VIRTUAL TABS

Here's a way to make data in a non-fixed font (like Arial) look like it's tabbed. The right-justified sample uses LB3's 'stringwidth' command (many thanks, Carl). That command also works great for centering a string. I suppose one could even line up decimal points of a column of numbers, by making a left and right string out of each one.

'------------- start of demo -----------------
'   tabArial.bas  --  virtual tabbing with
'   non-fixed fonts in LB3.
'   Demo by Bill Jennings, Jan 2003.


      nomainwin
    WindowWidth=500 : WindowHeight=480
    graphicbox #w1.g1,1,1,500,480
    open "" for window as #w1
      print #w1, "trapclose [quit]"
      gosub [getData]
      print #w1.g1,"font Arial 0 18"
      gosub [display]
    WAIT


[display]  '*** in 3 columns
    print #w1.g1, "down"
    for border=1 to 4
      x=150*(border-1)+10
      print #w1.g1, "line ";x;" 28 ";x;" 414"
    next border
    print #w1.g1, "place 182 20"
    print #w1.g1, "\- Left justified -"
    print #w1.g1, "place 178 230"
    print #w1.g1, "\- Right justified -"


    '*** left-justified
    for col=1 to 3
      for row=1 to 9
        nData=(col-1)*9+row
        x=150*(col-1)+20
        print #w1.g1, "place ";x;" ";20*(row-1)+40
        print #w1.g1, "\";a$(nData)
      next row
    next col


    '*** right-justified
    'Uses "stringwidth" command.
    for col=1 to 3
      for row=1 to 9
        nData=(col-1)*9+row : b$=a$(nData)
        print #w1.g1, "stringwidth? b$ width"
        x=150*(col-1)+150-width
        print #w1.g1, "place ";x;" ";20*(row-1)+250
        print #w1.g1, "\";a$(nData)
      next row
    next col
  RETURN


[getData]  '*** make 27 strings
    DIM a$(27)
    for d=1 to 27
      nChrs=int(rnd(1)*6)+3
      a$(d)="data "
      for h=1 to nChrs
        nAsc=int(rnd(1)*74)+48
        if nAsc=92 then nAsc=45
        a$(d)=a$(d)+chr$(nAsc)
      next h
    next d
  RETURN


[quit]
    close #w1 : END
'------------- end of code -----------------

HOT KEYS AND MOUSE CLICKS

This demo will:

'   hotClicks.bas -- demo of hotkeys in combination and mouseclicks,
'     simultaneously enabled.  Jan 2003, Bill Jennings
'     Thanks to Doyle and Alyce for clarifying the 'setfocus' command.

    nomainwin
    UpperLeftX=40 : UpperLeftY=80
    WindowWidth=640 : WindowHeight=300

    b1$="Alt-X will hotkey this EXIT button"
    b2$="Input a multi-digit number"

    button #w1.b1,b1$,[quit],UL,20,40
    button #w1.b2,b2$,[number],UL,20,108
    statictext #w1.st1,"",40,160,600,160

    statictext #w1.st2,"",320,150,300,30
    graphicbox #w1.g1,0,0,0,0

    open "" for window_popup as #w1
      print #w1, "trapclose [quit]"
      print #w1, "font Arial 0 22"

    print #w1.g1, "when characterInput [key]"
    print #w1.g1, "setfocus"

      '*** buffer$ is used in [scanLoop]:
    buffer$ = space$(256) + chr$(0)

[scanLoop]  '*** Scan sets focus back to the window
      ' for mouse clicks after pressing a hot key.
  SCAN
      '*** Check for Alt-X keys combination:
    calldll #user32, "GetKeyboardState",_
      buffer$ as ptr, result as void
    Alt$=mid$(buffer$,19)
      '*** 19 is the VK code decimal value + 1.
    if asc(Alt$)>127 then Alt=1  '*** Alt key pressed
    X$=mid$(buffer$,89)
    if asc(X$)>127 then X=1  '*** X key pressed
    if Alt and X then [quit]

      '*** 1 ms delay to save processor cycles:
    calldll #kernel32,"Sleep",1 as ulong,r as void
  goto [scanLoop]

[quit]
    close #w1
  END

[key]
    Alt=0 : X=0  '*** reset
    key$ = Inkey$
    ndx=asc(right$(key$,1))
    if number then gosub [numberPressed]
  goto [scanLoop]

[number]
    decimal=0
    print #w1.st1, ""
    print #w1.g1,"locate 300 106 300 30"
    print #w1, "refresh"
    print #w1.g1, "cls"
    prompt "maximum number "; mxNum$
    if mxNum$="" then [scanLoop]
    mxNum=val(mxNum$)
    tx1$="Max number= "+mxNum$+chr$(13)+chr$(13)+_
      "Start pressing keys."+chr$(13)+_
      "The number will stop building when you press enter"+_
      chr$(13)+"or when you exceed the maximum number."
    print #w1.st1, tx1$
    print #w1.g1, "setfocus"  'reset for key input.
    number=1
  goto [scanLoop]

[numberPressed]
    ok=0
    if ndx=46 and not(decimal) then_
      decimal=1 : ok=1  '*** decimal point
    if ndx>47 and ndx<58 then ok=1 '*** a number
    if ok then
      num$=num$+chr$(ndx)
      if val(num$)>mxNum then_
        num$=left$(num$,len(num$)-1) : done=1
      print #w1.st2, num$
    end if
    if ndx=13 or done then  '*** Enter key
      print #w1.st2, ""
    print #w1.g1,"place 10 18"
      print #w1.g1, "down;\the number is ";num$ 
      num$="" : done=0 : number=0
    end if
  RETURN