Comprehensive tutorials for Property Inspector

[erikhans08]

For "shared hilite" I tried the LiveCode Users Manual and Dictionary with result = 0. Searching the forum, there was one thread with a full explanation by der Klaus. As it turns out my one card stacks don't use "shared hilite".

A full explanation of the Property Inspector covering all of the menu items would be great. Googling "livecode tutorials buttons Property inspector" produced some good overall introductions to the Property Inspector, but no full explanation that I could find. Buttons are my immediate concern, but fields and graphics would also be good.

Is there a way of searching that I am missing?

[Klaus]

Hi Erik,

actually it is ONE word -> "sharedhilite" and this idefintively in the dictionary, I just had a look
I don't think there is any tutorial about the property inspector.

Sounds like you have the description of the property as labels in the inspector!?
That will read "shared hilite".

To show the (more helpful) property names a labels, go to the LC preferences -> General
and check -> Property labels are -> "Name of Livecode property"


Best

Der Klaus

[dunbarx]

Hi.

What Klaus said.

It would be well worth your while to make a button, a field, an option menu, etc, and spend a little time changing the properties of each, watching what effects it has on the control as you do so. You might use many, but perhaps not all of the various tabs for each control.

Then the only thing to remember is that all these properties (and many more) are accessible via script. Once you have done that, you will be much more comfortable.

Craig Newman

[erikhans08]

Name of LiveCode property is so much better for exploring the features using the Dictionary.

Thanks,

Erik

[SparkOut]

Without messing about with preference settings, there is also a tooltip which shows the LC property name when you hover the mouse over the description

[FourthWorld]

Name of LiveCode property is so much better for exploring the features using the Dictionary.

For many years I recommend to newcomers that the first thing they do when running LiveCode is turn off the Preferences option for Inspector labels, showing actual LiveCode tokens instead.

This is so very useful for reinforcing learning that frankly if it were up to me I'd make it the default.

I recognize that at first it can be a bit off-putting to see such jargony labels, but it doesn't take long to appreciate the reinforcing value they deliver.

But it's a tough call. After all, if a person is turned off to a UI in the first few minutes because of what seems like strange jargon, there may not be another few hours when that jargon becomes valuable. It's the classic difference between demoability and usability that all software contends with, since what's best for one is often not best for the other, and if it doesn't demo well the user will never spend enough time with it for usability to matter.

[erikhans08]

Using the "strange jargon" with the tooltip provides maximum usability for me. Thanks and a tipothehat.

Erik Hansen