Topic: mode_tile - How it works

[Grrr1337]

Hi guys,
The last days I was thinking about putting some practice over the mode_tile function.
The idea of this example won't go out of my head so just now I had some spare time to assemble it (my goal was to "visualise" how it works) :

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. ; mode_tile Practice/Visualisation
2.  
3. ; (mode_tile key mode)
4. ; mode ; Type: Integer
5. ; A numeric value that can be one of the following:
6. ; 0 -- Enable tile
7. ; 1 -- Disable tile
8. ; 2 -- Set focus to tile
9. ; 3 -- Select edit box contents
10. ; 4 -- Flip image highlighting on or off
11.  
12. (defun C:test ( / *error* dcl des dch dcf rtn )
13.  
14.   (defun *error* ( msg )
15.     (and (< 0 dch) (unload_dialog dch))
16.     (and (eq 'FILE (type des)) (close des))
17.     (and (eq 'STR (type dcl)) (findfile dcl) (vl-file-delete dcl))
18.     (and msg (not (wcmatch (strcase msg) "*BREAK,*CANCEL*,*EXIT*")) (princ (strcat "\nError: " msg)) )
19.     (princ)
20.   ); defun *error*
21.  
22.   (cond
23.     (
24.       (not
25.         (and
26.           (setq dcl (vl-filename-mktemp nil nil ".dcl"))
27.           (setq des (open dcl "w"))
28.           (write-line ; princ will work too
29.             (strcat
30.               "ModeTile : dialog"
31.               "{"
32.               "  label = \"Mode Tile Practice\";"
33.               "  : column"
34.               "  {"
35.               "    : edit_box"
36.               "    { label = \"BoxLabel\"; key = \"Box\"; value = \"BoxValue\"; edit_width = 16; width = 22; fixed_width = true; alignment = centered; }"
37.               "    spacer;"
38.               "    : button { label = \"Enable tile\"; key = \"Enable\"; edit_width = 36; width = 36; fixed_width = true; }"
39.               "    : button { label = \"Disable tile\"; key = \"Disable\"; edit_width = 36; width = 36; fixed_width = true; }"
40.               "    : button { label = \"Set focus to tile\"; key = \"Focus\"; edit_width = 36; width = 36; fixed_width = true; }"
41.               "    : button { label = \"Select edit box contents\"; key = \"Select\"; edit_width = 36; width = 36; fixed_width = true; }"
42.               "    : button { label = \"Flip image highlighting\"; key = \"Flip\"; edit_width = 36; width = 36; fixed_width = true; } "
43.               "    spacer;"
44.               "    ok_cancel;"
45.               "  }"
46.               "}"              
47.             ); strcat
48.             des
49.           ); write-line / princ
50.           (not (setq des (close des)))
51.           (< 0 (setq dch (load_dialog dcl)))
52.         ); and
53.       ); not
54.       (princ "\nUnable to write or load the DCL file.")
55.     )
56.     (
57.       (not
58.         (progn
59.           (new_dialog "ModeTile" dch)
60.           (setq rtn (get_tile "Box"))
61.           (or ; actions for mode_tile
62.             (foreach x '(("Enable" 0) ("Disable" 1) ("Focus" 2) ("Select" 3) ("Flip" 4))
63.               ; (action_tile (car x) (vl-prin1-to-string '(mode_tile "Box" (cadr x)))) ; This won't work, why?
64.               (action_tile (car x) (strcat "(mode_tile \"Box\"" (itoa (cadr x)) ")"))
65.             ); foreach
66.             (progn ; This progn block is redundant, just leaving it to see how (action_tile) is normally used, instead of the above (foreach)
67.               (action_tile "Enable" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 0)") ; check
68.               (action_tile "Disable" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 1)") ; check
69.               (action_tile "Focus" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 2)") ; check
70.               (action_tile "Select" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 3)") ; what this does ?
71.               (action_tile "Flip" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 4)") ; what this does ?
72.             ); progn
73.           ); or
74.           (foreach x '(("Box" (setq rtn $value)) ("accept" (done_dialog 1))) ; other actions
75.             (action_tile (car x) (vl-prin1-to-string (cadr x)))
76.           ); foreach
77.           (if (= 1 (setq dcf (start_dialog)))
78.             (alert (strcat "\nBox's value: " rtn))
79.           )
80.         ); progn
81.       ); not
82.       (princ "\nUnable to display the dialog")
83.     )
84.   ); cond
85.   (*error* nil)
86.   (princ)
87. ); defun C:test

Obviously I used a DCL template thats from Lee Mac's DCL examples, because IMO it can't be written more perfectly otherwise.
( Even the variable names are matching - just wanted to make sure we talk on the same language    )

So.. back to the questions:

1. I had trouble understanding what this means:
; 3 -- Select edit box contents
; 4 -- Flip image highlighting on or off
Or atleast this part of the code "didn't worked/visualised well":

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (action_tile "Select" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 3)") ; what this does ?
2. (action_tile "Flip" "(mode_tile \"Box\" 4)") ; what this does ?

2. This action_tile part didn't worked correctly, why?

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (action_tile (car x) (vl-prin1-to-string '(mode_tile "Box" (cadr x))))

The code errors out, then I go to the last break source and in a new source window displays:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. ;;; Copied to window at 11:49 PM 1/22/17
2.  
3. (lambda ($KEY $VALUE $DATA $REASON $X $Y)
4.   (MODE_TILE "Box" (CADR X))
5.   )
6.  
7. ;;; End of text
8.  

I assumed that the trouble might be because of the strcasing:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. _$ (vl-prin1-to-string '(mode_tile "Box" 1))
2. "(MODE_TILE \"Box\" 1)"
3. _$

But this works?! :

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (action_tile (car x) (strcat "(MODE_TILE \"Box\"" (itoa (cadr x)) ")"))

[Lee Mac]

Quick answer to your second question:

2. This action_tile part didn't worked correctly, why?

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (action_tile (car x) (vl-prin1-to-string '(mode_tile "Box" (cadr x))))

Because the mode_tile expression is quoted and hence (cadr x) is not evaluated - the resulting action_tile expression would look something like:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (action_tile "key1" "(mode_tile \"Box\" (cadr x))")

In which (cadr x) no longer has meaning.

[Grrr1337]

Because the mode_tile expression is quoted and hence (cadr x) is not evaluated - the resulting action_tile expression would look something like:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (action_tile "key1" "(mode_tile \"Box\" (cadr x))")

In which (cadr x) no longer has meaning.

Oooh I see now, thanks for the heads up Lee!