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- The Banner Script Language
- --------------------------
-
- !BanEd and !Banner both use a Script language to define how a banner should
- look and behave. This is always a Text file (filetype &FFF) and is usually found
- within a !Banner application.
- All commands are case insensitive and must be followed by a space before any
- parameters. Only one command is allowed per line. The last command in a script
- must be followed by a RETURN character otherwise the application will flag an
- 'End of File' error. Each command line must have no trailing spaces. If an error
- is found in a line, an error will be reported (if the error flag is set to On -
- see the 'Error' command) and !Banner will quit. !BanEd also will report errors
- in the same way but will not quit.
- The default values are the ones used if a command doesn't appear in a script.
-
-
- SpriteFile <filename> Default: None - command must appear in script
-
- This command defines the filename of the sprite file which contains the sprite
- to be displayed. It must occur within a script BEFORE a 'Sprite' command
- (otherwise a 'Sprite file not defined' error will occur) but otherwise can be
- placed anywhere within the script. The filename can, of course, contain System
- variables (e.g. <Appl$Dir>) so files that are not within !Banner's directory but
- in the parent application's directory can be easily pointed to. It's a good
- ideas to have the sprite in its own file with no other sprites so that the
- amount of memory claimed by !Banner is kept to a minimum.
- Example: SpriteFile <FancyApp$Dir>.Sprites Sprite path is
- <FancyApp$Dir>.Sprites
-
-
- Sprite <name> Default: None - command must appear in script
-
- This command defines the name of the sprite to be displayed from the sprite file
- defined by the command 'SpriteFile'. Hence this command must always come after
- the 'SpriteFile' command but does not have to be immediately after that command.
- If the sprite does not exists within the sprite file an error will be flagged.
- Example: Sprite FancyBan sprite name is FancyBan
-
-
- Frame <colour number|Off> Default: 7 and not OFF
-
- This defines the colour of the frame around the window (these numbers are the
- same as the ones shown by the Palette utility). The frame can be prevented from
- being displayed by specifying the OFF paramter. This command can be placed
- anywhere within a script.
- Examples: Frame 13 use colour 13
- Frame OFF stop frame from being shown
-
-
- Time <centiseconds> Default: 200 (i.e. 2 seconds)
-
- This defines how long the banner is displayed. This command can be placed
- anywhere within a script.
- Example: Time 150 display time is 1.5 seconds
-
-
- Font <font name> Default: System
-
- This defines what font is used for any text displayed. It must be of the usual
- format (i.e. Trinity.Medium). If the font doesn't exist an error will be
- generated. 'System' can be specified to use the system font instead. This
- command must come before the 'Text' command it is to apply to but otherwise can
- come anywhere in the script.
- Examples: Font Homerton.Medium.Oblique use Homerton.Medium.Oblique as the font
- Font System use the system font
-
-
- FontSize <Xsize>,<Ysize> Default: 12,12
-
- This defines the x and y sizes of the font in points for the next (and possibly
- following) 'Text' command. The parameters need not be integers. This command
- must come before the 'Text' command it is to apply to but otherwise can come
- anywhere in the script. This command does not work for the system font (as
- defined by the command 'Font') as this is always displayed at the normal size.
- Example: FontSize 20,25 set the width of the current font to 20 and the height
- to 25
-
-
- TextColour <foreground colour number>,<background colour number> Default: 7,0
-
- This defines the colours to be used by the next (and possibly following) 'Text'
- command. The numbers are the same as the ones shown by the Palette utility. This
- command must come before the 'Text' command it is to apply to but otherwise can
- come anywhere in the script.
- Example: TextColour 7,0 set the colours to 7,0
-
-
- Fill <On|Off> Default: Off
-
- This defines whether the background of any text is transparent (Off) or is
- coloured in with the current background colour (On).
- Example: Fill Off Do not fill in the background
-
-
- TextCoords <x>,<y> Default: None - must be included in the script
-
- This defines where the next 'Text' command will display the text. The origin
- (0,0) is at the bottom left of the window and all y coords up from this point
- are positive; x coords to the right are positive. This command must come before
- the 'Text' command it is to apply to but otherwise can come anywhere in the
- script.
- Example: TextCoords 200,-156 display the following text at 200 to the right
- from the far left of the window, and 156 down from
- the top of the window
-
-
- Text <string> Default: None
-
- This defines the string to be shown using the colours, fonts, sizes and position
- defined by the preceding commands. The string can be upto 256 characters long.
- Example: Text This is some text! displays 'This is some text!'
-
-
- Error <On|Off> Defualt: On
-
- This comman turns error reporting on or off. If errors in the script file are
- found then the application will always quit but will only report why if the
- error flag is set to On. This command can be placed at any point in the script.
- This command is usefull for debugging a script - a dodgy line can be preceded by
- an 'Error On' command and followed by an 'Error Off' command.
- Example: Error Off prevent error messages generated by a bad script from being
- reported
-