Dialog Studio is copyright 2001 David Lloyd and MacScripter.net.
We extend our thanks to Christopher Hyde for making the Dialog Director scripting addition available to us.
Christopher Hydes Dialog Director page: http://www.hylight.demon.co.uk/DialogDirector/DialogDirector.html
Dialog Studio was written by myself from an idea by Ray Barber. Kirk Klingbiel did the testing with help from Ray, Rich Goldman and Daniel Blanken. Many thanks to Steven Angier for his input and suggestions.
Dialog Studio was written using AppleScript and Facespan version 3.0.1, the AppleScript interface application builder. For more information on Facespan, visit http://www.facespan.com.
Important note: Dialog Studio must not be allowed to reside any web or ftp site for download without written permission from MacScripter.net.
If you have any questions bug reports, purchasing or requests regarding Dialog Studio, send email to me at: david@macscripter.net, with 'Dialog Studio' included in the subject of your email.
Introduction
Dialog Studio is a wysiwyg GUI designer for users of the Dialog Director scripting addition. Dialog Director is one of the most popular scripting additions made, but some people have shied away from using it because of its steep learning curve in creating dialogs with it.
Dialog Studio creates Dialog Director scripts using the familiar drag and drop interface with a compliment of tools to help in dialog creation. Users can create dialogs containing push buttons, text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, gauges, boxes, and more, all without typing a single character of AppleScript code.
Other features include saving native Dialog Studio files for later editing and adjustments, four options of export: copy to clipboard, save as script, open compile and run in your favorite script editor, and a script preview. Snap to grid, nudge buttons, and step and repeat are also features. Also, an included utility, DS Icon Imbedder, makes imbedding custom icons in your script a snap.
Requirements
Obviously, the Dialog Director scripting addition. You will need the latest version, which is 0.7, and can be downloaded from http://files.macscripter.net/Osax/Dialog_Director_v0.7.sit.hqx
Dialog Studio can run without Dialog Director, but to compile and run scripts created by Dialog Studio, you need to have Dialog Director installed. Also, the included DS Icon Imbedder utility requires the Resource Utilities scripting addition to be installed. Resource Utilities comes as part of the Dialog Director package.
Known issues with Dialog Studio
• Some users may experience no action when using the "Open with Editor"
option and Apples' Script Editor.
• Some options may not stick (toggle guides is one) unless the preferences dialog
is opened and closed with the 'OK' button
• Dialog Studio asks the user to save any open window even if no change was made.
We'll target this issue in the next release.
Differences between Dialog Studio Lite
and Dialog Studio Pro
Dialog Studio Lite is free, but only allows:
• A maximum of twelve dialog items.
• The minimum dialog window size is 200 by 100 pixels, and the maximum is 400 by 200 pixels
• Only dialog items: buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, icons, static text and editable text fields.
The full version allows a lot more:
• There is no limit to the number of dialog items
• The minimum window size is 32 by 32 pixels and there is no maximum size limit.
• Dialog items: buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, icons, static text, editable test fields,
list boxes, popup menus, boxes, lines, gauges and dummy items.
• There is no start up splash screen.
Future versions of Dialog Studio
Dialog Studio will, in future versions, provide tools for creating icon buttons and picts as well as including extra properties of current dialog items such as ‘enable’ and individual font properties. Also there will be an import from script tool, which will creates dialog read in from existing AppleScripts.
Dialog Studio will be ongoing as long as user demand dictates it, and will continue to evolve.
History
Version 1.1.1
Fixes and Improvements:
• Items can now be dropped onto a group box,
• Backslashes are now inserted before quote marks when it writes the script, thus ensuring the script compiles,
• Pasting text into edit fields in properties palette now works correctly,
• Copy and Select All commands in the Edit menu is now functional for edit fields in properties palette,
• Width and height fields in properties palette traps pasted non-numerical text,
• Warning of no closebox or existence of push button now works.
Version 1.1
New features:
• Drag resize - you can now drag resize items by dragging them while holding down the command key.
• Live Guides - With this option turned on guides are shown attached to the selected item for easier alignment
• Tooltips - popup information to help new users get started
• Added a "Run" button to the preview palette.
Changes:
• Pressing the command key while clicking on some item no longer changes its state.
Instead, this is now achieved by pressing the option key.
• The 'Open Dialog" button in the toolbar has been replaced by the "Toggle Guides" button.
• Snap to grid no longer offers "snap to" options, instead it is set at 4 pixels.
Any other value caused alignment problems with items, particularly the default button item.
• The Dialog Studio file format has changed - a DS File updater is included to update old files.
• Redesigned the Preferences dialog.
• Deleted the default window option, which was deemed unnecessary, and caused some conflicts.
• The progress bar is now in the form of a floating palette to combat the problem where
the window being edited was itself, floating palette, because this would obscure the progress bar.
• Many interface tweaks and improvements to bring things more in line with Macintosh UI standard.
Improvements:
• There should now be a slight performance increase, particularly under OS 9.04.
• When exporting a script, the "Line" item which would misplace by two pixels, is now fixed
• Reading and writing the preferences is improved. (Version 1.0 preferences file is no longer compatible).
• The Manual is better organized.
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This software has been tested and there are no known problems or bugs which may lead to corruption or data loss, but if any shall result, then MacScripter.net or any of its staff will not be held responsible. Use of this (or any) software is at your own risk.
