Inline auto-completion from value list

[bikergeek]

Attached is an example file of an inline autocompletion interface element I worked up over the last couple of days.

 

I'd like to see if I can getting working more smoothly. If you have any changes which improve this, please post the changed file along with your comments.

 

Thanks, and if anyone wants to use this code, the script will translate pretty easily so go ahead.

[Ender]

Hmm, I don't like scripts that you have to force-quit the application to exit. Kind of annoying.

[bikergeek]

Did you try the right-arrow, return or tab keys? They all cause the script to exit on my copy.

[aaa]

Change your pausing duration as indefinitly, then after putting character press enter. It will be like after any changes. Also you can in this case have portal with coresponding words and cursor will stay at the first in portal.

[bikergeek]

My intent was to mimic the look and feel of browser address style autocompletion. The current method does that pretty well for me.

 

As you type in the field, whatever you have typed so far is supplemented with the rest of the first matching word in the value list, but the match remains highlighted so that if you don't want to select that word you can just keep typing.

 

If the word presented is the one you want, just hit right arrow, return, or tab to the next field, and that word is left in the current field while the script exits.

 

I'm looking for suggestions to improve the code and the efficiency with which the script performs, without changing the interface at all.

(I.e. no portal, etc. Also desired is easy translation to any field in any project. Every autocompletion script in a project could use the same two referenced additional fields for temporary storage.)

 

Environment:

FMD 7.0v3

Macintosh PowerBook G3 500MHz

Mac OS X 10.3.8

[SurferNate]

The flashing interface is the one issue that I believe is fatal to this particular approach. There are a couple of third party plugin hacks that work more smoothly but so far nobody has streamlined a typeahead function that is both developer and user friendly. I've suggested that a very simple plugin that "checks" for the last key pressed (and then triggers a script) could get us one step closer to natural typeahead functionality without major development hassles.

 

Of course, FM could just include the feature themselves already. But alas they have not.