Multi-line text fields?

Is there a way in the ConfigUI section of Action.xml to define a multi-line textfield? Here's what I have now:

Code: Select all

         <Field id="emailMessage" type="textfield">
            <Label>Message:</Label>
         </Field>


[jay (support)]

Not at the moment, but it's on the feature request list.

Not at the moment, but it's on the feature request list.

I think you must have a macro for that sentence.

[jay (support)]

Heh. We have well over 250 such requests.

Heh. We have well over 250 such requests.

I think that's called a "target rich environment".

Turns out this is very easy. Tip of the hat to forum user krissh , who sent me this in a pull request for the BetterEmail plugin.

Forcing the Label for the text field to multiple lines also causes the input text box to be multiple lines.

Code: Select all

            <Field id="emailMessage" type="textfield">
                <Label>Message:
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             </Label>
            </Field>


Dig it.

Device config:

Screen Shot 2017-01-23 at 9.18.50 PM.png (24.93 KiB) Viewed 3578 times

Result:

chart_multiline.png (11.11 KiB) Viewed 3578 times

Note that for my example, you still need something that's capable of outputting multiline text (matplotlib plugin in this case). This text was also run through the textwrap module and came out unscathed (that is, still multiline output). It appears that the textfield height is controlled by the number of lines not only between the <label> tags but also including the tag's lines (8 in my example).

ETA - Scratch that. The formatting does not survive the textwrap module.

The "trick" can also be used for UI field labels. As the width of UI dialogs is fixed and I often find them a bit narrow, I have some times used line breaks in labels to get wider text boxes etc. Some examples here

The "trick" can also be used for UI field labels. As the width of UI dialogs is fixed and I often find them a bit narrow, I have some times used line breaks in labels to get wider text boxes etc. Some examples here

Nice. I have been using multiline labels for a while, but never thought to try it with labels for fields.

Great tip.

[jay (support)]

While these hacks are clever, I just want to point out that they are an unintentional byproduct of how we implemented the rendering using the Cocoa APIs. Should we ever have a client that's not Mac-based it seems likely that they will not work. Nor is it guaranteed to continue to work in future revs of the Mac client (though we have no current plans to change the Mac client in this respect).

So, just a warning that these are likely not future proof.

So, just a warning that these are likely not future proof.

Half the sh!t we do isn't future proof -- where is the fun in hacking the implementation if it was published and sure to last?!?

I do like the ideas from the other plugin devs and appreciate everyone sharing their work-arounds!

Adam

Did Jay just (not) announce plans for a future Indigo client that isn't mac-based?

I feel like we've had this conversation before.

I distinctly remember Matt and Jay saying that the future path was Cobol 60 because, and I quote, "FLOW-MATIC is too pedantic."

[jay (support)]

I do like the ideas from the other plugin devs and appreciate everyone sharing their work-arounds!

We do too - you guys can be so clever. I just periodically want to remind everyone of reality...

[jay (support)]

Did Jay just (not) announce plans for a future Indigo client that isn't mac-based?

No comment.