Generating Custom Dialogs
Providing on-screen messages to users is typically handled via a dialog box window. This is a modal dialog box which the user must respond to before moving on with their work. While ScriptMaker's Show Custom Dialog script step is useful for short messages, it does not allow a great deal of flexibility - at least not like your own custom layout will.
You can create any layout so it will look similar to any type of dialog you wish. You can force users to use your own dedicated data entry screens or walk a user through a wizard-like sequence of steps. The biggest trick with using your own custom dialog boxes is making sure you enforce their use - and being able to make them look and work as expected. Centering windows based on a parent window or based on the current screen are great options to include with using custom dialogs. If you've always wanted to make your own custom dialog windows then watching this video will teach you everything you need to know!
Comments
Dual Screen
Hey Matt - GREAT tutorial and the knowledge is critical to my custom solution I'm building for a small business. Two questions if you have time:
1) How does the "Center Window" script need to change (if at all) when the user has a DUAL SCREEN setup? On a Mac, the individual Filemaker window position could actually be a negative number if the window is on the extended second screen. On a PC, I'm not sure it's as relevant since all the Filemaker windows populate in the "master" Filemaker window. Any insight?
2) We're running FMP 10 at our small business... are there any changes to Filemaker that change the way you would execute this tutorial if it were done today?
Thanks again!!
-Tony