Zugg Software :: View topic

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

Here is the issue. I created a package called InvGroup.pkg. In this package I have a status window. Now this package opens with my ShadowsofIsulidur.pkg session. All was working okay when I was testing it.

Now when I start CMUD and it loads it always opens up a status window and the untitled session together. The untitled session should be docked and the status window shouldn't be showing up until I select the game session.

I have deleted my cmud.ini file and restarted and the status window still shows up. When I goto look at the package there isn't anything in the package, so how is the status window showing up?

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:38 pm

This has always worked this way. The Status Window is a global window that is not attached to any specific session. When you switch between sessions, the status window updates with the #STWIN settings of the session you selected. Whether the status window is shown or not is a global option saved to the CMUD.INI file and not to any specific session. However, each session can dock the status window differently as part of it's layout.

So if you have the global status window enabled and open a blank untitled session, it's not docking the status window because the untitled session doesn't have any layout file.

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

I just don't get it. I removed the cmud.ini file again. I reopened it and the status window did show up when I got to the session window this time. I clicked on my game and logged in. Hit the alliace which gets my data and creates the status window and it pops up. Then I quit my session and closes cmud. I restarted it and went to work offline in the game session this time the status window didn't show up.
I am confused I thought you said the status window is global and would show up for any session if it isn't docked or saved to they layout file.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 1:56 am

Maybe the layout file for that session is screwed up. If the status window was open in the session and you restart CMUD, then it should stay open. At least it does here.

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

Okay. Now it is staying open. I am now requesting that status windows are local to the session and not global. I don't like the fact that if you create a status window for a specific mud session and don't like it for any others that the window shows up upon opening cmud.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 3:30 am

That what the other Windows are for. Just create a window with the #WINDOW command (or via MXP) and then send text to it. You can use the MXP DEST tag to position text at specific positions in the window. These windows will eventually have more features similar to status windows, but the status window itself is not going to change because of backwards compatibility reasons.

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

The nice thing about using the status window is when a variable changes it automatically updates the status window data. How do you do that with a window?

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

1)#clr windowname
2)do whatever you need to do to put together at least one line of text to send to the window
3)#window windowname {the variable containing the data from #2}

I like to use events, functions, or aliases to handle this, which allows me to centralize the display code so that all the triggers gathering data for it need only update variables and call the event/function/alias once.

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

Thank Matt. I haven't played with events at all. I have all of the data gathered in a database variable. I call a alias which then makes the status window with the information. I'll try to change it up and see what becomes of it. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 5:19 pm

You can also try putting a button within the extra window and setting the button caption to @varname. Then CMUD will update the button caption when the variable changes. Since buttons can now float anywhere within the window, you can just drag/drop the button to the position you want. You'll end up with a normal window that looks like a status window. Even better since each button can have custom colors, borders, etc.

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

I never though of using a button for anything. So your saying that when something changes in the database variable have the caption of the button change to let you know there has been a change?

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:01 pm

No, not with database variables. Changing a nested value within a database variable doesn't cause an update because this would cause too much of a slow down in CMUD. You really need to use a normal variable for this, or use the #UPDATE command to tell the button (or class containing lots of buttons) when to update.

Or I should say that button captions work just like status window items. If the item was being updated in the status window, then it will be updated in the button caption. CMUD uses the same code to update both.

Sorcerer Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 706 Location: USA

Thanks Zugg. I'll look into it. This shouldn't be in the Beta Forum. Can you move it to the General Discussion Forum?

GURU Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 4834 Location: USA

Nah, the rule is simple: if you are using a beta version then you post in the Beta Forum, no matter how basic the question might be. This is because sometimes existing features get tweaked or expanded upon or otherwise do not work as they do in the last public version.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:41 pm

Exactly. For example, the 2.37 Public version doesn't allow Floating Buttons, so somebody reading this in the General Forum might get really confused if they tried it.