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Inside Macintosh: Apple Guide Complete / Part 4 - Scripting Guide Files

Chapter 10 - Guide Script Command Reference / Guide Script Command Descriptions

/ Creating Panels

<Define Panel>

You can use the <Define Panel> command to mark the beginning of a panel definition. A panel definition typically contains commands that specify the objects to be displayed on the panel.

<Define Panel> panelName

panelName

A text string specifying the name of the panel. The panel name can be up to 255 characters long, and the first 63 characters must be unique from all other panel names that you define. Apple Guide never displays the panel name to the user, so you should specify the panel name in a way that is most useful to you.

DESCRIPTION

To build a panel, Guide Maker collects all the commands between a <Define Panel> and <End Panel> command. A panel that you have defined with these two commands can be included in a sequence simply by referencing the panel name using the <Panel> command. Alternatively, you can directly define the panel within a sequence.

You can provide the content of a panel, for example, graphics, buttons, or a QuickTime movie, using Guide Script commands such as <PICT>, <Standard Button>, <3D Button>, and <QuickTime>. You specify text in a panel by placing it directly within the panel definition. Guide Maker treats any line in a panel definition that doesn't begin with a command or comment as panel text. (Specifically, Guide Maker scans for the first "nonblank" character, that is, a character other than a space or tab, and if this character is anything other than "<" or "#", it is considered panel text.) Guide Maker formats panel text according to the format specified by the default format or the format specified by a <Format> command.

You can allow Guide Maker to automatically place panel text and objects in the panel, or you can specifically place text and objects yourself using <Format> commands and by providing placement information in Guide Script commands that place objects.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Your panel definitions do not have to precede your sequence definitions in your source file. Thus, a sequence can reference any panel name, as long as that panel is defined somewhere in your source files.

EXAMPLES

#panel definition defined outside of a sequence
<Define Panel> "index intro"
   #text and commands that specify content of panel here
<End Panel>
#sequence with panels referenced by <Panel> commands
<Define Sequence> "How do I create index markers?"
   <Panel> "index intro"   
   <Panel> "index tool"
   <Panel> "create index"
<End Sequence>
#panel definition that uses various commands to 
# create panel content
<Define Panel> "creating footnotes"
   #text formatted by Guide Maker and using default format
   To create footnotes, select the Footnote tool.
   #Here's a graphic
   <PICT> "ColorPic1 File", CENTER, "B&WPic1 File"
   #text placed using a specific format
   <Format> "special format"
   Here's some more text.
   #Here's a button 
   <Standard Button> "Display Footnotes", CENTER, \xAC
                     doButton2Action()
   #More text and commands for this panel here
<End Panel>

SEE ALSO

For information on the <Panel> and <End Panel> commands, see page 10-45 and page 10-56, respectively. For more information on placing buttons, graphics, and objects in your panels, see "Creating Buttons" beginning on page 10-57, "Specifying Pictures and Movies" beginning on page 10-94, and "Creating Hot Items" beginning on page 10-119. For information on using formats in panels, see "Formatting Text and Objects in a Panel" beginning on page 10-84.