setting properties for groups in groups in ...

Tereza Snyder (tereza@califex.com)
Wed, 27 Aug 97 00:55:43 -0500

I wonder if someone with experience can help me out of an impasse. I'm
constructing an application that requires the display of three digital
clocks on a background. This seems an circumstance that begs for grouped
objects and custom properties that activate SetProp handlers.

Accordingly, I made a group containing the elements of a digital digit
with a "digit" custom property. A SetProp handler containing statements
like

hide grc "d1" of the target
show grc "d2" of the target
hide grc "d3" of the target
...

hides or shows each of the little digit parts in each of four digits,
depending on what value the property is set to. If I don't include 'of
the target' in the statements, only the first of the four digits changes
its appearance.

The four digits are included in a 'clock' group that has a custom
property "DigitalTime". The SetProp handler for DigitalTime has
statements like:

set the digit of group "digit1" of the target to char 1 of theTime
set the digit of group "digit2" of the target to char 2 of theTime
set the digit of group "digit3" of the target to char 3 of theTime
set the digit of group "digit4" of the target to char 4 of theTime

This works just fine also - so long as I have only one of these clocks on
the card.

When I put 3 copies of the digital clock on the card, and group them
together as required so I can use it as a background, only the topmost
clock sets its digits, no matter how I activate it. Moving the SetProp
handlers to the script of the group of clocks or to each of the groups of
digits makes no difference.

set the DigitalTime of group "time1" to item 1 of theTimes
set the DigitalTime of group "time2" to item 2 of theTimes
set the DigitalTime of group "time3" to item 3 of theTimes

or
...
set the DigitalTime of group "time3" of me to item 3 of theTimes -- in
the group of clocks

or
...
set the DigitalTime of group "time3" of group "theClocks" to item 3 of
theTimes

Is there a special terminology for referring to objects contained in a
group? I mean, besides 'of the target' or 'of me' which seem to work as
expected (sort of)?

Evidently, 'the target' is getting disassociated from the proper
enclosing group -- but why am I having no trouble setting all four digits
on a clock? Just like the clocks, each digit is identical, differring
only in name.

Any suggestions?

tereza

..................................
Tereza Snyder
Software Developer
Califex Studio LLC
www.califex.com
..................................