wxTextCtrl Doesn't Display a Cursor Topic is solved

[ColleenKobe]

I have written a short program to give me practice navigating among text fields and buttons on the screen. Everything works fine, as far as moving from field to field, and typing, changing, and saving values goes.

The one thing that puzzles me is that there is no cursor displayed in the wxTextCtrl field that is the focus. I can type and the characters are displayed, but if I didn't change the focus text control background to yellow, it would be impossible to know where the cursor is on the screen without typing something.

I'm sure I've missed something obvious, like a bit needs to be set somewhere.

How can I get a cursor to display in the wxTextCtrl fields?

CodeLite: 10.0.0
wxCrafter: 2.6
wxWidgets: 3.1.0

Thanks!

[ONEEYEMAN]

Hi,
Can you compile the text sample and see if it works for all controls out there?

Thank you.

[ColleenKobe]

Thank you for replying, ONEEYEMAN.

You're talking about the sample code that came with wxWidgets, right? On my computer, they text samples are installed in C:\wxWidgets\samples\text.

Actually, no, I have no idea how to compile those samples. I tried to compile them when I first downloaded wxWidgets, but I got confused. There were lots of mystery (to me) abbreviations, and the directions required me to know which ones I needed, and I didn't. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing, or how to tell when I did it correctly. I didn't know where to get help. Finally, I just "walked away." Now I work in CodeLite, wxWidgets, and wxCrafter.

[ONEEYEMAN]

Thank you for replying, ONEEYEMAN.

You're talking about the sample code that came with wxWidgets, right? On my computer, they text samples are installed in C:\wxWidgets\samples\text.

Yes, that's the one.

Actually, no, I have no idea how to compile those samples. I tried to compile them when I first downloaded wxWidgets, but I got confused. There were lots of mystery (to me) abbreviations, and the directions required me to know which ones I needed, and I didn't. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing, or how to tell when I did it correctly. I didn't know where to get help. Finally, I just "walked away." Now I work in CodeLite, wxWidgets, and wxCrafter.

Well, then. I think now is a good time to "un-confuse" you.
Let's try to solve the mystery of compiling wx samples.

What compiler did you use to compile the library? How did you compile it - inside IDE or from the Terminal/Command Prompt?

Thank you.

[ColleenKobe]

Actually, no, I have no idea how to compile those samples. I tried to compile them when I first downloaded wxWidgets, but I got confused. There were lots of mystery (to me) abbreviations, and the directions required me to know which ones I needed, and I didn't. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing, or how to tell when I did it correctly. I didn't know where to get help. Finally, I just "walked away." Now I work in CodeLite, wxWidgets, and wxCrafter.

Well, then. I think now is a good time to "un-confuse" you.

Oh, hey! Awesome!!!

Let's try to solve the mystery of compiling wx samples.

Okay!

What compiler did you use to compile the library? How did you compile it - inside IDE or from the Terminal/Command Prompt?

I compiled the library originally using a Windows 7 command prompt. I'm not actually sure I did it right, because every time I compile a program now, I get dozens of "deprecated" warnings like this one:

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F:/Prototypes_CPP/Navigate_Fields/Baseline/MainFrame.cpp:433:1: warning: 'virtual void wxWindowBase::SetInitialBestSize(const wxSize&)' is deprecated: use SetInitialSize() instead. [-Wdeprecated-declarations]

All those warnings make it hard to debug a longer program.

[ONEEYEMAN]

I compiled the library originally using a Windows 7 command prompt. I'm not actually sure I did it right, because every time I compile a program now, I get dozens of "deprecated" warnings like this one:

Code: Select all

F:/Prototypes_CPP/Navigate_Fields/Baseline/MainFrame.cpp:433:1: warning: 'virtual void wxWindowBase::SetInitialBestSize(const wxSize&)' is deprecated: use SetInitialSize() instead. [-Wdeprecated-declarations]

All those warnings make it hard to debug a longer program.

Ok, I presume you used MinGW compiler of some flavor, right?
Which command{s} did you use to compile the library?

Thank you.

[ColleenKobe]

Ok, I presume you used MinGW compiler of some flavor, right?
Which command{s} did you use to compile the library?

Yes, I used MinGW.

Here is the batch file I created to compile wxWidgets. I know it's wordy and long and a lot of it is commented out. But I thought that I'd have to help my co-workers do the same process, and I was worried I would forget steps. I

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echo off
cls
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem                              Compile wxWidgets
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem
rem Edited by Colleen Kobe
rem March 22, 2016
rem
rem   Description:  This batch file gives you directions to follow to download
rem                 and compile wxWidgets, gcc, and Code::Blocks.
rem
rem                 These directions work on the following software versions:
rem
rem                 gcc:           4.9.3
rem                 wxWidgets:     3.0.2
rem                 Code::Blocks: 16.01
rem
rem                 Note:  I gathered the steps below from a number of
rem                 different web pages.  No page listed all these steps.
rem                 That leads me to believe that there are a lot of different
rem                 errors that can happen during these installations.  Many
rem                 of the "authorized" lists of instructions don't have these
rem                 errors.  Why?  Beats me.
rem
rem   Directions.   You must do the following tasks in order to compile
rem                 wxWidgets (and for this batch file to succeed).
rem
rem      Most of this advice comes from
rem      https://wiki.wxwidgets.org/Downloading_and_installing_wxWidgets and
rem      https://wiki.wxwidgets.org/Compiling_wxWidgets_with_MinGW.
rem
rem   1. Download MinGW.  See http://www.mingw.org/category/wiki/download.
rem      See the additional documentation in F:\Documents\wxWidgets about
rem      which options you'll need.  I installed mine into C:\MinGW, so any
rem      time I need to reference the MinGW directory, C:\MinGW's the
rem      directory I'll use.
rem
rem   2. Download wxWidgets.  See https://www.wxwidgets.org/downloads/.
rem      Install it into a directory whose name constains NO BLANKS.  I
rem      installed mine into F:\wxWidgets F:\Documents\wxWidgets about which
rem      options you'll need.  I installed mine into F:\wxWidgets, and so any
rem      time I need to reference the wxWidgets directory, F:\wxWidgets's the
rem      directory I'll use.
rem
rem   3. Download Code::Blocks.  See http://www.codeblocks.org/downloads/25.
rem
rem   4. Create an environment variable %WXWIN% and assign it the name of the
rem      directory into which you installed wxWidgets.  In my case, I'd assign
rem      it the value F:\wxWidgets.  See
rem      https://kb.wisc.edu/cae/page.php?id=24500 for directions on creating
rem      a system variable in Windows 7.
rem
rem   5. Append F:\wxWidgets and C:\MinGW\msys\1.0\bin to the system path.
rem      See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/23400030/windows-7-add-path
rem      for directions to change the path.
rem
rem   6. Still in the Control Panel:  Make sure your system path does NOT
rem      contain MSYS or CYGWIN directories.  Delete those directories from
rem      the path, if they're there.
rem
rem   7. Open %WXWIN%\build\msw\config.gcc.  Find the string (without the
rem      leading blanks):
rem
rem      CXXFLAGS
rem
rem      Change the line to read
rem
rem      CXXFLAGS += "-std=gnu++11"
rem
rem      Close config.gcc.
rem
rem   8. Open %WXWIN%\build\msw\makefile.gcc.  Find the string (without the
rem      leading blanks):
rem
rem      ar rcu $@ $(MONOLIB_OBJECTS)
rem
rem      There is only one line like it in the file.  Replace that string with
rem
rem      ~ar rcu $@ gcc_mswu\\monolib*.o
rem
rem      EXCEPT replace the tilde (~) with a tab character (ASCII 0x09), and
rem      the entire line should start in column 1.
rem
rem      Close makefile.gcc.
rem
rem   9. You are now ready to run this batch file to compile wxWidgets.
rem      First, be sure this batch file resides in %WXWIN%\build\msw.  If it
rem      doesn't, move it there.
rem
rem   10.  Open a cmd.exe shell (click the Start button and type, in the
rem      command box, cmd [Enter]. At the DOS command, type:
rem
rem      cd F:\wxWidgets\build\msw
rem      compilem
rem
rem      Cross your fingers.  Press the spacebar when prompted to.  Hope like
rem      crazy that it all passes.
rem
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

echo on

set WXWIN=F:\wxWidgets
set origpath=%path%

F:
cd %WXWIN%\build\msw

rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem Clean up and build the debug version.  Start by deleting the old files.
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

erase /q F:\wxWidgets\build\msw\gcc_mswu\*.*
erase /q F:\wxWidgets\build\msw\gcc_mswuddll\*.*
erase /q F:\wxWidgets\build\msw\gcc_mswudll\*.*

rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem The "-j4" compiler option means use this many threads to compile.  The
rem option works, but it makes debugging any error messages a little tricky.  So
rem remove the option during debugging, but add it back in later.
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

rem mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe -j4 -f makefile.gcc BUILD=debug UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 clean

mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe -f makefile.gcc BUILD=debug UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 clean
pause Debug File Clean complete.  Ready to compile.
cls

rem mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe -j4 -f makefile.gcc BUILD=debug UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1
    mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe     -f makefile.gcc BUILD=debug UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1

rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem Clean up and build the release version. == wait to do this until the debug version works.
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem     mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe -j4 -f makefile.gcc BUILD=release UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 clean
rem rem mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe     -f makefile.gcc BUILD=release UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1 clean
rem pause
rem cls
rem     mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe -j4 -f makefile.gcc BUILD=release UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1
rem mingw32-make SHELL=CMD.exe     -f makefile.gcc BUILD=release UNICODE=1 SHARED=1 MONOLITHIC=1

rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rem Have to do this copy manually--I don't know why.
rem ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

copy %WXWIN%\include\wx\msw\setup.h  %WXWIN%\include\wx

At the time, I was using Windows 7 and Code::Blocks. Now I'm using Windows 10 and CodeLite and wxCrafter.

[doublemax]

#7 is not necessary, you should pass that parameter to the command line
#8 I've never seen that before, what's it supposed to do?

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copy %WXWIN%\include\wx\msw\setup.h  %WXWIN%\include\wx

Very bad! Don't do this. Why do you think this is necessary?

I use VS almost exclusively, but when i experiment with MinGW, i use the following command line:

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mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=0 MONOLITHIC=1 CXXFLAGS="-fno-keep-inline-dllexport -std=gnu++11" BUILD=debug
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=0 MONOLITHIC=1 CXXFLAGS="-fno-keep-inline-dllexport -std=gnu++11" BUILD=release

Regarding the samples: If you build the wxWidgets libraries successfully, you only have to navigate (still in the command window) to a sample, e.g. <wxdir>/samples/minimal/ and use the exact same command line that you used to build the libs.

Regarding the initial problem: Is this the same sample where you catch the wxEVT_KILL_FOCUS etc events? If yes, disable those and check if the problem disappears.

[ColleenKobe]

#7 is not necessary, you should pass that parameter to the command line

Okay.

#8 I've never seen that before, what's it supposed to do?

I don't know. I found a batch file for this online and I just copied it. This is what clueless people do.

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copy %WXWIN%\include\wx\msw\setup.h  %WXWIN%\include\wx

Very bad! Don't do this. Why do you think this is necessary?

Sigh. See above.

I use VS almost exclusively, but when i experiment with MinGW, i use the following command line:

Code: Select all

mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=0 MONOLITHIC=1 CXXFLAGS="-fno-keep-inline-dllexport -std=gnu++11" BUILD=debug
mingw32-make -f makefile.gcc SHARED=0 MONOLITHIC=1 CXXFLAGS="-fno-keep-inline-dllexport -std=gnu++11" BUILD=release

Regarding the samples: If you build the wxWidgets libraries successfully, you only have to navigate (still in the command window) to a sample, e.g. <wxdir>/samples/minimal/ and use the exact same command line that you used to build the libs.

Great! Thank you! I will try this to recompile my wxWidgets libraries.

Regarding the initial problem: Is this the same sample where you catch the wxEVT_KILL_FOCUS etc events? If yes, disable those and check if the problem disappears.

if I remove the wxEVT_SET_FOCUS and wxEVT_KILL_FOCUS events, what should I do with the code in those procedures? Somehow, the user needs to be able to edit the text in those fields. Would wxEVT_ENTER_WINDOW and wxEVT_LEAVE_WINDOW do? Or do they refer to the window that the field resides in, not the field itself?

For what it's worth: here's what the display looks like now.

Enter_Channel_Data.jpg (52.88 KiB) Viewed 2944 times

The focus is in the cell for Channel 1, column "Diff Amp Minus Ref", which is the yellow cell. But this is with the "Set Focus" and "Kill Focus" events in place.

I would expect that there should be a dotted box around the text in the yellow cell, but there isn't.
I would expect the text in the cell to be highlighted when the field first becomes the focus, but it isn't.
And I would expect to see a cursor, but I don't.

P.S. I apologize for the long delay in replying here. I have to split my time at work between software development, laser welding, micro-grinding, and writing documents, and often, the other tasks take priority.

[ONEEYEMAN]

Hi,
Did you call "event.Skip()" in your EVT_SET_FOCUS()/KILL_FOCUS() handlers?

If not, you should do that. Without the call you prevent the OS to do its work on the control and hence you won't see a cursor.

Now, more generally, as a rule of thumb:

ALL NON-wxCommandEvent SHOULD CALL event.Skip()!!!!

Well, almost all of them. But it should be decided on case-by-case. And I believe it is even documented somewhere which events don't need to call it sometimes.

So for sure missing an event.Skip() call is the reason why you don't see the cursor there.

Thank you.

[doublemax]

if I remove the wxEVT_SET_FOCUS and wxEVT_KILL_FOCUS events, what should I do with the code in those procedures?

That's only for a test to check if this is related to the problem. It wasn't meant as a permanent solution.

The focus is in the cell for Channel 1, column "Diff Amp Minus Ref", which is the yellow cell. But this is with the "Set Focus" and "Kill Focus" events in place.

Can you comment out the code that sets the color for a test and check if the cursor appears?

Is there anything else non-standard you're doing?

Can you just add a default wxTextCtrl somewhere in the dialog and check if it shows a cursor?

If that all doesn't help, i'm afraid you'll have to try to create a minimal, compilable sample that shows the problem.

[ColleenKobe]

So for sure missing an event.Skip() call is the reason why you don't see the cursor there.

You were right! I added the

Code: Select all

event.Skip (true);

at the top of the local Set_Focus and Kill_Focus procedures, and now I have a cursor.

Thank you. I can't imagine how I would have learned about event.Skip otherwise.

Colleen

[ColleenKobe]

if I remove the wxEVT_SET_FOCUS and wxEVT_KILL_FOCUS events, what should I do with the code in those procedures?

That's only for a test to check if this is related to the problem. It wasn't meant as a permanent solution.

Oh. Sorry, I misunderstood.

The focus is in the cell for Channel 1, column "Diff Amp Minus Ref", which is the yellow cell. But this is with the "Set Focus" and "Kill Focus" events in place. ... Is there anything else non-standard you're doing?

I'd be happy to answer that question, if I knew what "standard" was. The problem turned out to be that I was missing an "event.Skip (true);" statement at the beginning of the Set_Focus and Kill_Focus procedures. Once I added them, the cursor and highlighting appeared normally.

Thank you, doublemax, for your assistance!

[ONEEYEMAN]

Hi, Colleen,

So for sure missing an event.Skip() call is the reason why you don't see the cursor there.

You were right! I added the

Code: Select all

event.Skip (true);

at the top of the local Set_Focus and Kill_Focus procedures, and now I have a cursor.

Thank you. I can't imagine how I would have learned about event.Skip otherwise.

Colleen

The usual consensus is - perform what you need is the event handler and then call "event.Skip();".