Problems with GUI button names

[science2002]

I am quite puzzled - but never mind I am habitual user of AHK, but an occasional codemaker - in dealing with the following problem using v.1.1.34.

I have a code to build a dynamic GUI. It is a bit long to put all here (and with too many msgbox for debugging), so the essential lines are the following:
Gui, 1: Add, Button, w275 h20 x5 y%YPos% gRun, % FileName%A_Index%
1) The buttons are built according to a given numer of files in a folder, that a "loop" detects.
2) Each button displays the name of the file using % FileName%A_Index%
So far so good.
Now, in pressing a button I tried to capture the name of the file that I see on the button.
3) Not having variables I could use A_GetControl, but it has a limit of 63 characters I discovered and some files have longer names.
So I tried the following code to pick up such a name of the pressed button (i.e. the name of the file):
GuiControlGet, Button_Name,, %A_GuiControl%
4) It works also for longer file names, i.e. above 63 characters limit.
5) However, with the following two file names (and displayed name buttons) it goes in confusion: "launcher - copy" and "launcher". When I pressed the second button (with the second name: launcher) Button_Name picks up the first name: launcher - copy.
6) If I rename the first file (and hence if the button is called like that) "launcherz - copy" (just need to add a letter: still not working instead with punctuations and "-") both buttons work ok.

QUESTION:
Why in the first case %Button_Name% fails to collect the correct button? There is a way to do it in a simple way, without changing file names?
I found a solution by adding variables to buttons, but I am wonder why of the above failure, and if a simpler solution without adding variables exists.
Thanks

[garry]

example from @mikeyww ( but defaced , bad modified by me ... )
create buttons , run ahk-files in a_scriptdir
viewtopic.php?p=462052#p462052

Code: Select all

;- https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=104039
i:=0
dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2: Font, s12 cBlack,Lucida Console
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 i++
 Md:=mod(i,2)
 if md=0
   colbgr:="red",coltxt:="white"
 else
   colbgr:="yellow",coltxt:="black" 
 Gui,2:Add,Progress,        w550 Disabled Background%colbgr%       ;- TITLE Button-backgroundcolor
 Gui,2:Add,Text,            xp    yp     wp    hp  c%coltxt%  BackgroundTrans Center 0x200  gRunscript ,% RegExReplace(A_LoopFileName, "\.ahk$")
 }
Gui,2:show
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
RunScript:
Run, %dir%\%A_GuiControl%.ahk
return
;================================= 

[science2002]

Thanks, @garry, for your quick feedback. I'm amazed at how similar features of mine could be achieved with one-tenth of the code: I have 250 lines of code, whereas yours has 25.

Admittedly, I do not fully understand the ratio of many lines of it. What I can say for certain, though, is that it fails with the same initial problem of mine when files have more than 63 characters.

And let me naively add that I am still puzzled by my question.

[science2002]

And just to clarify. In order to correct the 63 character limit if I substitute your final lines with the following I have the same problem with the two names: "launcher - copy" and "launcher"

GuiControlGet, ControlName,, %A_GuiControl%
Run, %dir%\%ControlName%.ahk
;Run, %dir%\%A_GuiControl%.ahk

[garry]

have no answer if problem with more than 63 characters . This works but you get with a_loopfileshortpath the DOS format-name 8.3

Code: Select all

;- Gui help / mikeyww
;- https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=104039
i:=0
dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2:default
Gui,2: Font, s12 cBlack,Lucida Console
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 i++
 Md:=mod(i,2)
 if md=0
   colbgr:="red",coltxt:="white"
 else
   colbgr:="yellow",coltxt:="black" 
 x:=a_loopfilefullpath  
 loop,%x%
 SP1:=A_loopFileShortPath
 SplitPath,sp1, name, dir, ext, name_no_ext, drive 
 Gui,2:Add,Progress,        w550 Disabled Background%colbgr%       ;- TITLE Button-backgroundcolor
 Gui,2:Add,Text,            xp    yp     wp    hp  c%coltxt%  BackgroundTrans Center 0x200  gRunscript ,%name%
 }
Gui,2:show
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
RunScript:
r:=a_guicontrol
Run,%dir%\%r%
return
;================================= 

this works also when you have space in filename ( but also needs less than 64 characters )

Code: Select all

i:=0
dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2:default
Gui,2: Font, s12 cBlack,Lucida Console
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 i++
 Md:=mod(i,2)
 if md=0
   colbgr:="red",coltxt:="white"
 else
   colbgr:="yellow",coltxt:="black" 
 x:=a_loopfilefullpath  
 SplitPath,x, name, dir, ext, name_no_ext, drive 
 Gui,2:Add,Progress,        w550 Disabled Background%colbgr%       ;- TITLE Button-backgroundcolor
 Gui,2:Add,Text,            xp    yp     wp    hp  c%coltxt%  BackgroundTrans Center 0x200  gRunscript ,%name_no_ext%
 }
Gui,2:show
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
RunScript:
r:=a_guicontrol
Run,%dir%\%r%.ahk
return

[garry]

and this works with long names , greater than 63 characters , but works not when you have space in filename ( then problem in > v%name_no_ext% )

Code: Select all

dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2:default
Gui,2: Font, s12 ,Lucida Console
colbgr:="black",coltxt:="yellow"
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 z:=a_loopfilefullpath  
 SplitPath,z, name, dir, ext, name_no_ext, drive
 Gui,2:Add,Progress,        w550 Disabled Background%colbgr%
 Gui,2:Add,Text,            xp    yp     wp    hp  c%coltxt%  BackgroundTrans Center 0x200 v%name_no_ext% gRunx ,%name_no_ext%
 ;Gui,2:add,Button,xs   y+20 w550  gRunx v%name_no_ext%,%name_no_ext%
 }
Gui,2:show,,TEST
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
Runx:
Gui,2:submit,nohide
MouseGetPos,,,, classNN
GuiControlGet, varName, Name, %classNN%
run,%dir%\%varname%.ahk
return
;================================= 

[science2002]

Thanks @garry for the extra code. But as you mentioned the problems posed are still there.
The extraction of the button name with A_GuiControl limited to 63 characters is disappointing, but advertised in the AHK help file. So no surprise.
Yet the other problem I outlined is out of my understanding.
GuiControlGet, ButtonName,, %A_GuiControl% does not have problems with long names. It does for certain files. In my limited testing, as I partially said, it fails with 1. (it picks up 2) yet it does not fail with 3 and 4 that also have the same initial name and a space.
1. launcher
2. launcher - copy
3. AHK_Test Archive1
4. AHK_Test Archive2

Regarding to your last post, by putting variables in the buttons, I resolved the problem with no fear of long names, spaces, or whatever else. Yet my code is very long, as compared to yours. As you can see from my first post I use loops and A_Index.

[garry]

an example because the problem with space in filename , concerns > v%name_no_ext%
replace all spaces with a character which usually not exist , here example > replace space with $ , and later replace $ again with space
( script not uses a_guicontrol ,and shoul'd work with more than 63 characters )
;-

Code: Select all

dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2:default
Gui,2: Font, s12 ,Lucida Console
colbgr:="black",coltxt:="yellow"
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 z:=a_loopfilefullpath  
 SplitPath,z, name, dir, ext, name_no_ext, drive
 stringreplace,name_no_ext,name_no_ext,%a_space%,$,all
 Gui,2:Add,Progress,        w550 Disabled Background%colbgr%
 Gui,2:Add,Text,            xp    yp     wp    hp  c%coltxt%  BackgroundTrans Center 0x200 v%name_no_ext% gRunx ,%name_no_ext%
 ;Gui,2:add,Button,xs   y+20 w550  gRunx v%name_no_ext%,%name_no_ext%
 }
Gui,2:show,,TEST
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
Runx:
Gui,2:submit,nohide
MouseGetPos,,,, classNN
GuiControlGet, varName, Name, %classNN%
stringreplace,varname,varname,$,%a_space%,all
run,%dir%\%varname%.ahk
return
;================================= 

[science2002]

Good strategy @garry, for what I understand. Yet in my case it does not work. The replaced spaces seem different from the expected ones. And the code breaks at line 11, i.e. GUI Add Text.

From the warning window I see that the name of the files have been changed but additing two characters and not just one ($).
Here an example (AHK_Test Archive) with just one space substitution.
---------------------------
running_AHK_scripts8_garry.ahk
---------------------------
Error: The following variable name contains an illegal character:
"AHK-TestÂ$Archive"

---> 011: Gui,2:Add,Text,xp yp wp hp c%coltxt% BackgroundTrans Center 0x200 gRunx v%name_no_ext%,%name_no_ext%
.
This gives me - if I may say - a bit of comfort: the shortest code has its problems.

PS: I saved the code in Utf8 - Bom (before just Utf8) and that has removed the extra-added character (Â). Yet, it kept the same error.
PS2: It seems that the GUI variable does not accept within its name "-" in addition to spaces. And problably it does not accept other characters too, like (, ), ".", etc. Moreover all these substitutions with other characters will appear in the shown GUI.

[just me]

Seems that you have a pseudo-array of filenames displayed in buttons. Also it seems that you are using a loop to create the buttons. If so, you can add unique names to your buttons:

Code: Select all

Gui, 1: Add, Button, w275 h20 x5 y%YPos% gRun vBtn%A_Index%, % FileName%A_Index%  ; <<<<< added vBtn%A_Index%

After this change, the value of A_GuiControl in Run will be the button's name which is unique when used in

Code: Select all

GuiControlGet, Button_Name,, %A_GuiControl%

and will always retrieve the correct filename.

See: Storing and Responding to User Input

[science2002]

Hi @just me. Yes, as you can detect from the code line of my first post and as I wrote in my third post:

As you can see from my first post I use loops and A_Index.

That's what was my approach since the beginning and that's what I did also with the GUI variables to overcome the puzzle. Thanks for underlining the point. I posted here because I was interested to solve the puzzle of GuiControlGet with A_GuiControl, in the attempt to avoid GUI variables.
Final point - tell me if I am wrong. I suspect that your last line of code gives, in Button_Name the name of the GUI variable, not that of % FileName%A_Index%. So you need to extract the latter from the variable.

[garry]

@just me yes this works fine
earlier example worked also , don't know what the problem with '$' was , but was useless to replace the spaces .
Is the variable > vBtn%A_Index% maybe not needed ?

Code: Select all

dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2:default
Gui,2: Font, s12 ,Lucida Console
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 z:=a_loopfilefullpath  
 SplitPath,z, name, dir, ext, name_no_ext, drive
 Gui,2:add,Button,xs   y+20 w550  gRunx,%name_no_ext%
 }
Gui,2:show,,TEST
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
Runx:
Gui,2:submit,nohide
GuiControlGet,var,, %A_GuiControl%
run,%dir%\%var%.ahk
return

the same with 'COLOR-BUTTONS'

Code: Select all

dir = %A_ScriptDir%
Gui,2:default
Gui,2: Font, s12 ,Lucida Console
colbgr:="black",coltxt:="yellow"
Loop, Files, %dir%\*.ahk
 {
 z:=a_loopfilefullpath  
 SplitPath,z, name, dir, ext, name_no_ext, drive
 Gui,2:Add,Progress, w550 Disabled Background%colbgr%
 Gui,2:Add,Text    , xp   yp   wp   hp  c%coltxt%  BackgroundTrans Center 0x200 gRunx ,%name_no_ext%
 }
Gui,2:show,,TEST
return
;----------
2Guiclose:
Exitapp
;-----------
Runx:
Gui,2:submit,nohide
GuiControlGet,var,, %A_GuiControl%
run,%dir%\%var%.ahk
return

[just me]

5) However, with the following two file names (and displayed name buttons) it goes in confusion: "launcher - copy" and "launcher". When I pressed the second button (with the second name: launcher) Button_Name picks up the first name: launcher - copy.

If you try to get a GUI button by its caption used as control ID, AHK (1.1?) searches all controls in the order they were added to the GUI. It chooses the first control whose caption starts with the search string.

Code: Select all

#NoEnv
#Requires AutoHotkey v1.1.33+
Gui, Add, Text,   xm gClick, Button - Copy 111
Gui, Add, Button, xm gClick, Button - Copy 11
Gui, Add, Button, xm gClick, Button - Copy 1
Gui, Add, Button, xm gClick, Button
Gui, Show, , Caption Test
Return
Click:
   GuiControlGet, Caption, , %A_GuiControl%
   MsgBox, Clicked on A_GuiControl`n`t>%A_GuiControl%<`nwith caption`n`t>%Caption%<
Return
GuiCLose:
ExitApp

Final point - tell me if I am wrong. I suspect that your last line of code gives, in Button_Name the name of the GUI variable, not that of % FileName%A_Index%. So you need to extract the latter from the variable.

I took this line from your first post. It will store the complete caption of the button in Button_Name.

[garry]

@just me thank you , interesting what you get
so this I like to use > GuiControlGet, Caption, , %A_GuiControl% , >> no problem with space and more than 63 characters in filename
( I think my last examples are OK )

Code: Select all

;-------- saved at 星期三 三月 2024-03-27  09:28 UTC --------------
;- Problems with GUI button names 
;- https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=565091#p565091

#NoEnv
#Requires AutoHotkey v1.1.33+
f1:=a_scriptdir . "\test22.txt"
Gui, Add, Text,   xm gClick, Button - Copy 111  ;- <<<  ( caption ? )
;---
Gui, Add, Button, xm gClick, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaz
Gui, Add, Button, xm gClick, Button - Copy 1
Gui, Add, Button, xm gClick, Button
Gui, Show, , Caption Test
Return
;--------
Click:
   GuiControlGet, Caption, , %A_GuiControl%
   aa=Clicked on A_GuiControl`n`t>%A_GuiControl%<`nwith caption`n`t>%Caption%<`n-----------------------------------------`n
   fileappend,%aa%,%f1%,utf-8
   try
    run,%f1%
Return
;--------
GuiCLose:
ExitApp
;========================================================
/*
Clicked on A_GuiControl
	>Button - Copy 111<
with caption
	>Button - Copy 111<
-----------------------------------------
;- concerns caption >  here I don't get the value from Gui,add,Text > >Button - Copy 111<  , instead I get all characters from the Button which I find useful
Clicked on A_GuiControl
    >aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa<  ;-< 63 characters
with caption
	>aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaz<
-----------------------------------------
Clicked on A_GuiControl
	>Button - Copy 1<
with caption
	>Button - Copy 111<
-----------------------------------------
Clicked on A_GuiControl
	>Button<
with caption
	>Button - Copy 111<
-----------------------------------------
*/
;========================================================

[just me]

Hi @garry,
spaces or more than 63 characters are no problem as long as the resulting "ControlID" is unique for all controls which can use contents as "ID" repectively is not the leading part of the "ID" of another control added before.