Dialog Functions

Analytica User GuideProcedural ProgrammingDialog Functions

Dialog functions display dialog boxes to give special information, warnings, or error messages, or to request information from the user. Dialogs are modal — meaning that Analytica pauses evaluation while showing the dialog until the user closes the dialog (ShowProgressBar is an exception in that it continues evaluation while it displays the progress bar). If the user clicks the Cancel button, it stops further evaluation — as if the user pressed Control+. (Control+period).

Dialog functions display their dialog when evaluated. If the definition of a variable A calls a dialog function, it will display the dialog when it evaluates A. If it evaluates A in mid and prob mode, it displays the dialog each time. It does not display the dialog again until it evaluates A again — for example, because one of its inputs changes.

MsgBox(message, buttons, title)

Displays a dialog with the text message, a set of buttons and an icon (according to numerical codes below), with title in the dialog header bar. Analytica pauses until the user clicks a button. If the user clicks the Cancel button, it stops evaluation. Otherwise it returns a number, depending on which button the user presses (see below).

The optional buttons parameter is a number that controls which buttons to display, as follows:

0 = OK only

1 = OK and Cancel (the default if the buttons parameter is omitted)

2 = Abort, Retry, and Ignore

3 = Yes, No, and Cancel

4 = Yes and No

5 = Retry and Cancel

To display an icon in the dialog, add one of these numbers to the buttons parameter:

16 = Critical (white X on red circle)

32 = Question

48 = Exclamation

64 = Information

MsgBox returns a number depending on which button the user presses:

1 = OK

2 = Cancel (stops any further evaluation)

3 = Abort

4 = Retry

5 = Ignore

6 = Yes

7 = No

Here are some examples.

Msgbox('OK, Im done now.', 0+64,'Information') →

Msgbox('Uh uh! Looks like trouble!', 5+16, 'Disaster') →

Msgbox('Do you really mean that?', 3+32, 'Critical question') →

Msgbox('This could be a real problem!', 2+48, 'Critical question') →

Error(message)

Displays an evaluation error in a dialog mentioning the variable whose definition calls this function, showing the message text:

Variable Xyz := Error('There seems to be some kind of problem')

Xyz →

If you click Yes, it opens the definition of the variable or function whose definition (or Check attribute) calls Error() in edit mode (if the model is editable). If you click No or Cancel, it stops evaluation.

Error in check

If you call Error() in a check attribute, it shows the error message when the check fails instead of the default check error message, letting you tailor the message.

AskMsgChoice(question, title, optionList, default, showAll, comboBox)

Opens a dialog displaying question text with a choice drop down control where the user can select an answer from a list. The optionList parameter is a list or 1-D array of selections, and default is initial selection. The selected item is returned as the result.

When showAll is true, then an «All» option is also included, and if selected then the entire optionList is returned. When comboBox is specified as true, then a combo box control is displayed rather than a choice list. In a combo box, the user is free to enter his own text, but the optionList provides suggestions.

Example

AskMsgChoice("Please rate","Survey",["Loved","Liked", "Neutral", "Disliked", "Hated"])

AskMsgNumber(question, title, default)

Displays a dialog showing question with title, if given. It shows a field for user to enter a number, containing default number if given. When the user enters a number into the dialog, and clicks OK, it returns the number.

AskMsgText(question, title, maxText, default, password)

Opens a dialog displaying question text with a field for the user to provide an answer, which it returns as text.

If you specify title text it displays that in the title bar of the dialog. If you specify maxText as a number, it will accept only that many characters. If you specify default text, it displays that as the default answer. If you set password to true, the characters typed are hidden as they are typed.

Example

AskMsgText("Enter your model access key", title: "License Entry", maxText: 15)

ShowProgressBar(title, text, p)

Displays a dialog with the title in title bar, a text message and a progress bar showing fraction p of progress along the bar. The dialog appears the first time you call it with p<1. As long as 0<=p<1, it shows a Cancel button, and continues evaluation. If you click Cancel, it stops further computation, as if the user had pressed Control+. (Control+period). If p=1, it shows the OK button and stops further computation. If you click OK, it closes the dialog. The dialog also closes if called with p>1 or when the computation completes.

Declaration

ShowProgressBar(title, text: Text atomic; p: number atomic)

Example

In this example:

VAR xOrig := X;
VAR result :=

FOR n[] := @Scenario DO (

ShowProgressBar("Progress", "Computing Across All Scenarios", (n-1)/Size(Scenario));

WhatIf(Y, X, xOrig[@Scenario=n]))

;

ShowProgressBar("Progress", "Done", 1);

See Also

• User Interface Functions
  

Handles to ObjectsDialog FunctionsOther Procedural Functions