MesgList Window

This window displays a rolling list of AceDB informational and error messages that would normally be displayed in individual "popup" dialog windows which require the user to click on an "OK" button to get rid of the window. This window provides a good alternative for situations where a large number of messages get displayed (e.g. when there are DNA mismatches) and clicking "OK" would get very annoying.

You can choose between having errors reported in the usual "popup" dialogs or instead having this single "message list" window which will display a rolling list of messages as they are generated. The messages do not need to be replied to, they are displayed in the window and when a new message arrives it is displayed in red and the window is raised above other acedb windows to alert you to the new message. Each message is preceded with a time stamp so that, if a large number of identical messages are being generated, it's possible to see that new messages are being generated.

(Note that Exit or Crash messages are still displayed in an individual "popup" dialog window.)

The "message list" is configured from the "Admin.." menu from the main window. Select "Preferences", and then from the "Preferences Editor" window you can set:

USE_MSG_LIST: Set this "on" to use the message list window instead of popups, or "off" to go back to popups.
MAX_MSG_LIST_LENGTH: You can control the number of messages that the window will display so that if you want to record all messages you could set this to some very large figure, perhaps several hundred. (The maximum possible is 2,000.)

N.B. You should note that for any preferences where you have to type a value, you must press the return key before you click the "Apply" or "Save" buttons. If you don't do this, the value you have entered will be ignored.

Once you have selected USE_MSG_LIST and clicked the "Apply" or "Save" buttons, a new window with the title "AceDB Normal/Error Messages" will appear. The window has scroll bars so that you can adjust it to the size you want and also scroll through messages.

If there are no messages then the window will show

"< No messages currently >"

As messages arrive they are displayed with the newest at the bottom displayed in red, older messages are scrolled off the top once the list has reached MAX_MSG_LIST_LENGTH in size. Each message is shown with a time stamp so that you can see when it arrived. You will see something like this:

  2001-06-14_16:35:30:  Sorry, no help subject registered for this window !
  2001-06-14_16:35:31:  Sorry Roger, none of your DNA matches !
  2001-06-14_16:35:32:  Your Source_Exons are off the end of your sequence !
  2001-06-14_16:35:33:  Please use AceDB 4_9 from now on !

You can do the following from the message list window menu:

"Quit": Completely remove the message list window, but note that the next time AceDB needs to display an informational/error message the window will be recreated unless you use the "Preferences Editor" to return to "popup" messages.
"Reset": Will remove all currently displayed messages from the window.
"Refresh": Simply redraws the window exactly as-is.
"Save": Save the contents of the window to a file of your choice.
"Print": Send the contents of the window to a printer, a file or mail to a user.
"Help": Display this file.

You can return to having individual popups at any time by setting USE_MSG_LIST "off" from the "Preferences Editor" window.

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last edited: Jun 2001