statictext — u_pbt_statictext #

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Rich text block: markup, alignments, clickable links and actions, header look, scrolling mode (marquee) and file drop zone.

▶ See it live — Demo application, Statictext tile: the preview, the code behind it and this page, side by side.

At a glance #

Quick start #

// window open event
uo_text.is_text = "Welcome to [b][accent]PBToolboxAI[/accent][/b][br]" &
                   + "See the [hyperlink=https://pbtoolboxai.net]documentation[/hyperlink]."
uo_text.is_align = uo_text.ALIGN_CENTER
uo_text.is_valign = uo_text.VALIGN_CENTER

The text accepts rich text markup: this is the component that makes the most of it, since it is the only one that makes [action=…] areas clickable (a [hyperlink=…] opens everywhere).

Constants #

start and end are logical: they follow the writing direction (Language and RTL). The physical values left and right are still accepted as aliases.

Properties #

Text and formatting #

Block look (the "header" look) #

Scrolling mode (marquee) #

Optional interactions #

Methods #

Events #

Examples #

A section header #

Solid background, centered white text and a height fitted to the content: the block reads like a real title bar.

// Freeze the drawing while everything is set
uo_header.of_set_redraw(/*on*/ false)

// The title, centred
uo_header.is_text  = "[b]Sales dashboard"
uo_header.is_align = uo_header.ALIGN_CENTER

// Solid background and readable white text
uo_header.il_back_color = RGB(/*red*/ 60, /*green*/ 110, /*blue*/ 190)
uo_header.il_text_color = RGB(/*red*/ 255, /*green*/ 255, /*blue*/ 255)
uo_header.ii_padding = 14

// The block hugs its content : it reads like a title bar
uo_header.ib_auto_height = true

// Everything is drawn at once
uo_header.of_set_redraw(/*on*/ true)

// ue_auto_height event of uo_header
of_reposition_below_header(al_height)   // moves the content below the header

Rich text with a link and an action #

// A link to a web page, and an action your application handles (ue_action)
uo_text.is_text = "Your license expires on [b]12/31[/b]. " &
                   + "[hyperlink=https://pbtoolboxai.net]Learn more[/hyperlink] " &
                   + "or [action=renew]renew it now[/action]."

// ue_action event of uo_text : (string as_key)
choose case as_key
    case "renew" ; of_open_renewal()
end choose

ue_hyperlink is meant for URLs (the browser opens on its own); [action=id] is the right choice when the click has to stay inside your application. The [invisibleaction=id] variant raises the same ue_action without looking like a link.

A collapsible block #

// Two foldable sections : the second one starts folded
uo_recap.is_text = "[b]Order 2026-0148[/b][br]" &
                   + "[foldarea:[b]Delivery[/b]]Shipped on 12/07, within 48 hours.[/foldarea]" &
                   + "[foldarea-closed:[i]Legal notice[/i]]Returns accepted within 14 days.[/foldarea]"

// The block shrinks when a section is folded
uo_recap.ib_auto_height = true

A [foldarea:Title] adds a clickable header above its content: the reader folds the section with a click, and the marker turns from − into +. [foldarea-closed:Title] produces the same block, folded from the start. Blocks nest, and folding raises no event: it is a reading matter, not a coding one. When ib_auto_height is on, the height is reported again on every fold. The title is markup: [foldarea:[b][accent]Order 2026-0148[/accent][/b]] makes its own bold and accent-colored.

A scrolling banner #

// The message of the banner
uo_banner.is_text = "[b]Notice[/b] -- the service will be closed on Friday the 12th."

// Scrolling mode, news-ticker style
uo_banner.ib_marquee = true
uo_banner.ii_marquee_speed = 90        // pixels per second
uo_banner.is_marquee_direction = uo_banner.MARQUEE_START

The scrolling loops with no dead time. To stop it, set ib_marquee back to false: the text returns to its normal layout.

Once ib_track_cycle = true is set, the ue_cycle event is raised on every full pass of the text — handy for rotating several messages:

// In ue_cycle of the banner : move on to the next message
ii_message = Mod(ii_message, UpperBound(is_messages)) + 1
uo_banner.is_text = is_messages[ii_message]

A file drop zone #

// Accept files dragged from Windows Explorer
uo_zone.ib_allow_drop = true

// What the zone shows, centred
uo_zone.is_text = "[size=32][accent][b]Drop your files here[/b][/accent][/size][br][br]" &
                  + "Drag one or more files from Windows Explorer."
uo_zone.is_align  = uo_zone.ALIGN_CENTER
uo_zone.is_valign = uo_zone.VALIGN_CENTER

// ue_drop_files event of uo_zone : (string as_files[])
integer li

// Each dropped file, one after the other
for li = 1 to UpperBound(as_files)
    of_import(as_files[li])       // as_files[li] = FULL path of the file
next

// ue_drag_enter event of uo_zone : highlight the target while hovering
uo_zone.il_border_color = RGB(/*red*/ 21, /*green*/ 101, /*blue*/ 192)
uo_zone.ii_border_width = 2

The paths you receive are full paths: you can pass them straight to FileOpen or to your own import routine.

A label that behaves like a button #

// A text that behaves like a link button
uo_link.is_text = "Select all"
uo_link.il_text_color = RGB(/*red*/ 21, /*green*/ 101, /*blue*/ 192)
uo_link.ii_padding = 8
uo_link.ii_corner_radius = 6
uo_link.ib_hover_effect = true       // reacts to hover like a button

// ue_clicked event of uo_link
of_select_all()

A log written line by line #

Each call sends only the line added; ib_follow_end keeps the last one in view as long as the reader does not scroll up.

// Once, when the window opens
uo_log.ib_follow_end = true
uo_log.is_text = "[b]Import[/b]"

// For every row imported : one line, sent alone
uo_log.of_append_text(/*markup*/ "Row " + String(ll_row) + " [color=#2e7d32]imported[/color]")

A label as wide as its text #

// A status chip : background, rounded corners, and the width of its text
uo_status.is_text = "[b]Status :[/b] connected"
uo_status.il_back_color = RGB(/*red*/ 232, /*green*/ 245, /*blue*/ 233)
uo_status.ii_corner_radius = 12
uo_status.ib_auto_width = true

Best practices #

• Text without markup costs nothing extra: feel free to replace your PowerBuilder statictext controls systematically, even for plain text.
• Prefer is_align = uo.ALIGN_START over "left": your screen will still be correct if the application switches to right-to-left writing.
• ib_selectable stays off by default, like a label. Turn it on only where copying makes sense (case number, technical error message).
• For a header, combine il_back_color + ii_padding + ib_auto_height: the block sizes itself when the text changes length.
• Only turn ib_track_mouse on if you really script ue_mouse_enter / ue_mouse_leave.
• Call of_reset() before reusing a block for different content: otherwise a previous background, border or scrolling mode stays in place.

Inherited from the common base #

These members exist on every visual component — they are not specific to this one. They are detailed once, in the transverse chapters; this table only says where to read them.

Two helpers are not inherited: of_icon and of_escape_markup live on n_pbt_utils. Declare one — n_pbt_utils lnv_utils, nothing to create — and call them on it.

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