-- As always, there are two other optional parameters:
-- <top coord>,<left coord>
-- If the specified PICTs are missing, the XCMD beeps.
-- part 14 (field)
-- low flags: 01
-- high flags: 0000
-- rect: left=469 top=48 right=62 bottom=503
-- title width / last selected line: 0
-- icon id / first selected line: 0 / 0
-- text alignment: 0
-- font id: 3
-- text size: 10
-- style flags: 0
-- line height: 13
-- part name:
-- part 17 (button)
-- low flags: 00
-- high flags: 0001
-- rect: left=8 top=306 right=328 bottom=47
-- title width / last selected line: 0
-- icon id / first selected line: 0 / 0
-- text alignment: 1
-- font id: 0
-- text size: 12
-- style flags: 0
-- line height: 16
-- part name: New Button
-- part 16 (field)
-- low flags: 01
-- high flags: 0000
-- rect: left=5 top=318 right=332 bottom=166
-- title width / last selected line: 0
-- icon id / first selected line: 0 / 0
-- text alignment: 0
-- font id: 3
-- text size: 9
-- style flags: 0
-- line height: 12
-- part name:
-- part contents for background part 2
----- text -----
ShowDialog XCMD
-- part contents for background part 1
----- text -----
One of problems with creating professional stacks in HyperCard is that HyperCard's implementation of dialog boxes (the "ask" and "answer" boxes) are too restrictive (too small) as well as being less than glamorous (no icon). One way around this is to fudge a dialog box with HyperTalk, but this is a kluge, at best (you can't have a default button).
ShowDialog XCMD is an external command that will allow you to display ANY type of dialog or alert that can contain ANY number of buttons, ANY amount of text, and ANY number of icons or PICT resources. You decide whether the dialog or alert is to have a default (outlined) button. You can have as many fields of static text as you wish and can modify any two of these on the fly (in the XCMD parameter list).
You can have up to two fields of editable text that the user can type into. One of these fields can contain a default text string (that you specify in the parameter list). Your dialog can have as many radio buttons as you want or can have a popup menu or a single check box.
You use ResEdit to create the necessary DLOG/DITL resources that allow ShowDialog to function.