[SOLVED] Knowing When Text Changed

[Randy Walker]

How does NotePad or any other app know if text was changed? Even as little as one character, it always seems to know.

[infratec]

If you use the ScintillaGadget()

https://scintilla.org/ScintillaDoc.html#ChangeHistory

[Randy Walker]

Wow! Thanks infratec. So much more complex than I imagined.

[BarryG]

For your own apps, you can use #PB_EventType_Change for some gadgets to know when they've changed, or use GetGadgetText() and compare it with a previous GetGadgetText() to see if the text differs.

To detect changes in third-party apps like Notepad, you'd need to parse its window to get all its "gadgets" and then check the one with the "Edit" class (similar to what I said about GetGadgetText() above).

[Axolotl]

Even if the post is marked as solved.
For completeness, there are also the API functions under Windows that can upgrade an EditorGadget() ....
A small extract to answer the above question:

Code: Select all

; query the EditorGadget for modified text since last reset
;
Macro EditorGadget_IsModified(Gadget) 
  SendMessage_(GadgetID(Gadget), #EM_GETMODIFY, #Null, #Null) 
EndMacro

; reset EditorGadget modify flag 
;
Macro EditorGadget_ResetModified(Gadget) 
  SendMessage_(GadgetID(Gadget), #EM_SETMODIFY, #False, #Null)
EndMacro

[Randy Walker]

Thanks Axolotl... And looks so much simpler too.

[Randy Walker]

For your own apps, you can use #PB_EventType_Change for some gadgets to know when they've changed...

Hadn't considered it might be detected by EventType() so that's a really great tip!!

or use GetGadgetText() and compare it with a previous GetGadgetText() to see if the text differs.

Well yeah that's the obvious way, but bothersome.

To detect changes in third-party apps like Notepad, you'd need to parse its window to get all its "gadgets" and then check the one with the "Edit" class (similar to what I said about GetGadgetText() above).

Good info, but way outside of my interest. just wanted to know about changes to editor and string gadgets.
THANKS BarryG!!!

[BarryG]

Was detecting the change for your own app, or for third-party apps? Because you only mentioned Notepad (third-party).

[Randy Walker]

Was detecting the change for your own app, or for third-party apps? Because you only mentioned Notepad (third-party).

Was thinking of my own app and using NotePad as an example of an app that exhibits that feature. Sorry for confusion and not being more explicit.