Belated reply to this: Your assertion that the Scripting.Dictionary
object is slow surprises me, because I thought GW somehow absorbed
that into the Window-Eyes process in a recent update, so it won't
require interprocess communication, marshalling, etc. Am I dreaming
again?
On Sat, May 28, 2011 at 10:52:56PM -0400, Chip Orange wrote:
Hi Bruce,
the choices for how your app works is fine, and always has good and bad
points of any design.
For the sake of others though, I want to say there is no language, no
situation, where the use of a scripting.dictionary object is hundreds,
if not thousands of times, slower than the use of an array.
most of the time it makes no noticeable difference to us; but I wrote
an app here where it was starting to make a difference, and I left it
as a dictionary object because the rewrite looked to be a lot of
trouble. it was incredibly slower than I had predicted when I designed
the app.
thanks.
Chip
__________________________________________________________________
From: BT [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 7:43 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Menu Items and Menu Group?
Hi Chip,
Yes and no, but as you say, depending on how many. some languages
will fight saying the opposite, but that is not why I did what I did. I
certainly not going to have a million options in my menu.
For what I did allows me to flip code in a few lines instead of
lengthy if then else statements. As I said, that was the reason for it.
Now, having said that I could have done what I am doing with most
stuff, and that is to use the ID name as the file name whether in the
ini or variable and such. That could also do some of the same stuff as
I did in those 2 functions.
At the moment, the menu items all get unchecked, then the one I am
focused on gets checked, all as one simple assignment instead of a long
list of ElseIf statements...
Also, any numeric values or text, also get passed from that ID or
to that ID. doing both with just 2 functions.
I like what it does and until I get into lengthy menu's I will stay
with what I got.
NOTE:
When I did have a long list I used a combo box. That is for
selecting hour and minute times without using an edit field which
requires extra checks to validate data, the reason why I went to a
combo box.
To make the combo box I use a for statement depending on 12 or 24
hour format and the minute requires nothing but the 0 to 59 numbers.
so, in that case no array, just a combo box made on the fly and
destroyed when leaving the timeDialog.
So, still doing things a little at a time and testing each stage,
with changes, deletions, when I find something shorter to use. Keeping
code down to a minimum and more readable hopefully.
time to either mow the lawn or walk the dog or both.
Bruce
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2011 4:48 PM
Subject: RE: Menu Items and Menu Group?
Hi Bruce,
I'm not trying to get you to change how you are doing things; this
doesn't matter on the scale you're working with, but I thought I should
mention that arrays are much much faster than using a dictionary.
with an array only a memory address needs to be calculated, and it's a
simple calculation based on the index number used (ok, with an
interpreter and these types of arrays it's a little more than that),
but each interaction with a dictionary entry requires a complete COM
transaction, with relatively *huge* amounts of overhead.
we're talking fractions of a second no matter which you use, given a
collection of a dozen or so items instead of half a million. but move
up to half a million, and you'll become a believer in arrays.
good luck,
Chip
__________________________________________________________________
From: BT [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 4:24 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Menu Items and Menu Group?
Hi Aaron,
Yes, an array does offer one choice, but in my dictionaries, I have
2 choices. Use of the ID for selection, and any value passed in from
the IniFile.
But, dictionaries are also faster, but I am not using it for that
reason, nor even thought about it.
For, my second function I wanted to get the item value out that
would be the value for that item if selected. so an assignment would
take place using the dictionary, along with using the dictionary as the
selection nullify and getting/putting...
Granted as an after thought, Arrays can be set up with index's that
are not sequential, but could not remember if that was possible in VB,
but like you say, "Different strokes for different folks."
At the moment I could not find any good substitute in VB
commands...
Bruce
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: Menu Items and Menu Group?
See see. I would have used an array, and a single routine with an
on/off parameters, but different strokes for different folks.
Aaron
On 5/27/2011 4:07 PM, BT wrote:
Hi Aaron,
Just got back from a quick hour break to Ithaca. I did this for one
reason, to make a universal item function for all items and to reduce
space.
Yes, I could make lots of lists, lots of checks, and I reduced a
lot of if then's to functions, in fact 2 functions...
so, yes, there is a dictionary, and a list in the case statements,
but the rest is reduced to 2 function calls.
I hope that makes it easier for you to understand. You will have to
wait until I release the app...
Bruce
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 1:54 PM
Subject: Re: Menu Items and Menu Group?
Why would you go through the trouble of creating a dictionary of all
your menu ids, when you already know what they are based on your
XML?
Aaron
On 5/27/2011 1:41 PM, BT wrote:
Hi Doug,
After asking the question I discovered that knowing all the menu
items and such creates a problem if different types, but a dictionary
of the only ID's you want does prevent that problem.
So, below is how I got around the issues. the first function
unchecks all items inside the dictionary and returns a true to set the
actual menu item that had been selected, so it gets set true.
Then the second function uses the dictionary to find the ID on the
item list to find the value of that item and return the actual menu ID
of that particular value.
So this allows me to uncheck a selection and find the ID of a value
corresponding to that ID...
So, if choices then one value selects only one item and such...
You will understand it after I post the cuckoo Clock.
Just going one step at a time, filling in the menu items,
selections, and the IniFile with those selections, and the reverse.
Bruce
Function SelectMenuItem( menuDict)
' Uncheck all menu items and set selected one by passing back true.
Dim mId
For Each mId In menuDict
myDialogMenu.Checked( mId) = False
Next
SelectMenuItem = True
End Function
Function GetMenuItemID( menuDict, item)
' Return the menuItem ID of the item inside the dictionary.
Dim mID
For Each mID In menuDict
If menuDict( mID) = item Then
GetMenuItemID = mID
Exit Function
End If
Next
GetMenuItemID = ""
End Function
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: Menu Items and Menu Group?
Bruce,
We do not expose the information you are asking for. The reason is
the menu object we provide is for your own dialogs. Meaning either
your entry in our apps menu or the menu bar in your dialog. In
either case you are the one that put the entries in the menu so you
know what is there and how to interact with them.
Doug
On 5/27/2011 10:27 AM, BT wrote:
Hi!
I still would like to know, but my dictionary function is perfect
and requires only the items dictionary along with 4 lines of code for
the function...
Bruce
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 8:18 AM
Subject: Menu Items and Menu Group?
Hi!
I discovered in my app manager in the help menu that there is no
property for the size or count inside a menu item list. Is there?
I wish to deselect or check all items inside one menu list so if I
check one item all the rest are unchecked.
I no from other languages ther is usually a way to count all items
with a built in property and there is none for WE menu
properties/methods. At least what I see on the property list.
I attempted the UBound and that either says the method/property
does not exist or not set...
Any thoughts would be appreciated for I am at the moent making a
dictionary list of all items to resolve the issue.
Bruce
--
Aaron Smith
Web Development * App Development * Product Support Specialist
GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com
To insure that you receive proper support, please include all past
correspondence (where applicable), and any relevant information
pertinent to your situation when submitting a problem report to the GW
Micro Technical Support Team.
--
Aaron Smith
Web Development * App Development * Product Support Specialist
GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com
To insure that you receive proper support, please include all past
correspondence (where applicable), and any relevant information
pertinent to your situation when submitting a problem report to the GW
Micro Technical Support Team.
