ask

Typecommand
DictionaryLCS
LibraryLiveCode Script
Syntax
ask [<iconType>] <prompt> [with <defaultResponse>] [titled <windowTitle>] [as sheet]
Summary

Displays a dialog box with a prompt, a text box for the user to enter a response, and OK and Cancel buttons.

Introduced1.0
Changes

The ability to specify an iconType was added in version 2.0. In previous versions, no icon was displayed.

OSmac, windows, linux, ios, android
Platformsdesktop, mobile
Parameters
NameTypeDescription
iconType

The icon that is displayed on the left side of the dialog box. If you do not specify an icon, none is displayed. iOS and Android do not support iconType.

information: Non-critical notification
question: Request for information from the user
error: Notification of error or failure condition
warning: Notification of unexpected or abnormal condition
prompt

A string of formatted (or unformatted) text.

defaultResponse

A string, and is placed in the text box when the dialog box appears. If no defaultResponse is specified, the text box is empty when the dialog box appears.

windowTitle

Appears in the title bar of the dialog box. If no windowTitle is given, the title bar is blank.

Example
ask "What is your name?"
ask "Please enter your occupation:" with "Geek"
ask field "Prompt" with firstGuess titled "Guess!"
ask myPrompt as sheet
ask "Please say hello:" with "DEFAULT" titled "Hello World"
ask information "Please enter your user name." 
# formatted prompt text
put "Enter your <font color='red'><b>last name only</b></font>." into tPromptText
ask tPromptText
Values
NameTypeDescription
It

The contents of the text box is placed in the it variable.

The result

If the user cancels the dialog, the it variable is set to empty and the result function returns "cancel".

RelatedKeyword: gRevAppIcon, it, gRevProfileReadOnly, gRevSmallAppIcon
Property: dialogData, HTMLText
Command: answer, ask file, ask password, modal, sheet, ask file with type
Function: result
Control Structure: function
Glossary: return, OS X, variable, handler, modal dialog box, dialog box, command, HTML
Description

Use the ask command when a handler needs to get information from the user before continuing.

If the ask...as sheet form is used, the dialog box appears as a sheet on OS X systems. On other systems, the as sheet form has no effect and the dialog box appears normally. Attempting to open a sheet from within another sheet displays the second stack as a modal dialog box instead.

You can format the prompt text using HTML-style tags as described in the HTMLText property.

*Cross-platform note:* On OS X systems, there is no image for the question icon. Therefore, the information icon appears instead. In addition, the image specified by the gRevAppIcon appears if you do not specify an iconType. If you specify an iconType, the image specified by the gRevSmallAppIcon appears instead, along with the standard icon specified by the iconType.

*Cross-platform note:* Mobile does not support iconType and 'as sheet'.

The ask...as sheet form was introduced in version 2.0. The ability to provide formatted text for the prompt was introduced in version 2.0.