E-BASIC: Display commands in E-Prime 3.0 (Display.MsgBox, Display.AskBox, Display.AnswerBox, Display.InputBox) [23633]

This article applies to:
E-Prime 3.0

Detail

PST no longer recommends utilizing the MsgBox function within E-Prime 3.0. Due to the advancement in computer hardware, displays (CRT to LCD), and operating systems, the functionality of the MsgBox is not persistent.

NOTE: In a few instances, Internal Drawing Error 0x887601c2 (Error Number 11011) has been observed when using the deprecated commands of MsgBox, AskBox, AnswerBox, and InputBox (e.g., using MsgBox instead of Display.MsgBox). This error was not observed when using the deprecated commands and running the experiment in Windowed Mode. As always, experiments that are initially tested in Windowed Mode should be throroughly tested outside of Windowed Mode before collecting data.

Later releases of the Windows OS (Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11) communicate with the display API differently than prior operating systems. E-Prime requires display priority, and newer versions of Windows handles MsgBox (and other 'box-type' prompts) as warnings. Because E-Prime takes precedence, these prompts may be 'hidden' behind the experiment display.

Instead, we recommend using the new DisplayDevice commands. These cover the following dialog box types:

• MsgBox
• AskBox
• AnswerBox
• InputBox

For example, the new DisplayDevice command would appear as the following:

' Example uses of the UTC functions for copy and paste into your script

' Demonstrates use of Display.MsgBox instead of the deprecated MsgBox

' In the example below, MsgBox can be switched with Ask, Answer, and InputBox
Display.MsgBox NowUtc
 
Dim theNow As Date
theNow = NowUtc
 
Debug.Print theNow

For more detailed instructions on using these commands, please see its associated listing in the E-Basic Command Reference (https://pstnet.com/ecr).