TextInput Widget focus for multiple input fields

[Opus4]

This reminds me:

SageTV doesn't allow to set the focus for text input widgets

There is a way to handle focus for a TextInput widget, which allows the use of multiple text input fields to be on the screen at once.

Item widgets (usually used as buttons) can obviously have focus, so they are used as the main container for an input field. Below the Item, use a Panel to define the area where text input is to be displayed. Then, below that Panel, use "If Focused" as a conditional that determines whether the Item displays just the entered text or a TextInput widget allowing more input, such as:

Item
|-Panel
  |-If Focused
    |-Branch true
    | |-<code to display the TextInput widget>
    |-Branch else
      |-<code to use Text widget to display text entered so far>

This way, only the input field that has focus will accept input while typing. Of course, you'll want to highlight the one w/focus somehow to indicate what field is active. The default STV also uses a blinking cursor for an active input field.

If you have mutiple input fields plus other buttons that could have focus, a variable could be added that remembers the last input field that had focus, so at least one input field is active no matter what item has focus.

- Andy

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by Opus4

This reminds me:

There is a way to handle focus for a TextInput widget, which allows the use of multiple text input fields to be on the screen at once.

Item widgets (usually used as buttons) can obviously have focus, so they are used as the main container for an input field. Below the Item, use a Panel to define the area where text input is to be displayed. Then, below that Panel, use "If Focused" as a conditional that determines whether the Item displays just the entered text or a TextInput widget allowing more input, such as:

Item
|-Panel
  |-If Focused
    |-Branch true
    | |-<code to display the TextInput widget>
    |-Branch else
      |-<code to use Text widget to display text entered so far>

This way, only the input field that has focus will accept input while typing. Of course, you'll want to highlight the one w/focus somehow to indicate what field is active. The default STV also uses a blinking cursor for an active input field.

- Andy

Thanks Andy, neat idea, I'll remember that for the future. Of course support in the Sage core would be even better ...


Dirk

[Opus4]

Even if it were in the core, you would have to have a way to specify whether or which TextInput widget should be active when some other button has focus (like I added while you were replying, it appears).

I don't know how often something like this is needed, but it worked pretty well when I had a use for it.

- Andy