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Re: Dialog boxes

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg18860] Re: Dialog boxes
• From: paulh at wolfram.com (P.J. Hinton)
• Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 22:57:53 -0400
• Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc.
• References: <7n6b2n$h9i@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

In article <7n6b2n$h9i at smc.vnet.net>, "Sortech Limited" <sortech.limited at virgin.net> writes:

> I would be grateful if someone could tell me how to go about creating a
> Dialog Box for inputting several parameter values used in my notebooks. I
> would like to create something that looks like a standard windows dialog box
> where the user inputs data into named boxes and then clicks on a button to
> run a particular set of cells, plot graphs etc. Are there any example
> workbooks someone can point me to? Or can this only be achieved using a VB
> from end? My key objectives are 1) to create intuitive data entry dialogs,
> and 2) to create notebooks that are novice/casual user friendly.  It's quite
> important for me to solve this one having recommended the use of Mathematica
> in an engineering design house where I'm now meeting resistance from the
> other system fans. Basically, I think I can stave off criticism if I can
> demonstrate Mathematica delivers an I/O edge.

You may want to look over the ButtonBox HOWTO tutorial notebook here:

http://www.mathsource.com/Content/General/Tutorials/Programming/0209-809

It shows you how to create a button that performs a nontrivial task.
For accepting input, you can use cells with frames around them to 
simulate the look of a text input field.  To read the contents of the
field, you can use a selection movement command like NotebookLocate[] to 
place the  selection on the cell and then pull the expression using 
NotebookRead[].

If you would like to see more sophisticated instances of dialog box 
constructions in notebooks, you may want to look over the solvers
used in Calculus Wiz.

http://www.wolfram.com/products/student/calcwiz/examples2.html

If you are more familiar with building user interfaces with Visual Basic,
then you may want to go this route instead.  There is a sample front end
that is included in the Mathematica 3.0 and 4 MathLink Developers Kits.
It's in the UnsupportedGoodies folder.

--
P.J. Hinton	
Mathematica Programming Group		paulh at wolfram.com
Wolfram Research, Inc.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone.