Re: Formatting selected text in a Filemaker field
Re: Formatting selected text in a Filemaker field
- Subject: Re: Formatting selected text in a Filemaker field
- From: Gary Lists <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 08 Jan 2003 14:41:35 -0500
On or about 1/8/03 3:10 AM, email@hidden wrote:
>
I'm wondering if this is possible using an applescript command within
>
Filemaker...
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I want to be able to search out text in a field (for example, all text within
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field x which is inside quotes), and then have it appear and print in bold
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face.
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I know how to isolate the text within Filemaker, but it seems FM has no means
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for me to automate its formatting.
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Also, I would not want to change any user chosen formatting of other text
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within the field...
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I hope I'm being clear with this, it seems as if there should be a clearer
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way to express it!
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Example-
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This is an example of the field which I want to alter and change the text
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which is "In quotes" to bold without changing other formatting (notably size)
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>
Would return:
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This is an example of the field which I want to alter and change the text
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which is "In quotes" to bold without changing other formatting (notably size)
>
>
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
>
Andy D
Andy,
There has been lots of discussion of this very subject on the FMPRO-L list
just in the past month. Perhaps a search through those archives -- or a
short-term joining -- would be worth it. It is tedious, error-riddled
across FM versions and relies on setting fields a very specific way with
their own formatting (different from the formatting of the text _in_ a field
is the formatting of the field on any given layout.) You will need to brush
up on the <<class>> of text, and be able to manipulate by character using
those classes. The thread, again, has more detailed information.
On the subject in general, I am now going to take that dreaded step so
common in lists and NG's ... Why would you want to do that anyway? (Don't
you just hate that! :)
In FM, since users have control over the text inside a field (formatting,
style) it seems like a lot of work [scripting that is very difficult and
requires much underststanding of raw class codes] for not much gain.
No matter what you script did, I could just change it with menu choice.
Your script couldn't operate on a locked field any more than a user could,
so locking doesn't help.
Also, and the most important argument against such human effort, is the fact
that "bold" text is a display-specific coding and has absolutely little
meaning to those who: a) have different vision ability (some people don't
see bold type well, as exampled in some of my students who suffer
vision-related problems with contrast); b) since you can't really control
typeface, the result of "bolding" text is a guessing game as to whether it
will be readable (if there are no other users besides yourself, then why not
just change the formatting of the field to allow the "word" portions to be
more easily seen?); c) formatting of text on a layout does not correspond
directly to the way text will be printed from FM regarding styles; d)
information is better understood by its relation to other information and
its order (read: the layout page) rather than its style (e.g. Craig and
Tulving, 1975 re-Graphemic vs. Phonemic vs. Semantic information processing;
e.g. Stroop, 1935 'The Stroop Task')
So, it is mostly possible to script such style changes, but the thread on
how to do it and the problems encountered will be a very good reference for
you as you continue.
Check out the FMPRO-L list. Nice folks.
--
Gary
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