Download Qedit Scripting Language User Manual

Logging Messages
Using the Dialog() function is nice because it provides immediate feedback.
These advantages are also its disadvantages. The user has to be aware of these
dialogs otherwise the script might be sitting there waiting for someone to click a
button. The dialog box also hides the document windows, or parts of them, and it has
to be moved out of the way if the user wants to visually inspect the text.
An alternative to the Dialog() function is to use Writelog(). This function
allows you to write messages to the log window of the Script control dialog box.
The Script control dialog box does not have to be opened in order to use
Writelog(). Messages are written to the log and are displayed next time you open
the dialog box.
Keep in mind that the log window is cleared automatically when a script starts
executing.
Log Window Expansion
When you first start up Qedit and open the Script control dialog box, the log
window is minimized. That is, the log window is reduced to a single line. If you have
run a script, the log window displays the last message, if any, sent to it via
Writelog(). The Log Window Expansion control button at that point appears
a right-pointing arrowhead.
To expand the log window, simply click on the Log Window Expansion control
button. The arrowhead now points downward and the log window displays the first
set of messages. If there are additional logged messages, you can use the scroll bar
to move up or down the list. The log window can hold approximately 500 lines.
Debugging Tips
Here are a few tips that can help you be more efficient at writing and testing scripts.
Undo Your Changes
If the script is opened, Qedit always executes the script as it currently appears in the
document window. It does not use the version saved on disc. This means that you
can make changes to a script and test them right away without doing a Save. If the
changes you have made do not work, you can make more changes or you can back
them out one at a time using the Undo tool. If you prefer to go back to the original
version, you can re-open the file or use the Revert command on the File menu.
Checking Identifiers
Misspelling an identifier can cause some grief when trying to debug a script.
Because of a typing mistake, Qedit might decide to create a new variable but one that
is of undefined type or not initialized. Use the Typeof() function to check the data
type of a variable. This way, you can be sure that the variable is defined the way you
expect it to be.
Qedit Scripting Language User Manual
Executing and Testing Scripts • 61