[Q] Controlling Scroll Text Direction

Guides UI and Macro
1

How do I code an EditBox such that when a line of text is inserted, the existing (previously inserted text) text is pushed upwards?

In my implementation, when a line of text is inserted the text grows down off the screen which requires the user to use the scroll bar to see the latest entry.

I would prefer that the previous text scrolled up (off the screen) such that the latest entry is always visible. If the user needs/wants to see the previous entries, s/he would use the scroll bar to bring the later text into view.

Thanks, in advance

2

I didn’t have anything to hand so I cobbled this from bits without really looking at it so it could probably be cleaned up but… It should work if you post text to it like posting a chat message or for scrolling as you type.

To get it started:
/ft some text

local frame = nil

local function ScrollText(self, x, y, w, h)
	local cursorHeight = h
	local cursorOffset = -y
	local scrollFrame = self:GetParent()
	local scroll = scrollFrame:GetVerticalScroll()
	local range = scrollFrame:GetVerticalScrollRange()
	local vs = scrollFrame:GetVerticalScroll()
	local sh = scrollFrame:GetHeight()
	if vs + y > 0 or 0 > vs + y - h + sh then
		while ( (cursorOffset + cursorHeight) > (scroll + h) and scroll < range ) do
			scroll = (scroll + (h / 2))
			if ( scroll > range ) then
				scroll = range
			end
		end
		scrollFrame:SetVerticalScroll(scroll)
	end 
end

local function CreateTheFrame()
	frame = CreateFrame("Button", "FizzleEditListTest", UIParent)
	frame:SetBackdrop({bgFile = "Interface/Tooltips/UI-Tooltip-Background", edgeFile="Interface/Tooltips/UI-Tooltip-Border", tile = true, tileSize = 8, insets = {left = 8, right = 8, top = 8, bottom = 8},})
	frame:SetBackdropColor(0, 0, 0)
	frame:SetPoint("RIGHT", -12)
	frame:SetSize(300, 400)
	frame.SF = CreateFrame("ScrollFrame", "$parent_SF", frame, "UIPanelScrollFrameTemplate")
	frame.SF:SetPoint("TOPLEFT", frame, 12, -30)
	frame.SF:SetPoint("BOTTOMRIGHT", frame, -30, 10)
	frame.Text = CreateFrame("EditBox", "$parent_EB", frame)
	frame.Text.cursorPos = 0
	frame.Text:SetMultiLine(true)
	frame.Text:SetSize(180, 170)
	frame.Text:SetPoint("TOPLEFT", frame.SF)
	frame.Text:SetPoint("BOTTOMRIGHT", frame.SF)
	frame.Text:SetMaxLetters(99999)
	frame.Text:SetFontObject(GameFontNormal)
	frame.Text:SetAutoFocus(false)
	frame.Text:SetScript("OnEscapePressed", function(self) self:ClearFocus() end) 
	frame.Text:SetScript("OnCursorChanged", ScrollText) 
	frame.SF:SetScrollChild(frame.Text)
	frame.Close = CreateFrame("Button", nil, frame, "UIPanelButtonTemplate")
	frame.Close:SetSize(24, 24)
	frame.Close:SetPoint("TOPRIGHT", -8, -8)
	frame.Close:SetText("X")
	frame.Close:SetScript("OnClick", function(self) self:GetParent():Hide() end)
	frame.Clear = CreateFrame("Button", nil, frame, "UIPanelButtonTemplate")
	frame.Clear:SetSize(24, 24)
	frame.Clear:SetPoint("RIGHT", frame.Close, "LEFT", -1)
	frame.Clear:SetText("C")
	frame.Clear:SetScript("OnClick", function(self) self:GetParent().Text:ClearFocus() end)
	frame:RegisterForClicks("LeftButtonDown", "LeftButtonUp", "RightButtonUp")
	frame:RegisterForDrag("LeftButton")
	frame:SetMovable(true)
	frame:SetScript("OnDragStart", function(self) self:StartMoving() end)
	frame:SetScript("OnDragStop", function(self) self:StopMovingOrSizing() ValidateFramePosition(self) end)
end 

local Counter = 0
local function AddMessage(msg)
	if not frame then
		CreateTheFrame()
	end
	Counter = Counter + 1
	frame.Text:SetFocus() 
	frame.Text:SetText(frame.Text:GetText() .. "\n" .. Counter .. " - " .. msg)
	if not frame:IsShown() then
		frame:Show()
	end
end 


SLASH_FIZZLETEXT1 = "/ft"
SlashCmdList["FIZZLETEXT"] = function(msg)
	if msg ~= "" then
		AddMessage(msg)
	end 
end
3

Thanks, Fizzlemizz. I’ll start on it tonight and see what develops. Thanks