ObjGetSetter, Read me, June 2005

Download: www.satimage-software.com/en/downloads_smile_extras.html

Overview

ObjGetSetter(OGS) is a Smile tool to work with Smile dialogs,

to display the properties of the dialog controls,
to change one or several properties at a time, and
to change one or several controls at a time.

OGS works with dialog windows in edit mode, it can connect to the selection in the frontmost window, and it accepts dropped objects / selections.

OGS is developed and provided by Kurt Klamp, Germany, with adapted code of the ‘Object eXpert’ dialog by Satimage-software.

Requirements

Mac OS X 10.3 or higher,
Smile 2.6.9 regular edition or full edition or higher.

Release notes

1.0.1 : April 2005, first public release.
1.0.5 : June 2005, NEW: 'FontSetter' tool, contextual menus, tooltips, script handling.

Installation

Double-click Installer. This will install the OGS item in the User scripts menu of Smile. If Smile is already launched, you do not need to quit.

Instructions of use

Every time you work with dialogs in edit mode, you can launch ObjGetSetter. It will, at launch time, connect to the frontmost window and get, if possible, the selection in it. If the front window is not a dialog in edit mode, the head area of OGS displays a warning.
The popup menu in the top is a central entry point for OGS.

It contains a list of the currently opened dialogs in Smile. A '•' (bullet) in front of a dialog's name specifies that the dialog is in edit mode.
Selecting a dialog in the list will target it (if it is not in edit mode, edit mode will be enabled) and its selection is loaded - even if it is a floating dialog.
Selecting a dialog with the option key (⌥) disables edit mode.
The target window (see infobox) can be saved using the appropriate menu command.
To refresh the list of dialogs choose the appropriate menu command. Each time OGS becomes the frontmost window it refreshes this menu too. Furthermore it checks if the target is still valid and if the selection has changed. If there were any changes OGS will reload the selection, or will try to connect to the frontmost dialog.
The head area of OGS shows the name of the window it is targeting.
The button with the folder icon has several functions.
If you click it and OGS is already connected to a valid target which is still in edit mode, the target's selection will be reloaded. If OGS is not already connected or the target is no longer valid then it tries to connect to the frontmost dialog in edit mode.
But it is a drop area as well. You can drag & drop any object(s) on it, even if OGS is not in front. Thus OGS will connect to the dialog of the object(s) and will load the selection in one step.
Each time OGS is (re)connected it displays the properties of the first object.
If the ‘With container’ check box is checked, OGS will add as the first object the container object of the first selected control (usually the dialog window itself).
In the area above the property area there is a button ‘First’, a little arrows button and two lines of static text (blue).

With the ‘First’ button you can always switch back to the first object in the list. When the current selection is the first object, the button is greyed.
With the little arrows button you can walk up and down the list of objects.
The text in the first line shows the order of the currently displayed object and its index (not its id) in its container / dialog. Since selected objects show their index number in the bottom right corner of the object’s frame, you can easily detect which of the selected objects is OGS's current selection.
The second line displays the referenced name of the object currently selected.

The main area contains a set of commonly used properties with their names, values and a check box to enable changes. The last property element is a popup, where you can choose to display a property of your own choice. The popup menu contains all the properties of the object currently selected and remembers the last choice.
Below the properties you find two ‘Apply ..’ buttons, which perform the changes, either only to the object currently edited (left button) or to all the objects of the selection.
At the bottom of OGS there is still another button. A click on it opens a new text window and lists all the available properties of the current object. If you do a option-click the text window will present the values of the properties too (can be rather large).
How to change the properties:

Select one or more controls in the desired dialog
Drag the selection to the ‘target’ button or click it
Check the values of the properties and change the one(s) you want and (Important 1) check the corresponding checkboxes. And be sure to have unchecked all the properties not to be changed. (Important 2) – You !! are responsible for the things you do. There is no check by OGS whether your changes are either possible or useful. And there is no UNDO !!.
Finally perform the change with the ‘Apply…’ buttons, either to the current one or to all the objects. When performing the change the checked properties of one/all object(s) are set to the currently visible values of the corresponding text boxes. One more time: there is no Undo!

NEW: Font Setter - tool

How to use:
- Start it with a click on
- In the right box the actual style of the text is displayed
- The 3 buttons above are for setting the justification
- The other buttons and popups should be self-explanatory
- Each change of the text style will instantly be written into the appropriate box of OGS
- If there were manual changes in the OGS textbox, do another click on to refresh FontSetter

NEW: Contextual menus

Up to now the following fields do have a contextual menu:
- Width, 'Min'/'Max' looks for the minimal/maximal width in selection or 'Best for contents' suggests a width for the current contained text of the current object.
- Height, see Width. 'Best for font' suggests the heigth for 1-line of the current font.
- Enabled, one can set the values for ON or OFF.
- Visible, see enabled
- Has script, if the current object contains a script (see the checkmark), its script or class script can be opened.

NEW: tooltips
- The most important fields have a tooltip help. Try it.

In development

a ‘Diagnose’ button to find and select controls with obsolete control kind numbers (pre 2.0 dialogs) and useless properties (e.g. a populated menu property in an editable text box)
a highlight feature to highlight the current object in its origin dialog

Known problems

Normally you immediately see the changes once applied. But in some cases (e.g. text boxes with number formatting and justification) you have to save and reopen the dialog to see the changes.

Technical support and feedback

To report a bug, to suggest an improvement, or to ask for help, contact the author using the Smile Users List.
Subscribe to the discussion list for Smile: visit the home page of sul, Smile Users List.

Distribution and property

This software is distributed by Satimage-software on a feedbackware basis. Before using it you must agree with the licensing terms for our free software.

In short, these terms specify that you owe us your feedback, and that you can integrate this software in a product or yours provided you state clearly enough that you are doing so.

Disclaimer

In no event neither Satimage-software nor the developer will be liable for any consequences of the use or of the lack of use of this software.