I have just started learning AppleScriptObjC and try to figure out how things are working. I went through most examples in Everyday AppleScriptObjC and AppleScriptObjC Explorer 5 but I have a hard time getting the following script to work.
I created a new project with two text fields and a button. The send action for leaving text field 1 is to call checkTextField1. If textfield1 is empty then I would like to place the cursor back into textfield1 so that the user can enter the value without clicking the field first.
script AppDelegate
property parent : class "NSObject"
-- IBOutlets
property theWindow : missing value
property textfield1 : ""
property textfield2 : ""
on checkTextField1:sender
log "check textfield1"
if textfield1 is equal to "" then
log "textfield1 is empty"
theWindow's makeFirstResponder_(textfield1)
end if
end checkTextField1
on buttonPressed:sender
log "button pressed"
theWindow's makeFirstResponder:(missing value)
end buttonPressed
on applicationWillFinishLaunching:aNotification
-- Insert code here to initialize your application before any files are opened
end applicationWillFinishLaunching:
on applicationShouldTerminate:sender
-- Insert code here to do any housekeeping before your application quits
return current application's NSTerminateNow
end applicationShouldTerminate:
end script
When I run the script and press the tab key to get out of textfield1 I get the following error
2015-06-16 14:22:21.827 test3[71829:7123609] check textfield1
2015-06-16 14:22:21.827 test3[71829:7123609] textfield1 is empty
2015-06-16 14:22:21.827 test3[71829:7123609] -[__NSCFConstantString becomeFirstResponder]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x7fff78bf56e0
2015-06-16 14:22:21.830 test3[71829:7123609] *** -[AppDelegate checkTextField1:]: -[__NSCFConstantString becomeFirstResponder]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x7fff78bf56e0 (error -10000)
Pressing the button correctly focuses on the theWindow without any error. I just can’t get it to focus on a specific field.
Any hint on what I’m doing wrong would be appreciated.
you’re mixing up the textfield object and the string value of the textfield.
The error message reveals that you’re sending the makeFirstResponder message to a string instead of to an NSTextField instance.
Assign missing value to both textField1 and 2 properties
Connect the outlets in interface builder.
Then check
if textfield1's stringValue() as text is equal to "" then
script AppDelegate
property parent : class "NSObject"
-- IBOutlets
property theWindow : missing value
property textfield1 : missing value
property textfield2 : missing value
on checkTextField1:sender
log "check textfield1"
if textfield1's stringValue() as text is equal to "" then
log "textfield1 is empty"
theWindow's makeFirstResponder_(textfield1)
end if
end checkTextField1
on buttonPressed:sender
log "button pressed"
theWindow's makeFirstResponder:(missing value)
end buttonPressed
on applicationWillFinishLaunching_(aNotification)
-- Insert code here to initialize your application before any files are opened
set textfield1's stringValue to ""
end applicationWillFinishLaunching_
on applicationShouldTerminate_(sender)
-- Insert code here to do any housekeeping before your application quits
return current application's NSTerminateNow
end applicationShouldTerminate_
end script
and I do no longer get an error message. I have also added a line set textfield1’s stringValue to “” which will later be used to add a default value.
However, pressing tab in textfield1 advances the cursor to textfield2 and it stays there even though textfield1 is empty. The log shows that is found textfield1 empty but then the cursor stays in textfield2.
Connection Inspector shows that theWindow has the Referencing Outlet AppDelegate (as it was by default when I created the project) and the Initial First Responder set to textfield1. No Bindings have been added.
I suspect it’s a timing issue. In your handler, you’re setting the field to be first responder while it already is first responder – the first responder normally changes after the action handler has finished running.
You are absolute right. I changed the code to include your line and the focus now go back to textfield1 if I tab out of textfield1 and it is empty.
script AppDelegate
property parent : class "NSObject"
-- IBOutlets
property theWindow : missing value
property textfield1 : missing value
property textfield2 : missing value
property textfield3 : missing value
on checkTextField1:sender
log "check textfield1"
if textfield1's stringValue() as text is equal to "" then
log "textfield1 is empty"
theWindow's performSelector:"makeFirstResponder:" withObject:textfield1 afterDelay:0.1
end if
end checkTextField1
on buttonPressed:sender
log "button pressed"
theWindow's makeFirstResponder:(missing value)
end buttonPressed
on applicationWillFinishLaunching_(aNotification)
-- Insert code here to initialize your application before any files are opened
set textfield2's stringValue to "test"
end applicationWillFinishLaunching_
on applicationShouldTerminate_(sender)
-- Insert code here to do any housekeeping before your application quits
return current application's NSTerminateNow
end applicationShouldTerminate_
end script
