
  : radio_button {
    label = "1";
    key = "choice1";
  }		 // First radio button

 
  : radio_button {
    label = "2";
    key = "choice2";
  }		 // Second radio button

 
  : radio_button {
    label = "3";
    key = "choice3";
  }		 // Third radio button

 
  : radio_button {
    label = "4";
    key = "choice4";
  }		 // Fourth radio button

 
} // Close the radio_row

 

EDIT BOX

: edit_box {
  key = "myval";
  label = "Value:";
  edit_width = 10;
  value = "";
}		 // Action key
// Label for the edit box
// Character width
// Initial value

DCL_EDIT.JPG (1665 bytes)

LIST BOX

: list_box {
  label ="Choose Items";
  key = "mylist";
  height = 15;
  width = 25;
  multiple_select = true;
  fixed_width_font = true;
  value = "0";
}		  

// Label for the list box
// Action key
// Height of list box
// Width of list box
// Multiple Select = TRUE
// Use fixed with font = TRUE
// Initial selection = 1st item

 

DCL_LIST01.JPG (6604 bytes)

Fixed Width Font = TRUE

Multiple Select = TRUE

View of list box with...

DCL_LIST02.JPG (5754 bytes)

Fixed Width Font = FALSE.

Multiple Select = TRUE.

View of list box with...

DCL_LIST03.JPG (5255 bytes)

Fixed Width Font = FALSE.

Multiple Select = FALSE.

 

POPUP LIST

: popup_list {
  key = "mylist";
  label = "Select Item";
  fixed_width_font = false;
  width = 15;
  value = 0;
}

 

// Action key
// Label
// Use fixed with font = false
// Width of list box
// Initial selection = 1st item

 

DCL_POP01.JPG (2163 bytes)

DCL_POP02.JPG (4617 bytes)

TEXT

: text {
  key = "mytext";
  value = "This is text!";
}		 // Action key
// Value

DCL_TEXT01.JPG (1234 bytes)

  Okay.  That's it for controls.  There are others but, these are the most used controls.  Let's move on.

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