Can you create a GUI using variables instead of hard coded x,y pos?

[JonJablonowski]

Hey

 

I'm working on a GUI. I initially was using the default KODA form designer but it felt a bit clunky and all elements in the GUI are hardcoded. I was hoping to make it modular, using variables. But that doesn't work in conjunction with Koda.

I had a look and found this thread

But after trying two of them, the same issue arises. I want to be able to plug stuff in and out and not have to re-align everything manually.

I have two examples, the base hardcoded version using GUIBuilder (from the link above)

#Region (=== GUI generated by GuiBuilderPlus 1.3.0 ===)
Global $hGUI
Global $Radio_1, $Radio_2, $Radio_3, $Group_1

;------------------------------------------------------
; Title...........:    _guiCreate
; Description.....:    Create the main GUI
;------------------------------------------------------
Func _guiCreate()
    $hGUI = GUICreate("MyGUI", 400, 350, 210, 0)
    
    $Radio_1 = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio 1", 155, 90, 96, 20)
    $Radio_2 = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio 2", 155, 120, 96, 20)
    $Radio_3 = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio 3", 155, 150, 96, 20)
    
    $Group_1 = GUICtrlCreateGroup("Group 1", 115, 55, 151, 151)
    GUICtrlCreateGroup("", -99, -99, 1, 1)
    
EndFunc   ;==>_guiCreate
#EndRegion (=== GUI generated by GuiBuilderPlus 1.3.0 ===)

And the goal I want to achieve

#Region (=== GUI generated by GuiBuilderPlus 1.3.0 ===)
Global $hGUI
Global $Radio_1, $Radio_2, $Radio_3, $Group_1

Local $PosX
Local $PosY_add = 25
Local $PosY_counter = 0
Local $PosY_Start =85
;------------------------------------------------------
; Title...........: _guiCreate
; Description.....: Create the main GUI
;------------------------------------------------------
Func _guiCreate()

    $hGUI = GUICreate("MyGUI", 400, 350, 210, 0)
    
    $Radio_1 = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio "& String($PosY_counter+1), 160, $PosY_Start+$PosY_add*$PosY_counter, 91, 20)
    $PosY_counter +=1
    $Radio_2 = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio "& String($PosY_counter+1), 160, $PosY_Start+$PosY_add*$PosY_counter, 91, 20)
    $PosY_counter +=1
    $Radio_3 = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio "& String($PosY_counter+1), 160, $PosY_Start+$PosY_add*$PosY_counter, 91, 20)
    $PosY_counter +=1
    
    $Group_1 = GUICtrlCreateGroup("Group 1", 115, 55, 151, 151)
    GUICtrlCreateGroup("", -99, -99, 1, 1)
    
EndFunc   ;==>_guiCreate
#EndRegion (=== GUI generated by GuiBuilderPlus 1.3.0 ===)

If I want to remove Radio 2 in the first case, I then have to manually move up Radio 3 and rename it to Radio 2. In my case I just remove 2 lines and it does the job.

I'm aware the variable name isn't changing in my example but that's fixable through some extra code.

 

[argumentum]

expandcollapse popup

#Region (=== GUI generated by argumentum 0.0.0.1 ===)
Global $hGUI
Global $Radio_1, $Radio_2, $Radio_3, $Group_1

Local $PosX
Local $PosY_add = 25
Local $PosY_counter = 0
Local $PosY_Start = 85
;------------------------------------------------------
; Title...........: _guiCreate
; Description.....: Create the main GUI
;------------------------------------------------------
_guiCreate("MyGUI", 400, 350)
Func _guiCreate($sTitle, $iWidth, $iHeight, $iLeft = -1, $iTop = -1)

    $hGUI = GUICreate($sTitle, $iWidth, $iHeight, $iLeft, $iTop)
    Local $idTemp
    For $n = 1 To 3
        $idTemp = GUICtrlCreateRadio("Radio " & String($PosY_counter + 1), 160, $PosY_Start + $PosY_add * $PosY_counter, 91, 20)
        Assign("Radio_" & $PosY_counter + 1, $idTemp)
        $PosY_counter += 1
    Next

    $Group_1 = GUICtrlCreateGroup("Group 1", 115, 55, 151, 151)
    GUICtrlCreateGroup("", -99, -99, 1, 1)

    GUISetState()

EndFunc   ;==>_guiCreate
#EndRegion (=== GUI generated by argumentum 0.0.0.1 ===)

While 1
    Switch GUIGetMsg()
        Case -3
            GUIDelete()
            Exit
        Case $Radio_1
            MsgBox(0, "", "$Radio_1", 1, $hGUI)
        Case $Radio_2
            MsgBox(0, "", "$Radio_2", 1, $hGUI)
        Case $Radio_3
            MsgBox(0, "", "$Radio_3", 1, $hGUI)
    EndSwitch
WEnd

I don't use anything other than my wish. No code generator.

[JonJablonowski]

Thanks for having a look and making a much cleaner and time saving version!

Sadly it can't be used on conjunction with the GUI generators, but maybe that's just part of the limitation with the auto generated stuff and using both simply isn't an option.

[TheSaint]

To this day, and if not able to quickly copy the basic GUI creation code from another of my programs, I still use a version of GUIBuilder to create my initial GUI, which I will then continue to modify manually.

Sometimes I will make control positions variable based, especially the bottom row, which allows me to then resize the GUI without having to reposition some of the controls. So you could in theory have some setup to always do that, but adding and especially removing controls, can add its own complications, and a need for adjustments, so the style of the GUI can be a factor of course.

More often than not for me, control placement is a juggling act ... making things look uniform enough, being able to fit all I need in, not making controls too big or small, logical progression of usage from one control to another (like stepping stones with your mouse), etc. I am less concerned about how visually appealing or pretty my GUIs are, with practical being almost everything to me ... though I like things to be uniform and neat.