		DLG2EU -- a Euphoria "Visual" design utility 
  		by Mike Raley <mjronline@it-works.com>
		http://www.geocities.com\SiliconValley\Lab\7577
		the Modular Reality Journal of the W3.
<Huh?>
 Converts Macrode.exe Dialogs to Euphoria Win32 code
 Will auto-create empty procedures for all pushbuttons
 with a nifty comment on the button's 'face' value
 i.e-->          procedure  onClick_Button1()  --cancel" 

ver 1.0 1/1/98 
Limited support to pushbuttons and lists 
ver 1.2 1/8/98 ---->Great new Stuff
		* A Windows fronT end Launcher and Editor made with DLG2EU
 	 	*support  for Window Parameters and title
		*support for textbox,combo, checkbox,group, and radio
		*cleaner looking code and procedures.
   *an Unreal 24 hour Technical support team(take literally...I should write for Compaq!)	

I have removed the term "self standing euphoria Win32 program"
from the documentation because;
>A DLG2EU generated program needs Euphoria and win32lib.
->Euphoria needs DOS or 32bit windows OS
-->Dos or Windows needs a Wintel style personal computer
---->And I need to get a life...

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/Ver 1.2 Updated Information////////////////////////
<1> Boxes and Radios
The common box types are numbered sequentially
as they are encountered. thus ordering as so; 
List1=create(
Combo2=create(
List3=create(
Group4= create(
check5= create(
,however, I retain some box end feilds
 for useful comment.

Radio buttons (option buttons in Macrode terms) 
are handled properly as the Win32lib document would suggest, 
and no errors will be generated. But they don't
seem to show up. This may be fixed in David Cuny's code already.   


<2>Command Line	 
DLG2EU can now run without command line arguments.
It will detect them first, but if not found then the program
will prompt you for them. There must be at least two
(EDL file and Output file) or  no arguements on the command
 line to process properly. 
valid forms;
;ex dlg2eu test.edl test.exw  --> arguements provided
;ex dlg2eu      -->program will ask for the files.
invalid form
;ex dlg2eu somefile  -->program will terminate

<3> Dialog Distiller (Distill.exw);
Dialog Distiller is a Win32 front End launcher and Editor for DLG2EU.
Dialog Distiller was built with DLG2EU and so it is also a demonstration project.
It features a large Multi line edit box to paste Macrode Dialogs
into using standard windows editing feature 'CTRL+V'. You can also copy or cut 
text from this edit box(CTRL+C, CTRL+X respectively).
 When you are finished editing the dialogs 
Enter a path and Project name (for example "E:\Euphoria\Samples")
in the Textbox inside the "Project Name" group.
**DO NOT ADD A FILE EXTENSION TO THE PROJECT NAME** 
And press the Distill Button. A message box will confirm if you
want to save the dialog form under that project name. Press "OK".
The Distiller will save the dialog form, Launch DLG2EU,
and return upon completion. 

Buttons were added to the distiller to Load the generated *.EXW code
into the Multi line Editor and save the edited version, but some
unusual problems with the setText function caused me to leave
these procedures uncompleted. Pushing either "EDIT CODE"
or "SAVE CODE" will only bring up a message box.    

================================================================
-)How to use this program (DLG2EU)
	Macrode.exe is a dialog creator furnished with Microsoft Word 2.0 (tm)
for laying out Word Basic applications. Controls like  Buttons, and Lists are 
drawn inside a window and then copied as text definitions into the macro.

example; Begin Dialog ....
 	       PushButton 262, 161, 88, 21, "Multiply"
	       PushButton 262, 129, 88, 21, "Subtract"
 	       End Dialog	

	For DLG2EU paste the definitions into a notepad file. Save
it as an *.EDL file (Euphoria Dialog) for easy identification.
Then run "ex DLG2EU 'edlfile.edl' 'outputfile.exw'".
{ver 1.2: alternatively use the Dialog Distiller now provided to save forms} 

The program automatically generates procedures for all the
 pushbuttons defined, and includes a comment on the Control's
 Text value as a reminder. The programmer then adds actions
 to the buttons, needed include files, and additional 
programming. 

This output programs require David Cuny's remarkable Win32lib
 to operate, along with the EXW interpreter of course.  
This code is provided as is, with no expressed warranty..
 Macrode.exe is not included.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Design Tips: There are some design discrepancies between Macrode and Win32lib.ew.
*Make Textboxes deeper than the normal height of 18. Use 22 to prevent cutoff.
*Leave some room between The GroupBox's Descriptive text and any
 controls below it.
* Keep an eye on How Wide the Dialog Window actually will be when
  DLG2EU converts it. The Aspects can be radically different. 
* Leave some room at the bottom from the nearest control. 
* USE a Listbox to reserve room for a multi-line edit box
  You can change the control type later.


-)History
	I downloaded euphoria 2.0 alpha a week before Christmas, and really
liked the fact it didn't crash anything. I thought David Cuny's Win32lib.ew
routines were a good starting point, but it's difficult to lay out controls
just on paper. I thought a 'Visual' tool could be used to make 
rapid redesign of Euphoria Forms possible. I laid out some ideas
and finally decided to use Macrode.exe because it was there.
I had a functional version of this translator in about 1 day(New  Year's). It's only
the second peice of code I have attempted in Euphoria. The first was 
some short graphics with elipses and image routines. 
  
ver 1.2 was completed between 1/7 and  1/8/98 along with a working version of the
Dialog distiller. 


 

 

