Comparison of Column Dialog and New Window

New Window() and Column Dialog() enable you to construct a launch window that has a column selector. Use Column Dialog() to construct a simple launch window. Several items are added automatically to column dialogs: the Remove and Cancel buttons, the list of columns, and an OK button (if no buttons are explicitly defined).

dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp" );

dlg = Column Dialog(

x = ColList( "X", Max Col( 1 ) ),

y = ColList( "Y", Max Col( 1 ) )

);

Show( dlg );

// returns dlg = {x = {:weight}, y = {:height}, Button(1)};

If( dlg["Button"] == 1,

xCol = dlg["x"];

yCol = dlg["y"];

);

Show( xCol, yCol );

// returns xCol = {:height};

// returns yCol = {:weight};

New Window() is more flexible because of numerous optional arguments. In the following example, the user must select two columns before clicking the OK button. A Bivariate graph is then created. Validating the user’s selections is not possible in Column Dialog().

dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp" );

xvar = .;

yvar = .;

win = New Window( "Example of Returning Values",

<<Modal,

<<On Validate(

// require the user to select two variables before clicking OK

Show( xvar, yvar );

If( Is Missing( xvar ) | Is Missing( yvar ),

// if xvar or yvar are missing do nothing when OK is clicked

);

Text Box( " Select two numeric columns. " ),