Basic Button help

Help & Support
1

Hi all,

I've been using Dopus for quite a while now, but ive hardly ever customised any buttons. I've now got several ideas that i'd like to incorporate into buttons, but i'm struggling to achieve this.

What i need is some examples to glean information from. Ive read the Sticky in this section, but what it doesnt say is how that code was created in XML. Yep I cut and pasted that onto a toolbar and it created a button. But how did that button get into XML format ?

Next up im struggling with all the switches, the Help manual is full of all the multitude of switches that can be used but very light on actual usage. For example do you have to use /O or /S etc to get it to work.

Also, when im trying to make a button (and it never works first time) is there a better way of testing the commands other than editing a button, making the changes, then coming out of Customize, and clicking the button again to see what happens. Then im back in Customize, making another minor tweak, then back out. In out in out, etc.

I guess what im trying to say is that a lot of the examples on the forum are way in advance of what im trying to do. But i don't want the kind of help that is written for a child of three.

Sorry if this post sounds like a rant, it's just I know what I wanna do, but cant manage to do it. Its frustrating.

Thanks in advance.
Quad

2

In the same Toolbar Context Menu--where you selected the Paste menu item to paste the button XML to your toolbar--you will also see a Copy menu item. That one wasn't that hard to figure out was it? Slow down a little and look around and see what else is in the same neighborhood.

No you do not use the /S, /O, /K, etc. They just tell you what type of parameter you are working with. These are discussed in detail, in the Help File and Manual under the major heading: Opus Raw Commands; start reading there.

Actually there are two, but both require that you have a good working knowledge of the Raw Command syntax, or the manual or help file within easy reach, or viewing access. The Advanced Command Editor actually helps you form commands and puts everything within easy reach.

NOTE: search the Help and Manual for "Advanced Command Editor" and read those sections as well.

[quote="GPSoftware, in Opus 9 Help"]CLI Raw Command
This command opens the Directory Opus CLI (command-line interpreter) interface. This is a very simple keyboard interface to the Directory Opus command set. It lets you enter commands and have them run immediately without having to set up Toolbar buttons first. You will not normally need to use this.[/quote]

Add this command to your toolbar to access it:

<?xml version="1.0"?> <button display="both" separate="yes"> <label>Opus CLI</label> <tip>Internal Command-line Interface</tip> <icon1>90</icon1> <function type="normal"> <instruction>CLI</instruction> </function> </button>

The other is the Command Field, which you can drag to a toolbar from Customize - Commands (filter for "Command Field").

There is no other place to begin, but at the beginning. Actually read the manual sections I noted for comprehension, do not just spot read the commands you are interested in. Also, check out the many FAQs (see link in my signature). Also, you should use the Forum Search facility to search for keywords of what you are trying to do (be sure to enable the search for all terms option) to see if someone else has already done it for you. As you read about and use buttons created by other users, also go read the Help section on the commands and parameters used to understand what they actually do. This will help you marry the theory with the practice.

It will be slow at first, but before long you will be up and running full steam.

3

Hi Quad,

It sounds like you'd benefit from reading through the Tutorials section of this site, and these two/three in particular:

[ul][li]Toolbars 1 (video tutorial) (Shows you how to create your own buttons.)
[/li]
[li]Getting to know Directory Opus (tutorial and introduction) (Has two pages of example button commands.)
[/li]
[li]Triple Drive Buttons (How to lose the tree) (step-by-step) (Very long, step-by-step guide which tells you exactly what to click and type at each stage.)[/li][/ul]

4

Hi Ken, Nudel,

Thank you both for your replies.

Haven't had chance yet to put anything into action, I think it was mainly my incorrect use of the command modifiers that was causing me grief. I see what you mean that the /S etc are not to be used but rather indicate the category or class of argument.

Also found in the manual after i'd posted, the Alt-click button option to sidestep the Customise dialog. Features in the video as well, very handy.