Type

Type-cmd

Outputs a string to the specified device.

Syntax

type  option  string

Notes on Use

• Double Quotes: If string contains any non-alphanumeric characters, such as punctuation marks or spaces, be sure to enclose it in double-quotation marks ("string"). This is especially important if string contains an equal sign (=), which, without enclosing double-quotes, will be interpreted as an assignment.

• Special Characters: to specify non-printable characters or characters that are problematic during substitution, use the following table.

For example:

// Note: ASCII character 61 (hexadecimal 3D) is the equal sign.
// Output to a pop-up attention window the text "Test A"
// then on a new line type "Test B = Test C":
 
type -b "Test A \n Test B \x3d Test C";

type "\u2554====\u2557";//╔======╗

• Message File as string: in addition to entering literal text for string, you can specify $[OMGfileName].Section.Title. This enables you to access a string title in a message file. For example:

// Output to a pop-up attention window the text in ''BadCalculation'',
// in the '''General''' section of the ORIGIN.OMG file.

Type -b $General.BadCalculation;

Notes:

• The OMGfileName file extension must be OMG. The notation does not use extension.
• The file must be in the appropriate language folder of the Localization folder.
• If OMGfileName is not specified, the ORIGIN.OMG file is assumed.

Options

no option; Print string to the Script window

Syntax: type string

Print string to the Script window.

no option; string = ogsFileName; Print out the contents of the specified script file

Syntax: type ogsFileName

• Print out the contents of the specified script file (.OGS) in the current directory to the Command (or Script) window.
• Note that the file extension (.OGS) in ogsFileName may be omitted. The file name can be a full path. See also

Running and Debugging LabTalk Scripts: Debugging Tools.

-a; Open the Script Window and print string

Syntax: type -a string

Open the Script Window (if it is hidden or closed) and print string.

-b; Display string in a dialog box with an OK button

Syntax: type -b string

If the string is omitted, this command produces a beep.

-c; Display string in a dialog box with OK and Cancel buttons

Syntax: type -c string

• Click Cancel to generate a break in the current script.
• Click OK to continue running the script.

-gb; Type text to a file

Syntax: type -gb[e][f][n|r] filename

Send all subsequent type command strings to a file. End writing to file with type -ge.

• e = empty file, if not specified then text is appended.
• f = output to file only, no output to script window.
• n = output LF for end-of-line.
• r = output CR for end-of-line.

If neither n nor r is specified then output CRLF for end-of-line. Use type -l <text> to output with no end-of-line.

type -gb %Yjunk.txt;
type "some thing1";
type "some thing2";
type "some thing3";
type -ge;

-ge; End typing text to file

Syntax: type -ge

End writing to a text file. Used after type -gb.

//store some information to the active page storage area and type the tree to a file
page.tree.experiment.sample.RunNumber = 45;
page.tree.experiment.sample.Temperature = 273.8; 
type -gbef %Yjunk3.txt;
        page.tree.=;
type -ge;

-h; Hide the Script Window

Syntax: type -h

Hide the Script Window

-html; Create a dialog based on html code

Syntax: type -html "html str"

Create a dialog based on the html code.

type -html "file://Table.html";   // Execute the Table.html file, which is located in the User Files Folder
type -html "http://www.originlab.com";    // Open the website in a dialog
type -html "<button>Click</button>";  // Execute html command line to create an HTML button

-l; Print to the Script Window

Syntax: type -l string

Print to the Script Window, but disable the carriage return and linefeed for this text

-latex; create LaTeX object

Syntax: type -latex string

create LaTeX object

type -latex "y=3+\frac{2}{0.2\sqrt{\pi/2}}e^{-2\frac{(x-1)^2}{0.2^2}}"

-mb; Enable the use of attention messages

Syntax: type -mb n

• n = 0, override messages, using a response of No/Cancel
• n = 1 , override messages, using a response of Yes
• Used in combination with -me; option -me turns attention messages back on
• See Example #2 below

-me; Disable the use of attention messages

Syntax: type -me

• The default setting is that attention messages are enabled.
• If attention messages have been disabled using option -mb, re-enable them using -me.

-mg; Get the current value of an entry in the [ReminderMessages] section of origin.INI and assign it to a LabTalk variable

Syntax: type -mg stringoridofentry VarName

• stringoridofentry is either the string keyword of the entry or the numerical id of the entry in the [ReminderMessages] section of origin.INI.
• Only available after Origin 8/SR5
• Use with option -ms.

-ms; Set the value of an entry in the [ReminderMessages] section of origin.INI

Syntax: type -ms stringoridofentry Value

• stringoridofentry is either the string keyword of the entry or the numerical id of the entry in the [ReminderMessages] section of origin.INI.
• Use a negative value to remove the entry (which will enable the corresponding reminder dialog box).
• Only available after Origin 8/SR5
• Typically, Value = 0 means the "No"-option whereas Value = 1 means the "Yes"-option in the corresponding reminder dialog box.
• For use with option -mg: reset variable to prior status by letting Value=VarName.

-n; Display string in a dialog box with Yes and No buttons

Syntax: type -n string

• Click No to generate a break in the current script.
• Click Yes to continue running the script.

-o; Perform argument operation on the Script window

Syntax: type -o argument

Argument can be one of the following (you need only supply the first letter):

-q; Display string in the status bar

Syntax:type -q string

-s; Types string to a previously open Script window even if it has been hidden

Syntax:type -s string

Unlike the -a option, this command will not open a hidden Script window and it will do nothing if the Script window is closed.

-tb; Type a property of an object to an attention box

Syntax: type -tb object.property

-tn; Type a property of an object to a Yes/No dialog box

Syntax: type -tn object.property

-tq; Type a property of an object to the status bar

Syntax: type -tq object.property

-ty; Type a property of an object to a Yes/No/Cancel dialog box

Syntax: type -ty object.property

-v; Override escape sequence substitution

Syntax: type -v -option message

• Override interpreting escape sequences so that \n is not recognized as New Line, \r is not recognized as Return, etc. (see the above note on "Specifying non-printable characters")
• Use -v before (option) -b, -c, and -y to allow the use of file paths in message.
• See the examples below.

-y; Display string in a dialog box with Yes, No and Cancel buttons

Syntax: type -y string

• Click on the Yes button to set Origin's t variable to one.
• Click on the No button to set t to zero.
• Click on the Cancel button to generate a break in the current script.

Examples

Example #1: Simple text display

The following script displays the message "I'm busy right now" in the status bar.

type -q "I'm busy right now";

The next script displays the message "Here is some text, and here is some more" on one line in the Script window.

type -l "Here is some text";
// other code 
type ", and here is some more";

Example #2: Toggle the display of pop-up attention messages

The next two scripts illustrate use of the type -mb and type -me commands. In this example, you Append a project. Normally, a dialog opens that asks whether to Append to the current folder or to create a new folder. Such messages would normally stop a script until you responded to the message. With the type -mb command, you can override the dialog box.

// Begin override of messages, using a response of No/Cancel 
//- Do not create a folder
type -mb 0;
doc -a D:\SAMPLE.OPJ; // Append an OPJ
// End override of messages
type -me;
// Begin override of messages, using a response of Yes - Create a new folder
type -mb 1;
doc -a D:\SAMPLE.OPJ; // Append an OPJ
// End override of messages
type -me;

Example #3: Over-riding escape sequences

The next script prints "My file is stored in c:\temp\file1.opj." to the Script window.

Note: \t is not interpreted as a tab due to the use of the -v option. Remove the -v and try again to see the effect.

type -v "My file is stored in C:\temp\file1.opj.";

Example #4: Display text contained in a graph object

The last script displays the Bottom X Axis Title text from the active graph window in a dialog box with an OK button.

type -tb "XB.text";

See Also

Type, $() Substitution and its C formatting

Note: You can use Print (command) to print the output text in the Notes window.