Few XML/LUA questions

[Animor]

Hello,

I have few questions I gathered, which I couldn't find answers to. I hope someone here will be able to assist me

1. I want to use local functions properly, in order to save memory.
If I'm declaring a local frame and having all my functions declared as myFrame:myFunc(), will they be local as well? Is it a good practice for saving memory?

2. I want to make a dropdown checkbutton list, which will have only one valid option at a time. Meaning, when I choose an option, the previous option will be unchecked. So I though of doing so using the initialize function, setting the "checked" flag. However, it seems to be updated only when I close and open the dropdown list. Until then, I get more than one option selected. How can I make a dropdown with one selected option which is not closed when selecting an option? I managed do both separately, but not together...

3. The dropdown list has a text that I can set using "UIDropDownMenu_SetText". How can I set the font and font size of this text? I coudn't find any function to do so.

Thanks in advance!

[Mischback]

Originally Posted by Animor Hello, I have few questions I gathered, which I couldn't find answers to. I hope someone here will be able to assist me 1. I want to use local functions properly, in order to save memory. If I'm declaring a local frame and having all my functions declared as myFrame:myFunc(), will they be local as well? Is it a good practice for saving memory? 2. I want to make a dropdown checkbutton list, which will have only one valid option at a time. Meaning, when I choose an option, the previous option will be unchecked. So I though of doing so using the initialize function, setting the "checked" flag. However, it seems to be updated only when I close and open the dropdown list. Until then, I get more than one option selected. How can I make a dropdown with one selected option which is not closed when selecting an option? I managed do both separately, but not together...

1. It has nothing to do with "saving memory", since your function will use memory, regardless of being local or not. It is a matter of "good programming style" and scope. You don't want to use a global (not local) loop-variable i, cause many programmers do it and you will taint each other, if it is not local (or might taint, at least).
And yes, creating functions as the child of a local frame will make them local aswell, technically.

2. Just write a custom functions to uncheck all other options.

[Animor]

Thank you for you answer.

1. I've encountered an issue trying to call myFrame:Myfunc() from within XML onLoad script of a parent xmlframe (a different frame). It did work ok for a check-button onClick script, though. Something I'm missing here?

2. I couldn't find a way to access the buttons and uncheck them from a function that is not the initialize function. How can I access them and modify the checked field?

[SDPhantom]

Originally Posted by Mischback ... You don't want to use a global (not local) loop-variable i, cause many programmers do it and you will taint each other, if it is not local (or might taint, at least). ...

This depends on which loop statement you use. Each one has their tricks and specific uses.

while condition do
-- Loop code here
end

condition is checked at the beginning of each loop and is outside the scope of the loop. Locals inside the loop won't be used.

repeat
-- Loop code here
until condition

condition is checked after each loop and is contained inside the scope of the loop. Locals inside the loop are used.

for i=1,10 do
-- Loop code here
end

i is created as a local inside the scope of the loop. Conditions are checked at the beginning of the loop.

Originally Posted by Animor 1. I've encountered an issue trying to call myFrame:Myfunc() from within XML onLoad script of a parent xmlframe (a different frame). It did work ok for a check-button onClick script, though. Something I'm missing here? 2. I couldn't find a way to access the buttons and uncheck them from a function that is not the initialize function. How can I access them and modify the checked field?

Frames defined in XML need to either have a name that places them in a global variable sharing the same name or have the parentKey attribute set so it can be accessed through its parent.

[Phanx]

Originally Posted by Animor 3. The dropdown list has a text that I can set using "UIDropDownMenu_SetText". How can I set the font and font size of this text? I coudn't find any function to do so.

There is no API for changing the font of dropdown menu buttons. You would need to study Blizzard's template code to learn the structure of the buttons and how to programatically identify which buttons are being displayed on an open menu. Then, each time your dropdown was shown, you would need to change the font of all of the buttons being displayed on it, and each time your dropdown was hidden, you would need to reset the fonts for all of those buttons (otherwise your font changes will show up randomly in other dropdowns, since addons that do not change the fonts will not expect to have to change it back).

You may be better off writing your own dropdown menu widget; that's what I did for my addons where I wanted to have scrollable dropdown menus, or custom fonts/textures in the dropdown menu. See my addon oUF_Phanx for examples if you're interested.

[Animor]

Thanks

Perhaps there is a common lib for dropdown list with more control? I don't want to write that myself, will take me too long I'm afraid.

Does someone know the answer to my other question, about choosing from dropdown list while keeping it open?

[Nibelheim]

Originally Posted by Animor Thanks Perhaps there is a common lib for dropdown list with more control? I don't want to write that myself, will take me too long I'm afraid. Does someone know the answer to my other question, about choosing from dropdown list while keeping it open?

The keepShownOnClick arg will allow that.

http://www.wowwiki.com/UI_Object_UID...The_info_table

[Torhal]

Xinhuan has written a good guide for using UIDropDownMenus.

[Animor]

Originally Posted by Nibelheim The keepShownOnClick arg will allow that. http://www.wowwiki.com/UI_Object_UID...The_info_table

I've read that, and I've also read the link that Torhal gave. keepShownOnClick is the way to keep the list open. but as I wrote at my original post, the problem is not keeping it open. The problem is unchecking all but one option while the list remains open.

[Nibelheim]

Originally Posted by Animor I've read that, and I've also read the link that Torhal gave. keepShownOnClick is the way to keep the list open. but as I wrote at my original post, the problem is not keeping it open. The problem is unchecking all but one option while the list remains open.

Ahh. Not sure if it can be done. Might have to make your own DropDownMenu.

[Phanx]

I'm pretty sure that standard dropdown menus only let you have one thing selected at a time by default. They definitely work that way in any addon I've used them in. Without seeing your code, though, there's not much else I can tell you.

[Animor]

Originally Posted by Phanx I'm pretty sure that standard dropdown menus only let you have one thing selected at a time by default. They definitely work that way in any addon I've used them in. Without seeing your code, though, there's not much else I can tell you.

The reason it works like that at any addon is that the list is always closed when you select an option. Any anyway, this is not done by default, you have to uncheck it in the initialize function. By default, you can check more than one item, which is the behavior of some of the dropdown lists.

What I'm trying to do is uncheck other not selected items while the list remains open. I don't know how to access the other options and do that other than through the initialize function.

[Nibelheim]

Originally Posted by Animor The reason it works like that at any addon is that the list is always closed when you select an option. Any anyway, this is not done by default, you have to uncheck it in the initialize function. By default, you can check more than one item, which is the behavior of some of the dropdown lists. What I'm trying to do is uncheck other not selected items while the list remains open. I don't know how to access the other options and do that other than through the initialize function.

So, basically something like the Minimap tracking menu? Might be some hints in that code.

function MiniMapTracking_Update()
    UIDropDownMenu_Refresh(MiniMapTrackingDropDown);
end
 
function MiniMapTrackingDropDown_OnLoad(self)
    UIDropDownMenu_Initialize(self, MiniMapTrackingDropDown_Initialize, "MENU");
    self.noResize = true;
end
 
function MiniMapTracking_SetTracking (self, id, unused, on)
    SetTracking(id, on);
    UIDropDownMenu_Refresh(MiniMapTrackingDropDown);
end
 
function MiniMapTrackingDropDownButton_IsActive(button)
    local name, texture, active, category = GetTrackingInfo(button.arg1);
    return active;
end
 
function MiniMapTrackingDropDown_IsNoTrackingActive()
    local name, texture, active, category;
    local count = GetNumTrackingTypes();
    for id=1, count do
        name, texture, active, category  = GetTrackingInfo(id);
        if (active) then
            return false;
        end
    end
    return true;
end
 
function MiniMapTrackingDropDown_Initialize()
    local name, texture, active, category;
    local count = GetNumTrackingTypes();
    local info;
    
    info = UIDropDownMenu_CreateInfo();
    info.text=MINIMAP_TRACKING_NONE;
    info.checked = MiniMapTrackingDropDown_IsNoTrackingActive;
    info.func = ClearAllTracking;
    info.icon = nil;
    info.arg1 = nil;
    info.isNotRadio = true;
    info.keepShownOnClick = true;
    UIDropDownMenu_AddButton(info);
    
    for id=1, count do
        name, texture, active, category  = GetTrackingInfo(id);
 
        info = UIDropDownMenu_CreateInfo();
        info.text = name;
        info.checked = MiniMapTrackingDropDownButton_IsActive;
        info.func = MiniMapTracking_SetTracking;
        info.icon = texture;
        info.arg1 = id;
        info.isNotRadio = true;
        info.keepShownOnClick = true;
        if ( category == "spell" ) then
            info.tCoordLeft = 0.0625;
            info.tCoordRight = 0.9;
            info.tCoordTop = 0.0625;
            info.tCoordBottom = 0.9;
        else
            info.tCoordLeft = 0;
            info.tCoordRight = 1;
            info.tCoordTop = 0;
            info.tCoordBottom = 1;
        end
        UIDropDownMenu_AddButton(info);
    end
end

[Animor]

Yes, but in the Minimap tracking menu, you can select more than one option.
Meaning, when you select an option the other selected options remain selected.

I want to unselect/uncheck them while keeping the list open. So only one option will be selected at any time.

[Animor]

Ok, I went over the minimap code and I've found something similar to what I want to accomplish: the first option is "None" and when you click it, all other selections are unchecked while the list remains open!
The function is info.func = ClearAllTracking

But I couldn't find "ClearAllTracking" anywhere.
Do you know where can I find it?

[Ketho]

Originally Posted by Animor The function is info.func = ClearAllTracking But I couldn't find "ClearAllTracking" anywhere. Do you know where can I find it?

I just did a search-in-files for it, and that was the only instance of ClearAllTracking that showed up

So afaik that function is defined in Blizzard's C back-end code, sorry

[Nibelheim]

Hmm, might be able to just define your own table. Example:

local MyVals = {}
 
function MiniMapTracking_SetTracking (self, id, on)
    wipe(MyVals)
    MyVals[id] = on
    UIDropDownMenu_Refresh(MyDropDown);
end
 
function MiniMapTrackingDropDownButton_IsActive(button)
    return MyVals[button.arg1];
end

[SaraFdS]

Originally Posted by Animor 2. I want to make a dropdown checkbutton list, which will have only one valid option at a time. Meaning, when I choose an option, the previous option will be unchecked. So I though of doing so using the initialize function, setting the "checked" flag. However, it seems to be updated only when I close and open the dropdown list. Until then, I get more than one option selected. How can I make a dropdown with one selected option which is not closed when selecting an option? I managed do both separately, but not together...

Isn't it as simple as combining

isNotRadio = false

and

keepShownOnClick = true

?

[Animor]

Unfortunately, no...
and btw, isNotRadio = false is the default.