Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!bc
From: bc@Apple.COM (bill coderre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: How can I dim text?
Keywords: dim text, HyperCard,
Message-ID: <46801@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 25 Nov 90 17:31:59 GMT
References: <1844@diemen.utas.edu.au> <46466@apple.Apple.COM> <1198@prlhp1.prl.philips.co.uk>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 53

In principle, there is a simple and nice way to dim text: provide a
"dim" font, and switch to and from it as needed. Here's some notes on
doing that.

First, you have to make a dim font. I have seen a font "ChicagoGrey"
floating around, but I don't know its legal status. Nevertheless, you
could use any font editor to make one of your own, and install it into
whichever stacks need it. The details of this are left as an excercise
to the Reader.

Second, although the Hypertalk statement "set the textfont of <blah>
to <foo>" works fine, it can actually be very slow, for reasons only
the HC team understands. Therefore, here are three suggestions:

* If you are going to update a "button panel" frequently, consider
wrapping a "lock screen" and an "unlock screen" around the whole mess.
It will speed things up quite a bit.

* Use something like the following to change the button status:

on setEnabled oname status
  if (the textfont of oname is "Chicago") is status then return
  else 
    if status
    then set the textfont of oname to "Chicago"
    else set the textfont of oname to "ChicagoGrey"
  end if
end setEnabled

The first line checks to see if the object has the right font already,
and if so exits without doing anything. This hack also greatly
increases the speed of updates.

* Don't update the status of any buttons that "obviously" should not
have changed. Don't hurt yourself doing this, though. I once figured
I'd optimize the updates through the World's Most Complex If
Statement, but it didn't help. ALL of the slowness came from the "set
textfont" statement.

By following these precautions, you will have speedy updates.

Last, you need this handler in your buttons:

on mouseDown
  if the textfont of this button is "Chicago" then...
end mouseDown

Embellishments optional. Tartar sauce 35 cents extra.

If you need more help, drop me a line.

bill coderre
private consultant for a day